Tell me about hidden specials

How is it that one knows what to look for where?

There is a particular pattern that they are in.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=1532984#post1532984

Grasslands have no specials, but if you Mine the correct ones you can 'create' a special.

So, if it's grass and it should be a special, mine it?

Just mining or does irrigating and converting accomplish something else?

Mining it will turn it to a Forest which will show you the special (which you can do with Settlers). Transforming it will change it to Plains which will also show you the special but requires Engineers.

Originally posted by Duke of Marlbrough
Mining it will turn it to a Forest which will show you the special (which you can do with Settlers). Transforming it will change it to Plains which will also show you the special but requires Engineers.

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If you don't have engineers your settlers can mine to get the forest, then irrigate the forest to get plains.

It appears the pattern doesn't have to fulfill itself out in the sea.

Originally posted by Duke of Marlbrough
Mining it will turn it to a Forest which will show you the special (which you can do with Settlers). Transforming it will change it to Plains which will also show you the special but requires Engineers.

Click to expand...

In my games, transforming grassland has always turned it into a hill.

Transforming a hill, will turn it into plains though.

Originally posted by mardukes
It appears the pattern doesn't have to fulfill itself out in the sea.

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Just Fish & Whales. I guess that the huts sank.

Originally posted by funxus

In my games, transforming grassland has always turned it into a hill.

Transforming a hill, will turn it into plains though.

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Hey, that's right...i just did that in an OCC game. Grassland transforms to hills. If you want plains, just go the Mine-then-irrigate route.

When you work with Map Editor you see all the "special" tiles, but when you start a game the ones that are too far from land to be of any use (<2 tiles away) are not shown. This makes it a little harder to discern the patterns, but the original patterns are not disturbed.

The way I tell where things are, I start with a blank map in MapEditor and locate the tile where my settler(s) start. One of the coordinates needs to be halved (I'm not at my playing machine - I don't remember which one) due to a difference in the way Map Editor and the game program display the maps. Draw in the visible land, ignoring any Whale/Fish tiles that turn land into specials. Just get the correct land type down first. Then hit "S" and increment the Resource Seed till you get any visible specials in the right locations. If they and any visible huts are in the right locations but the wrong "type", add 16 to the Seed up to 3 times. One of these combinations should give you the correct Seed. If you have no visible specials or huts this is still useful info: try adjusting the Seed and record how many possible Seeds between 1 and 16 give you no visible specials or huts. You should come up with only one or two (x4 for multiples of 16), and those options should show something nearby that you can start your settler heading toward to confirm. Once you get the Seed right, you will know the patterns of specials and huts throughout the whole map. If you have Grass tiles at your start they could be "hiding" specials underneath them; in Map Editor I like to mark them with Tundra so I can see the hidden special.

Originally posted by funxus
In my games, transforming grassland has always turned it into a hill.

Transforming a hill, will turn it into plains though.

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In every game that's how it is. The point being that you can Mine or Transform grasslands to see the specials. Hills will give you the specials as well.

Originally posted by TimTheEnchanter
If you want plains, just go the Mine-then-irrigate route.

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Originally posted by mardukes
It appears the pattern doesn't have to fulfill itself out in the sea.

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Correct. If there is no land within 3 squares (a city radius) of where a special normally would be, it is not shown.

Originally posted by Old n Slow


Just Fish & Whales. I guess that the huts sank.

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I'm seeing spots that should be Fish or Whales that are just blue. May be a function of distance from shore. Should I post a snapshot?

nevermind (I should read all the way down!)

Where is the map editor?
I've not been able to find it!

P.S.(I have TOT. Dose that make a difference?)

Hidden specials also can be found on swamp or jungle. Follow Duke's link and read the thread.
Read also starlifter's threads.
I like hidden specials on rivers very much!Trade, production and food!

Originally posted by sethos
Hidden specials also can be found on swamp or jungle. Follow Duke's link and read the thread.

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What specials are hidden under swamp and jungle? I thought there was spice, peat and gems. The link doesn't mention this at all from what I can see...

Consider swamp and jungle as grassland.

Only grass hides specials. Swamp and jungle will show spice and fruit if there is a Whale-special underneath, or peat and gems if there is a Fish-special underneath.