Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

Thank you, yes, a lot!

Next question is this -- I am at war with the 3rd place (of 3, I'm first) in cash at the moment and would like to contact the head of the country who I suspect would entertain peace. (note: downloaded BAT/BUG to see what it looks like and saw a note at top of page when I sat down saying he did, anyway).

How do I contact the guy? I've tried to pull it from the manual but can't find it there or in the buttons.

Bluesman
 
1 Quick ?

I have been expanding from the beggining of my game. It's now about 800 AD and I have about 15 cities. There is still a pocket of land in my backyard left to expand. I am in strike, but not too badly. Should I settle this pocket first or recover from the strike? I have the all of the basic techs including: Alpha/Currency/CoL What should I do?
 
Hi guys, I recently took advantage of an online special and picked up Civ IV for $5, which is great. I remember playing the original Civ back in the day and once again here I am waking up sleepy in the morning because I love it.

Two questions, one technical and one strategic:

Strategic -- How long do you guys spend finding the right spot for your first city? I feel nervous searching for a spot more than 2-3 turns but I'm aware that finding just the right spot might more than make up for it in the long run.

Technical -- I noticed this version has "multiplayer" support and I tried signing up for an "Internet game" account, but it just does nothing. Are there online forums for playing?

Thanks much for your help!

XX
 
Hi everybody. I'm writing a short essay about Civ for a game design class, and I want to discuss the multiplayer game but I can't get one running. Can someone tell me whether the multiplayer version offers the Settler->Deity difficulty setting, and whether you get a ranking (Dan Quayle->Augustus Caesar) at the end?

Many thanks.
Welcome to CFC! :D

Multiplayer does indeed have the Settler-Deity difficulty settings, although in all-human games the difficulty settings only really affect things like research rate and barbarian activity. Everyone is still on a level playing field with respect to build times and such - although, if a player retires to AI, that AI will suddenly get all of the Deity bonuses if the player's level was set to Deity (for instance). Different players can set themselves different difficulty settings (one Noble and another Monarch for instance), but this is unusual and only for the purpose of handicapping. (The higher difficulty level a player picks, the slower his research will be.)

You do indeed still get a ranking (Dan Quayle -> Augustus Caesar) at the end.

If you want to flick through an example of a 2 player multiplayer game against AI's, you can check out the link in my signature for the "multiplayer team game with Sisiutil". That thread also includes all of the screens you see after winning the game, if you flick to the 1860 AD write-up. ;)
 
Thank you, yes, a lot!

Next question is this -- I am at war with the 3rd place (of 3, I'm first) in cash at the moment and would like to contact the head of the country who I suspect would entertain peace. (note: downloaded BAT/BUG to see what it looks like and saw a note at top of page when I sat down saying he did, anyway).

How do I contact the guy? I've tried to pull it from the manual but can't find it there or in the buttons.

Bluesman
Welcome to the forums! :D

To contact a leader, click their name in the score bar to the bottom-left of the screen. If you don't see the other players' names, clicking your own name should reveal them. Alternatively, you can go to the F4 diplomacy screen and right-click a face. :)

If the leader refuses to talk to you, you only have two options: (a) give it time and wait it out, or (b) capture a few more of their cities. Either way, they'll eventually want to talk again. ;)

1 Quick ?

I have been expanding from the beggining of my game. It's now about 800 AD and I have about 15 cities. There is still a pocket of land in my backyard left to expand. I am in strike, but not too badly. Should I settle this pocket first or recover from the strike? I have the all of the basic techs including: Alpha/Currency/CoL What should I do?
Whoa... 800 AD and you're in strike? Something is seriously wrong with this picture. Have you built cottages? Are your cities connected? Have you built plenty of Workers? Is this a Standard size map?

The answer to your question is that you need to recover from the strike first. But I think the more important question is, how did you manage to get yourself into strike in the first place?

The only time I even get close to a strike is when I'm playing someone like Rome and going for the huge military campaign strategy - conquering vast amounts of territory in a very short time. However, if you've been expanding peacefully (which is how it sounds), then there should be absolutely no reason for you to be in strike, especially at 800 AD (which is getting well into the mid game).

I would be very interested to see a savegame if you're able to upload one. Something must be mortally wrong with your empire management if you're managing to get into strike at 800 AD by expanding peacefully. (Please don't take offense by the way - I only want to help with what sounds like a bafflingly bad circumstance.) :)

Hi guys, I recently took advantage of an online special and picked up Civ IV for $5, which is great. I remember playing the original Civ back in the day and once again here I am waking up sleepy in the morning because I love it.

Two questions, one technical and one strategic:

Strategic -- How long do you guys spend finding the right spot for your first city? I feel nervous searching for a spot more than 2-3 turns but I'm aware that finding just the right spot might more than make up for it in the long run.
Welcome to the site! :D

Nine times out of ten I'll just settle in place. The random map generator is usually okay at not completely screwing you over, so you'll usually do fine by settling in place. It's only if I find myself in a situation where I could get a far better spot by moving 1-2 tiles (i.e. far more resources, or a plains-hill start) that I'll consider moving.

Technical -- I noticed this version has "multiplayer" support and I tried signing up for an "Internet game" account, but it just does nothing. Are there online forums for playing?

Thanks much for your help!

XX
Yes, there are online "forums" for playing games, and you should be able to access them through the Internet Games (or Online Games) menu. When you sign up for an account it might lag for 5-10 seconds, but it should eventually sign you in. Give it another shot and see. The multiplayer experience is certainly a fun one, and I recommend trying it. :)
 
@Lord Parkin: It will make since when I explain it in more detail. A save game won't show you the past... Which is what will explain it. I strained and drained my economy from square 1. But, it's an investment. You see, this is what happened. From the very beggining I skipped some important economy techs and pushed them up for later. For instance; I got BW instead of pottery. Don't worry, I got it eventually. (2200BC.) I commenced a rush w/ 9 Axemen. Against my neighbor who was 3 tiles away. (Degaulle, and obviously a needed and cheap rush.) It was about 1200BC, (A tad late, I know.)

A complete success! I conquered all 3 of his cities and kept 3 city raider III axemen!
Meanwhile I had been building axemen all over the place. I had 19 extra's. (Not including the veterens.) So, I attacked Charly from my north. A fail... I conquered 2 of his 6 cities and eventually had to liberate them due to culteral pressure and $.

After this I had to secure the gap that separated our nations. (About 6 tiles high and 20 tiles long.) So, I built alot of cities along that line, and a few more down south. At this point I had about 15 cities. It was about 800 AD. I am just starting to build courthouses and sence I built most of those settlers recently. Most of my cities are only lvl 1/3. So, get out of strike. (Almost there, -10 pt. and many more CH's to go.) Fill in that 3/4 city gap. Improve the land and specialize those cities. Stack some $x's on 'em. Combined with the facts that I now own 60% Of the continent, I am Victoria, (Financial.) and LAND IS POWER!!!

Courtisy of my thread. (Mid Game Economic Recovery.) That's why I posted it.
 
rrrrrrrrrrrrrolling along thanks to you all, and if you're following my difficulties I managed to win peace from a leader who earlier told me to, "Drop Dead."

The next question that's bugging me is about mining. Earlier in the game, I had workers who could and did mine. Now I want to start getting items via mining but that option doesn't ever come up as a known skill, even when I'm around items such as steel or gems. What's the connection there? Which type character and which talent should be there for them to do a lot more mining. How do I get into that stream of learning? Do I have to wait till I find that (as when I was granted Mining) offered to me? Clicking on the talent tree won't do it?

So, to clear, I've gotten futzed up over mining and would appreciate a tutorial. Or good wishes, heck I'll take either.

Bluesman
 
Bluesman, I don't understand your question very well.

I've decided tonight I really don't get this game enough to ask questions correctly >.<

That's usually a bad sign, alas.

I suppose I couldn't tell if somehow the order I gave for the warrior/unit to sit tight wasn't holding or what -- they seemed to keep popping up for an order every turn or so and I was way confused.

I suspect third day of looking at the game more than a few experts here weren't quite sure what they were looking at either.

Anyway, gl all, enjoy and thanks.

Bluesman
 
I've decided tonight I really don't get this game enough to ask questions correctly >.<

That's usually a bad sign, alas.

I suppose I couldn't tell if somehow the order I gave for the warrior/unit to sit tight wasn't holding or what -- they seemed to keep popping up for an order every turn or so and I was way confused.

I suspect third day of looking at the game more than a few experts here weren't quite sure what they were looking at either.

Anyway, gl all, enjoy and thanks.

Bluesman

There are two ways to make a warrior sit and not ask for orders every turn: you can Fortify him (crossed swords icon at bottom of screen) or sentry him (icon that has a telescope on it). If you sentry him, he will wake up when enemy units approach, and he won't get defense bonus that fortifying gives. You can also automate workers... but this is generally not a great strategy and I wouldn't use it until late in the game and make sure to select from game options "automated workers leave old improvements" option.

Your other question about making mines... are you sure you are selecting a Worker unit... I've sometimes confused the graphics for a warrior with that for a worker. Workers are the only units that can make improvements like mines.

Also, if you do not know Iron Working, Workers cannot improve any resource that is in jungle-covered terrain. Those gems are not accessible until you can cut jungle, which requires ironworking.
 
Hi all,

I only have the "regular" Civ4 installed in my pc. I'd like to download the latest past for BTS in the downloads center. Will this do? or do I still have to install the BTS?


Thanks
 
Hi all,

I only have the "regular" Civ4 installed in my pc. I'd like to download the latest past for BTS in the downloads center. Will this do? or do I still have to install the BTS?


Thanks

Do you mean patch?
The latest patch for Civ 4 is v1.74, and the latest patch for BTS is v3.19; you might be able to download the v3.19 patch without BTS but it won't do you any good until you first install the Beyond the Sword expansion.
 
Just wondering if there's a way 2 queue terrain improvements?
Cheers
Yep, although it's a bit fiddly.

1. Select the Worker whose movements you want to queue, then hold "Shift" while clicking the action you want them to do on the tile they're on (e.g. build pasture).
2. Let go of "Shift" for a moment, press "G" (Goto), then hold "Shift" again and click where you want the Worker to go next.
3. Continue to hold "Shift" as you select what you want him to do on the tile (e.g. build mine then road).
4. Repeat 2 and 3 as often as desired for your selected Worker.
5. Move on to the next Worker and repeat 1-4. :)

To cancel a queued order, press the "Cancel" button in the toolbar at the bottom of the page. Note that this only cancels one order at a time, and only the last one you gave.

Have fun with your queueing! :)
 
Do Hammer/Commerce multipliers only affect the base commerce/hammmers?
Yes. The only exception I can think of is the Bureaucracy commerce multiplier. This multiplies the commerce of your capital by 1.5, then all other multipliers are applied on top of that.

Aside from that, all multipliers are applied to the base commerce/hammers.
 
Yes. The only exception I can think of is the Bureaucracy commerce multiplier. This multiplies the commerce of your capital by 1.5, then all other multipliers are applied on top of that.

Aside from that, all multipliers are applied to the base commerce/hammers.

Holy crap! That is ALOT of commerce AND hammers.
 
Newbie Questions from a [Vanilla] Civfan...

OK, I'm having fun but I'm kind of stuck in a rut. I keep re-starting games for one reason or another, never getting much beyond 1AD or maybe 500AD before I do so. Part of this is the simple joy of pushing back the fog in yet another randomly generated world; I also have enjoyed starting out as random civilizations and have not yet settled on a favorite.

What tends to happen is that I am not making smart choices or sticking to a working strategy and instead am trying to 'cover all the bases'. I try rapidly expanding and I end up with too many cities and with management costs I cannot afford them all. I try a military path and either end up with too many (captured) cities again or after razing them I am then faced with another opponent moving in to fill the gap. I have tried focusing on Religion (culture) and then seem to fall behind financially or militarily and when I negelect Religions I typically suffer from cities that do not expand. (What is the best way to 'catch' Religion, anyway?)

Mostly I seem to be failing at managing my costs; if someone could outline their typical technology flow to get to a set of civics and buildings/improvements which stand the test of time. What is the best path to follow if I wish to have a lot of cities early? Four seems to be about as many as I can manage usually. I believe I understand certain basics like the 60% rule, 1.5 workers, and I believe I use 'chopping' and 'whipping' appropriately.

Oh, and I have seen the light and play games now on Prince (moved up from Noble) difficulty, Marathon speed and Large (not Huge) map size.
 
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