Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[yutui]

As far as I know, the AI always settles straight away when it can, so this seems odd. Unless there were barbarians placed on the map near the AI Settler (this will not happen in an unmodified game), or the AI was placed on unsettleable terrain (again, to my knowledge this should be impossible in an unmodified game), I cannot see any reason why this would occur. Perhaps you could provide a screenshot or savegame for us to be able to examine this more closely?

I loaded up the 4000BC autosave and checked world builder and couldn't find any other units other than my settler and warrior.Since patches refuse to work on my computer (no idea why), i'm using BtS unpatched. Is this a known bug without a patch?

 

[Lord Parkin]

I loaded up the 4000BC autosave and checked world builder and couldn't find any other units other than my settler and warrior.Since patches refuse to work on my computer (no idea why), i'm using BtS unpatched. Is this a known bug without a patch?

There are no bugs that I know of that will prevent a civ from even existing when the game starts. You probably just started a game with no other players. You need to select one or more AI players if you want to play with them.

 

[JujuLautre]

if you did not begin a new game since, you should have an automatic save of the initial turn. In this case, juste open worldbuilder and check by yoursekf each turn Because there is no clear answer to what you're asking

 

[Lord Parkin]

>.< how long does defying Apolistic Palace unhappiness last? Did I get ignored? >.<

Sorry, I missed this. I can't remember exactly, but it should be about 10-20 turns. Someone else should be able to be more specific.

 

[develin]

Hi,

Sorry for the stupid question, but does anyone know if the maps, mods, etc. available here are compatible with the respective steam equivalent? Bought the complete pack of steam (Japan sucks when you want to buy PC games) and wonder if I even should bother trying to get anything work.

Any pointer or a negative answer would be great! Thanks!

Ben

 

[Lord Parkin]

Hi,

Sorry for the stupid question, but does anyone know if the maps, mods, etc. available here are compatible with the respective steam equivalent? Bought the complete pack of steam (Japan sucks when you want to buy PC games) and wonder if I even should bother trying to get anything work.

Any pointer or a negative answer would be great! Thanks!

Ben

I don't know, but I suspect that if the core game isn't any different (which it shouldn't be), then you shouldn't have any troubles with maps and mods. But it's probably easiest just to find out for yourself - download a map or mod (just a small one at first) and see if it works for you.

 

[Mknn]

More n00b fun ...

o Can anyone explain the details of SHOW FRIENDLY MOVES and SHOW ENEMY MOVES? A friend and I are playing online, and we'd like to see each other's battles, but it seems like it only shows friendly movement _that is within your visual range_, and that "friendly" means anyone who is cautious or better towards you. Is this right?

o How do you keep your non-fortifiable troops when not at war? Through a painful lesson, I've learned not to use them as sentries right on my border (a surprise war by someone with open borders took them out with no chance to withdraw). Do you garrison them in cities? Form a protective ring a bit inside your borders? Something else?

 

[ggganz]

o Friendly=not at war Enemy=war. Of course it's just in your visual range, otherwise it would be cheating! And no, you still can't see the battles.

o Sorry I don't know cuz I suck at this game.

 

[Roland Johansen]

I am talking about hammers/production and not overflow. I am not going by production time, but by the exact cost. I have gotten 322, 316, 303 (a popular one), and now, it decided to go for 300.

LOL, when I was loading the game to make screen shots, the hint was about pressing print screen and that it would save the screenshot in the folder. I have never gotten that hint before until today. Mighty coincidence.

There is the value of the settler, then I took a screenshot of the stats showing that it was in Quick mode, not marathon. It is not bothering me much now since it does make expanding more difficult and the computer seems to have gotten a hang of it and has expanded nicely, but it is curious.

Oh, in that one shot, you can see that the caravel (I believe) is still buyable. I don't know why, I have all the techs discovered, Iron, Oil, Coal, Copper, and Aluminum, yet it just won't go away like the rest of the things despite my not touching anything. Yet another annoyance, but not a big one.

Hmm, that does indeed seem odd about the Settler's cost. Perhaps it has something to do with the Future Starting Era.

Can you provide a screenshot of when the Settler does not cost 300 hammers (ie 303, 316, 322 etc as you say)? It is possible that you might be misreading the production bar.

The thing about the Caravel still being available does seem odd. Perhaps it was an intentional design feature of the game. (After all, Caravels do have the unique ability to explore territory without Open Borders.)

By the way, if you're starting in the Future Era, how are you able to research techs other than the Future Techs? I haven't played on a Future Era start since before BTS, so maybe something has changed. Which game version (including patch version) are you using?

I already tested in post 7679 that the future era start is responsible for the increase in cost of settlers and the decrease in cost of everything else in the game. It is not related to the game speed.

BTS changed it so that a few more techs than the ones named 'Future Tech" are considered technologies of the future era. You can see which ones in the technology description in the Techtree.

 

[yutui]

There are no bugs that I know of that will prevent a civ from even existing when the game starts. You probably just started a game with no other players. You need to select one or more AI players if you want to play with them.

It wasn't a custom start so I couldn't choose the number of opponents, so that's weird. I've never played a game without AI, and even still, conquest would have been awarded on the first turn if this was the case?

 

[EdPrem]

OK, so where to put all of these cool new graphics modpacks that I am downloading? I haven't done it yet. Will they self install? If not, what folder do they go in?

Thanks

 

[Lord Parkin]

It wasn't a custom start so I couldn't choose the number of opponents, so that's weird. I've never played a game without AI, and even still, conquest would have been awarded on the first turn if this was the case?

I think it should have, but I don't know. It sounds like an odd situation that you have encountered. Perhaps you should try using Custom Game starts so that you can ensure that you start with AI players, if this becomes a recurring problem.

OK, so where to put all of these cool new graphics modpacks that I am downloading? I haven't done it yet. Will they self install? If not, what folder do they go in?

Thanks

Most of them, I believe, should go into Program Files/Firaxis Games/Sid Meier's Civilization IV/Mods for the original game, or Sid Meier's Civilization IV/Warlords/Mods or Sid Meier's Civilization IV/Beyond the Sword/Mods for the expansions. This should hopefully allow you to load and use the mods in the game. Someone else may be able to clarify if I've missed anything in my instructions.

 

[exar_DC]

k so i was wondering how can i play the world map...as in the modern day world map in a custom game? i found it in custom scenarios but i want to control how many other civs and who they are and stuff. in other words i just want to play the world map in a custom choosing any civ i want and all the other civs with no scenario attachments?

if you guys could help that'd be great!

thanks

 

[cabert]

It wasn't a custom start so I couldn't choose the number of opponents, so that's weird. I've never played a game without AI, and even still, conquest would have been awarded on the first turn if this was the case?

In some rare situations, an AI starts in a position where he just can't settle. too close to you for instance.
AFAIK conquest is only awarded after a while = the AI has more than 1 turn to settle (if it wasn't so, you couldn't move the initial settler )

 

[Lord Parkin]

I'd heard about and considered the potential problems with the "barbarian invasion" event in BTS, but hadn't ever experienced them until now. I got a message only a few dozen turns into the game I just started, stating that Mansa Musa had been destroyed... so I looked in the WorldBuilder out of sheer perplexion (I figured it was early enough that I could start a new game anyway without it mattering). I discovered that he had encountered the "barbarian invasion" event at a ridiculously early stage in the game (before animals had even disappeared!). He couldn't possibly defend his one city against those four or five Archers.

There's no real question I had out of this, I was just openly thinking about whether the "barbarian invasion" event should be disallowed until a more reasonable stage of the game, for instance 1000 BC or 1 AD. Seems a little over-the-top to have an event that can decimate a civ at barely 3000 BC when they have absolutely no way to defend themselves.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

I'd heard about and considered the potential problems with the "barbarian invasion" event in BTS, but hadn't ever experienced them until now. I got a message only a few dozen turns into the game I just started, stating that Mansa Musa had been destroyed... so I looked in the WorldBuilder out of sheer perplexion (I figured it was early enough that I could start a new game anyway without it mattering). I discovered that he had encountered the "barbarian invasion" event at a ridiculously early stage in the game (before animals had even disappeared!). He couldn't possibly defend his one city against those four or five Archers.

There's no real question I had out of this, I was just openly thinking about whether the "barbarian invasion" event should be disallowed until a more reasonable stage of the game, for instance 1000 BC or 1 AD. Seems a little over-the-top to have an event that can decimate a civ at barely 3000 BC when they have absolutely no way to defend themselves.

Its been discussed in another thread...apparently if any civ knows Archery, and any civ knows Polytheism, then this event can be triggered. Which on Monarch and higher (when all the ais start with Archery anyways), it can be ridiculously early.

I only play marathon / huge maps, and this (and other barbarian events) produce a stack of 6 barbarians, not 3 or 4. If you are the victim of this event in say 3300 BC then its game over.

Personally I agree with the event being pushed back to say 2000BC at the very earliest. Its no fun having a really nice starting position, and 30 turns (marathon) into the game you're just about finishing a worker and 6 vedic archers spawn on your borders. It may as well at that stage, be 6 modern armors. In fact it may as well just come up with a message "You have been defeated"....

So I'm all for pushing this event back to make it very dangerous, but not an automatic "game over"..

 

[Roland Johansen]

Its been discussed in another thread...apparently if any civ knows Archery, and any civ knows Polytheism, then this event can be triggered. Which on Monarch and higher (when all the ais start with Archery anyways), it can be ridiculously early.

I only play marathon / huge maps, and this (and other barbarian events) produce a stack of 6 barbarians, not 3 or 4. If you are the victim of this event in say 3300 BC then its game over.

Personally I agree with the event being pushed back to say 2000BC at the very earliest. Its no fun having a really nice starting position, and 30 turns (marathon) into the game you're just about finishing a worker and 6 vedic archers spawn on your borders. It may as well at that stage, be 6 modern armors. In fact it may as well just come up with a message "You have been defeated"....

So I'm all for pushing this event back to make it very dangerous, but not an automatic "game over"..

Personally, I don't think most events should happen super early. This event is the most disastrous one, but there are a few others that can seriously effect the start of the game (positively or negatively).

You can push back the date of first event by changing a single value in the GlobalDefines.xml file. The number is defined FIRST_EVENT_DELAY_TURNS and it does exactly what you'd expect it to do. It's standard value is 20, so events can't happen during the first 20 turns of the game.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

Personally, I don't think most events should happen super early. This event is the most disastrous one, but there are a few others that can seriously effect the start of the game (positively or negatively).

You can push back the date of first event by changing a single value in the GlobalDefines.xml file. The number is defined FIRST_EVENT_DELAY_TURNS and it does exactly what you'd expect it to do. It's standard value is 20, so events can't happen during the first 20 turns of the game.

Yeah your right, its very easy to edit yourself......the other events (having locusts destroy your pasture, or becoming the worlds largest supplier of tin for example), are magnified greatly be happening so early, but none are totally disastrous /or conversely too powerful a boost. Just the barbs spawning and attacking when lions and wolves are still the norm. I suppose you could leave the 20 turns as it is, but add a more advanced tech pre req for the "Vedic Event" maybe Monotheism or something like that.....

 

[Roland Johansen]

Yeah your right, its very easy to edit yourself......the other events (having locusts destroy your pasture, or becoming the worlds largest supplier of tin for example), are magnified greatly be happening so early, but none are totally disastrous /or conversely too powerful a boost. Just the barbs spawning and attacking when lions and wolves are still the norm. I suppose you could leave the 20 turns as it is, but add a more advanced tech pre req for the "Vedic Event" maybe Monotheism or something like that.....

You could also do that, but then it would be pretty random when it would happen as you would not know if some AI might beeline that technology. And if it happens late in the game, then archers are no threat whatsoever. I actually don't think the technology prerequisite for the uprising events was such a good idea. It's probably better to use a starting date for the event or something like that.

Changing the value that I mentioned is just the easiest way to do it for someone who doesn't know a lot about modding. It's probably not the very best way to change it.

 

[Scrybe]

I'm starting a new game at lunch. What's the best leader for that one world type that leaves a whole continent free for the taking until the age of sail? (I only have Warlords.)