Politician Archive

Hey all, I was just wondering what your stand is on having factories and harvesters inside your city limits? I didn't really think I would mind until one actually popped up near the city hall. Owned by one of my citizens of course,nothing bad.

I don't want to invoke grant permission rights because it's discouraging for my new citizens, should I just ask the person to move it closer to their house? Or outside the city all together. I don't want a whole bunch of these things popping up inside the city limits, just need a few suggestions without seeming like I'm a supreme dictator, LOL. I just want to make my citizens happy. Thanks all!

Our city is at 99 people, I want more, but I don't want to just let anyone stick buildings down anywhere. Our citizens have been used to asking the militia for rights becuase they've had to do it from day one. They plan ahead, they know when they will want to put things down and because it lasts for 24 hrs (the rights) they can ask ahead of time.

The zoning rights is an anti-grief tool, and considering the amount of harvestors that used to pop up infront of guildhalls, I can just see the same happening to city halls if the zoning rights are not there. What's worse is there is no way to get rid of these things.

The zoning rights protect you by prevention.

Having said that, we set our city up with a specific area for factories right behind the merchant area so that the crafters would have easy access to their factories, yet they wouldn't be within visual of anyone just out shopping.

Inside of city limits is fine if its in an appropriate location, for those that want convenience of a close factory. For those that don't want to pay the property tax, they put theirs on the edge of the city limits. Either works, and I let people do what they want, I just don't let them put factories in obvious and 'prime' locations that would spoil the view.

Oh I'll add one thing.

I don't really like harvestors inside city limits, but the good thing is that they are only temporary. Again I wouldn't let them be in 'prime real-estate' locations, but I don't mind around the edge of town. Especially if its really good quality stuff that spawns rarely, I'll make exceptions.

In general different towns have different philosophies based on layout. I have 2 shops in 2 different towns.

Town 1: zoning is on (now). All the factories are clustered behind the guild hall, some are within city limits, others are not. Our industrial area is pretty self-contained. Houses are in rows and look neat. There are many factories because this is a very crafting-centered town.

Pros:

• factories are not an eyesore


• it's very clear where to put your factory, and there will always be room


• sharing factory space is easy

Cons:

• factories are far from some houses. That sucks


• some factories are outside town limits and are near some godawful spawns. It's dangerous.

Town 2: zoning is on. Factories are put wherever residents want them. Houses are not in rows due to terrain issues. Few people craft.

Pros:

• factories are wherever you want them to be next to your house (convenient)


• factories are within city limits preventing nasty spawns

Cons:

• Factories can be an eyesore


• Factories may take up prime real estate


• You have to place your house in a spot with room for a factory next door, because otherwise there is no good spot for it.

On zoning:

Yes, you trust your citizens to make good choices. But you never know when some smacktard is going to build something obscene in your city. By then it's too late. If your citizens put harvesters in town because it's a good concentration, and you think it's ok for them, others willsee the harvesters thereand plop down harvesters in your town (which is NOT ok because they don't live there!) What I would do is to have everyone in town able to grant zoning rights (make them all militia), so it's not a big deal to move/place structures but it still keeps out the griefer. Once the griefer builds, it's very hard to get him out. Best to prevent him in the first place.

Howdy

I dont allow harvesters in our city....Well, ok, I did twice now last week when that special Iron popped up and there was a great Radioactive deposit. Both individuals(guild mates)barely put them inside the city limits....Also, I got a special "perk" out of it from them both....hehehehe...

However, there are NO harvesters in Villa Sura.....The cool thing though as mayor is that you can place your harvesters whenever/wherever you like...LMAO....There is that Poly Copper that people are going crazy over. I noticed over a dozen Heavy Harvesters lined up at our city boarders....So I took a look what they were mining....The deposit was 52% they were on....LOL...just a few meters inside the city limit the deposit maxed at 70%. Foretunately this is outin theback 40 of the city where nothing is at....yeehawww its good to be the Mayor...

We have zoning on, as we have a very detailed city layout plan within which we are building. Factories are, for the most part, conveniently-placed, but tucked behind groups of houses, etc., so as to not be obvious when one is walking down a main thoroughfare.

I think I'd go bonkers without zoning turned on. Things would be so...disorganized, could end up not aesthetically pleasing, and the Mayor would have no clue what was going on building-wise. I can imagine getting ready to place a park or civic structure only to find harvesters in the area. No, zoning shall remain on for us. We have 90 citizens, and there has been no real complaint or unhappiness about having to interact with the Mayor or urban planners to get zoning rights and discuss placement. Such interactions are good in many ways...gets the communication flowing and keeps the government in contact with the citizenry.

As for harvesters - In our city plan, they have no place. However, if we were a Sample Rich specialized city, trying to build a mining outpost type town, etc...going for that sort of feel, it would be completely appropriate for us to have harvesters in town. With the type of city we are building, however, they would be an eyesore and very out of place.

In the poll I did last week, almost all of the mayors here responded that they have zoning turned on simply for this reason, to keep the city design orderly, even in so-called "open" cities.

Make sure you have a good group of militia players inducted who can grant zoning rights when you aren't online and who understand the city layout, and your new citizens should't get too discouraged waiting for zoning permission.

We have zoning on, as we have a very detailed city layout plan within which we are building. Factories are, for the most part, conveniently-placed, but tucked behind groups of houses, etc., so as to not be obvious when one is walking down a main thoroughfare.

I think I'd go bonkers without zoning turned on. Things would be so...disorganized, could end up not aesthetically pleasing, and the Mayor would have no clue what was going on building-wise. I can imagine getting ready to place a park or civic structure only to find harvesters in the area. No, zoning shall remain on for us. We have 90 citizens, and there has been no real complaint or unhappiness about having to interact with the Mayor or urban planners to get zoning rights and discuss placement. Such interactions are good in many ways...gets the communication flowing and keeps the government in contact with the citizenry.

As for harvesters - In our city plan, they have no place. However, if we were a Sample Rich specialized city, trying to build a mining outpost type town, etc...going for that sort of feel, it would be completely appropriate for us to have harvesters in town. With the type of city we are building, however, they would be an eyesore and very out of place.