New Video Walkthrough is Up!

[Stoney the I]

If you host Immortal Uni, doesnt that mean you saw the map in worldbuilder before starting this game?

anyway, cool you made another one, will check it out tomorrow afternoon

 

[TheMeInTeam]

If you host Immortal Uni, doesnt that mean you saw the map in worldbuilder before starting this game?

anyway, cool you made another one, will check it out tomorrow afternoon

You get to see the extent of the map I saw when creating the map...just before this game I uploaded a walkthrough on how to create a map for the forums...the map I showed was the one I played!

The link is in my guide to creation of Strategy and Tips forum games, listed under strategy articles.

 

[Verision]

It's in the leaderheadxml, but also you see lots of discussion on it in the thread titled "is there any logic to an AI DoW" over on strategy and tips...should still be on first page, possibly 2nd.

Thank you.

Spoiler :

I have another question that's an off-shoot of the last one. I don't want to divert your thread, so I'll delete this at your request.

A lot of people on these boards seem to look down on anyone who reloads their game. I'm pretty sure GOTM doesn't allow you to reload and that HOF submissions aren't accepted if the player has reloaded.
Now, I've also seen a lot of people discussing the AI variables in the xml, like you have done in this thread. To me, reading the xml seems like a much more serious form of cheating than reloading a game; you are looking behind the curtain at the wizard, so to speak.
I'm wondering what your thoughts on this are. Is reading the xml cheating, cheap or neither? Is it simply a matter of knowledge is power? Maybe it's the fact that if you play enough Civ IV you'll eventually get a feel for all of this anyway (I.E. you can read the xml and see that Leader X will declare at pleased but Leader Y will not. However, if you play enough Civ IV you'll figure that out for yourself, and therefore it's not cheating)
My first impression was to cry "foul", but then again, I'm not exactly above reloading, especially when I move up a difficulty level.

Again, I don't want to divert the focus of this thread, so I'll delete this if you think it's not an appropriate question.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

The reason that reloading is banned in XOTM and HoF, at least to my knowledge, is that it makes games less comparable and allows for ridiculous "luck manipulation".

I am firmly against the perception that XML knowledge is cheating. It's as you said ---> these are things that can be picked up via playing the game enough times. At that point, why would someone avoid important knowledge or delay their attainment of it?

In normal play, IMO reloading isn't really frowned upon unless it's "overused", which will vary by person how much qualifies.

In my case, I will save the game at major decision points, and if I lose I come back to them and try another decision...at which point I admit to myself (and the forum, if it's a forum game) that I lost and why, and the new approach I'm taking. The only other times I reload are flagrant game input errors: I click on a leader's name without a damned finger anywhere near the keyboard, and it declares war. On my DP ally (or anyone). That kind of stuff I'll reload...thank god it's yet to happen when attempting BOTM.

But just knowing the game mechanics? No way is that cheating, anymore than reading an instruction manual is cheating.

 

[Verision]

The reason that reloading is banned in XOTM and HoF, at least to my knowledge, is that it makes games less comparable and allows for ridiculous "luck manipulation".

I am firmly against the perception that XML knowledge is cheating. It's as you said ---> these are things that can be picked up via playing the game enough times. At that point, why would someone avoid important knowledge or delay their attainment of it?

In normal play, IMO reloading isn't really frowned upon unless it's "overused", which will vary by person how much qualifies.

In my case, I will save the game at major decision points, and if I lose I come back to them and try another decision...at which point I admit to myself (and the forum, if it's a forum game) that I lost and why, and the new approach I'm taking. The only other times I reload are flagrant game input errors: I click on a leader's name without a damned finger anywhere near the keyboard, and it declares war. On my DP ally (or anyone). That kind of stuff I'll reload...thank god it's yet to happen when attempting BOTM.

But just knowing the game mechanics? No way is that cheating, anymore than reading an instruction manual is cheating.

Thanks for the response. I figured that that was most likely the reason (you aren't learning anything from the xml that you couldn't eventually learn from playing the game enough). It still seems a little... unorthidox to me, especially since its the type of thing you can only do in a computer game (as opposed to a console game like Civilization Revolutions).

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Thanks for the response. I figured that that was most likely the reason (you aren't learning anything from the xml that you couldn't eventually learn from playing the game enough). It still seems a little... unorthidox to me, especially since its the type of thing you can only do in a computer game (as opposed to a console game like Civilization Revolutions).

Forums can pool information much more rapidly for console games than one could get through basic play experience as well though.

Civ IV is rare in that it provides the coding in XML. Try doing that in other computer games! But civ IV is more complex than other games too, so possibly that compensates mostly.

 

[Naokaukodem]

TheMeInTeam, would you say me why the AIs in your game did not demand to stop to trade with X?

 

[TheMeInTeam]

There were very few instances of AI to AI worst enemies. In the cases that existed, I didn't open borders/trade with the WE until that stopped being the case, hence no demands to stop trading w/ worst enemies.

Edit: Note that this is also why the tech pace was very fast and why it was harder than usual to gain a tech lead...though the best would still have done so.

 

[Thunderfall]

Good stuff, TheMeInTeam!

 

[Naokaukodem]

There were very few instances of AI to AI worst enemies. In the cases that existed, I didn't open borders/trade with the WE until that stopped being the case, hence no demands to stop trading w/ worst enemies.

Edit: Note that this is also why the tech pace was very fast and why it was harder than usual to gain a tech lead...though the best would still have done so.

Oh OK... simple as that, but efficient. You are a genius!

But, a last question, how do you do to know how the AI will or will not demand for stop trading with X? How do you check their exact mood towards other AIs, and how do you interpret it?

 

[dennisg]

@TheMeInTeam:

I've noticed in your walkthroughs that you really don't pay much attention to Esponiage...what are you opinions about Espionage in Bts? Do you think it's "broken" and should be disabled? I'm just curious about your opinion.

I haven't disabled it, but I never really pay attention to it too much (until it's too late and I'm infested with enemy spies... ) I'm really tempted to disable it, but I've always felt that it's sort of "cheating" to do so.

Thanks!

 

[Fluxx]

How much workers did you have at 1 AD?

 

[Stoney the I]

Watched it last night and it was good wallpaper while cleaning my appartment hehe. I picked up a few things as well, great vid!

You make it look so easy though...

Hope in the next one you wont go for a diplo vic

 

[TheMeInTeam]

But, a last question, how do you do to know how the AI will or will not demand for stop trading with X? How do you check their exact mood towards other AIs, and how do you interpret it?

The diplomacy screen lets you check any leader's disposition with all others.

I've noticed in your walkthroughs that you really don't pay much attention to Esponiage...what are you opinions about Espionage in Bts? Do you think it's "broken" and should be disabled? I'm just curious about your opinion.

I don't love it to death the way some do, but I like it and will use it when needed. It's good when you're big/backwards since the EP buildings all get some built-in, so you can gain rapid tech conversions using hammers. It's also gold for using civic and religion swaps to ruin AI-AI diplo when that's needed. Notice in this video I was starting to produce spies and would have build 2 galleons to carry them. The AI in question switched out of the civic on their own, but had they not I'd have helped them along .

Disabling espionage is a handicap to the human actually, UNLESS you abuse the GPP production. Because spy points turn into "generic" gpp points, it's possible to "bank" neutral GPP and then sudden generate a guaranteed engineer off 3 gpp invested in that and such.

How much workers did you have at 1 AD?

I forget. Generally 1.5 workers/city until it's clear no city is going to be working unimproved tiles if you stop producing them. I didn't build a lot after 1 AD so you can probably get a picture of it based on the end-game stats.

Hope in the next one you wont go for a diplo vic

It's a good one for this format because it saves time. The first two games were anything but peaceful, especially the 2nd. I already showcased the renaissance cannon wipeout, so possibly I'll get to doing something more modern. I'm getting better with the timing and balance of nukes against conventional units too so maybe, MAYBE I'll actually do that in the future.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I've been experimenting with binary research recently and it has really payed off at immortal. EDIT: So thanks TMIT, this was the reason I post

Although everyone went cautious when I traded my way into 4th place with aesthetics

 

[Askthepizzaguy]

I've learned more from these videos than I have from all other avenues combined.

Moar plz.