Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Lord Parkin]

It's worth noting that a unit with March can use Medic promotions from other units. For instance, if you have a moving stack of units with a few March units and a Supermedic unit, the March units will heal at the Supermedic rate every turn. It's actually more efficient in most cases for you to keep your March units free from the Medic promotions so that they can get more useful promotions instead (e.g. down the Combat line).

 

[elmurcis]

Is there someone who can explain rules of making Pernament Alliance... I know that it changes tech cost (we are 2, not 1, its logical), but how much more it cost? Should I sign PA only with (1 of ) strongest AI to don't get in net loses in teching speed? (ok, 1 rival less, but thats different story)

In my current game (Huge/Marathon/Archip/Tiny Islands/Monarch) I'm playing as Dutch and i'm 1st in GDP (production too, nice Dikes, even 1 tile city >10 hammers) and I would like to make PA with Frederick, who is 3rd in rank and have some 2/3 of my GDP (mostly because he will soon have Panzers, also because he has 2 tech I want, but don't want to trade these against tech I want to keep for small time to complete wonders 1st), but I'm not sure if we together will not lose speed of teching against oponents...

 

[Lord Parkin]

Is there someone who can explain rules of making Pernament Alliance... I know that it changes tech cost (we are 2, not 1, its logical), but how much more it cost?

50% more for a 2 person alliance. (If you're starting the game with teams of 3+, add 50% for each additional person.)

Should I sign PA only with (1 of ) strongest AI to don't get in net loses in teching speed? (ok, 1 rival less, but thats different story)

Unless you're signing a PA with a very weak AI (who generates less than half your breakeven beakers per turn), your overall tech rate will increase in the PA. Signing a PA with a stronger civ is of course more beneficial, although you may have a harder time convincing them to go into it.

Even signing a PA with a weaker civ can be good if it'll net you a bunch of free techs. Don't forget the instant tech transfers are part of the benefit of PA's. If the weak civ you sign a PA dies, it should still be possible to sign with someone else later on.

In my current game (Huge/Marathon/Archip/Tiny Islands/Monarch) I'm playing as Dutch and i'm 1st in GDP (production too, nice Dikes, even 1 tile city >10 hammers) and I would like to make PA with Frederick, who is 3rd in rank and have some 2/3 of my GDP (mostly because he will soon have Panzers, also because he has 2 tech I want, but don't want to trade these against tech I want to keep for small time to complete wonders 1st), but I'm not sure if we together will not lose speed of teching against oponents...

As I've mentioned, tech speed shouldn't be an issue. However, bear in mind that in a PA, if one of you is building a wonder then it disables the other from building it. So if you're already building those wonders you should be good. You can also queue up future wonders so your teammate can't prevent you from building them. The only thing you have to look out for is if he starts building a wonder immediately on the turn you research the tech for it. Nothing you can do in that case, unfortunately.

 

[elmurcis]

50% more for a 2 person alliance. (If you're starting the game with teams of 3+, add 50% for each additional person.)


Unless you're signing a PA with a very weak AI (who generates less than half your breakeven beakers per turn), your overall tech rate will increase in the PA. Signing a PA with a stronger civ is of course more beneficial, although you may have a harder time convincing them to go into it.

Even signing a PA with a weaker civ can be good if it'll net you a bunch of free techs. Don't forget the instant tech transfers are part of the benefit of PA's. If the weak civ you sign a PA dies, it should still be possible to sign with someone else later on.


As I've mentioned, tech speed shouldn't be an issue. However, bear in mind that in a PA, if one of you is building a wonder then it disables the other from building it. So if you're already building those wonders you should be good. You can also queue up future wonders so your teammate can't prevent you from building them. The only thing you have to look out for is if he starts building a wonder immediately on the turn you research the tech for it. Nothing you can do in that case, unfortunately.

Really thanks... Now i see how to understand real economical benefit of it...
Yeah, this tech transfer is 1 thing I want that (after military in general and securing 1 country border too).

Oh... if I just put in building list these wonders it also counts as "started" (don't have to really build?)? nice... than I'm safe likely, already have put in building list all these shiny wonders... (still have to tech to Mass Media to get UN for "no Nuclear weapons" resolution... main reason I check this type of Victory , others are just Conquest and Space Race)

 

[Lord Parkin]

Really thanks... Now i see how to understand real economical benefit of it...

No worries, glad to help out.

Oh... if I just put in building list these wonders it also counts as "started" (don't have to really build?)?

Yes indeed.

nice... than I'm safe likely, already have put in building list all these shiny wonders... (still have to tech to Mass Media to get UN for "no Nuclear weapons" resolution... main reason I check this type of Victory , others are just Conquest and Space Race)

Cool. I usually try to get nukes banned in games with the AI as well. Although, if you've got a significant technological lead, it can be worth keeping them available for yourself - at least until other folks get close to them.

 

[bestbrian]

No worries, glad to help out.


Yes indeed.


Cool. I usually try to get nukes banned in games with the AI as well. Although, if you've got a significant technological lead, it can be worth keeping them available for yourself - at least until other folks get close to them.

Or, if you have a lead, build a bunch of them, and THEN ban them.

 

[Lord Parkin]

Or, if you have a lead, build a bunch of them, and THEN ban them.

Yeah, that was kind of the implication.

A tricky move to pull off, especially on the higher difficulty levels (and even more so in multiplayer)... but if you can manage it, it's pretty sweet.

 

[elmurcis]

Or, if you have a lead, build a bunch of them, and THEN ban them.

Looks not in this game... I should be 1st to build Manheten, but not 1st to get access to Nukes.... so.... ban is only choise...

Than I have another question....
I built Apostolic Palace early... but... how can win with it? (long time played Vanilla, so still not completely adapted to BTS)

 

[Ansive]

You need to spread the religion to every civilization. Then you will be able to select a diplomatic victory vote. (as long as you don't have enough votes to vote yourself - monopoly). I'm guessing one city of that religion in each civilization and a friendly neighbor with lots of cities with that faith might do it.
Very hard to pull off if others start running theocracy or are across an ocean.

 

[Ataxerxes]

You need to spread the religion to every civilization. Then you will be able to select a diplomatic victory vote. (as long as you don't have enough votes to vote yourself - monopoly). I'm guessing one city of that religion in each civilization and a friendly neighbor with lots of cities with that faith might do it.
Very hard to pull off if others start running theocracy or are across an ocean.

Ocean might be a problem, but I think Caravels can carry missionaries. There is a minor cheat if they're running Theocracy (found it when I did Khmer in RFC) you gift the other Civ the missionary. You can't convert their cities but they can and they will use the missionary on a city of their choice. Not quite as good as you converting Iceville (Pop. 1) but it can be done. I understand, but could be wrong, that if you don't have open borders with the other Civ (Toku, for ex.) you can gift them the Caravel with the missionary inside.

AP victory is a little cheesy, but AP has so many uses - dogpile, forced peace, getting a city, free hammers. Even without the AP victory, it'd still be a powerful wonder. Also useful for keeping out of AI's hands. If the wrong AI builds the thing, it can hand you a "Sorry, you lose!" card with a dogpile against you.

 

[Sisiutil]

Ocean might be a problem, but I think Caravels can carry missionaries.

I understand, but could be wrong, that if you don't have open borders with the other Civ (Toku, for ex.) you can gift them the Caravel with the missionary inside.

You are correct on both counts, sir.

 

[Morningcalm]

Once I found in a game that no one had founded Sid's Sushi yet. I had plenty of food sources, and a Great Merchant, but the button to found Sid's Sushi was greyed out in the cities I had him visit. Anyone know why I was unable to found the corporation?

 

[God-Emperor]

You were probably using the state property civic. State property = no corporations.

 

[Sisiutil]

Once I found in a game that no one had founded Sid's Sushi yet. I had plenty of food sources, and a Great Merchant, but the button to found Sid's Sushi was greyed out in the cities I had him visit. Anyone know why I was unable to found the corporation?

Were you running the State Property civic? You cannot found or spread corporations when running that civic (and foreign corporations cannot spread to you).

 

[Morningcalm]

Ah, thanks. I didn't know founding a corporation counted as a foreign corporation.

 

[God-Emperor]

Ah, thanks. I didn't know founding a corporation counted as a foreign corporation.

It doesn't. State property blocks all corporations, foreign and domestic.
Mercantilism blocks only foreign corporations so you can still found (and spread) your own when running it.

 

[elmurcis]

If corporations, than corporations - at what number of resources, Sushi, for example, really pays back? Game now playing (same game about what was asking before) I founded Sushi, got all resources available on map (17 neigbours... with trading got around 100 Fish+60 Clam + 20 Crab + 1 or 2 Rices), but +43 food seems too much to pay back... now confused to what number decrease corp bonus...

 

[Ansive]

About sushi. You get a fixed amount of food for every resource you have, depending on map size. So the increase is linear.
If you have very few resources you will gain a lot of money in your corporation headquarters with Wallstreet. With a moderated amount you will break even and get some extra food. With a lot of them you will lose money but have a lot of food. You can use that to run merchants.

With obscene amounts of food you will need Caste System to keep afloat.

What you shouldn't do is buy resources from other civilizations if you don't really need them (unless going for a cultural victory). Only trade your extras.

 

[elmurcis]

About sushi. You get a fixed amount of food for every resource you have, depending on map size. So the increase is linear.
If you have very few resources you will gain a lot of money in your corporation headquarters with Wallstreet. With a moderated amount you will break even and get some extra food. With a lot of them you will lose money but have a lot of food. You can use that to run merchants.

With obscene amounts of food you will need Caste System to keep afloat.

What you shouldn't do is buy resources from other civilizations if you don't really need them (unless going for a cultural victory). Only trade your extras.

Oh, thanks.. yeah, only with Caste System it really started to work (can switch civics whatever number/turn want because of that nice wonder), but using 20% of culture slider to get over Emancipation unhapiness seems too high price...
I just wanted to see how much food I can get out of Sushi, now I see its 2-3 times too much for healthy country (this seems another reason to cancel all food import - I will not be able to use well largest cities if 1/2 of extra food is going to be wasted by unhealth). And -500/turn Net foreign also is big price...
There is only 1 small point I see to keep so high +Food for small time - its great way how to grow up smallest cities far from capital (have 4 "keypoint" cities around the world).
Anyway - thanks

 

[shpeka]

A quick one. If I have a Defensive Pact with an AI, does this prevent him from declaring war on me?