Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Merovech]

My best fun with civ4 came first when I was learning the game, then later when I was learning FFH. I enjoy min-maxing and microplanning and getting four cities with six workers and 20 improved tiles by turn 60, or beating the AIs back on Deity*, but not nearly as much as I did when I was learning as I played. I haven't finished a single-player game in over two years not only because I am somewhat time constrained.




*Technically, because I haven't played a SP game in so long, I have never won nor even finished a Deity game, but I am a lot better than I was a year ago, and I was competitive on Immortal back then.

 

[Luthor_Saxburg]

Question: how long is the minimal time for war with the AI?

If you enter a war with AI, for how many turns will the AI not allow to discuss peace (by not allowing negotiations)?

 

[Manco Capac]

Depends of many factors. But something you need to know: if the AI is the DoWer, it'll take twice the in average (given it's partially a random process) than if you are the DoWer.

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

Is that by definition so, or just a result of the factors that lead the AI to DoW in the first place?

What I mean is, does the act of declaring activate some program code that prevents them from talking or are they just less likely to want to talk if they have a high power rating, are annoyed and meet the other criteria that leads them to declare in the first place? Is it a causal relationship?

 

[Carwyn]

To the best of my understanding, if the AI declares war, they are constrained by the code not to talk to you for at least 10 turns minimum. Other factors count after those 10 turns.

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

And that isn't true if you declare on them? I didn't know that.

 

[bcool]

The time they won't talk is affected by your war success ratio with them. So if you win more battles then they do, then they will be more likely to talk earlier. (And other factors like power rating I believe)

If they declare on you, the time they are willing to talk isn't a minimum of 10 turns, it is just twice the usual length. Some AI are willing to talk earlier than others. It is part of their personality.

 

[Carwyn]

Probably I shouldn't try to answer questions when I first wake up in the morning... hehe

 

[Pangaea]

I've heard that when you check what an AI leader says, it can sometimes reveal his most advanced units, like "Fear my Axemen!"

Either that isn't quite true, or it isn't true during war-time, or Napoleon is for whatever reason lying through his teeth.

Spoiler :

he was miles and miles away from artillery at the time. Tbh, I thought this was during peace time, but when checking the screenshots post-game I remember there was a faux, "diplo points war" going on.

 

[Manco Capac]

That's because it's not the usual brag function, but some dialog implemented to represent Nappy. They were artilleries in his time.

 

[Pangaea]

Ah okay. So this is just for Napoleon then, or can each of the AIs "lie" like this?

 

[Manco Capac]

Ah okay. So this is just for Napoleon then, or can each of the AIs "lie" like this?

Yeah, likely just Napoleon. It's just fixed text associated with the leader. Just like J.Ceasar saying "Do you want some caesar salad?"

For a complete review on AI bragging function, go here.

 

[damerell]

Ah okay. So this is just for Napoleon then, or can each of the AIs "lie" like this?

He's not lying; he's talking about artillery in general, not Artillery the named Civ IV unit. The capital/no-capital distinction isn't always respected, but...

 

[Pangaea]

Thanks. Wondered if more AIs did that, but I guess not. Thought he meant the Civ Artillery though, and not a more general saying.

 

[Kallikrates]

several quick questions:
- I wanted to play a map of the earth (Warlords), but there is only a huge Earth 18 Scenario. Is there a smaller earth map with only about 7 civs that can be played on normal speed? what is the preferred playing speed for huge maps (I only played standard size/standard speed so far)?

- What does the "Terra" script imply (I tried it, because I though it was a map of our earth) Everybody crammed on one continent and a separate "New World" with 5+ Barb Cities? (That's how it turned out, didn't like it much, although I was playing the Romans and domination win was not all that difficult)

 

[TheMulattoMaker]

several quick questions:
- I wanted to play a map of the earth (Warlords), but there is only a huge Earth 18 Scenario. Is there a smaller earth map with only about 7 civs that can be played on normal speed? what is the preferred playing speed for huge maps (I only played standard size/standard speed so far)?

I don't happen to know of any (never looked) but check out the maps forum. I can almost guarantee you'll find something like that.

As far as preferred speed, I played Normal the first two years I had the game, then tried Marathon once and never looked back. Just feels more real to me regardless of map. Can't speak for anybody else though.

Spoiler silliness :

MARATHON

NEVER

NOT EVEN ONCE​

- What does the "Terra" script imply (I tried it, because I though it was a map of our earth) Everybody crammed on one continent and a separate "New World" with 5+ Barb Cities? (That's how it turned out, didn't like it much, although I was playing the Romans and domination win was not all that difficult)

That's pretty close. Terra puts all starting civs on an "Old World" continent simliar to Eurasia/Africa, with a "New World" continent somewhere out there with nobody on it. If you're playing with barbs on, that landmass will be filled with them by the time anybody gets there. (Exploit: Play as Portugal, beeline Optics, fill your carracks with an army of Mace/Trebs, roflstomp, own the Americas the rest of the game.)

There's also a script called Earth2 which is like Terra except the landmasses are much closer to Earth's. For example, you can make out Britain and Australia instead of the Eurasia landmass being just a large unrecognizable continent.

 

[aggri1]

I've a quick question.

I'm playing against 18 other civs, but all civs are in teams of 2. (Was a multiplayer game until the other dude left). The important thing is that I have an ally who's an AI.

Now I've (we've) just researched a technology which allows me (us) to build a wonder. The problem is that before I can even open a city screen to start production, my frikken AI 'teammate' has started building it, and it looks to me as though once he's started on it, I can't select it any more as a build item in my city.

He's now building three wonders which I want to build - not only will he take more than twice as long as my cities would (and hence risk someone else building it), I want the GPP and culture.

Is there a way to tell him (or force him some other way) to stop building the wonder, so that I can instead?

At this stage, I'm about to declare war on a strong neighbour - a neighbour who borders my 'teammate' much more than me. I hope that this neighbour can cause enough damage to my 'teammate' to force him to switch to building units. But this strategy seems a little self-destructive...

Any ideas?

 

[Manco Capac]

^
The big question is which wonder is it?
And it's a relevant question I assure you. Some wonder benefits are shared.

Why the culture? Culture victory?

You can't force the AI into decided builds other than himself. In team, there is even a bug you can't even ask your teammate to change civics.

Yes, provoking wars can force the AI to build units if the enemy units are located within the wonder builder city. And also, if the wonder is going to be completed in 3 turns because there's a check in the code that any build with 3 remaining turns won't be cancelled in any situation!

 

[aggri1]

^
The big question is which wonder is it?
And it's a relevant question I assure you. Some wonder benefits are shared.

Hi, yes, no doubt. The wonders in question were from Radio and Mass Media: i.e. Eiffel, Christo and Hollywood.

I do have in mind to keep the cultural victory open, as I have three leading candidate cities, and with all three of Sushi, Creative, and Jewellers corporations, am getting bucket loads of culture.

The benefits would be shared since I could easily ask for Hit Singles or whatever from my teammate, but I'm playing this for the fun and not really just to win.

Anyway, thanks for your response. I'll try to make sure that my neighbour marches through before there are only 3 turns left!

 

[nfw]

You can gift him great engineers and he'll rush those wonders.