SPLIT BLOCK KITS
Hi all! 19 years since I first played Pharaoh, and 12 years since my last forum post, and I find myself playing this game once again!! Haha. Here's a contribution. I hope someone finds it useful.
This block design is basically a block split into 2 “sub-blocks” with a pavilion in the middle. It’s easy to lay out due to its modular nature, provides plenty of access to workers. It has two types of variations.
The map that led to this block design was On, because of the 5 small land masses and needing to quickly build all of the ferry landings while making good use of diagonal space (Game file download available).
Because it will have 1-2 intersections, it does have a few rules with respect building placement to ensure proper coverage - especially for the physician and water supply. But it’s fairly straightforward and stable.
KEY FEATURE
2 Loops: One 4x9 plot sub block (30 tile loop) and one 4x6 plot sub block (24 tile loop), connected either end to end or corner to corner, indicated by the plaza tiles.
Legend
BLOCK-SPECIFIC BUILDING REQUIREMENTS
2 Fire Wardens on Very Hard difficulty for extra safety. There are plenty of spaces for extra 1x1 buildings, where I put a few shrines. These get placed some distance apart.
2 Bazaars for extra stability within the block. Also, I tend to centralize my storage and granaries a bit on the maps rather than putting an obligatory set of them outside each block. In general I find that to be more efficient and aesthetically pleasing city-wide. Bazaar buyers are underrated - they travel quite far 36-40, tiles, and I’d rather have 2 bazaars inside the block than a bunch of storage yards outside of the block. Rule of thumb only.
There will be space for extra shrines within the core of the block. You should, as always, place shrines on the other side of the housing as needed for appeasement and desirability
Everything else is standard, except that I place the pavilions relatively early (as soon as jugglers are needed), and put booths and bandstands outside the block later in various places in the city - only if necessary.
Legend
ASSEMBLY NOTES
I’ve included the key schematics only.
Mainly the issues you’ll run into with this block are with the physician and water supply due to their short walks. For those, I put them inside the smaller sub block, and/or near an intersection, depending on which variation I use
“LONG BLOCK” SIDES VARIATION
Legend
48 road tiles. Coverage will be affected by orientation, building placement, ambulomancy etc. but as far as I can tell, the least reliable building is the physician, which gets place in the small block. The physician will cut through the pavilion from time to time, but not enough for it to hurt coverage.
Legend
“FIGURE 8” CORNERS VARIATION
Two loops connected at the corner produces some nice random walk effects. Basically, walkers have a nearly 100% probability of going all the way around both blocks within the 4 walk cycle if they’re place near an intersection, even though this block has 53 road tiles (the recommended single loop block is max 44).
For best stability, short walk buildings, especially the physician, should be placed adjacent to the intersection of the pavilion. I place the water at the corner as well because it’s such an important service.
** It looks like all other buildings will be fine as long as they’re placed on the inside or on a road leading directly to the intersection (indicated by the plaza). I place Bazaars paired at the far end of the inside BUT, I HAVEN’T FULLY TESTED THE EXACT DISTANCES FOR BUILDINGS.. IF ANYONE HAS INSIGHT ON THIS, PLEASE HELP WITH COMMENTS AND I WILL UPDATE
Legend
Housing goes on the outside of the loops away from the intersection.
Here’s an example of an apartments block. There’s plenty of road space left for other buildings, more housing, connecting roads etc.
Legend
It can easily fit a scribal school, mortuary, and 2nd temple for fancy residences.
It could even fit a library, 3rd temple, and senet house, but this is meant to be a worker block so I’d be more inclined to add more 2x2 housing and the palace and/or mansion.
OTHER ORIENTATIONS
I haven’t tested all of the different orientations, but I’m guessing that they all follow similar rules. Building placement is nuanced in the game, as it always is.
I always use a T style Pavilion to maximize road tile access, and put the dance stage part of the Pavilion in the larger block. Not sure if it’s a matter of aesthetics or not but that is the general theme of this block. In all of these, buildings go inside the sub blocks or next to a road indicated by the plaza tiles (obviously you’ll want to plaza everything if you’re going for fancy residences)
Legend
FILES
See downloads section for “Split Block testing - On - VH” There’s a zip file with a city in 3 different phases, where you can play around with three of these blocks.
FEEDBACK PLEASE!
I’d love to have some feedback on how to make this block better while staying true to its form: 2 sub blocks with a pavilion in the middle, especially when it comes to placement of buildings
Hi all! 19 years since I first played Pharaoh, and 12 years since my last forum post, and I find myself playing this game once again!! Haha. Here's a contribution. I hope someone finds it useful.
This block design is basically a block split into 2 “sub-blocks” with a pavilion in the middle. It’s easy to lay out due to its modular nature, provides plenty of access to workers. It has two types of variations.
The map that led to this block design was On, because of the 5 small land masses and needing to quickly build all of the ferry landings while making good use of diagonal space (Game file download available).
Because it will have 1-2 intersections, it does have a few rules with respect building placement to ensure proper coverage - especially for the physician and water supply. But it’s fairly straightforward and stable.
KEY FEATURE
2 Loops: One 4x9 plot sub block (30 tile loop) and one 4x6 plot sub block (24 tile loop), connected either end to end or corner to corner, indicated by the plaza tiles.
BLOCK-SPECIFIC BUILDING REQUIREMENTS
2 Fire Wardens on Very Hard difficulty for extra safety. There are plenty of spaces for extra 1x1 buildings, where I put a few shrines. These get placed some distance apart.
2 Bazaars for extra stability within the block. Also, I tend to centralize my storage and granaries a bit on the maps rather than putting an obligatory set of them outside each block. In general I find that to be more efficient and aesthetically pleasing city-wide. Bazaar buyers are underrated - they travel quite far 36-40, tiles, and I’d rather have 2 bazaars inside the block than a bunch of storage yards outside of the block. Rule of thumb only.
There will be space for extra shrines within the core of the block. You should, as always, place shrines on the other side of the housing as needed for appeasement and desirability
Everything else is standard, except that I place the pavilions relatively early (as soon as jugglers are needed), and put booths and bandstands outside the block later in various places in the city - only if necessary.
ASSEMBLY NOTES
I’ve included the key schematics only.
Mainly the issues you’ll run into with this block are with the physician and water supply due to their short walks. For those, I put them inside the smaller sub block, and/or near an intersection, depending on which variation I use
“LONG BLOCK” SIDES VARIATION
48 road tiles. Coverage will be affected by orientation, building placement, ambulomancy etc. but as far as I can tell, the least reliable building is the physician, which gets place in the small block. The physician will cut through the pavilion from time to time, but not enough for it to hurt coverage.
“FIGURE 8” CORNERS VARIATION
Two loops connected at the corner produces some nice random walk effects. Basically, walkers have a nearly 100% probability of going all the way around both blocks within the 4 walk cycle if they’re place near an intersection, even though this block has 53 road tiles (the recommended single loop block is max 44).
For best stability, short walk buildings, especially the physician, should be placed adjacent to the intersection of the pavilion. I place the water at the corner as well because it’s such an important service.
** It looks like all other buildings will be fine as long as they’re placed on the inside or on a road leading directly to the intersection (indicated by the plaza). I place Bazaars paired at the far end of the inside BUT, I HAVEN’T FULLY TESTED THE EXACT DISTANCES FOR BUILDINGS.. IF ANYONE HAS INSIGHT ON THIS, PLEASE HELP WITH COMMENTS AND I WILL UPDATE
Housing goes on the outside of the loops away from the intersection.
Here’s an example of an apartments block. There’s plenty of road space left for other buildings, more housing, connecting roads etc.
It can easily fit a scribal school, mortuary, and 2nd temple for fancy residences.
It could even fit a library, 3rd temple, and senet house, but this is meant to be a worker block so I’d be more inclined to add more 2x2 housing and the palace and/or mansion.
OTHER ORIENTATIONS
I haven’t tested all of the different orientations, but I’m guessing that they all follow similar rules. Building placement is nuanced in the game, as it always is.
I always use a T style Pavilion to maximize road tile access, and put the dance stage part of the Pavilion in the larger block. Not sure if it’s a matter of aesthetics or not but that is the general theme of this block. In all of these, buildings go inside the sub blocks or next to a road indicated by the plaza tiles (obviously you’ll want to plaza everything if you’re going for fancy residences)
FILES
See downloads section for “Split Block testing - On - VH” There’s a zip file with a city in 3 different phases, where you can play around with three of these blocks.
FEEDBACK PLEASE!
I’d love to have some feedback on how to make this block better while staying true to its form: 2 sub blocks with a pavilion in the middle, especially when it comes to placement of buildings