Need cheating help: beat to a Wonder

[robvollman]

I need help cheating. I poured everything into Stonehenge and was beaten by 1 turn.

I know you guys don't cheat, but to me that kind of thing is . In Civ 4 I would just use WorldBuilder if something annoyed me enough.

In Civ 5 I don't see a WorldBuilder. How can I "cheat" and get this thing built?

I went back in time, but it wouldn't let me buy it (maybe you can't buy Wonders?), and there was no way to increase production sufficiently to get it a turn faster (unless I went WAY back).

Advice? Go ahead and slam me for cheating as long as you finish with instructions on how to cheat and get Stonehenge.

Thanks!

 

[Raethwyn]

I don't have an answer for you (I wish I did since I'd love to test things out and using developer cheats is the fastest method) but this one made me laugh

 

[lissenber]

I have just the cheat for you. This may sound suicidal but simply make all of your citizen in your particular city unemployed. There is a bug in the game where when a city starves, it doesn`t kill off specialists. The city itself will start growing again once it reaches 1 population. Just make sure you assign one unemployed citizen to work a food tile. The rest of the unemployed citizen still remain and consume no food. The bug itself is buggy at sometimes, not working correctly. A buggy bug. Ironic?

Also if you want to achieve this in a legit way you can still try unemploying some of your citizen and trying not to go to a food deficit. From your post i understand that you have plenty of gold? Or atleast you think you have plenty to buy off a wonder (if they were buy-able). Try buying off maritime states instead and assigning your citizen to hammer producing tiles/unemployment.

 

[shinkicker]

The only way I know of to cheat in Civ5 is to use the Firetuner that comes with the Firaxis SDK (free download on Steam).

But really, whenever I lose out on a Wonder I look at what happened and just try to do it differently the next time.

My wonder-building city is always my highest production city, and I further fine tune it with specialists to bump the hammers even more. Secondly, I identify the Wonders I want ahead of time and try to beeline my research straight to that tech - it works better for techs further along the tree than for stuff early in the game (like Pyramids), because the AI seems to tend to just research whatever's the shortest lead time remaining. That insures that I get stuff like Chichen Itza and Forbidden Palace.

 

[QuixotesGhost]

Speaking of getting beat, I can never seem to beat the AI to Hanging Gardens on Immortal. Everytime I've tried to go for it, prioritizing math I'm beat to it by 5-10 turns around 1600 BC.

 

[Lyoncet]

Speaking of getting beat, I can never seem to beat the AI to Hanging Gardens on Immortal. Everytime I've tried to go for it, prioritizing math I'm beat to it by 5-10 turns around 1600 BC.

Wait, you tried to build Hanging Gardens? This has to be the first time I've ever heard that!

Joking aside, yes it does seem like the AI loves to beeline HG. I don't really see the value of that particular wonder, since you won't have more than a couple cities by that point, the one population would have grown in pretty quickly anyways with how easily you can usually get food in Civ 5, and the 3 happiness just isn't that good of a bonus to make up for the rest of the wonder being meh.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if different leaders actually prioritize different wonders, or prioritize wonders based on their win strategy that game.

 

[Soronery]

Speaking of getting beat, I can never seem to beat the AI to Hanging Gardens on Immortal. Everytime I've tried to go for it, prioritizing math I'm beat to it by 5-10 turns around 1600 BC.

AI goes straight for HG, don't even bother.

 

[eviltypeguy]

Wait, you tried to build Hanging Gardens? This has to be the first time I've ever heard that!

Joking aside, yes it does seem like the AI loves to beeline HG. I don't really see the value of that particular wonder, since you won't have more than a couple cities by that point, the one population would have grown in pretty quickly anyways with how easily you can usually get food in Civ 5, and the 3 happiness just isn't that good of a bonus to make up for the rest of the wonder being meh.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if different leaders actually prioritize different wonders, or prioritize wonders based on their win strategy that game.

From what I can tell digging around in the game XML files and in the database files it saves in your "My Games" folder, specific leaders don't favour specific wonders, but based on their personality traits, different leaders can favour building wonders more than others.

If you want the nitty gritty, click the spoiler button

Spoiler :

For example, in CIV5Leader_Ramesses.xml, it has a list of priority values for each "flavor" the AI uses to determine what to pursue. In Ramesses case, the XML file appears to prioritise FLAVOR_WONDER highest. And if you look at the leader trait for Ramesses, he has TRAIT_WONDER_BUILDER, so that makes sense.

Ramesses also has a WonderCompetitiveness of 9, which I suspect means he will try to aggressively build wonders before you do if he sees that you're starting to build them.

Now going further, if you dig into CIV5Buildings.xml, you'll see this for the hanging gardens:

		<Row>
			<BuildingType>BUILDING_HANGING_GARDEN</BuildingType>
			<FlavorType>FLAVOR_GROWTH</FlavorType>
			<Flavor>20</Flavor>
		</Row>
		<Row>
			<BuildingType>BUILDING_HANGING_GARDEN</BuildingType>
			<FlavorType>FLAVOR_WONDER</FlavorType>
			<Flavor>20</Flavor>
		</Row>

So if I had to guess, I'd say that leaders that favour growth or wonders are much more likely to pursue the hanging gardens.

Looking back at the leader flavor data, LEADER_ASKIA has the lowest flavor value for FLAVOR_WONDER with just 3, but has a FLAVOR_GROWTH of 5. While LEADER_WASHINGTON has a FLAVOR_WONDER of 5 and a FLAVOR_GROWTH of 3.

So if you're going to race for wonders on Deity, I'd suggest going against Askia or Washington.

Now the catch is that the AI picks FLAVOR_WONDER or FLAVOR_GROWTH based on certain conditions.

If you look at CIV5AIEconomicStrategies.xml, CIV5AIMilitaryStrategies.xml, and CIV5CitySpecializations.xml it appears that the AI assigns FLAVOR_WONDER a priority as a strategy using the following criteria:

		<Row>
	<AIEconomicStrategyType>ECONOMICAISTRATEGY_TOO_MANY_UNITS</AIEconomicStrategyType>
			<FlavorType>FLAVOR_WONDER</FlavorType>
			<Flavor>5</Flavor>
		</Row>
...

		<Row>
	<AIMilitaryStrategyType>MILITARYAISTRATEGY_AT_WAR</AIMilitaryStrategyType>
			<FlavorType>FLAVOR_WONDER</FlavorType>
			<Flavor>-10</Flavor>
		</Row>
		<Row>
	<AIMilitaryStrategyType>MILITARYAISTRATEGY_LOSING_WARS</AIMilitaryStrategyType>
			<FlavorType>FLAVOR_WONDER</FlavorType>
			<Flavor>-15</Flavor>
		</Row>
...
		<Row>
			<CitySpecializationType>CITYSPECIALIZATION_SETTLER_PUMP</CitySpecializationType>
			<FlavorType>FLAVOR_WONDER</FlavorType>
			<Flavor>-6</Flavor>
		</Row>
...

The above is just all an educated guess, but I think my understanding is sound.

 

[QuixotesGhost]

Wait, you tried to build Hanging Gardens? This has to be the first time I've ever heard that!

Joking aside, yes it does seem like the AI loves to beeline HG. I don't really see the value of that particular wonder, since you won't have more than a couple cities by that point, the one population would have grown in pretty quickly anyways with how easily you can usually get food in Civ 5, and the 3 happiness just isn't that good of a bonus to make up for the rest of the wonder being meh.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if different leaders actually prioritize different wonders, or prioritize wonders based on their win strategy that game.

Yeah - I had this crazy idea that Civ V was actually balanced for a while. That say - if you have a coastal start with lots of sea resources, then the Colossus would be a good wonder. Because it's Firaxis, right? Of course they playtest, right? Of course they make sure obviously horrible wonders didn't make it in this time around?

So yeah, I was experimenting with Rexxing and building the HG, since well, I assumed the wonder was in the game for a reason and was balanced.

 

[shinkicker]

Great Engineers are still a great foil for beating the AI to a wonder. The problem is getting one when you need it.

 

[CultureManiac]

This works for me about 95 percent of the time on Emperor.

My first build is a warrior. Then I start researching mining, pottery and calendar.
When warrior is done, build a worker, which will be done about the same time you discover calendar. Start building Stonehenge. Use the worker to make a mine somewhere, or chop a forest, but I always build a mine. In the meantime, you should have received at least one new social policy. Use that to get tradition. You will likely get your second SP during Stonehenge build. Use that for 33% wonder build under Aristocracy. If you are lucky and get a goodie hut that pops culture points, you can get Aristocracy before you even start Stonehenge.

Simple as pie

 

[Rathelon]

Or just go take the city that built Stonehenge.

 

[WeaselSlapper]

Chopping a couple forests is probably the easiest way speed up the production by a few turns. I will cost you production per turn later, but will speed up your wonder.

That being said you'll probably learn more if you learn how to play without reloading. Once I stopped using exploits like that and started focusing on learning better strategies I was able to jump up a few difficulty levels and still win easily.

 

[robvollman]

Sigh. I can't believe there isn't a way to get Stonehenge a turn faster.

I don't have an answer for you (I wish I did since I'd love to test things out and using developer cheats is the fastest method) but this one made me laugh

I just don't get how it works. Your people spend centuries working on a Wonder, and because someone on the other side of the planet finishes it first, it becomes worthless?

5 minutes faster and you have a beautiful Wonder that helps your empire flourish, 5 minutes slower and centuries of hard work gets you maybe enough spare change for a Big Mac?

If someone beats you to a Wonder within so few turns, you should both get the benefits. If it's a few more turns, maybe you get a lesser Wonder with lesser benefits, or at least some buildings in your cities of the same hammer-value.

But really, whenever I lose out on a Wonder I look at what happened and just try to do it differently the next time.

Really? You start a game, pour everything you have into a Wonder, and then you're satisfied with a few bucks? You keep playing a game where your neighbours all have the units and buildings they spent their time building, while you sit there with nothing but a few bucks to show for your opening millenia?

Or just go take the city that built Stonehenge.

That's my usual strategy, but I don't know where that is. Plus, I'd have had to spend the time building units instead of wasting my time building something that would get me a few bucks.

Chopping a couple forests is probably the easiest way speed up the production by a few turns. I will cost you production per turn later, but will speed up your wonder.

Yeah I'm playing on Marathon so I'd have to go way back to move my worker to my lone forest and chop it. That would mean having to re-explore all the land I've already explored.

That being said you'll probably learn more if you learn how to play without reloading. Once I stopped using exploits like that and started focusing on learning better strategies I was able to jump up a few difficulty levels and still win easily.

In fairness this is obviously one of my first games of Civ 5. And in fairness, missing out on an early-game Wonder by 1 turn is a rather unusual and BS situation.

The only thing you'd really "learn" is to avoid building early-game Wonders.

And I'm not really one of those guys trying to develop (or follow) a system, I just play for fun. And in this particular game I wanted Stonehenge and lost out by 1 turn.

Bring back WorldBuilder!

 

[DaveMcW]

 

[cww256]

The only way to cheat this is to use FireTuner. You have to install the SDK and edit your config.ini to get it working.

If you do all of that, you can just remove the wonder from the AI civ and instantly add it to one of your cities.

 

[robvollman]

The only way to cheat this is to use FireTuner. You have to install the SDK and edit your config.ini to get it working.

If you do all of that, you can just remove the wonder from the AI civ and instantly add it to one of your cities.

Is it free - how do I get it?

If I posted my save game file, could you please edit it for me? Just find out who is building Stonehenge and slow him down somehow?

 

[QuothTheRaven]

You could also try playing Egypt and restarting until you have marble in your capital.

 

[vendur]

You could also try playing Egypt and restarting until you have marble in your capital.

Even that has a very small chsnce of succes on the higher difficulties/more AIs.

Computer will usually pull off stonehenge before turn 35 on diety. The only possible way to match that would be to get ultra lucky in finding multiple cultural ruins, get the wonder reducing policy, get lucky and also find a population ruin, and get lucky and start next to marble, abuse the bug that lets you build on marble and have 2-3 forests nearby to chop down.

 

[Naraka]

I once had a game where I got beat out for a wonder by 1 turn.... on SEVEN DIFFERENT WONDERS....Like i'd start on Great Library, it would almost finish, then it's finished somewhere else. SO I start on another one, then that would get sniped by 1 turn, so I'd start on something else...
seven different times!


It was like... geez can't I catch a break?