Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Desslok]

That is very odd. Are you playing with any mods?

Where did you get your copy of Civ IV? I need to ask.

Please upload a save and I'll check your save on my machine.

Also in the game menu men, go to Advanced, and then click "About This Build". Post a screenshot of that please, if you will.

No, no mods.

I purchased and downloaded Civ4 via Steam, within the last 2-3 years.

My version doesn't seem to have the Game Menu selections that you request. Hmm.

Game save file is attached.

Thanks, Iymond.

 

[lymond]

No, no mods.

I purchased and downloaded Civ4 via Steam, within the last 2-3 years.

My version doesn't seem to have the Game Menu selections that you request. Hmm.

Game save file is attached.

Thanks, Iymond.

The menu options are there, you just have to hit "Back". However, it is irrelevant anyway since you have the Steam version. The Steam version is all patched up.

Anyway, the issue is pretty simple. You are playing Civ IV vanilla. That is the base game. The initial release did not have unique buildings.

I highly recommend that you play Beyond the Sword (BTS), which is the final release/expansion of the game, and THE definitive version of the game.

BTS is a separate installation in Steam. So is Warlords (the first expansion). In the original disk version of the game, the expansions were installed over the base game and required the base games. Most digital versions are like this as well. Steam instead made each expansion "standalone" or a separate installation (the base game assets are still there but each expansion is runs on its own).

So just find Beyond the Sword in your Steam library and install it. (Look for "Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword) Play it and enjoy one of the best games ever. Also, note that pretty much all mods now are for BTS...more on that in a bit.

I will provide a few Steam related and general tips regarding your installation of and running Steam BTS: (assumes you run Win 10 machine)

1) After the initial installation of BTS right click on BTS in the library and select Properties > click "'Betas" tab > in the drop down box select "Original Release unsupported...blah blah". Steam will download some stuff which is basically a reinstallation of BTS.

A bit of an explanation here on why this is recommended. Civ IV used to run Multiplayer off Gamespy servers. A few years ago Gamespy shut down. When that happen, Steam decided to update its versions of Civ IV to utilize its own MP platform. The problem is that in doing so Steam changed some of the game assets. This change conflicted with all the many mods made for BTS. Needless to say that immediately created a stink among the fanbase. Steam released a Beta version to allow installation of the game in its original state. So running the BETA version is about compatibility with existing mods.

2) After initial installation, including conversion to the Beta version. Run the game once and exit. Find the main BTS folder which should look something like this "Steam/steamapps/common/BTS/BTS". Yes there are 2 BTS folders - higher and lower level. The lower level folder is the main BTS folder. (the higher level simply contains the base assets as mentioned previously). Locate the BTS.exe > right click > Compatibility tab. Do 2 things on this tab:

a) check the box "run as adminstrator"
b) Set compatibility mode to "Windows 7"...this has been found to be the best mode to run the game in.

(You might want to find the autosave section while you are here as well. Change Max autosaves to 10 and autosave interval to 1)

3) This is optional, but if you find the intro movie playing a bit annoying then you can turn it off. In the main BTS folder find the Civ4Config shortcut and click on it. Should open in Notepad. Find the line "Set to 1 for no intro movie" and below it set "NoIntroMove=1". Now the game will just load straight to the menu.

4) Always run the game from BTS executable as opposed to running from the Steam library. You can create a shortcut on your desktop but personally I like a clean desktop. Instead, I just pin the main BTS folder to Quick Access in Windows Explore and go straight to the folder to run the game.

Lastly, I highly recommend using the BUG mod which can be found here:

BUG

Download BUG and BULL (a synergistic companion to BUG) and install using the Custom Assets option (SP). BUG install is a program, but BULL is a zip file with included instructions. The custom assets installation does not require loading of a mod. It's a nice option for playing forum games.

What BUG does is improve the UI and informational features of the game, without changing gameplay (BUG stand for BTS Unaltered Gameplay). BULL enhances BUG by adding some deeper features.

You can also install the BAT mod from that same location. BAT is BUG+BULL+graphical enhancements. It's a standalone mod that you load up. (I use this mod most for own casual gameplay)

BUFFY is another mod you might consider installing as well. BUFFY is BUG+BULL+HOF mod. You can find it on the HOF page - see link in my sig. BUFFY allows one to submit games to the CFC HOF (again see my sig), and also participate in another nice CFC feature here called Game of the Month (see my sig). Game of the Month is a friendly competition here where CFC staff generate a new game/map or even two each month. These games can often have some interesting setups. (I realize you are fairly new and inexperienced but everyone is welcome and its a good way to learn as you see what others can do)

Speaking of learning, I highly recommend becoming a denizen of the Strategy & Tips subforum here. I great place to ask questions and participate in the forum games there. The members here are quite helpful and eager to assist newer players expand their Civ IV horizons. A "Noble's Club" series of games is run frequently there, and often you will see players running what we call shadow games. Essentially shadow games are new players running there own game and play turns to get advice.

Oh..I meant to mention the Blue Marble mod. BM improves terrain and water graphics. It also has a separate feature that allows changing UI color. The BM page is actually located in that BUG mod link I gave you but for some reason the download there was recently broken. I've saved off a copy to my Google Drive and can provide a share link here:

BM

BM is what I call an overlay mod. It basically installs in Custom Assets but also tweaks a few main asset files as well. It does not need to be loaded and does not conflict with other mods.
(Note on installing BM. You will notice an additional file in that download. This is a copy of the civilization4.exe which is the vanilla executable. You can place this in the main BTS folder. BM needs to point to the file to run the installation - just follow the prompts and find the file. This is a result of Steam's different configuration of the game)

Lastly, a note on installing mods is to always run any executables as administrator, which one can simply do by right-clicking on the file and choosing the option.

 

[Desslok]

Most appreciated, Iymond! I'm on it.

This is probably too much to hope for, but will a saved game file I have for my current campaign work in BTS? I am really having fun in the current campaign, despite not having my Mints enabled, and would like to see how it turns out.

If not, I will still play it through. It will sharpen my skills regardless.

Thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to BtS!

 

[lymond]

Most appreciated, Iymond! I'm on it.

You are most welcome!

This is probably too much to hope for, but will a saved game file I have for my current campaign work in BTS?

No. Saves work only in the version they are created in. Same goes for standalone mods. (However, saves with BUG in custom assets can be opened without a mod since BUG is actually not loaded)

I am really having fun in the current campaign, despite not having my Mints enabled, and would like to see how it turns out. If not, I will still play it through. It will sharpen my skills regardless.

Well, there's no reason not to play that game out for fun. It's up to you. It's not really going to "sharpen your skills" per se, as you really need some guidance first before that will really happen. Ha..I can see a tremendous amount of things you are doing wrong just by looking at the pic you posted . I'd view it more as just familiarizing yourself with basic functions.

Civ IV is actually a fairly complex game with well over 15 years of folks working out the best strategies and tactics, as well as many things to avoid. But just learning a few basic concepts over in Strategy & Tips will increase your success and enjoyment of the game.

 

[NightOnEarth]

Building wealth vs. failgold

Suppose you're not industrious and you have no access to marble, stone or whatsoever, what are the differences between building wealth and going for failgold? The return for your hammer investment is the same. As far as I can see, wealth pros are:
- you get wealth turn by turn
- failgold is only available for wonders
- you are on your own and don't have to wait until another civ finishes a wonder
con is:
- failgold is available before currency

But I have the feeling that I'm missing something essential.

 

[AcaMetis]

But I have the feeling that I'm missing something essential.

"Essential" might be a strong word, but one thing you did miss is that even without IND or a doubling resource you can still get more out of failbuilding than building Wealth - Forges give a +25% bonus, Organized Religion gives a +25% bonus to buildings if a city has your state religion, etc. Also not all wonders rely on Marble or Stone, a few rely on Copper, Gold or Ivory. It's rare to not have anything that boosts any wonder production, even if you don't have either of the two big ticket items. Failbuilding also allows you to turn forests into , which building Wealth cannot do.

Beyond that you're pretty much correct. The big thing is that failbuilding is available before Currency, and in an era where you're likely to run into issues with excess production not going anywhere useful. So there's really nothing lost from failbuilding a wonder, even if the payout isn't more than you'd get from just building Wealth (if you could) and delayed until someone completes the wonder. It's better than dumping production into a unit or building you never finish.

 

[Lennier]

You get the -bonuses from buildings when building wealth as well (not Org-bonus) in BTS. (In Vanilla, you got -bonuses from buildings when building wealth, not -bonuses.) Without wonder multipliers, failgold is generally only worth it before currency; after you can get immediate benefits from your s by building wealth rather than having to wait a while before getting the .

 

[user330977]

Hello folks,

I'm wondering if Civ IV has some sort of starting bias for civilisations akin to Civs V and VI. I could swear that when I play as Rome, I nearly always tend to get iron in my BFC... could just be that darn confirmation bias again, though.

Kind regards,
Ita Bear

 

[AcaMetis]

Hello folks,

I'm wondering if Civ IV has some sort of starting bias for civilisations akin to Civs V and VI. I could swear that when I play as Rome, I nearly always tend to get iron in my BFC... could just be that darn confirmation bias again, though.

Kind regards,
Ita Bear

I'd chalk that up to confirmation bias. Having Iron when playing as Rome is a big deal. When playing as Monty, not so much.

 

[user330977]

Grateful for the response, AcaMetis.

As a follow up question, I have always hated how the Civ IV minimap colours cultural borders over the ocean. It makes it very hard to see the lay of the land at a glance! Is there a way to make it like Civ V's minimap, either through a downloaded mod or doing it oneself?

Kind regards,
Ita Bear

 

[f1rpo]

[...] I have always hated how the Civ IV minimap colours cultural borders over the ocean. It makes it very hard to see the lay of the land at a glance! Is there a way to make it like Civ V's minimap, either through a downloaded mod or doing it oneself?

You'd have to recompile the DLL in order to make this change by yourself, i.e. install and configure the C++ compiler. Kek-Mod, which is pretty much K-Mod, uses lighter colors on water tiles, similar to the map on the Military Advisor. My own mod AdvCiv – which is (even) farther removed from the original gameplay than K-Mod – adds an option to the BUG menu: "Opacity of civ colors on water tiles ... Maximal - Same as the opacity on land tiles; like in BtS. Medium - More transparent than on land tiles; similar to the Military Advisor. Zero - No civ colors on water tiles; like in Civ 3."

 

[user330977]

You'd have to recompile the DLL in order to make this change by yourself, i.e. install and configure the C++ compiler. Kek-Mod, which is pretty much K-Mod, uses lighter colors on water tiles, similar to the map on the Military Advisor. My own mod AdvCiv – which is (even) farther removed from the original gameplay than K-Mod – adds an option to the BUG menu: "Opacity of civ colors on water tiles ... Maximal - Same as the opacity on land tiles; like in BtS. Medium - More transparent than on land tiles; similar to the Military Advisor. Zero - No civ colors on water tiles; like in Civ 3."

Grateful for your reply, and you have convinced me to try out your mod. I'm intrigued by the balance changes and AI improvements. As it is based on K-mod, which ups the difficulty, is it recommended to try the game on a lower level? I'm a pretty comfortable Monarch player, so may jump back down to Prince for my first game.

Kind regards,
Ita Bear

 

[f1rpo]

Grateful for your reply, and you have convinced me to try out your mod. I'm intrigued by the balance changes and AI improvements. As it is based on K-mod, which ups the difficulty, is it recommended to try the game on a lower level? I'm a pretty comfortable Monarch player, so may jump back down to Prince for my first game.

Sounds like Monarch BtS is a bit too easy for you, so I think Monarch K-Mod/AdvCiv is going to be closer to the mark than Prince. Prince should make for a pretty relaxed first game if you play it safe.

 

[NightOnEarth]

Is it possible to switch to a religious civic without having a state religion? (that is: my state religion is "none").

 

[sampsa]

Is it possible to switch to a religious civic without having a state religion? (that is: my state religion is "none").

Yes. Might make some sense under some situations as a double switch, say after getting CS switching to bureau and can take org rel for free (also useful for spreading the religion).

 

[lymond]

Is it possible to switch to a religious civic without having a state religion? (that is: my state religion is "none").

Sure

^^^and possibly diplo

 

[NightOnEarth]

^^^and possibly diplo

lymond, thank you for your reply, but what do you mean by this? Could you please explain? Will I get a penalty from other civilizations as if running a different religion or will I avoid such a penalty?

 

[NightOnEarth]

... and can take org rel for free (also useful for spreading the religion).

Thank you, sampsa! Unfortunately, I don't fully understand your last comment. Do you mean, that I can spread religion "none" to other civilizations?

 

[Samson]

lymond, thank you for your reply, but what do you mean by this? Could you please explain? Will I get a penalty from other civilizations as if running a different religion or will I avoid such a penalty?

Being in another civs favourite civic gives a diplo bonus. So if you change to say OR, and your neighbor is in OR AND has OR as fav civic then you get the bonus, even if you get no other benefit.

Thank you, sampsa! Unfortunately, I don't fully understand your last comment. Do you mean, that I can spread religion "none" to other civilizations?

If you change to OR you can build missionaries as soon as a religion spreads to a city, and so spread the religion to your other cities without having to build a monastery first.

 

[krikav]

@NightOnEarth
Organized religion allows you to build missionaries. You don't have to be in any specific religion to do so.
If you have Hindu in city 1,2. Buddhism in city 3 and no religion in city4, you can then build hindu missionaries in city1+2 and buddhist missionaries in city 3.
In that case, you likely want to build two hindu missionaries to make sure you have hindu in all 4 cities, before doing the swap to Hindu at some opportune moment.