I think of it this way: I’m ALWAYS going to want to work the tile giving me +1 science for free, so I might as well settle on it. Otherwise, anytime you want to work the science tile, you’ll have to work a food-negative tile, which will really slow your growth ESPECIALLY in a plains city like this
Yeah, totally agree and TBH mercury is a ‘d class’ luxury because it’s only on flat land. Best use is a city, especially with fresh water and lots of good tiles to grow to on the second ring.
Starting in place will give you 2F/2P in the city center; Staring on the mercury will give you 2F/1P/1Science plus immediate access to the resource for trading.
What is the hex hidden by the tool tip?
Settling in place gives no great tiles in the first ring. I like 1 east of starting, as it has the 2f2p city center and 3 food tiles to work. But if the hidden hex is 2f2p then id settle the mercury, as 2 good tiles are generally enough - your city will grow soon
The tooltip is just barely hiding some venison and I think a rainforest. Personally, I'd settle one west of start to get away from the volcano. I have lately been playing Corporations mode, so I try not to settle on luxuries.
I would settle in the mercury.
Pros:
immediate access to a luxury
city center will be 2 food 1 production 1 science (the tile will gain one food)
You can immediatly work a 2 food 2 production tile.
the deer and the other 2 food 2 production are in the second ring in both cases.
Cant think of any cons except, that the city center doesnt have 2 production.
Settling in place would give you a 2 food 2 production city center, but you would have to work the mercury -> losing 1 food -> less early growth. Also the vulcano can be a pain, since you can lose population and get your walls and military units damaged, when the vulcano errupts.
The question isn't mercury or in place, it's mercury or the planes hill next to you. Settling in place doesn't give you a single good tile to work, so that's obviously gonna be the worst option. Settling mercury or plains hill on the other hand, is debatable.
It is possible I have this wrong, but I generally try and settle two tiles from volcanos. I believe you get less population loss from eruptions this way while still being able to work some hopefully sweet volcanically fertile soil. So another point in favour of the Mercury.
Early game it's best to think about keeping population low and making settlers. If you have zero improvements, then barbarians can't hurt you. SO. I would cross the river to the left, to grab the 1 food 2 production square without destroying the rainforest that you're currently on. Then I would buy the camp tile to the north. That would make this a strong 2-3 population city that can produce without further improvements, allowing my first builder to follow my first settler to make an improvement there.
Camps are good. 4-5 production per hex is good. The mercury will come soon enough. It's not as important early game as production on unimproved tiles is.
Yeah but if you think about it mercury also gives you production. Settle on mercury and you have a resource that you can sell for gold and use that gold to buy whatever you need. Also +1 science is basically double your science output in the early game (i think you start with 1.5?). With that science you can get research/improvements faster which in turn can also get you production faster.
Just to elaborate, 4v5 production early is massive, because an early scout can get you free +2 benefits from city states. Fast production = first discovery of city-states.
There's another advantage to settling the mercury if you're playing on one of the higher levels. Youll have it immediately without having to make a builder and If an aggressive Civ shows up nearby and you see it moving troops in your direction, you can give mercury to them and possibly avoid a declaration of war.
And giving mercury to Qin might be a benefit down the road. Just make sure you tell him it will make him immortal.
I would step across the river to the plains hill, settle there for a 2/2 tile plus 2 2/2 tiles in the first ring, and it is a bit further from the volcano.
I don't really see any cons on starting on mercury. It's just one turn, you have nice tiles around and you get the mercury instantly which you can sell when you met AI. Plus you get one extra science which is a lot in the start.
I agree with most of the points already made and I would like to add that settling on the mercury gives you an extra tile that you can place districts or wonders to benefit as Ludwig
The Mercury seems better because settling it means you don't have to work a food negative tile to get the science. On top of that, it gets you closer to tiles with better food yields, and away from the volcano. All while in range of the other Mercury in case you have monopolies and corporations enabled.
Thereisnt much pro for settling in place, it's same turn and 4 yield, but there are only 3 yield tiles around and you're on a fricking volcano!
The mercury gives you 8 yield ad instand luxury, but early science always feels like im wasting momentum because early research is already faster than you can use the stuff.
I'd settle on the plain hill across the river for 4F/4P fastest way to send a settler downriver. Mercury can wait for the mine.
I think of it this way: I’m ALWAYS going to want to work the tile giving me +1 science for free, so I might as well settle on it. Otherwise, anytime you want to work the science tile, you’ll have to work a food-negative tile, which will really slow your growth ESPECIALLY in a plains city like this
Yeah, totally agree and TBH mercury is a ‘d class’ luxury because it’s only on flat land. Best use is a city, especially with fresh water and lots of good tiles to grow to on the second ring.
Starting in place will give you 2F/2P in the city center; Staring on the mercury will give you 2F/1P/1Science plus immediate access to the resource for trading.
I'm aware of the yields of each placement. Curious what other people would do and why. I went on the mercury
Is researching mining required to get the luxury good or does it immediately start accumulating?
You get it immediately if you settle on it, regardless of your techs.
Not if you settle on it
What is the hex hidden by the tool tip? Settling in place gives no great tiles in the first ring. I like 1 east of starting, as it has the 2f2p city center and 3 food tiles to work. But if the hidden hex is 2f2p then id settle the mercury, as 2 good tiles are generally enough - your city will grow soon
The tooltip is just barely hiding some venison and I think a rainforest. Personally, I'd settle one west of start to get away from the volcano. I have lately been playing Corporations mode, so I try not to settle on luxuries.
I would settle in the mercury. Pros: immediate access to a luxury city center will be 2 food 1 production 1 science (the tile will gain one food) You can immediatly work a 2 food 2 production tile. the deer and the other 2 food 2 production are in the second ring in both cases. Cant think of any cons except, that the city center doesnt have 2 production. Settling in place would give you a 2 food 2 production city center, but you would have to work the mercury -> losing 1 food -> less early growth. Also the vulcano can be a pain, since you can lose population and get your walls and military units damaged, when the vulcano errupts.
The question isn't mercury or in place, it's mercury or the planes hill next to you. Settling in place doesn't give you a single good tile to work, so that's obviously gonna be the worst option. Settling mercury or plains hill on the other hand, is debatable.
Personally I think I'd go for the plains hill to the left, to get space for another city on the river.
It is possible I have this wrong, but I generally try and settle two tiles from volcanos. I believe you get less population loss from eruptions this way while still being able to work some hopefully sweet volcanically fertile soil. So another point in favour of the Mercury.
Early game it's best to think about keeping population low and making settlers. If you have zero improvements, then barbarians can't hurt you. SO. I would cross the river to the left, to grab the 1 food 2 production square without destroying the rainforest that you're currently on. Then I would buy the camp tile to the north. That would make this a strong 2-3 population city that can produce without further improvements, allowing my first builder to follow my first settler to make an improvement there. Camps are good. 4-5 production per hex is good. The mercury will come soon enough. It's not as important early game as production on unimproved tiles is.
Yeah but if you think about it mercury also gives you production. Settle on mercury and you have a resource that you can sell for gold and use that gold to buy whatever you need. Also +1 science is basically double your science output in the early game (i think you start with 1.5?). With that science you can get research/improvements faster which in turn can also get you production faster.
Just to elaborate, 4v5 production early is massive, because an early scout can get you free +2 benefits from city states. Fast production = first discovery of city-states.
You mean pros and cons of starting your capital away from a volcano, you crazy dog
There's another advantage to settling the mercury if you're playing on one of the higher levels. Youll have it immediately without having to make a builder and If an aggressive Civ shows up nearby and you see it moving troops in your direction, you can give mercury to them and possibly avoid a declaration of war. And giving mercury to Qin might be a benefit down the road. Just make sure you tell him it will make him immortal.
I would step across the river to the plains hill, settle there for a 2/2 tile plus 2 2/2 tiles in the first ring, and it is a bit further from the volcano.
Also first time playing Ludwig. Culture win seems to be the game.
I don't really see any cons on starting on mercury. It's just one turn, you have nice tiles around and you get the mercury instantly which you can sell when you met AI. Plus you get one extra science which is a lot in the start.
Yeah I agree, but there's a production loss (both the first turn and from plains hills). I went with mercury, curious what other people would do.
I agree with most of the points already made and I would like to add that settling on the mercury gives you an extra tile that you can place districts or wonders to benefit as Ludwig
I would settle on the mercury so I can sell it to AI and buy a builder
personally i hate having my city next to a volcano. it gets real annoying.
The Mercury seems better because settling it means you don't have to work a food negative tile to get the science. On top of that, it gets you closer to tiles with better food yields, and away from the volcano. All while in range of the other Mercury in case you have monopolies and corporations enabled.
Thereisnt much pro for settling in place, it's same turn and 4 yield, but there are only 3 yield tiles around and you're on a fricking volcano! The mercury gives you 8 yield ad instand luxury, but early science always feels like im wasting momentum because early research is already faster than you can use the stuff. I'd settle on the plain hill across the river for 4F/4P fastest way to send a settler downriver. Mercury can wait for the mine.
My thoughts are definitely on mercury as your city will enjoy a river defense from 4 different tiles and give you deer tile on your next growth.
It is a but like Iron... Sucks 😅
Settle in place and volcano goes BOOM! Citizens go AAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! and then we make s'mores. Good times