Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[JaeKayLMNOP]

Is there any reason to build multiple sources of power in a city? For example, if I have a Coal Plant and a Nuclear Plant in a city, as well as the Three Gorges Dam World Wonder, do I get more of a production bonus than if I just had a Coal Plant?

Also, can someone explain Nuclear Meltdowns to me more in depth? When do they happen, and what happens?

 

[frankcor]

Is there any reason to build multiple sources of power in a city? For example, if I have a Coal Plant and a Nuclear Plant in a city, as well as the Three Gorges Dam World Wonder, do I get more of a production bonus than if I just had a Coal Plant?

I'm not certain but I don't think there's any bonus for multiple power sources in a city. I like the Three Gorges Dam but it's annoying for the AI to suggest construction of other power plants in my cities after it's been built.

Also, can someone explain Nuclear Meltdowns to me more in depth? When do they happen, and what happens?

This one I know from experience -- if you build a nuclear power plant in a city, there's a small chance it will have an accident, resulting in fallout to neighboring tiles. Any existing improvements--other than roads--in those tiles are destroyed and they become unworkable; they glow in the dark. With the Ecology technology, your workers can scrub the fallout, then re-improve them.

I build nuke plants anywhere I need power and can't build a hydro plant so I end up using them a lot. I've only had one meltdown so far. I prefer that to the guaranteed health penalties of coal plants.

 

[scienide09]

I installed a mod to log events and comments for use in posting results of Succession games (eotinb's autologger mod). How do I get it to stop running every time I start up Civ4?

I would suggest deleting the content of the Mods folder as well. Also, Mods should not be loading on startup unless you've changed something in the civilization4.ini file. Or try a clean install of the game.
Finally, you could try asking someone in the thread where the mod was originally posted.

I'm not certain but I don't think there's any bonus for multiple power sources in a city. I like the Three Gorges Dam but it's annoying for the AI to suggest construction of other power plants in my cities after it's been built.

Power plants do not stack, you're right about that. However, building a second plant replaces an earlier one -- meaning that you still get power, but some of the faces will go away, if the second power source is cleaner than the first.
Not a huge benefit, but helpful if you're looking to make your city healthy.

 

[Unk]

I apologize if this is answered somewhere else. I did seveal searches and browsed several pages.

I was in a standard single player game last night, and in a couple of my cities, I could not get the population to grow. One city seemed stuck at 11, the other at 7 (can't remember the #s exactly)

I had more food than was needed. And the food bar kept saying Growth (1 Turn) - but the next turn, the city never grew, no matter how much food I threw at it. I waited for several turns to see what would happen, but nothing happened.

I did check to make sure each city was above the health and happiness counts. There were 2 or 3 to spare in each.

Any ideas? Is there a building or tech I am missing?

Thanks for your help in advance!

 

[Unk]

I apologize if this is answered somewhere else. I did seveal searches and browsed several pages.

I was in a standard single player game last night, and in a couple of my cities, I could not get the population to grow. One city seemed stuck at 11, the other at 7 (can't remember the #s exactly)

I had more food than was needed. And the food bar kept saying Growth (1 Turn) - but the next turn, the city never grew, no matter how much food I threw at it. I waited for several turns to see what would happen, but nothing happened.

I did check to make sure each city was above the health and happiness counts. There were 2 or 3 to spare in each.

Any ideas? Is there a building or tech I am missing?

Thanks for your help in advance!

Nevermind - I think I answered my own question. I had "Avoid Growth" turned on. I thought it just managed the workers, I did not know that it actually Prevents Growth as well. Sorry for the obtuseness.

 

[bad-aries]

Questions about cottage

1. When I build a cottage inside my country's border, do I have to have roads connect to it to get the Gold?

2. How could I make sure there are workers working in the cottage? Produce a worker and stay him in the cottage? I found that even there is no worker on top of the cottage, it will still become town eventually.

3. I have read the previous posts that the preferrable place to build cottage is in desert or somewhere without much resources. Is it true? Or should I build the cottage in somewhere rich in Gold?

Thanks. Civ4 is one of the greatest game I have ever played. And it's one of the most complicated game I have ever played.

 

[smjjames]

@ bad_aries
1: nope, roads provide no city tile bonuses, unlike Civ2 and 3.

2: the "needs to be worked in order to grow" just means that your city has to have a citizen on that tile.

3: not sure.

 

[bad-aries]

@ bad_aries
1: nope, roads provide no city tile bonuses, unlike Civ2 and 3.

2: the "needs to be worked in order to grow" just means that your city has to have a citizen on that tile.

3: not sure.

Thanks smjjames. However, how could I move citizens to the cottage? And how could I make sure citizens are working?

Thanks again.

 

[Snerk]

3. I have read the previous posts that the preferrable place to build cottage is in desert or somewhere without much resources. Is it true? Or should I build the cottage in somewhere rich in Gold?


Thanks smjjames. However, how could I move citizens to the cottage? And how could I make sure citizens are working?

Thanks again.

Cottages should not be built on desert because, well they cant. Cottages should often be built on plains or grassland tiles without a resourse and where you dont need a farm.

And regarding working tiles it sounds like you dont get some pretty basic CIV stuff. The tutorial provides a good explanation of this. Have you done that?

 

[frankcor]

Thanks smjjames. However, how could I move citizens to the cottage? And how could I make sure citizens are working?

The terms are confusing: "worker" and "citizens working"

You don't actually see the citizens smjjames was talking about. But if you open the City View screen, you can tell which tiles your citizens are working by the white circles around them. Click on a white circle and it will go away, meaning you have now created a specialist. Click on the tile again; the white circle will reappear. That's how you assign citizens to work specific tiles.

Assuming you don't have any unhappiness the maximum number of citizens you can assign to work on tiles is equal to the population of your city. Each population point not assigned to a tile is a specialist (engineer, merchant, scientist, artist or priest).

 

[mice]

How does commerce increase in my city?
Is it just population? What actions do I do to make the commerce increase in my city ??

 

[fe3333au]

Ooops ... sorry i answered as Civ3 ... removed

 

[mice]

Commerce is dependant on many variables.

The type of terrain that your city population works ... each terrain gives you shields, food and commerce ... roads and rivers add a bonus to commerce. So the greater the population gives you more options on what tiles to work in the city boundary.

Thanks fe333au. I just noticed that the number of yellow coin shapes in my city screen +1add up to the base commerce rate . I learned from your post that this base is modified by, rivers, roads, and by some wonders. Now it's clear.

 

[fe3333au]

Beware mice

... that is how it is handled in Civ3 ... I thought I was in the Civ3 section

Perhaps another person can confirm that cIV works in the same manner ... again apologies if I have caused confusion

 

[_alphaBeta_]

Is there any reason to build multiple sources of power in a city? For example, if I have a Coal Plant and a Nuclear Plant in a city, as well as the Three Gorges Dam World Wonder, do I get more of a production bonus than if I just had a Coal Plant?

Also, can someone explain Nuclear Meltdowns to me more in depth? When do they happen, and what happens?

If you have a coal plant you have power with the health penalties.
If you then build a nuclear plant, you will have power with no penalties other than the small chance of meltdown.
If you then build a hydro plant it will be used for power with no side effects.
Three Gorges Dam accomplishes the same thing as the hydro plant, just for all cities on that continent.

The power plants are applied in this order. If you lose access to uranium, your nuclear plant becomes useless, and the coal plant (if you have one) takes over.

Nuclear meltdowns should not be underestimated. I had only one happen so far, and it's enough for me to never use nuclear unless absolutely necessary. The fallout around the city is pretty irrelevant IMHO. By that time I usually have 20-30 workers sitting around, so they can scrub and rebuild in a couple turns. The problem is that nuclear meltdowns also destroy buildings in the city. I think it's random as to how many, but it crippled and wiped out the majority of buildings in my capital one game. The city never recovered by the end of the game. Even national wonders were destroyed.

 

[oagersnap]

Beware mice

... that is how it is handled in Civ3 ... I thought I was in the Civ3 section

Perhaps another person can confirm that cIV works in the same manner ... again apologies if I have caused confusion

Yes, it's the same... except shields are now hammers.

 

[frankcor]

Yes, it's the same... except shields are now hammers.

True, shields are now hammers. And roads do not increase commerce in Civ4 like they did in earlier versions.

 

[bad-aries]

Cottages should not be built on desert because, well they cant. Cottages should often be built on plains or grassland tiles without a resourse and where you dont need a farm.

And regarding working tiles it sounds like you dont get some pretty basic CIV stuff. The tutorial provides a good explanation of this. Have you done that?

Yes, I have done that. Last night I went to do it again. And it explained. Probably the first time I am confused on so many things as this is my first Civ Game ever played. And now I have re-learned the fundermental stuff and it helps a lot. Of course, now I know how the cottage workers work.

Thanks.

 

[Mind Elemental]

If I want to set up a Pitboss game for my friends and I, such that we can log in at any time to fire off our turn, would I have to leave the computer with Civ4 running the Pitboss app 24/7?

 

[MitchCJ]

My city often has resources that fall outside of the city borders but are still within the cultrual borders that workers, upon automating trade network, will build roads to. Obviously these can't be worked and I was under the impression that resources only have value if they fall with city borders and can be worked. Is this true?