diff -Xdiff_ignore -r -u freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/common/game.c freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/common/game.c
--- freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/common/game.c	Sat Oct 13 07:55:26 2001
+++ freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/common/game.c	Fri Oct 19 16:04:05 2001
@@ -701,6 +701,7 @@
   game.explorer    = GAME_DEFAULT_EXPLORER;
   game.dispersion  = GAME_DEFAULT_DISPERSION;
   game.cityfactor  = GAME_DEFAULT_CITYFACTOR;
+  game.citymindist = GAME_DEFAULT_CITYMINDIST;
   game.civilwarsize= GAME_DEFAULT_CIVILWARSIZE;
   game.unhappysize = GAME_DEFAULT_UNHAPPYSIZE;
   game.angrycitizen= GAME_DEFAULT_ANGRYCITIZEN;
diff -Xdiff_ignore -r -u freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/common/game.h freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/common/game.h
--- freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/common/game.h	Sat Oct 13 07:55:27 2001
+++ freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/common/game.h	Fri Oct 19 15:54:12 2001
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
   int diplcost, freecost, conquercost;
   int diplchance;
   int cityfactor;
+  int citymindist;
   int civilwarsize;
   int min_players, max_players, nplayers;
   int aifill;
@@ -323,6 +324,10 @@
 #define GAME_DEFAULT_CITYFACTOR      14
 #define GAME_MIN_CITYFACTOR          6
 #define GAME_MAX_CITYFACTOR          100
+
+#define GAME_DEFAULT_CITYMINDIST     0
+#define GAME_MIN_CITYMINDIST         0 /* if 0, ruleset will overwrite this */
+#define GAME_MAX_CITYMINDIST         5
 
 #define GAME_DEFAULT_CIVILWARSIZE    10
 #define GAME_MIN_CIVILWARSIZE        6
diff -Xdiff_ignore -r -u freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/server/ruleset.c freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/server/ruleset.c
--- freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/server/ruleset.c	Sat Oct 13 07:55:42 2001
+++ freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/server/ruleset.c	Fri Oct 19 15:57:44 2001
@@ -2136,12 +2136,18 @@
   game.rgame.min_city_center_trade =
     secfile_lookup_int(&file, "civstyle.min_city_center_trade");
 
-  game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities =
-    secfile_lookup_int(&file, "civstyle.min_dist_bw_cities");
-  if(game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities<1) {
-    freelog(LOG_ERROR, "Bad value %i for min_dist_bw_cities. Using 2.",
-	    game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities);
-    game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities = 2;
+  /* if the server variable citymindist is set (!= 0) the ruleset setting
+     is overwritten by citymindist */
+  if (game.citymindist==0) {
+    game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities =
+      secfile_lookup_int(&file, "civstyle.min_dist_bw_cities");
+    if(game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities<1) {
+      freelog(LOG_ERROR, "Bad value %i for min_dist_bw_cities. Using 2.",
+	      game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities);
+      game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities = 2;
+    }
+  } else {
+    game.rgame.min_dist_bw_cities = game.citymindist;
   }
 
   game.rgame.init_vis_radius_sq =
diff -Xdiff_ignore -r -u freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/server/savegame.c freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/server/savegame.c
--- freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/server/savegame.c	Thu Oct 18 07:59:17 2001
+++ freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/server/savegame.c	Fri Oct 19 16:08:19 2001
@@ -1759,6 +1759,9 @@
       game.save_nturns = secfile_lookup_int(file, "game.save_nturns");
     }
 
+    game.citymindist  = secfile_lookup_int_default(file,
+      GAME_DEFAULT_CITYMINDIST, "game.citymindist");
+
     if (has_capability("watchtower", savefile_options)) {
       game.watchtower_extra_vision =
 	  secfile_lookup_int(file, "game.watchtower_extra_vision");
@@ -2103,6 +2106,7 @@
   secfile_insert_int(file, game.unhappysize, "game.unhappysize");
   secfile_insert_int(file, game.angrycitizen, "game.angrycitizen");
   secfile_insert_int(file, game.cityfactor, "game.cityfactor");
+  secfile_insert_int(file, game.citymindist, "game.citymindist");
   secfile_insert_int(file, game.civilwarsize, "game.civilwarsize");
   secfile_insert_int(file, game.diplcost, "game.diplcost");
   secfile_insert_int(file, game.freecost, "game.freecost");
diff -Xdiff_ignore -r -u freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/server/stdinhand.c freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/server/stdinhand.c
--- freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-orig/server/stdinhand.c	Sat Oct 13 07:55:43 2001
+++ freeciv-cvs-Oct-18-new/server/stdinhand.c	Fri Oct 19 16:06:04 2001
@@ -538,6 +538,16 @@
        "Democracy; for other governments the effect occurs at "
        "smaller numbers of cities.") },
 
+  { "citymindist", &game.citymindist, NULL, NULL,
+    SSET_RULES, SSET_TO_CLIENT,
+    GAME_MIN_CITYMINDIST, GAME_MAX_CITYMINDIST, GAME_DEFAULT_CITYMINDIST,
+    N_("Minimum distance between cities (move distance)"),
+    N_("When a player founds a new city, it is checked if there is no "
+       "other city in citymindist distance. For example, if citymindist "
+       "is 3, there have to be at least two empty fields between two cities "
+       "every direction. If it is set to 0 (default), it is overwritten by "
+       "the current ruleset when the game starts.") },
+
   { "razechance", &game.razechance, NULL, NULL,
     SSET_RULES, SSET_TO_CLIENT,
     GAME_MIN_RAZECHANCE, GAME_MAX_RAZECHANCE, GAME_DEFAULT_RAZECHANCE,