User Guide

combat takes place across a river—the units are on different sides when the combat
begins—the defender gets a bonus.
Standard Terrain Types
The standard types of terrain can be divided along climactic lines. Below is a brief
summary:
• Tundra is cold terrain. It doesn’t produce much in the way of raw materials and
can’t be converted into more profitable terrain.
• Jungle and Flood Plains are wet terrain. Jungles are difficult to move through,
and it costs a considerable investment of time to convert either type into more prof-
itable terrain.Units fortified and citizens laboring in Jungles have a chance of falling
prey to disease. Flood Plains cannot be converted into any other type of terrain.
• Plains and Grassland squares are open terrain. Both are easy to travel across,and
when irrigated, both produce substantial amounts of food.
• Hills and Mountains squares are both vertically challenging.They take some effort
to travel across,but while you’re up there,you get quite a view—two squares instead
of one in all directions (except past mountains).These types of terrain yield more
raw materials when developed by mining.
• Coast,Sea,and Ocean squares generate substantial amounts of commerce income,
and cities on the coast can build seagoing units,Harbors,and other useful improve-
ments.
• Desert squares are dry terrain that can be developed for marginal production.
• Forest squares are difficult to travel through, but yield decent raw materials.They
can also be cleared to gain a one-time shield bonus.
Natural Resources
Most standard terrain types have at least one natural resource associated with them.
(Some terrain types have several.) Natural resources are represented by icons resting on
top of the basic terrain square.Resources add significantly to the economic value of the
terrain. Citizen laborers from a city can work a square inside the City Radius and gain
the general benefits of a resource.
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