Ave Jayhawk,
Another quality walkthrough (with pictures)! As this is also where I'm up to I thought I'd post my walk through on the same thread. It covers some of the same ground but takes a different approach.
Tarsus - Islands in the sun
So my budding young Aedile, I see that you have past Lugdunum. I would have given you advice there but I saw you talking to the Proconsul for Roma and I had business in Judea.
Tarsus is like Miletus but more so. Caesar has asked for favour of 80 and prosperity of 60. He also seems fixated with iron for some reason at the moment (possibly for an expansion of the Mamertine prison).
The islands are the only source of iron and marble so it is necessary to use them and as for importing all the food (which Rome will supply) forget it. It's fish for dinner tonight. As you are now an experienced governor I will omit all of the normal start up instructions and concentrate on the essentials.
The biggest challenge is how to fit a well-developed population along with all of your mining industries on the Island. A quick bit of work on the abacus shows that eventually there will be a need for around 12 marble quarries, 10 weapon workshops and 5 iron mines, in other words 17 mining industries on the island. This could prove difficult as even a small casa will require a market, a fountain, a temple, a school, and a theatre and don't forget fire control, damage protection, and health.
Further strain is placed on the island real estate if you want to do some fishing there as well so I would put the trade dock (eventually) and weapon workshops on the mainland.
My Island setup
ZingI'm sure you are up to this. I personally recommend starting a weapons trade with Hierosolyma (land route) and remind you of Caesar's iron fetish. If you are able to do all the trading available on this level you will soon be very rich indeed.
Housing is the next concern. This is probably the first time you can realistically build high level villas so if you want to go for it start planning for it now. Otherwise I would devote all your attention to mastering food distribution (which gives most governers ulcers) and industrial development with a view to having 300 tiles worth of Large or Grand insulea by the end of the level (and NO TENTS).
The military activity is trivial. Two forts of javelin will easily defeat all, but as you are rich why not build 6 forts of your personal choice and a military academy?
Consider this level and the next, Valentia, as your canvas. Try out all of your ideas. You should have all the resources and money necessary (except for palaces which you can do in Valentia).
A picture of my custom block for this map.
ZingAnd my finished city
ZingBrutus F.
[This message has been edited by Brutus Forci (edited 05-04-2000).]