My google-fu has failed, Q's inside-

[Darkphoenix]

I have just now decided to try out FFH again, having gotten a touch bored with other stuff, and doing beta bug reports on other games has fried my brain.


So, I have Warlords - is there a FFH version for Warlords?

It appears to go Vanilla -> BtS, but I'd thought I should just ask to make sure.

I am assuming I will have to make do with the first FFH, but is there a manual/guide for that one out there? I assume the manual stickied above is for the BTS version only - unless there isn't that much difference between the two?


Any tips for stuff I should read/do, would be more than welcome. Thanks.

 

[FireBlaze]

I don't think there's a Warlords version. And I would just suggest buying BTS/Torrenting it, because you are really missing out on so much stuff from Vanilla to BTS FFH. Especially the modmods.

 

[readercolin]

FFH was moved from vanilla to BTS around .24. Since then, there have been a great many updates and changes (it is now in .41), and ALOT has changed in the game. I would highly recommend spending $20 for the steam version of BTS, or waiting for a sale on it, simply because FFH is so good. I do not know of anything around that talks about the vanilla version though, so I can't help you there.

-Colin

 

[Morkonan]

...Any tips for stuff I should read/do, would be more than welcome. Thanks.

Well, after being an avid Vanilla Civ FFH2 player, I can say go out and buy BTS, install it, patch it and then download the FFH2 version for BTS and the latest FFH2 patch.

As far as vanilla FFH2 goes, I'm not sure there's a pdf guide for that is still around. I probably have it on disk though if there was one.

There are differences. But, the Civolopedia for FFH2(Vanilla) should be enough. I used to use the old wiki a lot but, I don't know what condition it is in.

I'd suggest reading the FFH2 Civolopedia if you can't find anything else for vanilla. I'll see what I have on disk but, because it is not my work I can't really redistribute it without the authors' approval unless it is expressly given. .. will check on that. Most of what I remember is that the included Civolopedia is decent enough to get your through the learning stages of FFH2 Vanilla.

But, go out and buy BTS.. really. It adds a lot of life to the game and there are some major differences that are true improvements over the Vanilla version.

(PS - I'm not suggesting you would but, had to say - Don't torrent this as was suggested above. Civ is an awesome game and BTS is a good inclusion because it allows you to play FFH2-BTS. The developers deserve fair pay for honest work.)

 

[FireBlaze]

(PS - I'm not suggesting you would but, had to say - Don't torrent this as was suggested above. Civ is an awesome game and BTS is a good inclusion because it allows you to play FFH2-BTS. The developers deserve fair pay for honest work.)

I had assumed that he hadn't already bought it due to a lack of funds. But if you have 20$ to spare, by all means go and actually buy it.

 

[Angel-Julia]

yeah, this version of ffh2 is much better. actually FFH2 is the ONLY reason i baught BTS. i have only played half a game of BTS in my life.

seriously Kael should get a commision on BTS sales.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

FfH2 0.23c is the last version for Vanilla Civ IV. Version 0.24 was a rather unstable and incomplete conversion to BtS, and 0.25 a somewhat better conversion with a couple of minor new features. (I forget if 0.26 existed, but if so it was very much like 0.25.) The first version really designed for BtS was 0.30, the start of Phase Shadow.


There are some things that got cut from older versions that I liked and wish never went away. The ability to target specific tiles or units for spells is something I was quite sad to see go, although seeing how the python code for that was rather slow, often unstable, and impossible to teach the AI I can understand why it was not carried over to BtS versions.

 

[Darkphoenix]

Yes, lack of funds currently is the reason why I haven't just gone out and bought it.

Back when I DID have the funds for it, being a young and naive high-schooler whose wallet actually carried some weight, I only played Total Realism, which never updated to BTS.


I mean, once I get some money, yeah I'll upgrade to BTS, but in the meantime, I was just checking to make sure I had all the available info for the most current version I can play.


It's been fun so far, I have decided to name all my scouts after my Nethack characters, since they both seem to have the same survival rate...

(So thank you for the replies.)

 

[wilboman]

Dunno where you are in the world (I'm guessing the US for the High School reference), but Play.com in the UK is selling it for £2.99 (that's about $5) with free delivery. I'm sure there must be similar prices some places in the US.

 

[Darkphoenix]

Thanks for the tip, and yeah, I am in US.

I can probably find it eventually, but the money situation is *dire* so yeah.

Anyways, I noticed that the version I was playing seemed to lack a LOT of what was in the manual, and then I noticed the version number was 16!

So I upgraded to 0.23, and there's an armageddon counter, mana count on the right hand side, a huge improvement overall.

I am currently discovering what it is like to have the Infernals pop up right in the middle of my empire. (MY FORESTS! QUICK TRAIN ADEPTS WITH SPRING!! )

My Hero units (Playing Gilgo..Gilo... whatever, the ones with adventurer units. Cassiel is the leader) can't take on the giant demon thing just yet, even with Dragon Slayers + bronze/iron weapons. (Not sure why, but it looks like some aren't getting iron... hmmm)

I have TWO units that have a 40% chance to beat him, but if one loses, then I have lost everything. I have to build another 20 Slayers/Longbows in order to have enough bodies to throw at the guy assuming I sacrifice all my heroes in the first attack.

I am having a LOT of fun, there's so many different things, the magic adds a great element. Currently training for Mages so I can hopefully batter down his defences... Tired of playing fireman...

 

[FireBlaze]

Dang, .16? That's a pretty damn old version

 

[Tasunke]

Use a couple of Fodder Units to weaken Hyborem, and chances for winning should go up significantly. Don't use one of your best DragonSlayers until they both have at least a 75% chance, and even then I would personally wait for something better than 80 or 90% odds.
I would sacrifice up to 5-10 "fodder" dragonslayers to weaken up the defenders, and then kill two with your elite SLayers, and then try to mop up with the rest (or retreat). Also, before doing this, temporarily "Sanctify" the land Hyborem is standing on, so he doesn't get the 10% Hell Terrain strength bonus native to all demons.

 

[Darkphoenix]

Dang, .16? That's a pretty damn old version

The Armageddon counter wasn't even in yet...


So, a few more questions:

At first, I noticed the Foalies (the purple centaur race, can never remember how to spell their whole name, starts with a K) had a bunch of cities with :set: at the end, and I thought it was just a localisation bug. But then browsing through here, I noticed some players mentioning "Settlements" vs "Cities". What's up with that?


In my version of the game (0.24 or whatever, last vanilla version), I cannot seem to play as the Sidar. Yet they are in the game... Taunting me.


Oh, and I thought I'd share this little note to self:

NOTE TO SELF: Playing on Marathon mode with Rampant Barbarians on a Huge Pangea map breaks the game. It's hilarious watching every other civ drop like flies because they didn't spawn in isolated areas, and roaming deathstacks of doom are just pwning them...

 

[Emptiness]

At first, I noticed the Foalies (the purple centaur race, can never remember how to spell their whole name, starts with a K) had a bunch of cities with :set: at the end, and I thought it was just a localisation bug. But then browsing through here, I noticed some players mentioning "Settlements" vs "Cities". What's up with that?

The Kuriotates can only have a limited number of real cities, but their cities can work a third ring of tiles. They can found other cities, but those cities are called Settlements and cannot build anything or grow beyond size one. They allow the Kuriotates to claim resources and control territory beyond the area of their Cities.

 

[Darkphoenix]

Okay, interesting. I was wondering about the note in the manual about only being able to have a few cities, but I figured it just wasn't in my older version.


Alright, another Q: I am playing a Calabrim, and AV is my religion. Should I be concerned about that hideous blackened earth spreading through my lands as a result of the Hyborem coming into the world?

What advantages/disavantages does it bring? I tried to see if there was any difference between the land before and after, but didn't notice any food/hammer/commerce differences.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

There is no such civ as the Calabrim. The closest to that is the Calabim, which is Hebrew for "dogs."

Hell terrain has the same yields, but it cannot spread irrigation to your farms iirc. Features (Floodplains, Forests, New Forests, Ancient Forests, Jungles, and Scrub) on tiles that become Hell disappear and don't come back. Buring Sands (hell's deserts) random generate the Flames feature form time to time, which is impassible by units without fire resistance. Also, its spread changes the resources on the tiles, getting rid of those that boost health and creating a couple that boost military units instead. The Calabim generally do not want hell to spread to their lands. The spread of hell can be turned back with the Life I spell (Sanctify), or can slowly retreat on its own when the AC is low enough.


The Armageddon counter is probably a bigger problem than hell terrain itself. It triggers several harmful events. Blight damages living units and causes mass unhealthiness. The 4 Housemen and the Avatar of Wrath are dangerous barbarian heroes.

 

[Darkphoenix]

Huh.

So is that supposed to be an inside joke? Referring to the vampire race as.. dogs?


Anyways, how do I build the holy city wonder for Ashen Veil? I have a prophet in my Holy City, yet it doesn't appear?

 

[Emptiness]

It can be built by a Great Prophet or a Great Sage. If the option to build it does not exist then make sure that the city is actually the Holy City and that the wonder has not already been built there.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

A several civs in Erebus have Hebrew names.


Malakim is Hebrew for Kings, or possibly Angels as the two words have the same consonants and the vowel points were added in Hebre much latter.


Elohim means "mighty ones" or possibly "The Almighty One." It is the first name for God in the bible.


Grigori are the Watchers, a group of angels who in Jewish folk lore fell in order to take mortal wives.

Sheaim is a typo of Shedim, which means (evil) spirits.


I forget what Balseraph means, but it is clearly related to the Seraphim, the "burning ones," a high ranking class on angelic beings.


Oh, by the way, the term "dog" (Calab) in Hebrew is also a euphemism for a male prostitute, especially one penetrated by another male in certain pagan religious rites.

 

[Nor'easter]

The 4 Housemen and the Avatar of Wrath are dangerous barbarian heroes.

The 4 Housemen? Sounds interesting, are these something new in your modmod?