Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[taulph88]

I've noticed that while watching the AI turns, the status messages on the left side of the screen don't come up until my turn begins. (To clarify, some of these status messages are "Buddhism has been founded in Thebes!" and "Tokugawa adopts Organized Religion!" to name a few).

How do I make it so these status messages appear during that AI's turn? The other messages appear when an AI unit does an action, like battling and razing on a tile.

 

[daz34]

i have been looking around because i figured someone has asked this but I have not found the answer yet maybe there is something really obvious i am missing. When I ask an AI to declare war on somone usually i have to give the AI something gold or tech. When an AI asks me to declare war why can't I ask for gold or techs (i think in Civ3 i could) it is usually just yes or no (or is it??)
thanks

 

[_alphaBeta_]

i have been looking around because i figured someone has asked this but I have not found the answer yet maybe there is something really obvious i am missing. When I ask an AI to declare war on somone usually i have to give the AI something gold or tech. When an AI asks me to declare war why can't I ask for gold or techs (i think in Civ3 i could) it is usually just yes or no (or is it??)
thanks

You're not missing anything, that's the way it is setup. You are not allowed to negotiate when the AI asks for you to declare war on someone.

The arguments have raged since Civ4 came out about this topic. I won't get into that here though, as those kinds of debates would muck up this useful thread.

 

[ggganz]

I've noticed that while watching the AI turns, the status messages on the left side of the screen don't come up until my turn begins. (To clarify, some of these status messages are "Buddhism has been founded in Thebes!" and "Tokugawa adopts Organized Religion!" to name a few).

How do I make it so these status messages appear during that AI's turn? The other messages appear when an AI unit does an action, like battling and razing on a tile.

You can't. The AI turns go so fast on some computers that you wouldn't be able to see all of them, so that feature is no possible to save us some grief.

 

[Fiz]

New question:
I've found that in most of the games I've played (and think I'm doing really well) that there always seems to be at least one civ whose score (about mid game) just suddenly just goes through the roof, leaving everyone else in the dust. It would be nice, when all was said and done, to be able to go back and see what that civ did, or I should have done. It would sure speed the learning curve.

 

[Verge]

New question:
I've found that in most of the games I've played (and think I'm doing really well) that there always seems to be at least one civ whose score (about mid game) just suddenly just goes through the roof, leaving everyone else in the dust. It would be nice, when all was said and done, to be able to go back and see what that civ did, or I should have done. It would sure speed the learning curve.

You mean aside from the replay at the end?

 

[Fiz]

New question:
Has anyone found a distinct advantage to selecting the city-screen options like, say, "emphasize great people production", or "emphasize no growth"?

 

[Fiz]

You mean aside from the replay at the end?

Yes, aside from that (which just tells you pretty much what you already know).

 

[nbcman]

@ Fiz

If you kept some save games during the times when the other Civ is making great improvements in score, you could open the saves and look in worldbuilder to see what improvements the AI has done between the saves. That is assuming you haven't checked the locked modified assets setting at the start of your game.

 

[Fiz]

@ Fiz

If you kept some save games during the times when the other Civ is making great improvements in score, you could open the saves and look in worldbuilder to see what improvements the AI has done between the saves. That is assuming you haven't checked the locked modified assets setting at the start of your game.[/quote]
Ah! I'll have to try that. I've not used worldbuilder. Thanks!

 

[6K Man]

I'm sure this has been asked in the 183 pages of thread that I'm not willing to read through, but here goes:

The civilopedia says that you need 2 different Great People to start a golden age. Each subsequent golden age needs another great person. My question is, once you're up to 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) great people required... do they all have to be different? Or can I burn off, say, 3 great prophets and 1 artist? Or 2 prophets, 2 artists, and a merchant? (I know it's unlikely anyone would ever burn more than 3 great people on a GA, but humour me.)

Also, for promotions: I know that some promotions function on defense only (obviously, city defender) and some function on attack only (barrage). Can someone provide me a list of which promotions function when on attack, which ones function on defense, and which ones function on both? I have completely confused myself re: flanking, for example.

 

[MrCynical]

@6K Man: All the great people have to be of different types (so a prophet, merchant and artist could start a 3GP golden age, but three prophets or two prophets and an artist couldn't). Also, if you have the Beyond the Sword expansion, the first golden age only requires one great person. (I'm not sure if this is also true in the later Vanilla and Warlords patches).

Also, for promotions: I know that some promotions function on defense only (obviously, city defender) and some function on attack only (barrage). Can someone provide me a list of which promotions function when on attack, which ones function on defense, and which ones function on both? I have completely confused myself re: flanking, for example.

Flanking improves withdrawal chance, which only occurs when attacking. It does nothing for a unit which is defending. A non comprehensive list:

Attack and Defense: Combat, Pinch/Cover/Ambush/Shock/Formation, Drill

Attack Only: City Raider, Flanking, Woodsman III, Barrage, Blitz, Amphibious

Defense Only: City Garrison, Woodsman I&II, Guerilla

 

[King of Town]

the guerilla 3 also is attack only

 

[jessiecat]

Been playing for a few months now but still have questions.
for a start;
1) In the domestic advisor each city has an amount of culture generated.
But what is the figure in brackets, ie (48)
2) Just had a look at Worldbuilder for the first time during a game.
How do I get off it. I don't see any menu/return to game etc.
3) Does building cottages in flood plains affect health/ polution/happiness?

Thanks. Every little bit helps.

 

[Sisiutil]

Been playing for a few months now but still have questions.
for a start;
1) In the domestic advisor each city has an amount of culture generated.
But what is the figure in brackets, ie (48)
2) Just had a look at Worldbuilder for the first time during a game.
How do I get off it. I don't see any menu/return to game etc.
3) Does building cottages in flood plains affect health/ polution/happiness?

Thanks. Every little bit helps.

1) Turns until the next border expansion.
2) Ctrl+W is the Worldbuilder toggle; gets you in, gets you out.
3) Nope, nope, and nope.

 

[jessiecat]

1) Turns until the next border expansion.
2) Ctrl+W is the Worldbuilder toggle; gets you in, gets you out.
3) Nope, nope, and nope.

Thanks for your speedy reply.

 

[Skallagrimson]

Is there a way to start a custom game using a SPECIFIC MAP, like one from a scenario, without actually having to play "the" scenario; that is, use the map but with random starting points?

 

[ggganz]

I don't think that's actually possible, unless you know how to write a python map script that always generates that exact map with random starting points.

 

[Skallagrimson]

Looks like I'll have to use worldbuilder on a scenario that I "almost" like...

 

[CharlieM]

Question: How does the game decide the order of turns for my units?

It is particularly annoying to me when I am trying to coordinate a war or defense on one part of the map, and the game keeps jumping me over to some other part of the world. I end up clicking back and forth, fighting the game ... 'let me fight this war HERE, you silly game!"