Are coastal cities still worth it?

[Paragon]

I've noticed that they're not nearly as powerful as the ones in civ v. The lack of space for districts really cripples them, and they tend to remain small as a result.

Still, the trade and access to naval units is nice. Saddly, its sometimes difficult to maintain hold on a coastal city, being so stunted on naval power due to a lack of coastal cities, and having it based further from the rest of your empire.

Is it really worth having one? They can be very hard to defend, an issue made worse by the 'HOW DARE YOU PLAY THAT PART OF THE GAME ♥♥♥♥ YOU.' AI.

[Rhudda]

Cities don't need to be on the coast to build ships, they just need a harbour district which will also allow you to send traders over water.

There are really only two reasons to have a city directly on the coast:
1) To trigger the eureka for sailing (not that important unless you really want it as early as possible),
2) So that an enemy can't surround it with control zones to besiege the city and prevent it from "healing" without bringing ships.

Edit: Oh yeah, and one extra housing from the not-so-fresh water. Thanks, kezientz.

[kezientz]

you can place a city 3 tiles away from the coast and build harbours. i only settle coast if i want that territory for some reason (e.g. resources) and there is no fresh water or mountain nearby.

[Paragon]

Originally posted by Hagrid in a Hobbit Hole:

Cities don't need to be on the coast to build ships, they just need a harbour district which will also allow you to send traders over water.

There are really only two reasons to have a city directly on the coast:
1) To trigger the eureka for sailing (not that important unless you really want it as early as possible),
2) So that an enemy can't surround it with control zones to besiege the city and prevent it from "healing" without bringing ships.

WHY WAS I NEVER INFORMED OF THIS.

I thought the harbor district was only buildable by coastal cities. Because, you know, that makes sense.

Excuse me a moment, I gotta go fire my advisor.

[Martin]

My main issue with coastal cities is developing them, forced to build long districts like the industrial to make the hammers to make battleships etc. By the time I make ships.. the ai usually has fleets of them. As well as barbs. The only way I've found them to be useful is either buy ships not build (with religious faith) or to build them 2 tiles from water then make a dock in the 3rd tile.

[OZFugazi]

Originally posted by Hagrid in a Hobbit Hole:

Cities don't need to be on the coast to build ships, they just need a harbour district which will also allow you to send traders over water.

There are really only two reasons to have a city directly on the coast:
1) To trigger the eureka for sailing (not that important unless you really want it as early as possible),
2) So that an enemy can't surround it with control zones to besiege the city and prevent it from "healing" without bringing ships.

or.

you need to get boats out immediately. to rush exploration, ect.

or.

resources (though usually not so much) say for oil, whales. ect. most times those can be out of range unless city is built on coast.

all the best

[Rhudda]

Originally posted by Paragon:

WHY WAS I NEVER INFORMED OF THIS.

I thought the harbor district was only buildable by coastal cities.

Excuse me a moment, I gotta go fire my advisor.

I suggest you make her walk the plank. Seems fitting.

[Astasia]

The only real advantage is moving ships onto the city tile. You can garrison them, use them in city defense, protect an admiral, or place the city on a 1 hex wide straight and move ships between sides. The city itself will always suffer as far as yields, pop, and resources go, but strategically it may be worth it. Also civs like Norway, England and Spain will probably want their first city on the coast so they don't have to wait until the classical era to start taking control of the ocean.

[katzenkrimis]

It's very difficult to win with 1 city in Civ 6.

Unless you're attacking early and stealing other people's cities.

Building a second city makes the game feel easy.

So I build 2 coastal cities in this game.

If you play as a true coastal city. You will own the seas.

Make sure your science is going full bore.

Coastal cities are impossible to lose because the AI is gimped. It doesn't know how to handle coastal cities because they are half land, half sea. They don't use balanced armies when they attack, so if they are a land based army, they can't surround your city.

Of course they will try, but because they are incompetent half of their army ends up in the ocean as cannon fodder for your ships.

If they attack by sea, they will fail, because if you play as a true coastal city, you will have the strongest navy.

Just make sure you get subs before anybody, and flight as soon as possible.

Those are your only two threats.

[VDmitry]

I once built a city on 3 tiles island, just to see how it goes. Basically not worth that, but...

1. Since amenites are for 4 cities, and say you have 3 and have only place to build one more city on such an island, then why not to?

2. Even such a city had harbor + commercial hub, giving +2 trade routes to me. It was of size 12, having like 7 bonus resources, benefiting from main island factory + power plant, and provided like +40 gold to my treasury, as well as some science and culture.

> It's very difficult to win with 1 city in Civ 6.

Due how amenites from luxury tiles work it makes sense to have 4 cities than one. No reason to have less than 4.

[Slimane]

Originally posted by Paragon:

Originally posted by Hagrid in a Hobbit Hole:

Cities don't need to be on the coast to build ships, they just need a harbour district which will also allow you to send traders over water.

There are really only two reasons to have a city directly on the coast:
1) To trigger the eureka for sailing (not that important unless you really want it as early as possible),
2) So that an enemy can't surround it with control zones to besiege the city and prevent it from "healing" without bringing ships.

WHY WAS I NEVER INFORMED OF THIS.

I thought the harbor district was only buildable by coastal cities. Because, you know, that makes sense.

Excuse me a moment, I gotta go fire my advisor.

Historically, a lot of cities that were nowhere close to the coast build seperate harbor districts. Rome is a good example of this.