Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[lymond]

@lymond @Lennier @6K Man I see. Thanks for clarifying!

Yes. Thanks @6K Man

Why is that?

And also, it wants to create a save folder in C:// but I want it in E://. Do you know how I can easily change that?

Run Steam, but otherwise run the game from the exe or shortcuts. Main reason is for mods. Oh, and make sure you are run the "original release" beta in Steam..I gave directions on that to someone else just above your original post.

As for the save folder issue that is more of an OS thing. Myself, I run programs from my larger and faster D drive and have saves point to the default C. I'm not sure how to change that.

 

[ruff_hi]

got a new rig. I want Civ IV to launch in BAT mod without starting and then loading mod. I know I've seen instructions how to do this but I don't remember. HALP PLZ!

See here ... https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/command-line-options.172014/

 

[Oblivionyx]

What's the best thing to do with Great Generals? Settle them, or attach them to units?

 

[krikav]

It depends on circumstances.
A normal approach is to attach the general to a unit and promote it to medic3. And use that unit to heal up your stack.

If you get a great general at the end of a war, settling it can be beneficial, but only if you will build alot of units from that city.

An often overlooked strategy is to attach the great general to a unit in a stack of multiple units.
Say you have 10 axemen with 3 xp each (from barracks) attaching a general to one of them will give them each 2 XP, making them all to reach cover/shock etc.

Later on, with military science, I often use my generals to build military academies. +50% unit production is way more important than xp.

 

[lymond]

What's the best thing to do with Great Generals? Settle them, or attach them to units?

In order of priority for me:


1) Super Medic - usually use a chariot or a woody warrior with some xp from barb kills

2). This is often not mentioned but a great use is to just keep with army for emergency healing of wounded units. Attatching to wounded soldiers can help win a battle. (Edit: this is basically same as the attach option mentioned by both krikav and sampsa, but saving it until points in wars that you really need the healing from the promos)

3) Can opener - super city killer

4) 2nd super medic if aggressively fighting wars

5). Military Academy available mid game for second init pump city

6) maybe settle in HE city...very rarel

Note that 1 and 2 are most used with the rest being odd cases. Need 1 medic usually so 2 is most used. (Ofc, keep in mind that 2 often begats 3)

 

[sampsa]

What's the best thing to do with Great Generals? Settle them, or attach them to units?

Settling vs attaching I favor attaching most of the time. 1st GG often attached to a single unit (chariot, scout or a warrior usually) for medic promos. 2nd and further GGs I often spread xp among several units to get 3rd promo (often CR3 for siege). It's an instant payback of 20xp (attaching) vs 2xp for every unit produced (settling)... So attaching at least pays back a lot faster. Certainly sometimes settling can be a better choice.

Later, there is also a 3rd option, military academy. I'd say it's the best option if the game is going to last to at least until tanks.

edit: damn, bronze medal for me

 

[krikav]

Settling is something I consider if I get a GGeneral at or close to the end of a war, when I know I'll fight more wars in the future.
For example, you start waring on your continent, vassal one AI and when you are in the process of finishing of another one you get great general.
Then settling him in the city can be nice, since you have alot of time to build units for an naval invasion on other continents later on.
The same is true in a lesser extent in between wars on a pangea map.

A general (heh) answer is probably that if you are i no need for beefed up units here and now, and you are likely to build a bunch of units from a city later on, settling in that city is good.

 

[Oblivionyx]

@krikav @lymond @sampsa I see. What about attaching one to a ship? I figured since naval combat is so... luck-based? having a super frigate (or something like that) wandering around might be a good thing.

 

[krikav]

I have never attached a general to a ship.

 

[sampsa]

Yeah, me neither. Maybe it makes sense on some maps, if most fights are on the sea. Boats don't capture cities though.

 

[AcaMetis]

The best use of a Great General in terms of navy is attaching one to two boats that you want to give the Navigation I and II promotions to, IMO.

 

[lymond]

AcaMetis suggestion is probably the best use of a GG on naval units - specifically, and I think he meant this, used on transport type ships. However, it must be made clear that this would be a very rare exception in which you have a watery map like Archipelago, where the speed of the those ships could help with moving units around the map - for conquering or settling.

Using a GG on a combat type ship seems tenuous at best since even with some promos, the ship is still at risk of losing battles to comparable units. It's really not going to pay dividends.

 

[AcaMetis]

Basically. You could also GG two Caravels (or Triremes before upgrading them) once you get Optics to explore the ocean faster, but there's very few situations where that's worth burning a GG on. Portugal could probably do some interesting stuff with 5 movement (6 with circumnavigation) Carracks, though.

 

[6K Man]

GG on ships are fun, but seldom a good use of the GG.

My GG wind up as:

1. Super healer
2. settled

I seldom find the payoff from the military academy to be worth it.

 

[rah]

When fighting SOD to SOD I've gotten multiple GGs on the same turn. So "wasting" one on whatever crazy theory you have isn't really an issue. I've used one on a set of transports/battleships so they can keep up with their destroyer escorts.

 

[ArchGhost]

1st goes to a super medic

2nd held for another super medic or maybe super unit (Max withdraw + lots of Combat on a Cuir or something to crack super PRO longbows) . Don't usually use them for mass promotions, though I see where it could be really useful on early units to get the hard-counter promos en masse. With later stuff like mounted wars I'd rather create another highly promoted single unit instead

3rd in the HE if the game goes late enough (and I have a good HE spot). This is usually when the game won't wrap up by about cavalry or so, and also helps a lot with punching through a PRO AI when they get Rifles if you are pumping a lotta units; a handful of better promoted ones will soften their strongest defending units easier, applying the nutcracker concept to more defenders in a city. if the city is REALLY good I'll even build West Point here after settling a couple more GGs in it.

Military academies only really come up in late games (beyond Assembly Line) for me but can be fun. Unless IMP you don't really get too many extra GGs for that though and they only really shave a turn or two max when doing something like pumping Tanks. US or Police State usually do a better job at increasing overall output.

 

[rah]

If I have a war monger as a neighbor I won't bother settling them, I'll just wait till I've taken out their stacks and then capture their cap and they'll have settled 3 GG there for me already. I've captured enemy caps that have had up to 5 settled.

 

[Oblivionyx]

Thanks everyone, this is all very informative!

 

[ruff_hi]

I like settling GGs in coastal cities with Dry Docks. Rolling out ships with 6XPs opens up lots of options.

 

[Live trash can]

Is a large force in your city likely to deter an enemy force from attacking that city and look for another city with fewer troops?
I am thinking Monarch dificulty level.