Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Aabraxan]

Why does the game say "Hit the spacebar"?

It's a turn-based game. Hitting the spacebar at the end of your turn (when the button in the lower right corner flashes) tells the game that you're done with your turn.

What are the "turns" it is taking?

It's a turn-based game, as opposed to simultaneous action, or real-time strategy.

What exactly do the warrior and worker do? Can they do the same things or only specific things each?

Each one does specific things. The warrior fights wars, explores and does MP (military police) duty under certain governments, keeping people content. The worker improves terrain, builds mines and roads, irrigates, etc.

 

[vmxa]

Note that in preferences you have to check wait at end of turn or you wil not get the opportunity to hit the space bar.

 

[Mirc]

Aabraxan is right, but here is a more detailed answer at questions 3 and 4, just to complete what he said:

The warrior is a military unit, meaning it has the same abilities as most other military units (spearmen, archers, musketmen, cavalries, knights, marines, modern armours, etc.).
The worker is non-combat unit, different to all other units in the game. It is the only unit that can improve terrain tiles. It can Irrigate a tile or Mine it (a tile can never be both Irrigated and Mined), it can Road a tile, and it can build various (not very necessary) terrain buildings, like Fortresses, Colonies, Barricades, Airfields, etc. . The Worker costs 1 population from the city it was built in, and I recommend having at least 1 worker per city. The Worker and the Warrior have nothing in common. The Warrior is just the first from the combat units that you can build throughout the game.

For such basic questions, I recommend reading the Civilopedia.

 

[Tony Furze]

OK Im used to the turn-based idea, but why are my units moved? When I have nt "ordered " the movement?

And where would I read Civilopedia?

Sorry to be such a pain.

 

[vmxa]

The Pedia has an icon on top left of your game. Unit may have been given a goto command or were created in a way point town.

 

[Tony Furze]

Thanks vmxa.

Now I ve just been playing for 1 hour (school tomorrow). So... my Rome game is still there. How do you delete?

I was again Babylon; It went well for a few turns. Got the worker to find silk, build a road to Babylon. Then spearmen started being created like nobody's business.
I must ve had 1 worker, 15 spearmen and a warrior by the end.

Then the aggravating Treasury message. I managed to found a colony too.

Theres just not enough easily available help in-game.

 

[psweetman1590]

Well, the best advice I can give is:

start a new game
before doing ANYTHING hit ctrl P. This will bring up the game preferences screen.
Find the option for tutorial mode. Turn it on

The game will now give you lessons on what to do, and why you do them. This will give you a basic overview of the game. Naturally it can't/won't tell you everything, but it will give you enough to allow you to make sense of most of it, and you will be able to ask more specific questions later.

 

[Abegweit]

Civ comes with a tutorial and a manual. For such basic questions, I think that they would be better than the Civlopedia. I recommend the tutorial.

Edit cross-post. That happens a lot on new pages.

 

[vmxa]

Thanks vmxa.

Now I ve just been playing for 1 hour (school tomorrow). So... my Rome game is still there. How do you delete?

I was again Babylon; It went well for a few turns. Got the worker to find silk, build a road to Babylon. Then spearmen started being created like nobody's business.
I must ve had 1 worker, 15 spearmen and a warrior by the end.

Then the aggravating Treasury message. I managed to found a colony too.

Theres just not enough easily available help in-game.

You can find the files in the save folder via the explorer and use it to delete any you want.

Get CivAssist II from the utilities section and use it. The file function will let you delete files as well.

The issue of how to run an empire is very complex. If the tutorial does not do the job, start your own thread and post the start and a log of what you have done each turn for 40 tuirns for others to review.

 

[Tony Furze]

Thanks a lot. I ll try out all your suggestions. Best wishes.

 

[Mirc]

By the way, never build 15 Spearmen, they are defensive units, 15 is way too much for the beginning of the game. I generally never get to build 15 Spearmen, because late in game I either build offenses or other (more developed) defenses.

 

[Tony Furze]

Its not a matter of building,Mirc, they just start multiplying by themselves!Must be something to do with the Governor.

 

[Mirc]

Really? And you cannot change what a city is building?

 

[Padma]

They cannot multiply by themselves. You (or more accurately, your governor) must be building them.

Never trust the governors, or automated workers, to do what they should. Keep manual control over your cities' build queues, and over all your workers.

 

[EMan]

Control-P........And check what options you have checked.

Something in there about building the same unit......and also ask for build orders.

 

[Tony Furze]

Mirc and Padma: yes, I ve done something somewhere. I think I did look in the options.

EMan:I ll check it carefully.

Thanks.

 

[Ansar]

I always have to turn on the grid when I begin a new game or load a save.

Is there a way that the game begins with the grid on?

 

[Abegweit]

AFAIK, you can't even do it in Civ4. You would think they'd have gotten it right by now.

 

[gmaharriet]

Control-P........And check what options you have checked.

Something in there about building the same unit......and also ask for build orders.

@Tony Furze - I leave the pref for "always build the last unit" to ON, but I also have "pause to ask for build orders" On. When the game asks if you want to build another xxxxx, I always open the menu to see what's available and select what I really want.

This is particularly helpful to a person new at playing the game. At first you just won't be really aware of things like discovering Iron Working will now allow you to build Spears, or Replaceable Parts will allow Infantry. Opening that build queue will show you that there is indeed a new unit or improvement available. I rarely take the suggestion offered by the Governor.

The learning curve on this game is enormous and steep. Any little help you can get for remembering what's possible can be a big help to you. It was (and still is) for me.

 

[EMan]

I always have to turn on the grid when I begin a new game or load a save.

Is there a way that the game begins with the grid on?

Yes, but starting with the 2nd game. (Viz. You have to turn it on in the first game......then, for subsequent games, in the SAME session, the grid will stay on.)

This is probably NOT the answer you were looking for!?

(But when you play a lot of 5-turn-or-less games, it actually comes into play. )

P.s. Is it okay to post without an "Avatar by Mistfit" signature?....WOW!!....3-in-a-row.....Well done Mistfit!