Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[dalamb]

I realize that this has been probably asked a million times before, but it is a 988 page thread... give me a break.

It's perfectly OK to ask a question that's been asked before -- no need to apologize!

 

[Mec AntiKythera]

Is there a common building that looks like a cothon? I see round, earthen harbor-like buildings from many cities in games where there never was a Carthage.

Perhaps posting a screenshot would help. At the moment I don't know which building you are referring to. A temple?

 

[CocoIsKing28]

Moderators, delete this post

 

[TheMulattoMaker]

Is there a common building that looks like a cothon? I see round, earthen harbor-like buildings from many cities in games where there never was a Carthage.

I don't know what a Carthage, but I sure do know your are talking about Viking's UB. Um...well...the thing that has a name, yeah whatever. It took me forever to separate HE and NE. Maybe I'll get the names for the rest one day...

Perhaps posting a screenshot would help. At the moment I don't know which building you are referring to. A temple?

I'm pretty sure Tachywaxon was right. The building he was talking about is the trading post. Don't have the game handy right now to check, but I think that's what they look like. calibur, were there Vikings in that game?

 

[Manco Capac]

Is there a common building that looks like a cothon? I see round, earthen harbor-like buildings from many cities in games where there never was a Carthage.

If I can take 30 minutes to look into the code for whimsical reasons, why not taking 5 seconds for a total stranger.

Trading Post is right and here's the reference.

 

[calibur]

If I can take 30 minutes to look into the code for whimsical reasons, why not taking 5 seconds for a total stranger.

Trading Post is right and here's the reference.

Alright then, that's settled.

 

[bman77]

There's a few things that I've been wondering for a while, but I never asked.


1. Do culture, research, and gold percentages (Like the bank, which gives +50% ) change over time? As in, if you have 50 gold/turn in your city, and you build a bank, then another building that gives gold, would the bank's output change?

2. When you build, for example, the Eiffel Tower, which makes there be a broadcast tower in every city, are they built in new cities too?

 

[Sisiutil]

There's a few things that I've been wondering for a while, but I never asked.


1. Do culture, research, and gold percentages (Like the bank, which gives +50% ) change over time? As in, if you have 50 gold/turn in your city, and you build a bank, then another building that gives gold, would the bank's output change?

2. When you build, for example, the Eiffel Tower, which makes there be a broadcast tower in every city, are they built in new cities too?

1. No, the percentage doesn't change, but yes, the actual output amount changes based upon circumstances.
2. Yes.

 

[damerell]

1. Do culture, research, and gold percentages (Like the bank, which gives +50% ) change over time? As in, if you have 50 gold/turn in your city, and you build a bank, then another building that gives gold, would the bank's output change?

The bank doesn't have output per se. The way these things almost always work is additive, not multiplicative. What I mean is:

In that city that gave 50 gold/turn, I build a bank. I now get an extra 25 gold/turn.

I now build a market. That gives 25% extra; 25% of 50 is 12.5 gold/turn.

I get the 12.5 from the market whether or not I have a bank. I get the 25 from the bank whether or not I have a market. They are totally independent of each other.

 

[vorlon_mi]

I'm going to get back into playing BtS, after taking a break for a while playing Civ3. I wanted to read some of the intro strategy guides again, to starting thinking in the Civ4 mindset. However, a lot of those were written in the days of Vanilla, where there was no Apostolic Palace.

Does anyone have pointers to some early-game strategy guides that include tips about AP planning? I will read some of the Noble's Club games, but I would also like some strategy articles to print out, and mull over.

 

[Manco Capac]

^
Now read my friend. Reeeaaaad....

AP

 

[vorlon_mi]

^
Now read my friend. Reeeaaaad....

AP

OK, thanks, but ... The AP page is a good and complete description about *what* it does -- not what I was looking for. Almost all the "city specialization" and "getting the most from your cities" articles were written in 2005 or 2006... before the AP.

Should my initial tech path be different in Vanilla and BtS? When should I try to build the AP, and when is it a bad investment of shields?

I'll try to search for articles written *after* 2009, and see what that gives.

 

[Sisiutil]

OK, thanks, but ... The AP page is a good and complete description about *what* it does -- not what I was looking for. Almost all the "city specialization" and "getting the most from your cities" articles were written in 2005 or 2006... before the AP.

Should my initial tech path be different in Vanilla and BtS? When should I try to build the AP, and when is it a bad investment of shields?

I'll try to search for articles written *after* 2009, and see what that gives.

I generally don't bother building the AP. I do think that most of the time it's a waste of hammers for the simple reason that you can, potentially, have all the benefits of the AP without building it. All you need is to have the AP religion in one of your cities. You can spread it from there, thus gaining (a) the +2 bonus for each religious building of the AP faith and (b) if you play your diplomatic cards right and/or have a big enough empire, you can become the AP resident and control the resolutions.

The risk you take by not building it is that you won't have the AP religion in any of your cities. The inconvenience this poses will vary with the map. On a continents map, for example, if the AP is built on a distant continent, you may never get the AP religion in any of your cities. On a Pangaea map, and sometimes on snaky continents, on the other hand, it's much more likely you'll be able to swing at least one AP religion city.

 

[damerell]

I do feel it depends slightly if you're a hardcore, no-reloading, a lost game is lost, player. I am (as I am sure all the experts at Civ Fanatics are, in which category I am not). No going back 40 turns to build the AP, and no turning off Diplomatic Victory.

As such, the case you have to watch for is the situation where, as Sisutil mentions, you can't influence the vote - if you've got the AP religion in one city, you can have it in all cities, and then you should be big enough to block victory.

I will sometimes build it, knowing then I'll be a major player in the AP religion. Often you can guide the resident vote to yourself through diplomacy, and then it can be useful, especially if you are having trouble with random wars.

I don't find the AP mechanic satisfactory and I have a better idea, but... who doesn't?

 

[bcool]

OK, thanks, but ... The AP page is a good and complete description about *what* it does -- not what I was looking for. Almost all the "city specialization" and "getting the most from your cities" articles were written in 2005 or 2006... before the AP.

Should my initial tech path be different in Vanilla and BtS? When should I try to build the AP, and when is it a bad investment of shields?

I'll try to search for articles written *after* 2009, and see what that gives.

It depends on game difficulty, but for the best space race games I think building the AP yourself is often worth it. If you build the AP you can build it much earlier than the AI normally would especially on lower difficulty levels. If you plan for the bonus hammers buildings and get the AP early enough in a long game like a space game, then the benefits significantly outweigh the cost. (especially when combined with the Univ of S. and Spiral Minaret)

However if you are going for a fast conquest victory the AP can usually be ignored unless you expect your enemies to build it and cause problems with the votes.

 

[rfcfanatic]

A multiplayer noob question - what is multiplayer ladder and how to join one in GameSpy?

 

[Luthor_Saxburg]

If you conquer a city with a Wonder when does the benefits from the Wonder start? Immediatly or when the resistance in the city is over?

 

[georgjorge]

Global benefits from wonders start immediately after conquring the city. So if it's the Great Lighthouse, you get the trade routes immediately, if it's the Pyramids, you can switch civics immediately and so on. Benefits which only apply to the conquered city - the gold from a shrine or the extra priest from the Temple of Artemis - only are applied after it comes out of revolt.

 

[Luthor_Saxburg]

Thanks! Very clear.

I do have one more question - what is FFA? I've seen the word around but I have no clue...

 

[rah]

If related to an MP game. Free For All. A no team MP game where each player is on their own.