Played the demo, some questions and observations

Ok after playing the demo there are some things that have been mentioned in the previews and reviews that I can't see. I'm assuming the demo is the latest version so here goes:

• unit upgrades don't seem possible: only Leonardo's workshop and elite german units upgrade
• elite units don't get 100% strength [50% more than vet.] they just get 1 promotion <-- good change imo
• 2 coin rushbuys 1 hammer [gg America]
• great people can't be moved from city to city [good thing imo]
• Cities start with 2pop, I was playing as egyptians and after some techs. & wonders each new city was starting at 4pop which was weird - kinda makes china even worst than anticipated [feel so sorry for them]

Edit:
Q1: so I'm guessing that communism and democracy both add to the base resource, otherwise with library doubling and university quadrupling income, that 50% won't mean crap

Question 2: How can we tell when we enter a new era and out next set of bonuses kick in, why didn't they add a screen like the civ4 version - especially since its even more important now that we get additional bonuses.

oh yea finally: are spies a normal unit? Can the be seen by other standard military units? If thats the case then the main use of spies seems to be to being some along with your army by brute force as a sort of artillery

I wish we could save games, i dunno why they wouldn't allow it in the demo: I'd hate to start again every time I was test something can

so what are the questions:S

icejon said:

so what are the questions:S

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I had quite a few when I was playing, but I've forgotten half of them now.

America is just gonna be soooooooo sick, imagine spamming cities on all the coasts and getting bank + market. Then using the huge income to buy production on a 1:1 basis. Its also very flexible because you can build anything anywhere, so low production cities will have all their required buildings completed quickly.

Cities only start with 2 pop in the demo, it will apparently be back to 1 pop normal starting for the full game (big bonus for China)


As for America's bonus... the more effective way to boost production/trade is to go for the mega city and put the buildings there (still good for America, since they can get the mega city trade and use it effectively for gold production.)

The most interesting (and funny) thing to me was kidnapping a settled Great Person from another civ with a Spy and settling him in one of my cities.

homan1983 said:

[*]2 coin rushbuys 1 hammer [gg America

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I'm like 99% sure that I've observed an increase in rushbuy cost as your age progresses. I think (now I guess this really needs to be tested thoroughly) that it is 2-3-4-5? over the course of the game depending on which age you are in. This increase was observed with military units so it wasn't a product of rushing wonders.

yea i've noticed that too.

There is a screen for when you enter the next era.

yep you can't upgrade units, but building Leonardo's workshop while rushing to tanks is a killer strategy (instant tank army, and domination victory shortly after).

Key thing with Leo's Workshop... it seems to be a onetime Wonder.... get Tanks BEFORE you finish building it, or you only get the upgrade to Knights

homan1983 said:

Question 2: How can we tell when we enter a new era and out next set of bonuses kick in, why didn't they add a screen like the civ4 version - especially since its even more important now that we get additional bonuses.

oh yea finally: are spies a normal unit? Can the be seen by other standard military units? If thats the case then the main use of spies seems to be to being some along with your army by brute force as a sort of artillery

I wish we could save games, i dunno why they wouldn't allow it in the demo: I'd hate to start again every time I was test something can

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cities will start at pop 1 in the full game

I have no idea if the enemy can see your spies...if the enemies in the demo could, they didn't do anything to stop my spy reaching their city and stealing stuff...

there is a screen telling you that you've changed ages in the full game, just not in the demo apparently.

and we can save games in the full game, just not in the demo.

If I remember right, they can only see a spy if they are right next to it. Plan your movements well in this regard, particularly if you plan on going into a city to steal something.

dshirk said:

If I remember right, they can only see a spy if they are right next to it. Plan your movements well in this regard, particularly if you plan on going into a city to steal something.

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Thats correct. I learned this the hard way. Stay two tiles away and your fine though.

Since I've now played a few multi and single games I'll answer my own questions:

Both democracy AND communism apply multiplicatively.

Cities start with 2 pop and +1pop in each age.
Anarchy is negligible [hence the civ bonus pretty bad] due to the free upgrade when you get the tech by any means, as well as the 1turn cap.

End game I tend to get more stuff built through rush-buying than through production. I personally think that the rushbuy bonus of america is insane but after a few more games I'll be making a balance thread specifically on America.

The price of rushbuy goes up as game goes on, i think its linked to era, this is good because it makes money useful to make even in early game!

homan1983 said:

The price of rushbuy goes up as game goes on, i think its linked to era, this is good because it makes money useful to make even in early game!

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An alternative idea. Could rushing not be linked to how much production the city has? It seemed to me that my high production could rush stuff cheaper than a science city. It might be that I just missed the overflow.

edit: I'm wrong. Seems to cost 2 (+1 per ages) per hammer.