Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[AcaMetis]

So the only difference between a project and a wonder, whether it be world or national, is whether they can be rushed? So "projects" can't be rushed by builder specialists either?

Certain Projects (that is, the space parts) can also be sabotaged by spies, but that and the inability to rush are the only differences that I know of. And yes, Great Engineers cannot rush projects either (at least they can't rush the space parts, might be able to rush Manhattan Project or Internet?).

More resources also increase the bonus gold at headquarters?

As far as I know, no. The gold income is purely based off of how many cities a corporation has been spread to.

The maintenance of a corporation is paid in the city its spread to? Or its base city? Or both? (I suppose I could test it out, but if you already know...)

Paid in the city it's spread to. This is why common wisdom is to build Courthouses in every city that you spread a corporation to, and to stack gold multipliers in the city that houses the corp's headquarters.

Maintenance cost of corporation increases with distance from capital? Is cut in half by court house? And if I spread my corporation to another nation, it uses its capital distance for maintenance cost?

No, yes, and not applicable, there's no distance involved in the maintenance costs as far as I know. A corp spread to a foreign city costs maintenance in that city, and generates gold in the HQ city.

 

[lymond]

Projects can't be rushed by GEs either. I view them as concepts rather than buildings.

 

[Orion Pax]

I believe Security Bureau protects a city's BFC, a spy will only protect the tile it's on.

Is that so? That would be nice. Would make Bureaus a little more worth it. Where is that info posted? I don't see it in Civilopedia..

 

[TruePurple]

I got a AP vote for ending the war against me. The vessel Germany voted "NEVER!" where as it's master only voted "no". Did it vote NEVER knowing that it's master wanted no? Or does it just defaults NEVER with all votes against what it's master is currently doing? Like theoretically its master could have voted yes, and Germany would have still voted NEVER?

 

[AcaMetis]

Is that so? That would be nice. Would make Bureaus a little more worth it. Where is that info posted? I don't see it in Civilopedia..

The entry for the Spy unit only says that the chance of getting caught increases with rival espionage spending, the presence of a security bureau and whether your spy has recently performed a mission against "that tile". Honestly, I'm not sure if that latter part is even correct? It's in the Civilopedia so I assume so, but I don't recall ever seeing it ingame? I'unno, I can't quote an actual ingame rule for it. It's just something that makes sense to me because how else could you defend your tiles from sabotage, just putting spies everywhere?

I got a AP vote for ending the war against me. The vessel Germany voted "NEVER!" where as it's master only voted "no". Did it vote NEVER knowing that it's master wanted no? Or does it just defaults NEVER with all votes against what it's master is currently doing? Like theoretically its master could have voted yes, and Germany would have still voted NEVER?

Masters cannot dictate what their vassals vote in AP or UN resolutions, unless it's a vote to be appointed resident/secretary general/etc. and the master is an option to vote for. In this case the vassal is forced to vote for the master (or whoever the master votes for? Not sure).

 

[Samson]

So the only difference between a project and a wonder, whether it be world or national, is whether they can be rushed? So "projects" can't be rushed by builder specialists either?

To add to what other have said, I think another difference is that projects apply to civilisations rather than cities, and cannot be captured. If you build the internet in a city and then lose the city you keep the internet.

 

[TruePurple]

So how come Germany would vote NEVER! for ending the war with me, considering how much Germany likes me? Also considering we haven't even fought once.

I am creaming my enemy, I can get them to capitulate and become a vessel and surrender one of the two cities they have left, leaving them with the worst city. I'm only a few turns away from capturing the city anyway and another few turns to wipe out that nation altogether. Does it make sense to make a deal and get the city 2-3 turns earlier? It leaves more structures in, right?

Is there a benefit for having a vassal?

 

[lymond]

So how come Germany would vote NEVER! for ending the war with me, considering how much Germany likes me? Also considering we haven't even fought once.

I'm honestly not sure on this one. I usually work around the AP timer when fighting wars where it is a factor, or possibly at the point I've taken vassals I already control the AP. Could be a random choice or based on certain factors like his attitude toward the enemy (in other words, he wants the war as much as you) and/or war success/war weariness.

I am creaming my enemy, I can get them to capitulate and become a vessel and surrender one of the two cities they have left, leaving them with the worst city. I'm only a few turns away from capturing the city anyway and another few turns to wipe out that nation altogether. Does it make sense to make a deal and get the city 2-3 turns earlier? It leaves more structures in, right?

What structures remain in a captured city is random, so I don't see waiting having much bearing on the matter. Taking on a vassal with just one city does not seem worth it other than just to end the war and move on. You can gift the vassal back some of his cities though. Culture pressure can become an issue though, possibly. At the point you are in in your war I'd probably just finish the guy off.

Is there a benefit for having a vessel?

They are very nice for ferrying troops over water If you mean vassal, there are some benefits to vassals as follows:

1) Depending on the state you leave the vassal in at capitulation, they can tech stuff for you. In the dialogue you can actually ask them to tech what you want. Leaving them with a decent number of cities helps, so as mentioned above you might gift them back some of their cities to make them functional. Gift them some economic techs they may not have as well to boost them.

2) Vassals can be meat shields in war and sometimes do some of the work for you - though this can be a bit unreliable and not easy to control. Depends a bit on the leader too and how aggressive they are in building units. In the dialogue you can ask them to attack a particular city - again can be unreliable - but they will usual send some units, while at minimum they can be a distraction for the enemy and make your war goals easier. Make sure you advance them militarily with tech and any extra resources you have that they don't like iron or horses.

In some cases, I've even gifted my vassals units especially older units so they can spend the gold to upgrade them. Though I don't necessarily recommend it, a funny approach is to cut off or trade away your metals and gift your vassal a bunch of warriors..they will upgrade. (more effective on high levels where AIs have more gold and upgrade costs are less)

3) Each vassal provides +1 to your empire.

4) Vassals count toward conquest and domination. For conquest, a vassal is a defeated foe. You may destroy some civs or vassal some civs but when all other leaders are your vassal (or dead) then you've won by conquest. Taking vassals can speed up conquest victory since you cap a leader asap and move to the next, as opposed to wasting time taking all their cities. For domination, a vassal's land counts 50% toward the land requirement for domination victory. So again, can be a quicker way to domination as long as you are aware that you need to make up the difference in captured or settled land.

...related to the above is another type of vassal...the colony. Colonies can be created from cities on overseas landmass or islands. Colonies are basically vassals that start extremely loyal and happy with you when you liberate them, and get all the tech you have at the point you release them. One benefit of overseas Colonies is basically claiming land toward domination without paying all the overseas maintenance costs.

5) Vassals always vote for you for AP/UN leader/DV resolutions, unless the off chance they are a rival for that vote, which can happen.

We use the term Diplomation to apply when when uses war as a means to secure Diplo Victory by way of vassaling most everyone.

 

[TruePurple]

How do you set up a colony/how do you liberate a separate island? I'm unfamiliar with this mechanism. Can colonies stop being vassals?/is that unusual for them to do?

Are vessels/colonies obliged to share resources?

What happens to a cities culture if it's switched over to a colony, like say if it's being pressured by the culture of a neighbor and you turn it into a colony, does it lose all its culture? Do existing culture buildings keep producing culture?

On a completely different note. I've completed a couple quests. One quest made my stables produce 1 food. Another I choose my coliseums to produce 4 culture. At first new stables and coliseums built also had these bonuses, but eventually new ones built stop giving these bonus stuff. What's the pattern here? When do new structures built not get the bonus from quests?

Will the existing stables producing food, keep doing so after stables become obsolete?

 

[AcaMetis]

How do you set up a colony/how do you liberate a separate island? I'm unfamiliar with this mechanism. Can colonies stop being vassals?/is that unusual for them to do?

There's a button for it in the, I believe, Domestic advisor? The F1 screen with your list of cities. As for liberated colonies, I'm pretty sure they count as peace vassals and can break free as one. Mind you that liberated colonies get like a +10 diplo bonus towards their master, so it'll take some serious nonsense for one to want to break free.

Are vessels/colonies obliged to share resources?

They are obligated to offer all of their resources up for trade to their master, even ones they only have one copy of. They are not obligated to give their master whatever the master asks for, and demanding too much of a vassal can cause the vassal to break free.

What happens to a cities culture if it's switched over to a colony, like say if it's being pressured by the culture of a neighbor and you turn it into a colony, does it lose all its culture? Do existing culture buildings keep producing culture?

I...am pretty sure that liberated cities will retain their culture and cultural buildings, it's just transferred over to the new civ? It'd be really garbage if their culture got reset to 0 and all cultural producing buildings destroyed.

On a completely different note. I've completed a couple quests. One quest made my stables produce 1 food. Another I choose my coliseums to produce 4 culture. At first new stables and coliseums built also had these bonuses, but eventually new ones built stop giving these bonus stuff. What's the pattern here? When do new structures built not get the bonus from quests?

Not tested this, but the only explanation I can think of that makes sense is that quests have to be completed before you reach a certain era. So when you reach that era is probably when newly constructed buildings no longer get the quest-given bonus.

Will the existing stables producing food, keep doing so after stables become obsolete?

I know CHA Monuments no longer produce +1 after they are obsoleted, so I assume the same would be true for other buildings. Whether they got their bonus from a quest or not.

 

[TruePurple]

Sometimes I really want to know if a unit will still have moves after reaching X spot. Sometimes I have the option to target a space after that spot and if it can reach that space that turn, I know it will still have movement left. But sometimes that isn't an option.
Is there another way to determine if a unit will still have moves after reaching a spot, other than sitting there counting spaces and trying to figure out how the game calculates all the moves?

Do colonies always have high spy level access to see what the cities and nation is researching? Do vassals?

Recycling center says it eliminates all pollution from buildings, but that seems to not be true. At least Power plants and I think Industrial parks still produce pollution with Recycling centers. Any other exceptions to recycling centers pollution elimination?

Is there a way to tell a unit to path so that it always stops in my domain?(to save money)

 

[lymond]

Yes, it's the F1 screen. There's a fist button in the lower right that allows one to create colonies. You will be given options of the colonies you can create based on cities on other landmasses. A potential colonies cities must be on the same landmass or island. I think a minimum of 3 cities must exist...I think..maybe 2.

Colonies are vassals with the same mechanics. The difference being that you have created the vassal and they start with a huge diplo modifier. You would have to blunder terribly for one to break away, such as losing your own cities and power to such a degree, or making a series of unreasonable demands.

You can always see what your vassals tech. Do not direct any espionage points on vassals. As mentioned, you can ask a vassal to research a tech you wish them to research via the dialogue.

I don't use events so I cannot help you with them.

I believe the Recycling center removes from the buildings but not from resources like coal.

Your pathing questions I don't have much of an answer for. The Go-to button option allows you to see a units path in a given direction and segments the route based stopping point. Seems pretty clear to me.

I don't know a way of have units automatically stop in your borders. However, for new units generated in cities you can use rally points so that all new units go to a particular tile on the map - in or outside borders.

 

[TruePurple]

You still need to trade for tech from your vassals, but vassals are always willing to trade? Do vassals just give you any tech they learn? If you must trade for it, does that count against the AI tech trade limit? I understand the more you trade tech, the more you eventually reach the point where civs simply refuse to trade tech with you any more, do vassal tech count towards this?

segments the route based stopping point.

Not sure what this means. Are you able to set a units path so it takes a longer path to where you want it to go, and not the shortest round it thinks is best? Are you able to set multiple path points for units to follow?

for new units generated in cities you can use rally points so that all new units go to a particular tile on the map

How?

What is the benefit to being the one who builds the UN?

What is the benefit to being the one who builds the Manhatten project? This one seems especially a waste of time, especially as building it yourself has the same effect as others building it.

 

[Fippy]

Do you actually know anything? I remember you being one of those who argued with players like me in S&T..shows what that was worth.

Moderator Action: Please answer the question or report the post. Incivility is never welcome. leif

 

[AcaMetis]

What is the benefit to being the one who builds the UN?

What is the benefit to being the one who builds the Manhatten project? This one seems especially a waste of time, especially as building it yourself has the same effect as others building it.

Whoever builds the UN is guaranteed to be one of the two leaders up for election as UN resident/secretary general. I'm not sure if defying a UN resolution and being reduced to a partial member (is that what it's called?) revokes that privilege, I don't believe it does.

IIRC whoever finished Manhattan Project gets a free nuke? That and the idea is that whoever builds it first builds it ASAP after researching the required tech, before anyone else has the tech to take advantage of the fact that nukes are suddenly in play. Needless to say that being the only player with access to nukes offers a slight military advantage.

 

[lymond]

You still need to trade for tech from your vassals, but vassals are always willing to trade? Do vassals just give you any tech they learn? If you must trade for it, does that count against the AI tech trade limit? I understand the more you trade tech, the more you eventually reach the point where civs simply refuse to trade tech with you any more, do vassal tech count towards this?

Yes, you still trade techs with your vassal. Honestly, seems like you've played this game long enough to know though...I'm a bit puzzled by the question. (granted maybe you kept vassals off before now) All tech trading applies to the trade caps.

Not sure what this means. Are you able to set a units path so it takes a longer path to where you want it to go, and not the shortest round it thinks is best? Are you able to set multiple path points for units to follow?

Yep, a little hard to explain in words. I'm talking using the go-to route button on a unit. You can move the cursor and you will see a segment path that a targeted tile. By segment I mean it was show 1, 2, 3..etc. for the number of turns to reach a give spot along that path.

Technically yes, you can kinda of set a particular path. I haven't done that in a long time but in think it is hold shift + click each tile along the path. just try it out in game.

How?

For some reason I thought we'd discussed rally points with you in the past. Click on a city's bar on the map and shift+ right click the spot you want to make a rally point. If can set the same rally point for all cities by select all cities (ctl|+shift+click a city bar ????)

the rally point will appear as a yellow circle when you create it and a city or cities are selected. (the yellow circle is not visible when otherwise) You can move rally point at any time by repeating the steps.

here's link to civ iv hotkeys in case I was off on some:

https://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/strategy/references/keyboard-shortcuts/

 

[TruePurple]

I've not used vassals much before. Often the AI would be obstinate and refuse even when I had it down to it's last few cities, and sometimes I'd forget about the option. There is alot of options in this game and some distract from others.

Is there a way to do a test of which place would be most effective for a forbidden palace placement?

 

[lymond]

Is there a way to do a test of which place would be most effective for a forbidden palace placement?

You need to be more clear with this question. You can test anything, if you desire.

FP mostly pointless in my games, but I might build it on another continent across the map.

....hmmm....meant to add using WorldBuilder if you want to test something quickly.

 

[TruePurple]

I am asking how do I determine which city I'd get the most benefit from FP.

All the cities I have taken from my vassal with one city left have been asking to join that nation on various turns(even ones on the distant side) I'm sick of dismissing these stupid requests, no I won't give my cities back to my vassal, stop asking!

Similarly is there a way to make it so the game doesn't bring you to cities that have something new to build asking what you want to make next?

 

[lymond]

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