Learning cost

[Vorpal+5]

I'm unable to find the learning cost in the global variables, i.e 250 gold for tier 1 colonist, 500 gold for tier 2, 750 gold for tier 3.

Can someone point me on that please?

 

[M07]

I simplified this code to show you the most important.

        int iPrice = GC.getDefineINT("EDUCATION_BASE_TUITION");
	
        iPrice *= iBestWeight - m_aiSpecialistWeights[eUnit];
	iPrice /= iBestWeight;

	return iPrice;

This is the C++ code, that permit to know the education price of a unit.
EDUCATION_BASE_TUITION is a global variable in the globalDefine.xml file (line 756). Its value is 1000 gold. In the .dll, each unit has a weight that contributing for the fluctuation of this price.
but, we can wonder this question: how do the .dll file can know the weigh of a unit?
It is in the civ4UnitInfos.xml. There are this code for the lumberjack:

<iTeacherWeight>4</iTeacherWeight>

and this code for the statesman :

<iTeacherWeight>2</iTeacherWeight>

As I showed you in c++ code:

        iPrice *= iBestWeight - m_aiSpecialistWeights[eUnit];
	iPrice /= iBestWeight;

More iTeacherWeight is high less the price will be big.
I hope I managed to explain you this system.

 

[Vorpal+5]

indeed, very clear. I always found the cost too high, basically you pay as much (except for the highest cost of unit) if you buy a colonist and have him learn in your university compared to buying directly a specialist, so something is not right here...

Just ask you the question? Do you often use the teaching feature in the course of the game, except perhaps in the very late game when you can't reach Europe? And in any case, do you build more than one university in a city? You'll never need to build a school or college elsewhere anyway, this is pointless... Because it takes too long in time and too much in money...

So in my personal mod, I did that:
a) reducing the cost to teach people
b) augment the teaching point of each building
c) have each building provide a bit of liberty bells. A school provide 1, an university 5 for example.

(c) is interesting because it means people will want to have at least one school per settlement, because you get one bell for 6 hammers. And this makes sense, to have a basic learning structure at least in a settlement. Plus we know historically that educated people are more prone to want more liberty...

I did a bit of the same with churches etc. Basic church provides for example 1 cross, so that every settlement will want to have a church, because here, we get the same problem. At most 1-2 of your settlement will have a religious building, and the rest none. This is not realistic and not interesting, gameplay wise.

 

[clearbeard]

indeed, very clear. I always found the cost too high, basically you pay as much (except for the highest cost of unit) if you buy a colonist and have him learn in your university compared to buying directly a specialist, so something is not right here...

Just ask you the question? Do you often use the teaching feature in the course of the game, except perhaps in the very late game when you can't reach Europe? And in any case, do you build more than one university in a city? You'll never need to build a school or college elsewhere anyway, this is pointless... Because it takes too long in time and too much in money...

So in my personal mod, I did that:
a) reducing the cost to teach people
b) augment the teaching point of each building
c) have each building provide a bit of liberty bells. A school provide 1, an university 5 for example.

(c) is interesting because it means people will want to have at least one school per settlement, because you get one bell for 6 hammers. And this makes sense, to have a basic learning structure at least in a settlement. Plus we know historically that educated people are more prone to want more liberty...

I did a bit of the same with churches etc. Basic church provides for example 1 cross, so that every settlement will want to have a church, because here, we get the same problem. At most 1-2 of your settlement will have a religious building, and the rest none. This is not realistic and not interesting, gameplay wise.

I'm quite new to Colonization myself, nearing the grand finale of my first game. The only units I'm finding useful to train in my universities are veteran soldiers. I move all of my food-generated free colonists to my university city (now up to 3 cities, to keep up with demand for my growing army), and spend all my gold on elder statesmen. The thing about soldiers is that, unlike other specialists, soldiers and cannons increase in cost in Europe with each one you buy.

Also, it seems the teaching time increase is tracked in each city separately, so a new university in a different city will train people faster than one you've used a lot. Still figuring out the best way to use it, but there you go.

Still don't get why sometimes my soldiers cost 450 or so, and other times 600+, when the teachers present haven't changed, but still a good deal.