We need the ability to upgrade culture structures

[DeletedUser1590]

In a reply to another post in a different thread, I proposed the following: Allow us to upgrade the culture structures so that we can increase available culture points. Right now we've got the really crappy situation:

1. You need to cram in as many goods-producing building as you can, because without them, you can't advance through the research flow chart.
2. Without being able to advance through the research flow chart you can't unlock additional expansion grids (and don't say "just go conquer territories" because unless you get to the "increase squad size" accomplishments, it's impossible; and to get to those accomplishments, see #1).
3. Once you do obtain an expansion grid, you have to devote it pretty much entirely to culture once you've progressed even a marginally ok amount because you can't expand your buildings, which would free up space in the existing grid so that you could put in more culture structures on the existing map, rather than waiting for a new grid, only then to have to fill it with culture buildings.

This game should be about city building, not cramming buildings into rows, which is pretty much all it currently is. Go look at other cities. I bet 90% of them (if not more) contain a row of work shops, a row of houses, a row of materials-producers (planks, marble, etc). And some culture structures stacked side by side along the edges because they don't need a road to be active. That's not city building. That's just dropping buildings to you can upgrade to buy more and place them in the same row structure.

And if you do let us upgrade the culture structures, don't force us to increase the footprint because that just utterly screws up the city aesthetics you're trying to obtain because you then have to start moving crap all over the place again. Keep the same footprint; just make upgrading them higher when you reach a level that would normally require more space for a building (e.g., level 8 for houses goes from 2/3 to 3x3).

Seriously, if you want this game to be about city building, give us the ability to actually build cities with at least some kind of planned layout rather than the generic row of the same building after building.

 

[DeletedUser]

Good idea! It is a pity that you try to build a pleasant looking city, that looks "real", but end up with just row upon row of the same structures. Looks like Victorian London!
Or if they won't let us upgrade them personally, why not, after every 10 neighbourly helps say, the culture output increases by a certain percentage. That would make it more advantageous to be in a Fellowship and help your neighbours on the map in the hope that they will help you