Harbormaster Quest: Which Reward should I take?

[Blaarg]

I'm playing as the Carthangians on Emperor. Looks like I'm going for a domination victory. I just got the Harbormaster Quest (build 7 harbors and 4 caravels) and I'll probably complete it easily, as I have 5 cothons already and I can start researching optics next turn.

According to the Events thread my rewards are:

Quest4:
Harbormaster
Prereq: COMPASS AND Map has at least 40% water tiles
Obsolete: STEAM_POWER or STEEL or SCIENTIFIC_METHOD or ARTILLERY
Active/Weight: 25/500
Aim:
Build default number of players for this world size harbors (6 for standard)
Result:
1.All Naval Units gain the Combat 1 promotion
2.All harbors gain +1 gold
3.All Naval Units gain the Navigation 1 promotion

Which reward do you think I should take? +1 gold per harbor doesn't sound like much, so it'll probably be combat or navigation. Can I get Nav II if I don't have flanking I? Interesting to note that the events thread's quest requirements doesn't match my in game quest requirements either, I wonder if the rewards will have changed.

 

[ori]

I'm playing as the Carthangians on Emperor. Looks like I'm going for a domination victory. I just got the Harbormaster Quest (build 7 harbors and 4 caravels) and I'll probably complete it easily, as I have 5 cothons already and I can start researching optics next turn.

According to the Events thread my rewards are:



Which reward do you think I should take? +1 gold per harbor doesn't sound like much, so it'll probably be combat or navigation. Can I get Nav II if I don't have flanking I? Interesting to note that the events thread's quest requirements doesn't match my in game quest requirements either, I wonder if the rewards will have changed.

The rewards have not changed Neither has the code, but its nice of you that you did not think about another possibility: a mistake by the author of the list. (don't go looking for it though it has been corrected ).
I do like the +1 if I do not anticipate overseas war, if I do the navigation one is gold - speeding up your transports just beats everything...

 

[johnny_rico]

I think the navigation promotion is leagues better than the other two. With circumnavigation and the +1 movement tech for ships, you will own the seas, especially if navigation 2 is open with navigation 1 and does not require flanking.

 

[ori]

I think the navigation promotion is leagues better than the other two. With circumnavigation and the +1 movement tech for ships, you will own the seas, especially if navigation 2 is open with navigation 1 and does not require flanking.

Actually Navigation 2 needs Navigation 1 AND Flanking 1 (Flanking 1 is a prereq for both).

 

[Blaarg]

Actually Navigation 2 needs Navigation 1 AND Flanking 1 (Flanking 1 is a prereq for both).

lame

 

[Infantry#14]

take combat 1. After the drydock, you can combat 2. Since carthage is charistmatic, you can get up to combat 3. Build a westpoint (or vassalage and theorarcy) then you can get blitz battleship.

 

[Blaarg]

take combat 1. After the drydock, you can combat 2. Since carthage is charistmatic, you can get up to combat 3. Build a westpoint (or vassalage and theorarcy) then you can get blitz battleship.

Now there's an idea.

 

[Seras]

Interesting to note that the events thread's quest requirements doesn't match my in game quest requirements either...

quest requirements are based on map size

 

[Blaarg]

quest requirements are based on map size

But I was on the standard map size, and the thread made no mention of caravels what-so-ever.

Anyway, the thread's creator said he fixed it, see the first post in this thread.

 

[Elandal]

Nav2 didn't require Flanking1 early on, but was fixed in some warlords patch to take out some of the Viking power (free Nav1 with Trading Post [lighthouse replacement] + 1 promotion = double speed trireme).

 

[Robovski]

But I was on the standard map size, and the thread made no mention of caravels what-so-ever.

Anyway, the thread's creator said he fixed it, see the first post in this thread.

It wouldn't mention them if you had built enough of them already.

 

[ori]

It wouldn't mention them if you had built enough of them already.

No what he was talking about was that my Random events list did not mention the Caravels - because I lost them when copying the text into this forum. Actually there also was a mistake in all quests because I accidentally used 6 instead of the correct 7 as the default number of players on a standard sized map.
Both have been corrected.

 

[jkp1187]

I was playing as the Carthaginians in a Big & Small map game, where I ended up starting on an island, and with lots of nasty types (Shaka, Monty, Cathy, among others.) The COmbat I promotion from Harbormaster saved me when Shaka (who had been 'pleased' with me) and Cathy teamed up and decided to declare war, showing up with more destroyers and transports than I had ships in my fleet. With no time to switch from peace to war, I just started buying ships outright (I was rolling in cash) -- and Combat I gave them a chance to sink a few of the enemy ships before they reached my territory.


That said, it depends on the map and your civ. If I anticipated peace, definitely the +1 gold. Navigation 1 is nice, too, especially if you missed out on circumnavigation and are running an aggressive civ that already comes with the Combat I promotion. But between the two, my thought is: navigation gets you to the battle, combat I helps you win it.


Of course -- it also depends on the map. In the case above, I was entirely dependent on sea power....only had room for 5-6 cities (standard map) on my home island, and the rest of my cities were scattered about on an archipelago. If you're primarily a land power, I'd really be tempted by the +1 gold....

 

[weimingshi]

It would be foolish to take the +1 gold. During middle or late game you won't miss much the +1 gold from harbour. But get a combat 1 free promo for you ships is invaluable. Sea battle is unlike ground battle, where you have all those defensive bonuses to play around. The only defensive bonus on water tiles is 10% on COSTAL tiles. And gaining exp with naval units is a pain too. you need that combat 1 to get an edge in naval battles. Navigation 1 sounds nice, but is not that good in practice. The sea travel and land travel in civ4 is totally disporpotionated. Only pre combustion ships need boost to navigation speed, after combustion, the +1 movement sure is nice, but doesn't make that much a diff.

Of course if the games you play is a super peaceful game, where virtually no one declares war upon you ever, then +1 gold is the way to go. Otherwise even is you don't anticipate any wars, it is better to be prepared for one eventually by choosing combat 1.

 

[KMadCandy]

Looks like I'm going for a domination victory.

if you intend to achieve domination by using in part peaceful REXg rather than "beat-em-up" methods, nav1 can be awesome. as joao it works out so well for me!

That said, it depends on the map and your civ. If I anticipated peace, definitely the +1 gold. Navigation 1 is nice, too, especially if you missed out on circumnavigation and are running an aggressive civ that already comes with the Combat I promotion. But between the two, my thought is: navigation gets you to the battle, combat I helps you win it.

you make great points. one nitpick: aggressive doesn't give free combat 1 to ships.

 

[Cookie Crumbs]

Actually Navigation 2 needs Navigation 1 AND Flanking 1 (Flanking 1 is a prereq for both).

I think this was done because in Warlords Ragnar had access to Navigation II naval units at level 2 with his UB.

Still, Navigation II at level 3 isn't bad.

 

[jkp1187]

i
you make great points. one nitpick: aggressive doesn't give free combat 1 to ships.

Oops. You're right!

 

[THARN]

I thought I completed this quest long ago in my game after I built 7 harbors- but no mention that i succeeded- about 800 years later the sumerians were noted as completing this quest- I thought "what the hell?"
then I came here to see why I didnt get it- When I was asked to do this I swear it said to only build 7 harbors. there was no mention of the 4 caravels at all..

I built 2 caravels just so i could circumnavigate- I would have completed this long ago.. sighs...

 

[skallben]

If you got good mobility with your navy, get Navigation+Circumnavigation if you are going into modern warfare. Having a huge stack of Carriers and later on Missile Cruisers, moving with great speed across the map, is an awesome mobile tool of power.

I have this in my current game and any Civ messing with me gets their airforce eradicated, improvements destroyed and my ground forces get some serious air support. Especially on the coastlines since I can empty whole garrisons with help from cruise missiles. Paratroopers/Marines makes send the rest of the opposing forces into boxes and send them back to their makers.

Since BtS it is alot more difficult mobilize huge airforces due to the limits in cities. Airports and forts help but that is complicated once you leave your homelands and capture new territory. This is why carriers are such a effective weapon IMO. I even build a load of Fighters/Jet Fighters in my West Point/Instructor city to increasy my Air Superiority.

Ofc, this might be less viable on Pangea , I play on Terra maps for the record.

 

[Polycrates]

It would be foolish to take the +1 gold. During middle or late game you won't miss much the +1 gold from harbour. But get a combat 1 free promo for you ships is invaluable. Sea battle is unlike ground battle, where you have all those defensive bonuses to play around. The only defensive bonus on water tiles is 10% on COSTAL tiles. And gaining exp with naval units is a pain too. you need that combat 1 to get an edge in naval battles. Navigation 1 sounds nice, but is not that good in practice. The sea travel and land travel in civ4 is totally disporpotionated. Only pre combustion ships need boost to navigation speed, after combustion, the +1 movement sure is nice, but doesn't make that much a diff.

Of course if the games you play is a super peaceful game, where virtually no one declares war upon you ever, then +1 gold is the way to go. Otherwise even is you don't anticipate any wars, it is better to be prepared for one eventually by choosing combat 1.

I totally concur! I would also note that since you're Charismatic, a drydocks will give your ships two promos on birth, and Theo+Vassalage will give them a third. If you pick Combat I, you can seriously dominate the seas with that kind of combat advantage, since it isn't offest by any significant defensive advantages at sea.