Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[BavariaValkyrie]

Couple of questions for the experts:

a) Later in the game, a lot of my cities start tanking on granery stock and I get big, red "SHORTAGE" tags on my city pages. What causes this and how can I remedy it?

b) Also later in the game, I notice that many of my larger cities (pop. 22 or so) start disordering civally because of "100% - it's way too crowded". Even if I have a bazillion workers working the tiles and all the tiles in the immediate area are improved. but, say if the surrounding tiles just outside of the populated boarder (the boarder within the city limit boarder) are, say jungle - does clearing that outside layer of jungle improve this?

c) Can you automate certain workers to do one thing (like build railroads around towns) and certain other workers to do some other thing (like clear jungle or irrigate)?

Thanks!!!

Sounds exactly what I get to see!!!

As you already had all the answers, I can only thank those answering as it also answered some of my questions;

Re: "uneven" numbers: I did try to either ask a worker to join city when I realised there was an uneven number etc but I think that was a bit of a wasted exercise.

In fact, when have you guys found it helpful to use the function "worker join city" ?

Re: overpopulation: I have found it useful to create a settler and send him somewhere where I needed something important to be built and then I disband him there. Is this an "unethical" way of doing things?

Re: automate workers: Bad idea if you are sharing the continent with someone else, more often than not did I get into trouble because the buggers went into other people's territory and started digging there!!!

 

[Aabraxan]

In fact, when have you guys found it helpful to use the function "worker join city" ?

When I have all the slaves that I need to keep my empire going, I try to rejoin all of my native workers. Natives cost gold; slaves do not.

Re: overpopulation: I have found it useful to create a settler and send him somewhere where I needed something important to be built and then I disband him there. Is this an "unethical" way of doing things?

I don't think it's unethical, but it might not be the most cost efficient way of doing that. For example, if you're building a settler, it costs you 30 shields and 2 pop. Disband the settler and you only get shields back, not pop. Use a worker instead and it's 10 shields and 1 pop. Use a warrior and it's 10 shields and zero pop. Mind you, I say all this without knowing how many shields you get back out of each of the units in my examples.

 

[Abegweit]

when have you guys found it helpful to use the function "worker join city" ?

All the time. The most common use it to transfer population from one city to another. This is how your fast-growing cities can transfer pop points to those which are slow-growing.

Re: overpopulation: I have found it useful to create a settler and send him somewhere where I needed something important to be built and then I disband him there. Is this an "unethical" way of doing things?

It's certainly not exploitative.

 

[MAS]

In fact, when have you guys found it helpful to use the function "worker join city" ?

You can create workers in worker-pump cities and join them in slow growing cities (assuming their is enough food for a maxed size city, but not enough food-surplus to let them grow fast) this will speed up the development of said slow growing cities.

Re: overpopulation: I have found it useful to create a settler and send him somewhere where I needed something important to be built and then I disband him there. Is this an "unethical" way of doing things?

Mind you, I say all this without knowing how many shields you get back out of each of the units in my examples.

(EDITED)
1/4th, rounded down, so disbanding a warrior grands 2 (2.5) shields back, and a cavalry 20. This is more cost effective than building wealth and then rush-building. Wealth turns 8 shields into 1 gold (4 to 1 with "economics" ) and rushing turns 4 gold into 1 shield.

If you are a builder, or in a builder face, it may be worth it to build units in your fully developed core only to disband them in your semi-core, to speed up the development of the semi-core.

Re: automate workers: Bad idea if you are sharing the continent with someone else, more often than not did I get into trouble because the buggers went into other people's territory and started digging there!!!

Their inefficiency is a bigger worry for me than that, its just yet an other reason not to automate.

 

[EMan]

...1/5th, so disbanding a warrior grands 2 shields back.

It's actually 1/4th, rounded down. Example: Horseman disbanded gives 7 shields.

 

[Aabraxan]

Does an obsolete Great Wonder continue to generate culture?

 

[Lord Parkin]

Does an obsolete Great Wonder continue to generate culture?

Yes, I'm almost certain of that.

 

[psweetman1590]

Yes, I am completely certain of that.

Furthermore, the culture will double after 1000 years whether or not it is obsolete. The tourist attraction income will continue to increase as well.

 

[Sweetchuck]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

Yeah, I'm in a current game and I just disbanded many of my domestic workers for the many foriegn workers that I've accumulated - except for my overseas cities where I'm in need of quick improvements.

The whole empty granery thing just wigged me out, but I guess that it's just part of the growth/decline cycle once a city gets to a max level.

I've attached my last save.

As far as workers goes, I usually automate them to some degree since it's pretty cumbersome to manage so many - but I pick them off here and there (from the railroad or "grid") if I need certain micromanaging - like clearing forests around a crowded city or getting some pollution cleaned up, or building a road/railroad to a new city.

But you are correct about the workers being automatically managed. They run around in circles alot.

They'll step off of the road to make another road (which takes a turn), then step back if pollution pops up somewhere - and a dozen of them pile on the pollution where only two are needed for one turn, then they go back - so about a dozen or so turns are wasted.

I've also seen them, in step - go to a point and turn back in the same turn, a number of them - like they're taking a drink from a fountain or something - but nothing gets done on that step.

 

[GRAEMIKE]

If you havent researched iron or wheel, will you see resources if other have researched them?

Do veteran units build slower than regular units? I go for vets cuz they are tougher. I tend to put barracks in high shield yield cities, that way I can pop out an army fair quick), and use high food cities for settlers, workers, specialists.

I received a Science Great Leader very early in the game. I don't have anything important enuff to hurry production, how does he increase science output?? Do you research things faster?? If so, how much and for how long? Or does he give you extra science beakers?

Do science beakers help you research items faster?? ie: Lotsa beakers, less turns to "currency"??

Mike

 

[thetrooper]

GRAEMIKE:

1. You need the tech yourself to see the resources.

2. Veterans and regulars take exactly the same amount of shields to build.
You 'just' need barracks to build veterans.

3. Scientific GA is broken. NEVER use an SGL for that.

4. Of course.

 

[Turner]

If you havent researched iron or wheel, will you see resources if other have researched them?

No, you need to learn the techs before you see the resources associated with them.

Do veteran units build slower than regular units? I go for vets cuz they are tougher. I tend to put barracks in high shield yield cities, that way I can pop out an army fair quick), and use high food cities for settlers, workers, specialists.

All units are built at the same rate. What determines the Veteran status is having a barrack in the city the unit was built in. Cost is not a factor, aside from the cost of building the barracks.

I received a Science Great Leader very early in the game. I don't have anything important enuff to hurry production, how does he increase science output?? Do you research things faster?? If so, how much and for how long? Or does he give you extra science beakers?

The Scientific Golden Ages are broken. It's supposed to give you more beakers, but it doesn't actually work out that way. Go ahead and keep him, you can stack SGLs. However, you will not get an MGL while you have a SGL.

Do science beakers help you research items faster?? ie: Lotsa beakers, less turns to "currency"??

Mike

That's correct. Up to the minimum 4 turns per tech in the standard game. This setting is changable in the editor, and some mods/scenarios do change it.

 

[Scratcher]

^ You only can see resources if you have learned the relevant tech.

Vet unit cost the same amount of shields as regular units, only they need to have a barracks. So no, they do not build slower.

Scientific leaders do not significantly increase science output. So save the leader until you have a wonder you can rush or rush the forbidden palace.

Yes, more beakers per turn means faster reserch.

Edit: wow triple cross post

 

[thetrooper]

How's that for a quick answer?

 

[Scratcher]

In fact, three for the price of one, can't be bad, can it!!

 

[Abegweit]

In fact, three in a row,

You won the race though.

 

[thetrooper]

In fact, three for the price of one, can't be bad, can it!!

And as far as I can tell all answers are congruent.

 

[Turner]

In fact, three in a row,

You won the race though.

Not if I delete his posts.

 

[thetrooper]

Not if I delete his posts.

You're a sensible man Turner, you wouldn't do that.

I'll ask again (I think I asked when we hit 1000 posts) - how many posts before you close this and start another?

 

[Turner]

You're a sensible man Turner, you wouldn't do that.

Actually, I would. But I don't.

I'll ask again (I think I asked when we hit 1000 posts) - how many posts before you close this and start another?

I dunno. When I get around to it, I guess. You could always PM one of the other mods and ask them to close this one, and start a new one if it really bothers you.