First attempt of Immortal

[noontide]

@noontide Not sure if this was mentioned by anyone before, but it does not appear you have BUG/BULL installed for UI improvements. You can find it here:

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/download-bug-and-bat-here.274636/

The SP (Custom Assets) installation installs the game in your Custom Assets folder..no need to load a mod. It will work for you current game as well. Great option for forum games as anyone can load your games.

You can also find the BAT mod there as well, which is another great option. Basically BUG/BULL plus some graphic enhancements. It is standalone so would not work for current game, but great for personal games.

Thanks! I meant to install the mod but been procrastinating.

A related question, I found about the BUG/BULL mod when I searched for a graphic enhancement mod. Graphics and visual effect affects me a lot in game,so is general ambiance. I still load up Morrowind regularly, roam around and daydream. Anyway, among the four Civ games since III, IV is still my favorite game mechanics-wise. Is there a good mod that overhauls the graphics though? I looked but didn’t find one.i mean I don’t want those mods that essentially make it into a different game. I just want more flashy graphics. Am I being greedy for even wanting a remake?

 

[lymond]

BAT has nicer unit graphics and Blue Marble. You can also installl Blue Marble by itself (see same link). BM improves terrain and water(so much better). You can also change the UI color. BM installs in Custom Assets too and does not conflict with anything.


Other big mods have some cool graphic stuff, but change the game

Nice thing about IV is that with those couple of tweak mods the graphics never get old. Maybe not flashy, but always nice.

 

[noontide]

I installed the BAT mod! Is there a way to load it by default? Every time I have to start the game then load the mod and then restart?

 

[lymond]

I installed the BAT mod! Is there a way to load it by default? Every time I have to start the game then load the mod and then restart?

I just gave someone directions on that earlier, here:

https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/quick-answers-newbie-questions.134903/page-1149#post-15276058

As I think I mentioned there, you can do this for any mod.

You do not need to set that up for a BUG/BULL instaledl in Custom Assets. It is present automatically. Same for Blue Marble. As mentioned earlier, best to use BUG/BULL for forum/shadow games here since anyone can load your game. With BAT, they have to have that mod installed. I do, but not everyone does (even though they should )

 

[sampsa]

T93

Spoiler :

Moved warrior SW so didn't see the gold and settled in place, agri-BW-wheel-pottery-AH-HBR-hunt-arch-myst-writ and so on. I think here going BW as 2nd tech is good as you already have a 6 tile, you can farm the pig and you have lots of forest to chop. Because the leader is charismatic and there is a -resource I wanted granaries asap next. Due to high -cap wasn't worried about stacking whip anger and 1-pop whipped granary 2->1 in capital after having just whipped a worker. It's convenient that 2nd city is able to borrow corn. Just as I was claiming wheat with my 3rd city (was planning 3N of cap) got AH and revealed horse, changed plans, claimed horse and decided to attack with HAs this time.

Had there been more food to the west I might have gone for a slower approach, but with the gold to speed up the research and having lots of forest it's hard for me to resist HAs. Justinian isn't a huge unit spammer, not creative, not protective so it shouldn't be too hard. He also founded buddhism and Oracled monarchy, so I was trying to time it so that I capture his capital right after he builds the shrine. He refused to build a cheap temple to run a priest, but luckily built ToA for more prophet points.

Declare T84 via Zara's lands to be able to capture a city on the 1st turn of war. Also built some axes that go towards the nearest city in NE. Whipping away mediocre tiles (mostly lakes that I was working a ton). Note that my units get teleported 1S when I declare, a neat trick that saves a full turn.

T90 he gets his prophet as I calculated and my troops are ready to take Constantinople. Punk also bribed Bismarck on me, but I killed some of his stray archers and got even masonry in a peace deal from Biz. Teched poly-priesthood to be able to take monarchy in Justinian peace deal.

Also managed to capture this barb city with a single HA. Justin's sword and Zara's axe did most of the damage and I stole the loot. Researched ~30% of alpha and got it for HBR which nearly everyone had already.

Got Constantinople and Thessalonica, leaving him with 3 very weak cities. Time to make a peace. Got wine via trade from Hans while Justin founded Confu, so I rather took CoL deal. Monarchy will be easy to get soon anyway. Been @0% slider for some time, waiting for library to finish, then blaze maths-construction and expand even more. Can turn that forest into +10 catapults...

Edit: I think this map is not super easy, Churchill is one of the weakest leaders and many strong AIs around (Zara, Justin, Hannibal, Julius). However, human player has a massive advantage in war and here he can start one quickly due to gold, horse and forests.

 

[sampsa]

I restarted and this time moved the settler to the upper left to leave room for City 2, now in the attached save on turn 100 I just finished Construction.

I don't think my game is very interesting from this point on, it's just technically won already. However, I think you could learn a lot if we look at your T100 save.

• first thing I see is that you really hate chopping. When you learn to love chopping everything becomes much easier. Chop settlers, workers, granaries. Getting granaries up asap will win you a lot of , which can be transformed into by whipping or by working cottages/lakes. River grass tiles should always be chopped asap and farmed/cottaged. Especially calendar resources! Every counts in the early game.
• you are undervaluing . Those 4 (or even 3) tiles are very weak and are a waste a of worker turns. Why are they so bad? Because whipping beats working them by a clear margin. I think even desert gold is a marginal tile after you have the initial good techs (techs to improve food, chop, build granaries). Instead, working cottages to grow becomes more attractive if -cap allows. Note that not growing is losing you a lot of since if you aren't growing, you aren't able to whip.

Screenshots

Spoiler :

Here is a good example of a mismanaged city. Only +2 so it takes actually 24 turns to grow to -cap. I'd much rather have farmed two grass tiles and only then improve gold+horse. Food first! With +7 you'd grow to -cap in 7 turns from here.

Same thing here, you should have started by farming maybe 2 floodplains, then cottaged the rest of the floodplains and only then start thinking about working gold. +1 per turn makes this city super weak.

• buildings. 5 libraries is a huge hammer sink and definitely not doing you any favors if you plan to attack with catapults. Since you are charismatic, I think you should have gone myst though to build monuments for +1 . Border pops are a nice bonus. That aqueduct is a waste of , especially in a city with +1 pt...
• trade routes. Your empire is unconnected in the middle, but I suppose your plan was to connect it now. +1 to your core cities from ivory. Bigger issue is that your core cities don't have foreign trade routes. A single tile roaded would net them all +1.
• resource trades. Hanni has 3pt available and you are above -cap everywhere so just take the free gold for pigs. Also, keep an eye for any -trade. You could use some to be able to whip more.

I think you did pretty well from here since you managed to capture Constantinople and a very strong player could still likely win it. However, the easy way to improvement is improving your early game.

 

[noontide]

T93

Spoiler :

Moved warrior SW so didn't see the gold and settled in place, agri-BW-wheel-pottery-AH-HBR-hunt-arch-myst-writ and so on. I think here going BW as 2nd tech is good as you already have a 6 tile, you can farm the pig and you have lots of forest to chop. Because the leader is charismatic and there is a -resource I wanted granaries asap next. Due to high -cap wasn't worried about stacking whip anger and 1-pop whipped granary 2->1 in capital after having just whipped a worker. It's convenient that 2nd city is able to borrow corn. Just as I was claiming wheat with my 3rd city (was planning 3N of cap) got AH and revealed horse, changed plans, claimed horse and decided to attack with HAs this time.

View attachment 509818

Had there been more food to the west I might have gone for a slower approach, but with the gold to speed up the research and having lots of forest it's hard for me to resist HAs. Justinian isn't a huge unit spammer, not creative, not protective so it shouldn't be too hard. He also founded buddhism and Oracled monarchy, so I was trying to time it so that I capture his capital right after he builds the shrine. He refused to build a cheap temple to run a priest, but luckily built ToA for more prophet points.

Declare T84 via Zara's lands to be able to capture a city on the 1st turn of war. Also built some axes that go towards the nearest city in NE. Whipping away mediocre tiles (mostly lakes that I was working a ton). Note that my units get teleported 1S when I declare, a neat trick that saves a full turn.

View attachment 509823

T90 he gets his prophet as I calculated and my troops are ready to take Constantinople. Punk also bribed Bismarck on me, but I killed some of his stray archers and got even masonry in a peace deal from Biz. Teched poly-priesthood to be able to take monarchy in Justinian peace deal.

View attachment 509824

Also managed to capture this barb city with a single HA. Justin's sword and Zara's axe did most of the damage and I stole the loot. Researched ~30% of alpha and got it for HBR which nearly everyone had already.

View attachment 509825

Got Constantinople and Thessalonica, leaving him with 3 very weak cities. Time to make a peace. Got wine via trade from Hans while Justin founded Confu, so I rather took CoL deal. Monarchy will be easy to get soon anyway. Been @0% slider for some time, waiting for library to finish, then blaze maths-construction and expand even more. Can turn that forest into +10 catapults...

View attachment 509826

Edit: I think this map is not super easy, Churchill is one of the weakest leaders and many strong AIs around (Zara, Justin, Hannibal, Julius). However, human player has a massive advantage in war and here he can start one quickly due to gold, horse and forests.

Hmm... you DoW on turn 85, that's pretty impressive. My problem in early game is often running out of meaningful things to build. That's why I built library everywhere.

 

[Fish Man]

Hmm... you DoW on turn 85, that's pretty impressive. My problem in early game is often running out of meaningful things to build. That's why I built library everywhere.

If you’re looking to HA rush barracks and chariots are your best bet while you wait for HBR. And if nothing else build research or wealth. Most buildings like aqueducts or gold buildings are garbage.

 

[sampsa]

Hmm... you DoW on turn 85, that's pretty impressive. My problem in early game is often running out of meaningful things to build. That's why I built library everywhere.

T84 Of course, with HAs you can start a bit earlier than with catapults.

If you have nothing useful to build, you can start putting into units. You don't have to finish them yet as they will just cost you and you start losing only after 10 turns. Also, maybe more importantly, when you have nothing to build you should GROW. I habitually grow into unhappiness even, because you can whip unhappy pop when you get your military tech. So in a way you are banking hammers when growing.

 

[noontide]

If you’re looking to HA rush barracks and chariots are your best bet while you wait for HBR. And if nothing else build research or wealth. Most buildings like aqueducts or gold buildings are garbage.

HA rush is Horse Archer rush? meaning rushing without catapults?

 

[Gumbolt]

Yes HA would just be horse archers and maybe 1-2 chariots. Catapults is much further down tech tree. By which point AI will have spammed spears/axes.

The point is with HA you have a 2mp unit that can quickly attack an AI capital. Usually you will build 8-11 of them. Pillaging copper or iron if you can see any. Taking capital first is normally important.

 

[Fish Man]

HA rush is Horse Archer rush? meaning rushing without catapults?

Yeah, and also basically what gumbolt said. In addition, here are some other guidelines:

-Start rush by t90 or earlier otherwise AI will have spammed metal units, or worse, gone for feudalism, especially on deity
-Build just 3 cities; any more will delay rushing by too much
-2pop whip HAs, chop as needed. Barracks only in cities with a lot of food/production or your capital; ideally you want at least one city with them so you can get shock ASAP to deal with inevitable spears. Stables are usually a waste.

 

[sampsa]

Yes, in my T93 screenshot you can see that I'm researching maths, so I did not have catapults. First attacking force was 8HAs+2chariots which turned out to be an overkill for the first city.

 

[noontide]

Yes, in my T93 screenshot you can see that I'm researching maths, so I did not have catapults. First attacking force was 8HAs+2chariots which turned out to be an overkill for the first city.

Cool, thanks guys. Will give it a try.

 

[noontide]

Hi guys,

I asked this in the mod page but no one answered. Is it possible to install Blue Marble on steam based Civ IV and BtS? I did an installation but the mod is not loaded. Thanks.

 

[krikav]

Yes it's possible.
You have to make a copy of the "Civ4bts" file and rename it to "civilization4". The code in blue marble is hardcoded to look for that filename.

Tried to find the forum post that I found helpful for me in this process 2-3 days ago, however I think I searched for the error message and can't remember what that was.
Try to search for the error message on these forums.

 

[lymond]

No clue what Krikav is saying. BM meeds to see the vanilla Civ IV exe. Problem with Steam version is that a) different folder structure b) expansions are separate and standalone

Solution: Go to vanilla civ main folder and copy the exe over to the BTS main folder - the one with the BTS exe.

Place the BM install file there too - in the bts main folder - and run it.

Again, note that BM installs to custom assets. You do not have to load the mod. It is just always present.

edit: Now that I'm not on my phone, I will go into a bit more detail since the Steam installation can be a little complicated.

Steam has separate installs for vanilla, warlords and bts which makes them all standalone. That is not the way it works with non-Steam version of Civ IV. BTS does not need vanilla installed to work with Steam. In order to do this, vanilla assets are installed in the higher level BTS folder. Make sure what I describe is done in the lower level "main" bts folder.

D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword

If you go to steamapps\common, you will see the Sid Meier's Civilization IV folder. That is where you copy the "civilization4.exe". Paste that into bts folder I mentioned above. Place the BM exe in that folder as well and run it. You may or may not have to navigate to the bts folder from the prompt, I can't remember.

I would recommend the "High Def" option for BM install unless your machine has limited resources.

After that runs, you can go to the second tab on the BM installation window and select your UI color if you wish to change it. A separate install button exists on that tab - its a separate installation. I think the default is Gold, but there are many colors to choose from and a custom color option that lets you really get to a specific color. I use a deep chocolate brown myself.

 

[noontide]

No clue what Krikav is saying. BM meeds to see the vanilla Civ IV exe. Problem with Steam version is that a) different folder structure b) expansions are separate and standalone

Solution: Go to vanilla civ main folder and copy the exe over to the BTS main folder - the one with the BTS exe.

Place the BM install file there too - in the bts main folder - and run it.

Again, note that BM installs to custom assets. You do not have to load the mod. It is just always present.

edit: Now that I'm not on my phone, I will go into a bit more detail since the Steam installation can be a little complicated.

Steam has separate installs for vanilla, warlords and bts which makes them all standalone. That is not the way it works with non-Steam version of Civ IV. BTS does not need vanilla installed to work with Steam. In order to do this, vanilla assets are installed in the higher level BTS folder. Make sure what I describe is done in the lower level "main" bts folder.



If you go to steamapps\common, you will see the Sid Meier's Civilization IV folder. That is where you copy the "civilization4.exe". Paste that into bts folder I mentioned above. Place the BM exe in that folder as well and run it. You may or may not have to navigate to the bts folder from the prompt, I can't remember.

I would recommend the "High Def" option for BM install unless your machine has limited resources.

After that runs, you can go to the second tab on the BM installation window and select your UI color if you wish to change it. A separate install button exists on that tab - its a separate installation. I think the default is Gold, but there are many colors to choose from and a custom color option that lets you really get to a specific color. I use a deep chocolate brown myself.

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I followed Krikav's instruction and it worked.

Since we are talking about graphics... ANY chance we'd see a Civ IV remake? just to update the graphics? I'd be the first in line to order it. I logged in 600+ hours on Civ V and a little less on Civ VI, but can't seem to really get into either. Not super excited about Gathering Storm either.