My Favorite Housing Blocks - City Builders Forums

Nightwolf
Pleb

posted 01-13-01 01:11 ET (US) 26 / 186

Success!

I think I've finally found my ultimate housing block (well, it works for me).

Again, I'm not gonna play with glyphy (I haven't even really looked at it yet) but again, I've got a screen cap on my site, on the Population page.

Basically, it's a rectangle, with houses on either side of the road, and a row of Gazebos in the middle. Total size is 17x26, or just a hair larger than Zeus' Stronghold. It contains 29 houses, all of which will fully eveolve, and best of all, it doesn't require an Avenue. The only thing I don't like about it is that I can only have one Tax Office instead of my usual 2 per block...

Wolfie.

David "Nightwolf" Masters
dsmasters61@gmail.com
my Facebook page

"When facism comes to America, it will be waving the flag and carrying a cross." -- Sinclair Lewis

Jayhawk
Eminence Grise

posted 01-13-01 06:38 ET (US) 27 / 186

Got to go just now, but I'll be back to fix Darth's block

Do note those spaces are very important!

Angel Jayhawk
Eyrie � Caesar 4 Heaven � Children of the Nile Heaven � Stronghold Heaven � Caesar 3 Heaven � Emperor Heaven � Pharaoh Heaven � Zeus Heaven � My Deviations
Support your local Heaven � My Recommendations � EXCO � HALO
I believe violence will only increase the cycle of violence. � The Dalai Lama

Jayhawk
Eminence Grise

posted 01-13-01 09:02 ET (US) 28 / 186

Well, seems I got most of that back into shape...

Angel Jayhawk
Eyrie, Pharaoh Heaven, Caesar 3 Heaven, Zeus Heaven

Angel Jayhawk
Eyrie � Caesar 4 Heaven � Children of the Nile Heaven � Stronghold Heaven � Caesar 3 Heaven � Emperor Heaven � Pharaoh Heaven � Zeus Heaven � My Deviations
Support your local Heaven � My Recommendations � EXCO � HALO
I believe violence will only increase the cycle of violence. � The Dalai Lama

Dodecahedron
Pleb

posted 01-13-01 16:04 ET (US) 29 / 186

Legend

Just a modification of what I posted on max no of houses thread. Took out the eyesore (watchpost.)

And enlarged the roads to avenues and got 3 more houses in, total of 44.

Plebus
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-13-01 20:09 ET (US) 30 / 186

A variation of Variesea's freeflow block,I haven't test it in real game yet(about walkers),but I think it will work.

Legend

The idea of freeflow block reminds me the good old days of C3.

Plebus
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-13-01 20:26 ET (US) 31 / 186

This one maybe a bit too ambitious

Legend

[This message has been edited by Plebus (edited 01-13-2001).]

Achilles
Guest

posted 01-13-01 23:48 ET (US) 32 / 186

Here's a small one I just threw together. I use tiny ones like this in colonies or tight spaces.

Legend

Baltic
Pleb

posted 01-14-01 10:08 ET (US) 33 / 186

I never learned to use the glyphs efficiently, I need too much time to draw a simple block... So, just a few words and one screenshot... SenetEr, if you think it doesn't fit into this thread, let me know and I'll delete it and repost in another one!

Currently I was experimenting with non-standard blocks in Sandbox map and came up with a "cloverleaf block" of common houses around a large Zeus statue. Here it is:

4-leaf block (small pic - 63kB) / 4-leaf block(full size - 230kB)
(Both pictures are the same, the smaller one is included for those with slow connection I know how it feels to sit and wait for a big picture to load...)

It is not an optimized performance block like most other blocks here, but I like it visually. There are 63 townhouses, supported by 3 agoras, fountains and podiums, and 2 of the other buildings (gym, infirmary, tax, maintenance). /edit: hmm... in fact there are 4 podiums ... but it would be possible to do it with 3, too. I was trying to be on the safe side and had lots of workers/
Although there is a theatre nearby, it is not required as long as there is a working Stadium in the city; I built it to reduce unemployment (city has over 10000 inhabitants).

And this is the minimap of the city, the abovementioned block is on top right. Top left another similar block built around a commemorative monument - unfortunately I didn't have a Small statue in this mission. Near the big sanctuaries (Zeus and Demeter) is city center with Palace and Stadium, surrounded by townhouses and Estates.

Cherub Baltic

[This message has been edited by Baltic (edited 01-16-2001).]

Octavian II
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-14-01 12:18 ET (US) 34 / 186

Here is an elite housing block I recently made.

Legend

Octavian
Tiberius1 on the web
Zeus Gametips
Forums

Caesar Alan
Pleb

posted 01-14-01 15:15 ET (US) 35 / 186

This is my current preferred common housing block (with a couple of modifications suggested by Plebus): it is a little inelegant, since the Theatre makes the footprint somewhat irregular. For that matter, the Theatre is unnecessary if there is a Stadium elsewhere in the city, but I do prefer to give my citizens the maximum possible diversion!

You could probably extend it by another two tiles, giving four more houses, but I haven't tested that.

Alan

Nightwolf
Pleb

posted 01-15-01 00:58 ET (US) 36 / 186

OK, the final (probable) modification of my 29-house closed loop...

basic housing block (large size cap) (1180x600)

Revised:
Several people emailed me (thanks, guys!) to let me know about the screwup... apparently FreeServers doesn't like links to the graphics from outside the site. The above address is the corrected one - it will work. If you still can't pull it up, just check out my site (the Foundry) and check out the Population page.

I've discovered that if it is built so that the Agora is on the southeastern side of the loop, then the Fountain and Agora need to be switched - for whatever reason, the Water Carriers didn't want to go all the way around with it the other way. It still works fine as originally noted for the other three directions, though.

the Alternate version

29 houses in a closed loop,all cultural items around the outside edges. Alternate version (with the Agora and Fountain switched) is also shown on the Population page of my site.

It's not gigantic, it's not fancy... but it works for me, and there are no Avenues required.

Wolfie.

David "Nightwolf" Masters
dsmasters61@gmail.com
my Facebook page

"When facism comes to America, it will be waving the flag and carrying a cross." -- Sinclair Lewis

[This message has been edited by Nightwolf (edited 01-15-2001).]

Plebus
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-15-01 11:28 ET (US) 37 / 186

This block is made from my Lerna(Hercules adventure),with a few changes.It can be used with colonies which have a hero's hall and high appeal beautifications(avenue,gazebo,bench,etc.) are not available.The evolvement of houses are quite smooth,except you need some gardens at the back of the top row(before you can win any of the pan-Helenic games or reach 1000 pop.

The two gardens between theatre and top-left house provides a quick exit to Greece.The second colledge and drama school are needed to increase the chance at games.

Legend

[This message has been edited by Plebus (edited 01-15-2001).]

Dodecahedron
Pleb

posted 01-16-01 05:57 ET (US) 38 / 186

58 56 Townhouse block on 1 set of services

Legend

All services except for the peddler and mo does 2 alternating small loops.

Edited, had to take out 2 of the houses. The corner houses on the block before had a tendency to burn after awhile. Thanks to SenetEr for pointing it out.

Edit 1/21/00
Stability problems: In a 12 yr run, water failed twice, devolving half of the block. The podium and theater walkers seem to prefer one direction to the other. They will loop the other way some of the time but sometimes this is not enough.

[This message has been edited by Dodecahedron (edited 01-21-2001).]

Moquel
Pleb

posted 01-16-01 14:56 ET (US) 39 / 186

I converted Baltics Cloverleaf block. Baltic put up a screenshot and description of it in #33
I was forced to do some minor changes because the glyphy tool doesn't allow more than 40 lines, but it only removed 2 storehouses, so no big deal.

BALTIC has posted his comments in the next post (#40).

The Fishpond in the middle should actually be large statue
(though I believe a fishpond is just fine anyway )

Legend

I have discovered a truly marvellous signature, which this margin is too narrow to contain.

[This message has been edited by Moquel (edited 01-17-2001).]

Baltic
Pleb

posted 01-16-01 16:28 ET (US) 40 / 186

Thanks for cooperation, Moquel!
Just a few explanations ... This is a block I have designed to look nice, not to be highly efficient.
The Theatre and actor school is not necessary as there is a stadium in the city. In fact less than half of the houses has access to theatre.
The 2 missing storehouses (one getting 16 fleece and accepting oil, the other getting 16 oil and accepting fleece) are located across the road from theatre.
The entire block is not connected to the rest of the city, and the only thing that is not shown here are wheat farms in North; they can deliver by a road on right side of the block to granaries (but it is equally possible to supply food by setting those two granaries to get from another granaries located to south and not connected to the block by road).
Parks or other appeal structures are necessary to increase appeal for most of the outer ring houses. These are not shown here, but are visible on the screenshot in post 33.

Cherub Baltic

[This message has been edited by Baltic (edited 01-17-2001).]

SenetEr
Pleb

posted 01-17-01 11:44 ET (US) 41 / 186

71 House Single Service Block

Credit for this monstrosity has to go to three other people:
Dodecahedron for showing that a Figure-8 can work, and
Nero Would for so capably explaining to me how the walkers work
Jaguar for figuring out where the m.o. and tax office can go

Notes on Walkers:
M.O. and T.O.: They leave their buildings and hit the T. They randomly go right or left and manage to keep both sides of the block taxed and fireproof. It was important to get the m.o. walker to go through the 'crosswalk' to give fire protection for the t.o.
Agora: only has to hit the open part of the 'crosswalk' once and will always make the loop clockwise thereafter. This walker is key to keeping the houses stable with goods, therefore it is important that they always make the big loop
Fountain and Infirmary: You can force these two into alternating by only giving them one tile for an entrance. If you look closely, they are on the 'corner' tile of two different blocks. The infirmary walker will occasionally walk into the 'crosswalk' but not enough to screw up coverage of the block. In general, they alternate which side of the block they service.
Culture: They are so random it's great. They don't need to be precisely controlled as the m.o., t.o., fountain and infirmary. They will alternate direction enough to ensure that both sides get covered by all three culture venues.

Legend

[This message has been edited by SenetEr (edited 01-18-2001).]

Jaguar
Pleb

posted 01-19-01 18:23 ET (US) 42 / 186

I have glyphy-fied Caligula's block. I presume that the empty spaces can hold more houses. Right now this is a 30 house block design.

Legend

Da Caesar
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-20-01 03:10 ET (US) 43 / 186

18X9 common housing block

Legend

As you can see, this block's got everything needed to keep it going and is very stable once evolved. Also, if you need to build Hercules's Hall, just stick it anywhere in this block and you'll have excellent entertainment acess

[This message has been edited by Da Caesar (edited 01-20-2001).]

Da Caesar
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-20-01 03:42 ET (US) 44 / 186

15X13 Elite Hosuing block

[I MG]/ztiles/pillar.gif[/IMG]

[IMG ]/ztiles/plaza.gif[/IMG]

[IM G]/ztiles/road.gif[/IMG]

[IMG ]/ztiles/plaza.gif[/IMG]

Legend

Holds 15 Elite houses and is also very stable; the only way it will devolve is lack of goods. My fav. cos' it takes a relatively small space

You could take out one of the houses for an infirmary and add benches in the empty spaces

[This message has been edited by Da Caesar (edited 01-20-2001).]

Plebus
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-21-01 12:17 ET (US) 45 / 186

A variation of SenetEr's "standard" 40 houses block,it holds 39 townhouses:

Legend

I'm currently working on the Trojan War adventure,where the terrain made it difficult for some blocks I used in previous adventures,and commemoratives from winning pan-Hellenic games are not available in the parent city,so I designed this block.The upper and lower row of houses lack some appeal points,you can either build a avenue there,or place a santury ,a palace,etc.

[This message has been edited by Plebus (edited 01-21-2001).]

Plebus
Pharaolympics 2000 Competitor

posted 01-22-01 12:39 ET (US) 46 / 186

A real "Trojan War block",with 40 townhouses:

Legend

There is a mistake in the post#45 block:gazebo is not available in Aulis,as well as the pan-Hellenic games,so I skipped the theatre...

[This message has been edited by Plebus (edited 01-22-2001).]

Nightwolf
Pleb

posted 01-22-01 23:56 ET (US) 47 / 186

Ever had a perfect design that didn't work afterwards? Sigh...

The 29 house block that I came up with works beautifully... as long as it's oriented the right way, with the Agora facing the southwest. I've tried it facing other ways, even reversed, and it's worked (such as in Taras colony) - and then other times it doesn't.

Ah, well - it's its original orientation it works just fine, and I've been able to shoehorn it in just about everywhere... I've currently got 2 of them set up in Aulis (Trojan), and they're working just fine.

Apparently the game differs from adventure to adventure on just how fussy it is about walkers...

Wolfie.

David "Nightwolf" Masters
dsmasters61@gmail.com
my Facebook page

"When facism comes to America, it will be waving the flag and carrying a cross." -- Sinclair Lewis

Brian_Den
Pleb

posted 01-24-01 15:39 ET (US) 48 / 186

Answer to above: yes it is possible to fit not only 2 but 5 more houses.
2 houses at the ends, if I move the angora 1 step to the east, then there is room for 2 houses by the theater and finaly if I make some of the avenue at the inside house (north) to plain roads, then there is room for 1 more house.
I cant do the same at the souht end, then the water warker dont complete his turn.
But I like the way it look whitout

67 townhouses
On one service set
North

Legend
The infirmary,fountain and tax walkeres must go to the agora first, if their don't,then use some tempery roadbloks

[This message has been edited by Brian_Den (edited 01-27-2001).]

Moquel
Pleb

posted 01-24-01 17:29 ET (US) 49 / 186

Welcome to Heaven Brian

Proconsul Creaticus Dania is sure to be glad to have a fellow countrymen here

Just a question about your block tho'... It looks great BTW, but isn't it possible to sortof push the norht and southernmost houses 1 step to the side (halfway into the Gazebo so to speak) to fit in another house at both ends? That would make it a 69 house block instead

Anyway, so I do not break the etiquette of this thread, I need to post a block, so here it is:

< /td>

Legend

It is a very free block, but as far as I've studied it (quite extensively) it can evolve all the way up, as long as there's a stadium in the city. If not, the houses above the agora can make way for a theater.
42 houses in all, and very compact.
the small roads on the sides of it are purely there to make sure that those houses actually touch road. The MO guy should be frequent enough to prevent them from catching fire
Commorative monuments are needed to "reach" into the inner circle with their desirability. one in each direction should suffice

I have discovered a truly marvellous signature, which this margin is too narrow to contain.

[This message has been edited by Moquel (edited 01-24-2001).]

BotG
Pleb

posted 02-03-01 17:15 ET (US) 50 / 186

There's only one little problem with SenetEr's 76 house block: When food and fleece levels at the agora get low, the vendors go to buy new stuff. But until they return it can happen that the remaining supplies are already distributed so some houses don't get supplies for some time and devolve.

To solve that little problem, I changed both ends of the block by replacing 3 houses with an agora on each side looking like this:

Legend

I've not tested it yet, but I think you could replace the agora in the middle of the block with 3 houses.
The result would be a extremely stable 73 houses block