Sisiutil
All Leader Challenger
The current build version for BTS is 3.1.9.0, dated May 2009. You may be loading vanilla or Warlords instead of BTS, as bestbrain theorized.
Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions
- Thread starter Civrules
- Start date
ahhh. okay, you know it's funny, because my NEXT topic/question was going to ask what the heck was going on with all these different mods and options I got with this complete edition..
I just bought the game. I played Civ 3 a bunch but that was years ago. I've missed out on Civ 4 from the beginning.
SO, when I installed, no shortcuts were put on the Desktop, and also nothing in the Start Menu.. (which is annoying) so I just went to the Civ folder and started up the Civ 4 application and started playing.
then just today I started looking in the other folders and realized all the other Mods/Expansions start up with their own .exe ...
so anyway, can someone just give me a quick rundown of what the basics are with Civ 4 Vanilla/Warlords/BTS/Colonization ??
what is each version about, what are the main differences.. and most importantly, what is the latest and best version (Beyond the Sword, I take it?) that I should be playing for the best 'straight civ' experience, and where can I find the latest patches etcetera for that?
probably I can find this info around, I KNow, so a brief answer is fine! thanks. =)
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edit: well I just patched BTS to full. just wondering what are the main features of each game/mod?
I just bought the game. I played Civ 3 a bunch but that was years ago. I've missed out on Civ 4 from the beginning.
SO, when I installed, no shortcuts were put on the Desktop, and also nothing in the Start Menu.. (which is annoying) so I just went to the Civ folder and started up the Civ 4 application and started playing.
then just today I started looking in the other folders and realized all the other Mods/Expansions start up with their own .exe ...
so anyway, can someone just give me a quick rundown of what the basics are with Civ 4 Vanilla/Warlords/BTS/Colonization ??
what is each version about, what are the main differences.. and most importantly, what is the latest and best version (Beyond the Sword, I take it?) that I should be playing for the best 'straight civ' experience, and where can I find the latest patches etcetera for that?
probably I can find this info around, I KNow, so a brief answer is fine! thanks. =)
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edit: well I just patched BTS to full. just wondering what are the main features of each game/mod?
No shortcuts eh? My guess is that you have Windows Vista or Windows 7 - both of which put their civ shortcuts in that ridiculous "games" section of the start menu. (Not start->programs->...->games. Just start->games, where it has that special games folder that no one likes.)
Colonization is a complete conversion of the Civ4 engine into an almost completely different game. It's a remake of... Colonization. It's just a different game.
Warlords and Beyond the Sword are both expansion packs to the original Civ4. Beyond the Sword has all the gameplay features that were added in Warlords plus more. The main reason to play Warlords would be that you want to play a specific Warlords scenario, or if you dislike some new BTS features. I recommend that you go straight to playing Beyond the Sword and forgot about vanilla/Warlords. Maybe return to Warlords to check out the scenarios if you want to try something a little bit different.
Each game comes with some mods and scenarios. I personally have only looked a couple. I find I have more fun just playing the game normally.
Colonization is a complete conversion of the Civ4 engine into an almost completely different game. It's a remake of... Colonization. It's just a different game.
Warlords and Beyond the Sword are both expansion packs to the original Civ4. Beyond the Sword has all the gameplay features that were added in Warlords plus more. The main reason to play Warlords would be that you want to play a specific Warlords scenario, or if you dislike some new BTS features. I recommend that you go straight to playing Beyond the Sword and forgot about vanilla/Warlords. Maybe return to Warlords to check out the scenarios if you want to try something a little bit different.
Each game comes with some mods and scenarios. I personally have only looked a couple. I find I have more fun just playing the game normally.
s.bernbaum
Mostly lurking
"No Tech Brokering" is an option introduced in BTS. If you are playing either of the plain, or "vanilla" as we call it, or Warlords versions, then you will not have that option. Since your version number is 1.74, I gather that you are playing vanilla, since that is the correct current version number for the original game. If you want "No Tech Brokering" you will have to launch the BTS version instead of the original version.
thx Karadoc, that's exactly what I was looking for
I do have Vista, but Civ 4 / Firaxis is nowhere to be found in my Start Menu.. I don't know why, actually. I checked that 'Games' folder earlier
I have had no problems with other games showing up there, I think. right now Tropico and Deus Ex (nameless mod) are in there..
I do have Vista, but Civ 4 / Firaxis is nowhere to be found in my Start Menu.. I don't know why, actually. I checked that 'Games' folder earlier
I have had no problems with other games showing up there, I think. right now Tropico and Deus Ex (nameless mod) are in there..
This is a weird thing that was reported with Civ Complete. I've read before where some people had your issue without desktop launch icons, and hidden files. Are you using the disc, or did you download it? I think the issue was with downloads. If you check in the tech support forum there should be an answer for you there.
I got mine from Amazon also, and it gave me the options of what to install. That's weird, but from what I understand there is some sort of crazy thing going on with Vista, and icons, and files, and whatnot. Hit up the tech support forum; I'm sure those evil geniuses will be able to help you out. Goodluck.
AbuHab
Warlord
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2004
- Messages
- 201
When my city's defenses are reduced by enemy bombardment, what, exactly, is and isn't being reduced? The city walls? The castle? Terrain bonuses? Cultural defense bonuses?
Also, if I successfully defend my city, can I later rebuild my city's defenses after the enemy leaves, or are the city's defenses permanently reduced?
Also, if I successfully defend my city, can I later rebuild my city's defenses after the enemy leaves, or are the city's defenses permanently reduced?
well, I'm well into my first BTS game (Prince/Byzantium), and I am totally loving it and doing really well... I'm on a small continent (large/fractal map) w/only the Russians, and I'm crushing them, though war hasn't started (yet). I built Stonehenge (first wonder up) and founded the first religion.
anyway, I have a couple of quick questions.
1. is there any way to help keep my spy secret? like, if I keep him to the forests and hills of the enemy territory, where there are no roads, is it less likely he'll be seen?
2. are there lasting penalties for completely wiping out another civ?
3. I know there was one other thing.... =\
anyway, I have a couple of quick questions.
1. is there any way to help keep my spy secret? like, if I keep him to the forests and hills of the enemy territory, where there are no roads, is it less likely he'll be seen?
2. are there lasting penalties for completely wiping out another civ?
3. I know there was one other thing.... =\
Your city defenses are a single number, defined by 20% * number of border pops. Walls simply make this number have a minimum of 50% and Castle 100%, in addition to slowing the bombard damage.
Other defense bonuses such as hill defense bonus can't be bombarded, neither can unit specific bonuses or the fortification bonus (from staying on the same tile 1-5 turns for 5%-25% extra defense).
If the bombard ceases, the defenses gradually build back up to normal.
Roland Johansen
Deity
1. A spy is more likely found when it's moving around each turn, when it ends its turn inside a city with a foreign security bureau (or a foreign tile with a foreign enemy spy which you can't know) or when your enemy has generated more espionage points throughout the game then you have. Furthermore, when the opposing civilisation executes a counterespionage mission against you or when it closes its borders against you, it will also find your spies more easily.
2. Not really. Repeatedly declaring war against a civilisation however doesn't make you popular with its friends (more precisely, those with pleased or better relations with this civilisation).
3. Let us know when you remember.
Morty
Prince
Hi,
This is probably a very silly question, but thinking I understood Civ IV (BtS), had a situation today which confused me totally!
I'd always assumed that me (as the human player) took their moves before the AI, and therefore if both myself and an AI completed a victory condition on the same turn, then I would get the win.
In today's game, I launched my spaceship, and one turn later Joao launched his. My spaceship was fully built and had 2 engines, Joao's also had 2 engines but was missing a few bits of casing (presumably he launched his in response to me launching mine).
So, half way through my "10 turns to victory" Joao declares war on me - presumably in attempt to disrupt my spaceship? Lots of nukes later, and nobody's gone anywhere (except for some very barren land!!
), and so I get down to "1 turn to victory".
Ended my turn, expecting things to cycle through and give me a space race victory. However, for reasons I dont understand, Joao wins a space race instead.
So if we've got (presumably) equal spaceships (in terms of engine, and hence in terms of time to Alpha Centauri) and I (apparently) launched my spaceship a turn before how can Joao get the win?
So I did the "just one more turn" after the game had finished, went to view my spaceship and got the usual message about being welcome to Alpha Centauri. So the spaceship made it but apparently didn't give me the victory!
After all that rambling and background, the question is:-
"Who goes first - Human or AI?" and "How could i have been beaten to a space race?"
Apologies if answered elsewhere - did try a quick search but wasn't entirely sure what to search on!!
Thank you for your help.
This is probably a very silly question, but thinking I understood Civ IV (BtS), had a situation today which confused me totally!
I'd always assumed that me (as the human player) took their moves before the AI, and therefore if both myself and an AI completed a victory condition on the same turn, then I would get the win.
In today's game, I launched my spaceship, and one turn later Joao launched his. My spaceship was fully built and had 2 engines, Joao's also had 2 engines but was missing a few bits of casing (presumably he launched his in response to me launching mine).
So, half way through my "10 turns to victory" Joao declares war on me - presumably in attempt to disrupt my spaceship? Lots of nukes later, and nobody's gone anywhere (except for some very barren land!!
), and so I get down to "1 turn to victory".Ended my turn, expecting things to cycle through and give me a space race victory. However, for reasons I dont understand, Joao wins a space race instead.
So if we've got (presumably) equal spaceships (in terms of engine, and hence in terms of time to Alpha Centauri) and I (apparently) launched my spaceship a turn before how can Joao get the win?
So I did the "just one more turn" after the game had finished, went to view my spaceship and got the usual message about being welcome to Alpha Centauri. So the spaceship made it but apparently didn't give me the victory!
After all that rambling and background, the question is:-
"Who goes first - Human or AI?" and "How could i have been beaten to a space race?"
Apologies if answered elsewhere - did try a quick search but wasn't entirely sure what to search on!!
Thank you for your help.
if I start a new game with "Play Now", will it use the settings I've chosen for the extra options in the "Custom Game" section.
for example, I have 'no tech brokering' turned ON. so, if I start a game in 'Play Now', will it still be on?
the reason I ask is, I want my Custom settings, but I like to start through 'Play Now' because it's so much easier to browse the Civ/Leader I want...
for example, I have 'no tech brokering' turned ON. so, if I start a game in 'Play Now', will it still be on?
the reason I ask is, I want my Custom settings, but I like to start through 'Play Now' because it's so much easier to browse the Civ/Leader I want...
Ignorant Teacher
Emperor
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,467
No, it won't. It will reverse back to standard settings. Same goes for events and huts, etc.
bioelectricclam
Warlord
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2006
- Messages
- 244
Anyone know what the rewards are for the War Chariots quest? Or maybe someone could point me in the direction of a list of all the rewards...
Hi,
In today's game, I launched my spaceship, and one turn later Joao launched his. My spaceship was fully built and had 2 engines, Joao's also had 2 engines but was missing a few bits of casing (presumably he launched his in response to me launching mine).
..So if we've got (presumably) equal spaceships (in terms of engine, and hence in terms of time to Alpha Centauri) and I (apparently) launched my spaceship a turn before how can Joao get the win?
So I did the "just one more turn" after the game had finished, went to view my spaceship and got the usual message about being welcome to Alpha Centauri. So the spaceship made it but apparently didn't give me the victory!
After all that rambling and background, the question is:-
"Who goes first - Human or AI?" and "How could i have been beaten to a space race?"
Apologies if answered elsewhere - did try a quick search but wasn't entirely sure what to search on!!
Thank you for your help.
Human goes first. If your spaceship gets there, game over... and there is no "in between turn" (IBT) after that, so what happens to Joao's spaceship would be irrelevant.
But you luanched, then hit "enter", then see Joao launch during the IBT... it means technically that you and he launched on THE SAME TURN (same date). You still win if both spaceships get there on the same turn.
However... Jaoa launched without some of the very heavy casings, making his spaceship FASTER. He must have gotten there the turn BEFORE yours got there. Does this make sense? Why build the casings if they just slow you down? Well... the Casings determine the success probability. All 5=100%. Joao went with fewer, taking a chance that his SS might burn up in the atmosphere, in exchange for a faster SS that had at least a chance of winning.
Note: any time the AI launch an incomplete SS RIGHT AFTER you have launched, it is a safe assumption that they will win the Space Race if you do not capture their capitol before it gets there. They would complete it and send it at a later date if they had no chance to beat you to Alpha Centauri anyhow.
Frustrating, though... isn't it?
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