Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[PieceOfMind]

Thanks rolo!

I think that the travel time to AC is anywhere from 10-15 turns, so you don't have long at all. Total conquest of the country in question is your only option, I think.

If I'm not mistaken, taking the capital is sufficient to prevent the victory.

If it is a coastal city, you need to go all marines. No time to overpower them with carriers.

lol

Actually 6 tactical nukes should do the trick. Just two transports with a couple marines and a few Tokugawa-style uber mech infantry will take that city!

I'm just worried Pacal is going to launch his ship soon as well, and he's almost the exact opposite side of the world on a Huge map, and his capital is inland. But at least he doesn't have Fusion yet.

 

[Roland Johansen]

Actually 6 tactical nukes should do the trick. Just two transports with a couple marines and a few Tokugawa-style uber mech infantry will take that city!

I'm just worried Pacal is going to launch his ship soon as well, and he's almost the exact opposite side of the world on a Huge map, and his capital is inland. But at least he doesn't have Fusion yet.

You can destroy space parts (in production or finished) with spies. It does cost a bit (6 times hammer cost with all kinds of modifiers that can reduce the cost). You can also hurt the city that is building the crucial part through espionage. If you used an espionage economy during a game, then it can be very powerful at this stage. However, when multiple players are getting close, it will become all but impossible to stall them all while you can advance your own civilisation to victory. Maybe the game was already lost a while back.

 

[PieceOfMind]

You can destroy space parts (in production or finished) with spies. It does cost a bit (6 times hammer cost with all kinds of modifiers that can reduce the cost). You can also hurt the city that is building the crucial part through espionage. If you used an espionage economy during a game, then it can be very powerful at this stage. However, when multiple players are getting close, it will become all but impossible to stall them all while you can advance your own civilisation to victory. Maybe the game was already lost a while back.

Ha, each leader will have lost his/her capital and be begging for capitulation before any spaceships reach AC. I want this mess to stay on Earth thank you, even if the world is desert before I win.

I guess I'm proving in my game that a late game Espionage Economy with a pinch of tactical nuke warfare makes it pretty much impossible to lose, though it doesn't allow for the fastest of wins either. What I find particularly amusing (and I'm still developing strategies in this area) is the way you can use Espionage Economies to win culture vics via the spread culture mission. For example, 30 spread culture missions on a city with 50k culture (I had a couple of opportunities like that in this game) would give me a Legendary city (Epic speed means 75k culture for Legendary). Hathseput had gone so crazy with culture that two cities reached Legendary and I had to stop about 3 more from reaching Legendary at nearly the same time. A few of my border cities were practically swallowed by her culture but putting a large garrison in each meant they couldn't flip, and the per city bonuses like the Espionage buildings made these cities still plenty worthwhile.

I find the sabotaging of SS parts too expensive. It's easier to either put cities in eternal revolt (after destroying their security beureau so they can never finish building it again ) or outright destroying capitals after ship has launched. Though I have noticed the Stasis Chamber is a good candidate for destroying since it is very expensive and there is no hammer multiplying resource for it.

 

[Roland Johansen]

Ha, each leader will have lost his/her capital and be begging for capitulation before any spaceships reach AC. I want this mess to stay on Earth thank you, even if the world is desert before I win.

With leaders such as yourself, then I agree. Humankind should not spread throughout the galaxy. Ruining one planet is bad enough.

I guess I'm proving in my game that a late game Espionage Economy with a pinch of tactical nuke warfare makes it pretty much impossible to lose, though it doesn't allow for the fastest of wins either. What I find particularly amusing (and I'm still developing strategies in this area) is the way you can use Espionage Economies to win culture vics via the spread culture mission. For example, 30 spread culture missions on a city with 50k culture (I had a couple of opportunities like that in this game) would give me a Legendary city (Epic speed means 75k culture for Legendary). Hathseput had gone so crazy with culture that two cities reached Legendary and I had to stop about 3 more from reaching Legendary at nearly the same time. A few of my border cities were practically swallowed by her culture but putting a large garrison in each meant they couldn't flip, and the per city bonuses like the Espionage buildings made these cities still plenty worthwhile.

Hmm, I dislike the cultural victory anyway. I always play with it off. But you're right that the spread culture mission has made it even more weird. It essentially provides a way to use your entire economy to create a few legendary cities which makes it too cheap.

I find the sabotaging of SS parts too expensive. It's easier to either put cities in eternal revolt (after destroying their security beureau so they can never finish building it again ) or outright destroying capitals after ship has launched. Though I have noticed the Stasis Chamber is a good candidate for destroying since it is very expensive and there is no hammer multiplying resource for it.

Eternal revolt huh, I also thought about that possibility. You'd need quite a few spies for that though and having two spies in the same spot increases the odds of capture. Still, it's probably one of the cheaper options. Another option might be: when the AI chooses a fairly bad city for some (crucial) space ship part, then make this city very bad: destroy buildings (especially production multiplying ones, but happiness increasing buildings can also hurt) and maybe some tile improvements and then once in a while destroy production.
I don't think the AI will ever switch production to a different city (which it should). Maybe something for BetterAI.

 

[Yonez]

Does the medic promotion heal even if a damaged unit isn't healing? And does it stack with other units with the same promotion?

 

[Fancy Will]

Thanks again to everybody who is willing to answer Q's for us beginners!

And here's a few more...
I play Vanilla BTW…

1. What are the Cons (if any) to demanding tribute after tribute from a civ you are about to DoW, and then attacking them anyway? (With the intention of wiping them off the map) For sake of simplicity, let's assume they're friendly with no one else.

Side note: I usually adopt a prison mentality with other civs. (watched too much Lockdown: Gangland!) I demand all their gold in tribute. If they give it up, they’re ripe for the taking! Then choke ‘em a bit, take a city or two. Demand techs… and so on till I wipe them out.

2. If you raze a Holy City does it wipe out that religion or just keep anyone from collecting 1 gold per city with that religion?

3. Why does it seem like nobody plays Gandhi? Is he considered an “over-powered” leader? Is it because his traits are different in BTS? (Kind of a weird Q I know)

 

[henrebotha]

No and no.

 

[PieceOfMind]

Does the medic promotion heal even if a damaged unit isn't healing? And does it stack with other units with the same promotion?

For the second question - No. Only Medic I, II and III stack and they have to be on the same unit. It should be noted that the healing from Woodsman III does not stack with the Medic promos unless they're on the same unit, which is usually infeasible.

As for your first question I'm not exactly sure what you're asking. A damaged unit will heal unless you are keeping it form doing so. If there is a unit with Medic on the same tile, it only increases the rate at which the damaged unit heals. The unit still needs to be eligible to heal in the first place.

See the link in my sig for more details.

 

[henrebotha]

Will:

1) No negative consequences even if they have friends.

2) It destroys/prevents the shrine, and (I'm told) the destroyer of that city gets a diplo hit with civs in that religion.

3) I don't think he's anywhere near over-powered. Sure his UU never obsoletes; but then the advantage it offers is a tiny one. He has cool traits, though... Specialist economy all the way.

 

[Ghpstage]

1. What are the Cons (if any) to demanding tribute after tribute from a civ you are about to DoW, and then attacking them anyway? (With the intention of wiping them off the map) For sake of simplicity, let's assume they're friendly with no one else.

Side note: I usually adopt a prison mentality with other civs. (watched too much Lockdown: Gangland!) I demand all their gold in tribute. If they give it up, they’re ripe for the taking! Then choke ‘em a bit, take a city or two. Demand techs… and so on till I wipe them out.

If they give in to your demands a temporary peace treaty is forced stopping you DOWing for a while. You also get a small diplo penalty if you demand tribute off anyone but Ghandi, but if your gonna attack who cares?

2. If you raze a Holy City does it wipe out that religion or just keep anyone from collecting 1 gold per city with that religion?

Causes a diplo penalty with all civs of that religion (and maybe more?), stops auto spread of that religion as it all comes from Holy city, stops the GPT bonus, nothing else.

3. Why does it seem like nobody plays Gandhi? Is he considered an “over-powered” leader? Is it because his traits are different in BTS? (Kind of a weird Q I know)

People do play Ghandi, he's great! I prefer his PHI trait in BTS to IND in vanilla, but he's not really as good as the other Indian leader. Asoka with SPI/ORG is a beast.

sure his UU never obsoletes; but then the advantage it offers is a tiny one

Its not tiny if you don't play on marathon. In particular, the ability to move into a forest and chop on the same turn is immense. Its a UU that really shines on normal speed

 

[henrebotha]

If they give in to your demands a temporary peace treaty is forced stopping you DOWing for a while. You also get a small diplo penalty if you demand tribute off anyone but Ghandi, but if your gonna attack who cares?


Causes a diplo penalty with all civs of that religion (and maybe more?), stops auto spread of that religion as it all comes from Holy city, stops the GPT bonus, nothing else.


People do play Ghandi, he's great! I prefer his PHI trait in BTS to IND in vanilla, but he's not really as good as the other Indian leader. Asoka with SPI/ORG is a beast.


Its not tiny if you don't play on marathon. In particular, the ability to move into a forest and chop on the same turn is immense. Its a UU that really shines on normal speed

I guess I need to play as India some more, then. I play Epic, and my Worker micro is atrociously inefficient so I guess it would help. I don't abuse chopping like many players here do.

 

[Fancy Will]

Thanks guys!

Hey, Henrebotha (others feel free to chime in or direct me to existing thread) while your here, how come you never got BTS? I'm hesitant to get it because of the AP (Apo? Palace) wins seem annoying and I thought I would play Vanilla till I got bored with it/ learned how to play, then add BTS to spice it up. Would I be better off learning BTS now, if I intend to get it in the future? I also wonder is it really that much better?

 

[henrebotha]

Because I don't have ZAR 500 to spare. I kind of made a resolution to get the game once I have a steady job. (I'm a student and my parents give me just enough pocket money to get me through the month, but no more.)

If I had the money I would be on it like a rash, believe you me.

And I think it is definitely worth it for the added civs alone.

 

[Roland Johansen]

Thanks again to everybody who is willing to answer Q's for us beginners!

And here's a few more...
I play Vanilla BTW…

1. What are the Cons (if any) to demanding tribute after tribute from a civ you are about to DoW, and then attacking them anyway? (With the intention of wiping them off the map) For sake of simplicity, let's assume they're friendly with no one else.

Side note: I usually adopt a prison mentality with other civs. (watched too much Lockdown: Gangland!) I demand all their gold in tribute. If they give it up, they’re ripe for the taking! Then choke ‘em a bit, take a city or two. Demand techs… and so on till I wipe them out.

The forced 10 turn peace treaty after a successful demand is a feature of Beyond the Sword. It isn't present in vanilla civ4.

Whether a civilisation gives you gold or not isn't based on whether they fear you or something. It is true that your relative power rating is used as a multiplier to the amount of gold that you can demand, although it is just one of the factors that effect the amount of gold that you can demand. If you have recently demanded some gold, it is very unlikely that you can do another successful demand shortly after. This is independent of the relative power.

Multiple declarations of war upon a certain civilisation will grant you multiple negative diplomatic modifiers with all who like them (pleased or friendly relations).

 

[Fancy Will]

If I had the money I would be on it like a rash, believe you me.

Yeah, I got the itch too! Think I just need to stop asking Q's and scratch it!

 

[Arakhor]

Well, if you don't like Diplomatic victories, just disengage that option before you play. BTS is definitely much better than vanilla only and BUG makes playing even more of a pleasure!

 

[Lord Parkin]

Full spaceship takes 10 turns; spaceship missing one engine takes 12 turns (on normal speed). Multiply by 1.5 for Epic, 3 for Marathon, 0.67 (?) for Quick.

Spaceship with all casings has 100% odds; missing one casing has 80% odds; missing two casings has 60% odds; missing three casings has 40% odds; missing four casings has 20% odds; missing all casings has 0% odds (and I'm not sure if you can launch).

 

[Arakhor]

So, if the casings determine the odds and the engines the speed, is there anything else that depends on your specific build?

 

[tokemoke]

Hey all, now tryin to figure out what the pinch promo does. It gives no description.

 

[bestbrian]

Hey all, now tryin to figure out what the pinch promo does. It gives no description.

It gives a combat bonus v. Gunpowder Units (+25% IIRC).