So.... I don't have to build a city ON a resource to benefit from it right?

What is the radius of influence for cities in this game? How close does some iron/mithril/etc have to be for a particular city to get it?

The area your town benefits from specials is as follows with your Town being X, O = squares that you get and N for squares that don't count. Basically you get a 5x5 grid minus the corners.


NOOON
OOOOO
OOXOO
OOOOO
NOOON

And just to clarify, if any of your cities are at the minimum distance (3 squares) from another city — whether yours, neutral or another wizard's — those border squares you have in common receive half value for any resources. Whether or not you like your neighbors, whatever territory and resources you have in common are presumed to be shared equally.

Thanks guys, that's very helpful.

I also noticed in the city management screen that the extreme corners of the local map in the upper right-hand corner were darkened. I assume the non-darkened area shown on the local map in that screen are all the tiles that the city is "working." It's subtle and easy to miss that but it is there!

That's correct. It'll also show a "1/2" over shared tiles, if any exist.

As long as the resource is somewhere in that worked area, you'll get the benefit. In the case of shared mithral and adamantine resources, the cities split the income benefit but both will be able to generate mithral/adamantine-equipped units.

It's also worth noting that the worked tiles are blockaded by any units that are not your own. Even those of pacted/allied wizards will prevent a tile from being worked. This is also why other wizards get very upset if your units hang around near their cities, especially if you have a treaty with them, since blockading a city's tile is a violation of the treaty. (They're not quite as scrupulous about avoiding your cities' tiles, of course...)

I really hate how the computer doesn't give you much time to get out of it's area either. Not to mention sometimes you are on a square and can't even see their city yet so you don't know where togo to get out.

Yes, if possible you should scout the rival city and move away from it again before the end of the turn. Unless you don't care what your rival thinks, that is.

Turn 1: "Oh what an auspicious meeting!"
Turn 2: "I will rid the world of your tyranny!"

I agree that it is very jarring, especially since the AI thinks nothing of violating your territory.