Nimlot, I do, but seem far to busy testing to relax an d play for fun

I normally have only an inspectors tower, I hardly ever bother with a guard tower, though... Having the market's inside make the blocks look more like villages to me. I know these block take more space than the ones using enhanced roads, but the look kinda pretty

Thanks for all these great ideas! I still like to segregate my Elite housing from Common housing - does anyone have a specifically Elite housing block? (Should this be a new thread?)
Sappho

well I have never really tried to develop Elite housing... But by the time I will, i'll try to do one :P

To Sappho:
Yes, i always use one separate block for Palace+ usually 4 elite appartments (usually up to impr.compound).I need the elites only because they boost my military power(the extra money can help too sometimes).They have their own mill/market, are 100% walled in (i fight all the time). Since i always fight, everything in my games is heavily fortified: Common housing/serv blocks walled in, Elite block walled in, weapon industry block has its own wall and at least 2 infantry and one crossbow forts nearby, plus one Chariot unit for charging in if needed. My maps look pretty ugly with all those "castles" here and there.

What buggs me most is the darn wall-to-river gap and the impossibilty to turn off just one tower for example.
Oh and when one unit doesn't return. What that means? They all killed or eaten by some game bug? It really hurts to burn down a fort of some Veteran unit, blast em all!
Have fun!
C. Mc Cloud

Hi!

I am playing The Grand City right now, and I am in the third mission where I have to build 32(!!!) heavenly compounds. Does anyone have a block for this kind of housing, or does anyone have an idea of how to fit all of these huge houses in one city?

I am stuck, and I canīt seem to make it work.

Help! and thanks for any help...

Tinchen

Here is an elite block that I've used in several missions on Normal difficulty. Fully developed you get 8 heavenly compounds. Previous to drama, you can substitute 2 more elite houses for the theatre and Buddhist pagoda. With a few more aesthetics beside the 2 new houses, you can get 10 impressive compounds.

Legend

Here is the same block as in the previous post, reimagined for a second block of elite housing with no admin city and palace. This one will contain 12 heavenly compounds.

Legend

Here's one I modified from my previously posted common housing block. It's an 8x19 loop this time. (miscounted the road tiles whilst laying out the block )But it turned out for the better.

All in all, it houses 14 Elite Houses with the option for 2 more if you relocate the Palace. Of course, 14 is overkill, but at the tax income it provides.

The Imperial Way running along the outside of the block provides access to the upper right and lefthand corner houses. Though this can be replaced by a normal road and lined with trees, statues, etc.

And, as my own personal rules demand, the block is contained within a residential wall.

Normally, I never use this block except when either:
1.) Testing new layouts
2.) Lots of space available
- and/or -
3.) Looking to make a killing off tax income

Eh, enough talking. Stare and be amazed.

Legend

And as an afterthought:

I've always preferred to include my services inside of the block, as opposed to mixing them in within the housing. Just gives it a more authentic neighborhood look in my opinion. It's a habit I developed way back in the days of Caeser and Pharaoh.

Of course, if it weren't for the tireless efforts of the talented forumers who first created this style of housing block, my neighborhoods would still be in disarray. :P

[This message has been edited by Rat (edited 11-29-2002 @ 10:15 PM).]

Perfect Harmony and the Housing Block

Lately I have been trying to achieve perfect harmony with my game play. In the latest campaigns (Qin, Han, …) it is difficulty to use the many of the submitted and typical rectangular housing blocks because space is constricted or the terrain just does not allow the positioning of buildings within the shape to achieve perfect harmony.

What works for me is an inverted "L" shape block which is a variation of VAIA's submitted block in a previous post.

Legend

When I open up a game (in Normal Play) my only requirement is to find two rock foundations somewhat close to each other. Beside the first rock formation I will place an inspector tower that will service all my housing block (see glyphy). The placement of the inspector tower by the rock formation is important as the tower requires "earth" to achieve perfect harmony. From that rock formation starting with the inspector tower I create the base of the housing block and turn it in the direction of the second rock formation.

At the second rock formation (see glyphy) I place an inspector station, music school and two warehouses all of which require metal or earth to achieve perfect harmony. From this rock formation a road is created which allows the inspector to service the supporting structures. I usually use one warehouse to store food supplies and the second to store wood/paper, hemp, ceramics, …

For my game play I have let this block evolve to Ornate Apartment. The block will house a population of 2520 and provide 1058 workers. It requires 7560 units of food, and 960 units of hemp and ceramics per year. I usually provide two food shops in the market place as it is more forgiving in times of need. The gates to the market square allow market carts to pass. The gate to the ancestral shire allows for the passage of religious walkers. Remember to allow inspectors to pass on the gate to the inspector tower.

Good gaming,
Vriesea

[This message has been edited by Vriesea (edited 11-30-2002 @ 01:19 AM).]