User Guide

Each city has different assets and demands, so each should be managed somewhat dif-
ferently from the others.You should keep several goals in mind when managing a city:
maintaining population growth, maximizing a useful mix of economic development
(food and materials),producing commercial income for research and your treasury,and
building useful units and improvements—all the while maintaining an attitude of con-
tentment and thereby avoiding civil disorder. For cities to grow and prosper, they need
to balance economic output with their citizens’ needs for infrastructure and services.
City Management Concepts
As your city increases in size, its population expands and it produces more and more
bread (food), shields (production), and commerce. In city management, you add
another layer of concepts that address how you turn these materials into products you
can use. Refer to the City Display as you read.
Bread feeds your population.When a city produces more food than its population con-
sumes each turn, the excess accumulates in the Food Storage Box.When the box is
full,another citizen is added to the Population Roster and the city increases in size.If
your city is not producing enough food each turn to feed its population, the shortfall
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“Cities are like lovers.Treat them well—but not too well—and you will get what you want from them.”
MANAGING
YOUR
CITIES