Newbie Questions - Ask here and get Answers!

[sealman]

I think Padma is right about the map think. I had one game where only I knew about a series of islands in the middle of the ocean (I called it Hawaii). I discovered it with a suicide galley (anarres: you sure that the AI does not use these?). Once the other civs could sail their safetly, no one did until I gave them my world map. Of course, I settled most of the land by then but there were some city sites left.

 

[Padma]

What I have seen matches sealman's experience.

That doesn't mean pdescobar hasn't seen what he says he has, though. I can't prove they don't act on their hidden map knowledge, just that I have never seen it.

 

[morkaphi]

Yes, I second Padma about the map thingy. AI *knows* the map and where the resources/luxs are, but is willing to pay for the map that is not physically revealed by its units. As Padma said, the AI *pretends* that it does not know the map.

Also, the AI does not use a suicide galley, and AI is not programmed to place a galley that may bear any rick of sinking. This is verified by a Firaxian, but I don't remember it was Soren or Mike B.

 

[cromagnon]

I guess I'm still a bit confused about trade routes. Even after so many months of playing, I think this is the first time I've had a trade route cut off by a barbarian galley.

It's the ancient ages, before navigation, so everyone on my continent is limited to the coasts. The Greeks are to the north of the continent, and I'm to the south, with Spain between us. Spain and I are at war, so no trade goes through land. We both have harbors, and have a coastal route set. We trade luxuries and some gold (this may be the sticking point - trading hard cash instead of gpt).

I lost most of my galleys to suicide, so I wasn't patrolling the coast. Suddenly, a barbarian galley shows up on my coast, and the next message is "we lost our supply of furs!" Sure enough Alex was mad at me, and I couldn't get any gpt turns from anyone (no one mentioned what I had done to the Greeks, though).

Spain had no navy, so I don't think she blocked my trade route. My questions:
1) Was the it barb?
2) what if a barbarian galley pops up in the fog? Would you suddenly get such a message without even knowing the cause?
3) would I not have suffered a rep hit if we had had a strict per turn deal?

 

[rr66]

I would like to know how to establish embassies with other Civs. I have been prompted on my first discovery of an other Civ (and Writing) but did not have enough gold at that time. And I can't find an explicit button anywhere to establish embassies.

Thanks much,

rr6

 

[anarres]

rr66,

In Civ3:

Double-click the little star icon to the right of the Capitols city name on the map, you will get a list of people you can make embasseys with.

In PTW:

Press 'E' to enter the espionage screen. Click on the civ, then select 'build embassey' then click the button in the bottom right to carry out the command, can't remember the name at the moment.

 

[pdescobar]

I'm pretty sure just plain "E" is the explore command in both versions. You can use SHIFT-E (the vanilla "Espionage" key) or SHIFT-CTRL-E (the vanilla "Plant Spy" key) as shortcuts to get to the Espionage screen in PTW in addition to clicking the little "E" button next to the minimap.

Also, in vanilla, you can use CTRL-E to bring up the "Establish Embassy" screen. Unfortunately, in PTW, CTRL-E does not bring you to the Espionage screen but causes your current unit to go exploring in the same manner as regular "E."

 

[hbdragon88]

Thanks - I was annoyed that I'd have to click on the pentagon symbol to plant a spy. Now I know how to do it by keyboard.

 

[rr66]

Thanks. That ends 6 months of play without embassies.

rr66

 

[Wardog]

I like to play with the Persians and the Babylons, and I noticed that I ALWAYS enter on Golden Age when I win my first battle (against another nation, not barbarians) with them.

I wonder why this happen, since both civs are not militarist.

Can anyone explain?

 

[DiamondzAndGunz]

If you happen to be using that Civs' UU (immortals for Persia, bowman for Babylon), then you will enter a golden age whenever the unit wins combat. This happens with every civ, no matter what traits.

 

[MadScot]

GA occurs when:

1. You build the combination (or single) Great Wonder that matches your civilization traits (Religous: Oracle, etc)

2. You win a battle with your Unique Unit (Persia:Immortals, Babylon:Bowmen) again another civ (barbs don't count)

3. (PTW only) You build the Internet wonder.

I suspect that your first win with those civs is always with their UU. (Since they have early UUs, which are OK/Good units) Try using a different unit, and the GA won't happen at that point.

edit: too slow

 

[Grille]

Originally posted by cromagnon

...
I think this is the first time I've had a trade route cut off by a barbarian galley.
...
It's the ancient ages, before navigation
...
My questions:
1) Was the it barb?
2) what if a barbarian galley pops up in the fog? Would you suddenly get such a message without even knowing the cause?
3) would I not have suffered a rep hit if we had had a strict per turn deal?

I'm under the impression that barb galley can block trade, not 100% sure though. But there's another point: Your trade routes are certainly restricted to coastal tiles, which could be grabbed by opponents border expansions, thus blocking trade. This one is easy to check and happens often on certain maps, at least trading w/ some *colonial* cities gets interrupted.
Regarding 3), AFAIK rep hit occurs anyway.

 

[shu2]

when there r more than 8 civs the foriegn adviser screen only shows 7 of them??? is there another way to see those civs?
i kno i can use shift d and the embassy thingy but i wanna see the little lines!

 

[pdescobar]

You can only display 8 heads at a time, 7 foreign and yours. To switch which are displayed when there are more than that, hold down shift and right-click on one of the foreign heads and you will get a menu to choose another one to replace it on the screen.

 

[general_kill]

how do you make a city?

 

[Wardog]

Thank you DiamondzAndGunz and MadScot for the replies.

 

[Shabbaman]

Originally posted by general_kill
how do you make a city?

Is this a troll? It's not really funny.
If it's real: rephrase your question please. If your question is as simple as it looks: build a settler, move it, and let it settle there. If you don't know how this works, play a tutorial.

 

[Hurricane]

Maybe he meant in the editor?

 

[Grille]

Maybe question is: what's a town/city/metro.
town becomes city when pop gets past 6.