As requested, here are some images of the 19×6 housing block I use.
Here is the original discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/impressionsgames/comments/m5majq/pharaoh_a_strategic_guide_to_citybuilding/
The block is based on the “flexiblock” you can find here: http://caesar3.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/caeforumscgi/display.cgi?action=ct&f=25,3100,1,20, so, credit to the author Afterburner.
I tweaked the flexiblock a little bit, in order to obtain a simple, standard, high-density population block. My goals were:
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have something perfectly aligned, to avoid any problems in the left border where the block connects to the city
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have something very easy to learn and remember, so that I could build it any time without referencing to a blueprint every time ‘:D
SIZE: This block contains 1596 people. To me it’s a good balance between number of people and facilities/goods required. Every 2×2 house is a Spacious Residence that just needs pottery, beer and the few buildings shown. As I said in the other post, just divide the population requirement in a given map for 1596, and you’ll know how much of these you’ll need.
STABILITY: I now used it roughly 4 times x 10 maps x 20 years, that is 800 years. I only had a problem once with a water supplier. I don’t know if he was entagled in the pavillion or if it was just a bug; anyway, I would say 1 problem in 800 makes for a very stable housing block.
SOME NOTES:
– As you notice, the inside of the loop is almost void, but who cares. This also leaves plenty of space to meet the culture rating requirement later, adding building that these *houses do not really need*, but that you need to meet the culture rating: mortuary, senet tavern, library.
– You’ll notice that the inside of the loop is uneven, leaving a 1×4 column free. This allows for the police station, and I prefer to have even houses on the outside anyway.
– Many suggest to put the entertainment schools inside the loop, because there’s a known bug in the game that makes sometimes the entertainers disappear. Placing the schools inside the block forces the entertainers to walk along the houses when going from the school to the pavillion, effectively canceling the bug. But I didn’t experience that bug, I had no problems in that 800 years batch I mentioned. So, for me it’s better to place a few schools outside, saving precious space for taverns etc.
SECOND IMAGE: this shows the connection to the city with granaries, warehouses and schools. It shows the array of blocks next to each other; and shows an example of the internal space filled with buildings (in this case: three sanctuaries, senet tavern, mortuary, and three mediuim statues that can be arranged in a better way to spread the desirability evenly).
THIRD IMAGE is a screenshot of one of these standard blocks in the game, that hosts 1596 people.
FOURTH IMAGE is a screenshot of the same layout that I upgraded to Stately Manor. Notice the three temples (two are on the left edge) and the library.
According to the original forum post about the flexiblock, this can be upgraded to Palatial Estate level too, but I guess it needs to be a bit longer to host more entertainment venues. Anyway, Palatial Estate is not the goal of my design, that was to obtain an easy set up with a lot of people inside. Once you have a big population, it’s easier to focus on another couple of block if you have to meet a Palatial Estate requirement or such.