Do you use the build governor?

[Blake]

The build governor, aka "Train useless settlers and military units".

Does anyone use it?

The reason I ask is I'm thinking, as part of the better AI mod, of usurping the build governor so instead of doing what he currently does, he instead automatically develops the city - basically by build buildings - no units, no wonders, just buildings followed by build Research or Wealth. In other words you can turn it on if you never want to hear another peep out of the city, or if you want the city built up so you can come back later and set it to infinite build units or something.

I'm curious if ANYONE uses it as it is?

 

[Mercade]

Sorry, I don't use it. Most tend to micro-manage, I suppose.

 

[Blake]

Actually I want to know if even a single person uses it *laughs*.

 

[Panda]

I'm curious if ANYONE uses it as it is?

I haven't, and I won't.

 

[Arlborn]

Probably only begginners use it..

 

[marioflag]

I have never used governors i just like to micromanage my cities.Using governors would just remove some of the fun and strategy of this game.

 

[HiroHito]

^ same as above.

 

[Quagga]

I use the governor that manages city resources, though I often override it to run particular specialists. I know that's not what you're asking about.

You're asking about the silly thing that will have the city build things using its idea of what's best to build next. This governor does not seem to be as intelligent as the AIs. In fact, rolling dice to determine builds might do just as well. I don't use it. Didn't use it in Civ3 either.

 

[cf_nz]

No, I don't use it because it's hopeless.

If you change it as proposed to only build useful buildings in an intelligent order then yes I would use it more.

Question: would you allow city governors to build workboats? Just for that city or X tiles from that city.

 

[cymru_man]

Used it occasionally in Civ2 or Civ3 for when the empire gets ridiculously big and all those "city x has built this" each turn got too annoying. Civ4 I dont seem to have that problem, maybe the slower game speed means not so many city popups each turn. I wouldn't trust him with any city I cared about in any case.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

Nope, i havent used it. IIRC there is option to load build queues from scripts for cities; build governor might be marginally useful if there would be some settings like "build a fishing village" "develop towards commerce" "develop towards prod." etc. I havent used build queues either, but i probably should make few for those lategame filler cities.

 

[plesniak]

I have played all the civs and any type of automation to this particluar effect have never been useful to me. I use the resource governer only after the city is at about 3-4 pop and after I have more than about 5 -7 cities. About 50% of the time I will take the advice of the "recommend you build" advice; something fairly intelligent that I could rely on to take care of putting buildings in my city would be good.
I would escpecially like it to take care of building up my newly captured cities as this part of the process is a bit repetative to micromanage. The existing specialization buttons could even be used to give the governer priorities on how you would like the city rebuilt; maybe add one for military only...Just some thoughts.

 

[Willowmound]

I wouldn't trust my game to a computer

Never use it.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Well I WOULD Use it if it was an "only build buildings" ie nothing that would be limiting like Cathedrals/National/World Wonders.. or units.

There are some times, especially for a large conquest type game, I have cities where, after it has some basic culture, I really don't care what it builds.

Also an AI could probably calculate what building would be a better generic 'contribution to the empire' effort.

I do agree the 'develop in certain directions' might be even more useful (ie Science, Gold, Culture or Production.. Happiness/Health buildings being built as they are required, or when they are soon ro be required.)

 

[Stolen Rutters]

Sorry, only the resource buttons. Never the build governor. I never understood why it seems to choose a settler only when it is the worst build possible.

As for buildings only, I wonder whether the AI can be programmed to NOT build gold buildings in a research city, or avoid science buildings for a gold city, etc. I still build jack of all trade cities myself, instead of leveraging the efficiency of city specialization. I build buildings using time and hammers that would have been more useful if I had specialized my cities properly and stuck to my guns. I am starting to suspect that this is what is keeping me from winning at Emperor.

 

[Blake]

No, I don't use it because it's hopeless.

If you change it as proposed to only build useful buildings in an intelligent order then yes I would use it more.

Question: would you allow city governors to build workboats? Just for that city or X tiles from that city.

Okay I'm noticing a definite (and expected) trend here, no-one uses it, some would be interested in it for babysitting captured cities or new colonies.

What I've done is made it build basically in this order:
1: It builds culture to get the first border pop (sensibly, it only does for cre if the city is culturally pressured).
2: It builds a workboat if needed (this is generally the only unit it will build!) (will whip)
3: It builds growth emphasizing buildings - granary/lighthouse (will whip)
4: It builds a culture building if the city has no culture, unless the borders are already popped and there is no need for culture. (will whip, sometimes)
5: It'll build any old cheap building.
6: A happy build to cure unhappiness. (will whip)
7: A healthy build to cure unhealthiness. (will whip)
8: It builds a courthouse if at least 6 upkeep.
9: It builds a specialist-enabling building if it's running citizens.
10: It builds +exp buildings.
11: It builds any building.
12: It uses build research/wealth.
13: It gives up and trains a unit.

Note that the building order is the "guidelines" it uses. Where I've said "will whip" that means it WILL whip the build. The lack of will whip doesn't mean it wont whip it. It simply uses the AI whipping logic here which is fairly good if slightly on the gentle side.
It will NEVER choose a limited class building, meaning no wonders, no national wonders, no cathedrals. Of course you can still manually get the city to build anything you want.

 

[plesniak]

Okay I'm noticing a definite (and expected) trend here, no-one uses it, some would be interested in it for babysitting captured cities or new colonies.

What I've done is made it build basically in this order:

Every time my cities finish building something the AI will suggest something to build...Is this suggestion typically what the building governer would follow? Would follow based on your last reply if I had your latest AI improvement? This suggestion really has nothing to do with the governer?

I find these suggestions are pretty close some of the time(ha ha)doesn't really get it done as it stands.

 

[Thjof]

People would think about using the governor if they were "rewarded" somehow for their loss of control. A local leader could handle things more efficiently, so what about giving a small production bonus for x turns of uninterrupted use of the governor ?

 

[Panda]

I have never used governors i just like to micromanage my cities.Using governors would just remove some of the fun and strategy of this game.

Same here except in the late game. When I have dozens of cities, half of which serve only to grow to add to your score, I find it more convenient to just light the prioritize food button.

 

[SLM]

I never use the builder governor because I want to control the building myself.

Border cities require must different building queues than inner country cities. Newly conquered cities are different too, shrines get more attention to money making buildings, food surplus cities require yet another approach.

But apart from the lay of the city, there's the war/peace factor, who your neighbour is and what his/her relation towards you is. Sometimes you may want to build a wall sooner than a granary.

Apart from that, your priorities will be different when you've built certain wonders, when cashflow is low and in what era you're playing. If you don't have the tech to prevent unhealthiness, just use the surplus population to pop rush another building or unit.

If you take the build advice you get as an example of what the build governor would build, it should set more priority on building temples/monastaries (when needed) of your own religion when you own a shrine in stead of those of other religions, especially if you have the Spiral.

The builder governor in previous Civ versions never tended to build the things I wanted and I guess it's just hard to make a good build governor that pleases all. What I'd like to see though is an option where, when you have the city on wealth, culture or research, you get a popup as soon as a new building can be built (for example when you've researched or traded a tech, got a new resource etc).

I use the people governor almost always except in GP farms or if money's short, or something needs to be built quickly (it happened in my last game in a certain city when I lighted up the hammer button, it took longer to build something than when I lighted up the food button).