Frequently Asked Questions

[Kael]

Help needed

This looks fantastic! But: I have never played a mod before, never heard of fall from heaven 1, never played dungeons and dragons or similar. I play Prince level on Vanilla Civ, but this is so different that I quite simply haven't got the foggiest. I've tried bimbling along in the game for a bit, but as the pedia is not great on general concepts (not a nag, I'm still awed by the amount of work that must have gone into this) I'm struggling a bit! Rather than asking a string of dumb questions, is there a basic guide somewhere, or some sort of public game like the ALCs for vanilla civ? With so many new civics, totally new religions and massive new concepts like magic I'm feeling somewhat daunted!

Any help gratefully received.

Unfortunalty not. I would recommend checking out the wiki and the first post in this thread. But we are still activly creating this game so sitting down and writing detailed docs would just mean they would be obsolete when the new version releases (like trying to work on a car while its driving down the highway).

But go ahead and ask any questions, I am sure the folks here will be able to answer.

 

[Hatty]

Thanks for replying. Guess I need the practice for when the world recognises that I should be a highly paid Beta tester for strategy games

Have now being playing it for a few more hours using hotseat with my boyfriend (great for learning about another civ's features) and I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it (although I haven't really got into casting spells so I've a long way to go).

Quite simply, I love it. Was thinking of getting Warlords, but who needs it with this? Big up to the mod team. The Drown are the business. And the music is fab.

Anyways, I plan to play it till I know it and start dreaming it (does anyone else get that?) and then see if I can help at all: I have no programming/graphics/musical skills so if you still need Wiki input and I am competent enough at some point, I can write reasonably. I might even devise an idiot's guide for folks like me. And, if it becomes obsolete, I shall take it philosophically as I cannot imagine the hours you good people apply to modding, many of which must be 'learning experiences' i.e. frustrating wastes of time when stuff doesn't work.

My first dumb question: What are ancient temples and how in heck do you use them?

Thanks again.

By the by, where the Wiki is completed, it's very useful, extra brownie points to those who have contributed.

 

[Alchemistor]

Deleted.

Hmm should have known that I should let the developers answer these questions. Knew I'd get stuff wrong.

 

[Kael]

My first dumb question: What are ancient temples and how in heck do you use them?

Ancient temples are a resource, just like banannas (i bet you weren't expecting that responce). Unlike banannas you cant trade them with other civs, you either have them or you dont. To "have them" you need to clear the jungles around them, build a road to them, and use a unit with the explore temple ability (workers, and most recon units can do it).

If you have an ancient temple connected to a city all of your adepts start out with the Combat I promotion. So they are a little tougher, and even more importantly, their spells are tougher.

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Whoah, I didn't know that. Hm, I always thought they were just useful for the +8 they generate when worked.

 

[Sureshot]

about dreaming the games, thats the best... quite disorienting to wake up wondering where your units are, whether you're winning, and why you can't scrolls up and down your vision

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Not as bad as the time I played Halo 2 'till 5 in the morning beating legendary, then went to school in the morning and could have sworn one of the students was shooting a needler at the math teacher...

 

[Sureshot]

i dunno, FPS tend to atleast agree with reality somewhat, civ gives you really messed up perceptions of disembodiment and area presence

 

[Kael]

I get strange urges while driving after playing to much Burnout 3.

 

[Grey Fox]

It can get real vivid with games with a high FPS or a faster pace game, like a racing game or First Person Shooter. Alot of my dreams are about games, when they arent about boobies (im starting to wear out that word arnt I?).

EDIT: Heh, many similar responses while I wrote this. And they seem to agree with me about racing games and FPS.

 

[QES]

I get strange urges while driving after playing to much Burnout 3.

I had the same effect from playing Grand Theft Auto (Vice City) with my friends. We'd be at a perkins, and an ambulance would be outside, and even though none of us were saying it, we were ALL equally staring with lustful intentions at that vehicle.

When someone finally said something, we all sort of had a nervous laughter, and agreed that we needed to cut back on the GTA.

It should be noted that none of us did cut back, but none of us are as of yet, in jail.
Self-control is good.
-Qes

 

[eerr]

about dreaming the games, thats the best... quite disorienting to wake up wondering where your units are, whether you're winning, and why you can't scrolls up and down your vision


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Sep 15, 2006, 06:10 PM #107
Chandrasekhar
Tech Mercantilist




Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,001 Not as bad as the time I played Halo 2 'till 5 in the morning beating legendary, then went to school in the morning and could have sworn one of the students was shooting a needler at the math teacher...
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Sep 15, 2006, 06:13 PM #108
Sureshot
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,584 i dunno, FPS tend to atleast agree with reality somewhat, civ gives you really messed up perceptions of disembodiment and area presence


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Sep 15, 2006, 06:14 PM #109
Kael
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Join Date: May 2002
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Posts: 7,268 I get strange urges while driving after playing to much Burnout 3.
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Sep 15, 2006, 06:14 PM #110
Grey Fox
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Join Date: Dec 2001
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Posts: 4,489 It can get real vivid with games with a high FPS or a faster pace game, like a racing game or First Person Shooter. Alot of my dreams are about games, when they arent about boobies (im starting to wear out that word arnt I?).

EDIT: Heh, many similar responses while I wrote this. And they seem to agree with me about racing games and FPS.
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Sep 15, 2006, 08:10 PM #111
QES
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Join Date: Jul 2006
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Posts: 1,344 Quote:
Originally Posted by Kael
I get strange urges while driving after playing to much Burnout 3.


I had the same effect from playing Grand Theft Auto (Vice City) with my friends. We'd be at a perkins, and an ambulance would be outside, and even though none of us were saying it, we were ALL equally staring with lustful intentions at that vehicle.

When someone finally said something, we all sort of had a nervous laughter, and agreed that we needed to cut back on the GTA.

It should be noted that none of us did cut back, but none of us are as of yet, in jail.
Self-control is good.
-Qes
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didn't we all agree that video games don't influence behavior really?
or am i just thinking of my chat in halo 2...

 

[QES]

Didnt influence our behavior, as of yet, none of us have acted on any of it. To my knowledge.
But thinking about it, oh hell yes, we all think about it.

But then again, lots of people think about murder, and death, and killing, and all sorts of horrible things without the influences of ..well, ANYTHING, and they dont act on them either.

The question isnt whehter or not exposure produces thought, its whether or not exposure produces actions. When peopel try to suggest that MORE thought means MORE action, it strikes me as generally "ususpring" the notion of self-control, self-awareness and general humanity.

Videogames dont cause violence, nor do they directly desensetise, only actions and direct "real life" exposure can do that. I've been to developing countries....and ive played a lot of video games. The developing country experienace did more to my sense of empathy and sympathy than the video game ever could. It makes it all the more profound when you realize the child your talking to will die within the week from malnuishment. That stung. And I blew people up in GTA. Think IM desensetized?

To ignore the Human ability to reason and recognize, is to be a fool (thanks politicians for treating us like 4 year olds).
-Qes

EDIT: Real life violence is also what desensetises one to violence, because the brain cannot handle the horror of truly violent and malicious acts. Darfur, the LRA, Gaza, etc. The more actual bloody genocide and violence one sees, the more the brain reacts to allow the semblence of sanity in insane conditions. The LRA turned this into a weapon. Kidnap children, force those children to kill their parents and village, the child becomes a psychological wreck, and seeks order and reason, the child turns to violence, and joins the LRA. The Cycle continues.

 

[wilboman]

Am I the only one who actually thinks games can have a therapeutic function? Nothing beats taking pot shots at Germans in Call of Duty when you really feel the urge to do something unpleasant to a certain person or persons...

Nothing desensitises more than the news. Ban the news! Well, that and constant exposure to beggars who smoke and have iPods. Norwegian beggars have got it MADE.

 

[QES]

Ancient temples are a resource, just like banannas (i bet you weren't expecting that responce). Unlike banannas you cant trade them with other civs, you either have them or you dont. To "have them" you need to clear the jungles around them, build a road to them, and use a unit with the explore temple ability (workers, and most recon units can do it).

If you have an ancient temple connected to a city all of your adepts start out with the Combat I promotion. So they are a little tougher, and even more importantly, their spells are tougher.

Two Questions:

1) Are you still looking for a better function for Ancient temples or are you happy with the combat I promo?

2) Does this mean I can feed ancient temples to my monkey?
-Qes

 

[Kael]

Two Questions:

1) Are you still looking for a better function for Ancient temples or are you happy with the combat I promo?

2) Does this mean I can feed ancient temples to my monkey?
-Qes

Yeah, I would still like a better mechanic. The best so far has been to make them into midgame goody huts (since you have to be able to clear jungles before you can access them). But I dont know if I want to make them goodie huts. I have been notoriously picky about ideas for them, that perfect suggestion just hasn't hit me yet.

 

[Silverkiss]

About that, I alredy seen some Ancient Temple spawing outside of jungle, wich led to an incredible bonus in comerce in the early game. I don´t know what happened, but im sure it were 2 Ancient Temples, 1 tile next to the other, one in jungle and the other in normal grassland.

 

[Kael]

About that, I alredy seen some Ancient Temple spawing outside of jungle, wich led to an incredible bonus in comerce in the early game. I don´t know what happened, but im sure it were 2 Ancient Temples, 1 tile next to the other, one in jungle and the other in normal grassland.

There is a chance with most resources that another one will spawn beside it. It pretty low for temples but it is possible. And that respawn ignores feature requirements.

 

[dreiche2]

Yeah, I would still like a better mechanic. The best so far has been to make them into midgame goody huts (since you have to be able to clear jungles before you can access them). But I dont know if I want to make them goodie huts. I have been notoriously picky about ideas for them, that perfect suggestion just hasn't hit me yet.

Hm, that's at least something interesting, then you would have goody huts you could try to get control of by fighting for them. Unlike the real ones, where it is all a question of running the fastest...

 

[Quetz]

Dumb question time regarding mana. Am I correct in the assumption that you are supposed to need 3 Fire mana, for example, to cast a level 3 Fire spell? Or is there no point in having more than one mana resource? Have been trying to figure this out for a while, since the Eternal Flame gives you 3 Fire mana... there must be some point, right?

Or is that something that hasnt been dealt with yet..?