Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Ataxerxes]

Note that both gems and furs give happiness. If you cancel the trade, you'll gain happiness from the gems, but lose it from furs. However, gems give an additional happiness in cities with forges; furs an additional happiness in cities with markets. Which resource is better for you depends on how your cities are developed.

Finally the trade gives you a diplomatic benefit. You can get up to a +2 diplomatic modifier for "We appreciate the years you have provided us with resources". I'll sometimes swap equivalent resources, for example, clams for crabs, just to get the diplomatic benefit, even though the trade makes no sense otherwise.

It's generally better to trade your excess if you can. The AI won't trade it's only gems, fur or whatever unless it's your vassal. However, if you have to, your strategy idea of trading your only resource for something else for the diplo benefits is a good one.

Also, the AI isn't too smart on its trades. In mid-game it assigns the same trade worth to Cows and Corn. However, until Supermarkets Corn give +2 Health and Cows give +1 Health (this presumes Granaries are in place, which they should be).

Trading for Strategic resources is a whole new topic. Those cost and are worth a LOT more.

 

[Danelius90]

Excellent. Thank you. Didn't know that about Generals BTW.

F

one thing noteworthy about GG is when you upgrade you keep experience. If you upgrade a unit with more than 10xp, it goes back to 10 (but retains level and promotions) e.g. if you had 20xp rifle and upgraded to infantry it would have 10, unless a GG was attached

 

[Darth Fred]

one thing noteworthy about GG is when you upgrade you keep experience. If you upgrade a unit with more than 10xp, it goes back to 10 (but retains level and promotions) e.g. if you had 20xp rifle and upgraded to infantry it would have 10, unless a GG was attached

WOA now! Loosing experience through upgrades?!?! I didn't know that either... never noticed it.
F

 

[s.bernbaum]

WOA now! Loosing experience through upgrades?!?! I didn't know that either... never noticed it.
F

The XP fall back to 10 but you don't lose the promotions already taken. It just takes a heck of a lot more earned XP to get up to the next promotion. So, if a unit is almost to the next promotion and I want to upgrade it, I wait until it picks up the remaining XP and the promotion before I upgrade it.

 

[Darth Fred]

The XP fall back to 10 but you don't lose the promotions already taken. It just takes a heck of a lot more earned XP to get up to the next promotion. So, if a unit is almost to the next promotion and I want to upgrade it, I wait until it picks up the remaining XP and the promotion before I upgrade it.

Well I knew about keeping promotions (I think I would have noticed that) but not the experience. Good information to keep in mind.

Thanks.

F

 

[Dr Turkleton]

Just bought Civ 4 Complete and I'm loving it so far -- even though I have no idea what I'm doing half the time.

I have the basics down, I know how to manage my Empire on a newb level, but I was lurking around on the forums and I saw a bunch of people talking about specialized cities and what not. They said something like SE, WE, and things like that. I looked around in the thread that they were mentioned in, and I saw nothing.

If you've read this far, I <3 you. One last question. What leader would you guys suggest that I should play as? I like to, at first, just build up my nation's infrastructure and then make a giant death push to whoever's closest.

 

[Ataxerxes]

Just bought Civ 4 Complete and I'm loving it so far -- even though I have no idea what I'm doing half the time.

I have the basics down, I know how to manage my Empire on a newb level, but I was lurking around on the forums and I saw a bunch of people talking about specialized cities and what not. They said something like SE, WE, and things like that. I looked around in the thread that they were mentioned in, and I saw nothing.

If you've read this far, I <3 you. One last question. What leader would you guys suggest that I should play as? I like to, at first, just build up my nation's infrastructure and then make a giant death push to whoever's closest.

Inca are generally regarding as the best or one of the best Civs. However, I'd recommend playing different leaders to explore how they work.

Specializing cities simply means giving each city a role. One or two cities would build only military units. No libraries, non-military wonders, etc. - just basic buildings for a city, military enhancements and military units. One high-food city should be devoted to specialists - run specialists and great person enhancements to get Great People.

SE is an older term referring to specialist economy. It isn't used much, as the GP farm running specialists provide a lot of the benefits.

 

[s.bernbaum]

If you go to the menu bar at the top of all CFF screens, the drop down menu under "Misc" has an entry for "CIV Acronyms". You can look up all the common and some obscure abbreviations there.

 

[Dr Turkleton]

Inca are generally regarding as the best or one of the best Civs. However, I'd recommend playing different leaders to explore how they work.

I don't have a problem with playing different leaders, I'm just not sure how to actually use the traits to my advantage. I know how some traits work like financial, aggressive, and protective work.

What I mean is, the Philosophical trait helps Great Person birth rate, but I'm not really sure how I increase that and whatnot. (Wonder Spamming is the only thing I know, and I read that's bad to do.)

If you go to the menu bar at the top of all CFF screens, the drop down menu under "Misc" has an entry for "CIV Acronyms". You can look up all the common and some obscure abbreviations there.

Thanks, I'll make sure to check that out next time. Was just in a rush to post so I didn't bother to look at anything. (Silly me. My question is probably answered in an FAQ somewhere)

 

[Darth Fred]

Just bought Civ 4 Complete and I'm loving it so far -- even though I have no idea what I'm doing half the time.

Hot damn I'm not the only one!


F

 

[rogue131]

If you are playing at higher difficulty level than Noble, the AI get production bonuses (increasing with increasing difficulty). It is often also possible to build two older units for every advanced unit, in terms of production capacity. They also pay very little or almost nothing to upgrade units. Drafting and using slavery to rush units are also to be expected, and/or Universal Sufferage buying of units (which they also get at discount at higher levels). In addition, inside their own territory, they usually have roads and can move much faster than you can... and they will.

You should check the power graphs often, and the diplo screen showing what techs they have. You may not see a lot of units, but the power graph lets you know if they are out of site. Even better, scout your opponent well to determine where the armageddom stack is before you declare war. If you see one massing on your border, expect them to declare war (also check that if they refuse to be bribed to war because "we have enough on our hands right now" even though they aren't in another war, it means they are planning one.

Nice tip, I'm a bit too trusting of the AI sometimes, which is why island games give me a peace of mind. Know what I mean?

 

[kcd_swede]

Nice tip, I'm a bit too trusting of the AI sometimes, which is why island games give me a peace of mind. Know what I mean?

Yes, I know what you mean. Its takes a lot of experience to learn enough about the personality characteristics of each different leader and what is needed (diplomacy and/or power rating) to prevent them declaring war... half the fun is learning this by experience, but of course you can take short-cut by looking around in the forums.

 

[Luthor_Saxburg]

Inflation... how does it work? Can someone explain?

 

[kcd_swede]

Inflation... how does it work? Can someone explain?

Its an unavoidable cost that you have to pay out each turn and get nothing in return for. It increases over time.

 

[Ansive]

Try this on google

site:http://forums.civfanatics.com inflation

 

[nfw]

Some more tidbits..


A few factors might be worth considering.
If you have 2 gems for example, and one of the mines get pillaged you lose your happiness bonus (the active trade stands). If the second one also gets pillaged the trade is off and you get a negative diplomacy modifier.

Really? I have self pillaged to cancel a trade before, never knew there was a penalty.

 

[Ansive]

Then again I can't remember such a negative modifier.
I know civ 3 had a trade reputation you needed to care for. I think it was removed in 4.

It's still a bit of an exploit. What happens if someone ask for iron as tribute and you pillage both your sources...

 

[Ataxerxes]

Then again I can't remember such a negative modifier.
I know civ 3 had a trade reputation you needed to care for. I think it was removed in 4.

It's still a bit of an exploit. What happens if someone ask for iron as tribute and you pillage both your sources...

I remember the trade reputation in 3. I haven't seen the negative modifier in IV, but I seldom have that happen. And some AI's are very likely to go to war if you refuse their requests (I know Bismark, Julius and Washington are very likely). However, the diplo hit isn't as bad as the trade reputation.

I'd recommend something a little different. Check up on the deal and cancel it as soon as possible.

The problem of tribute when you're weak can be an issue. I often don't improve the second source of Iron. The AI won't demand your only source (and won't give you their only unless they're a vassal. Another out is to immediately trade your resource when you hook it up. With Iron, there are obvious dangers to this. But for health or happiness resources, trade it immediately before somebody decides to demand it. Then they'll ask for something else and . . .

Here's another way to cheat the AI. The AI knows Coal, Aluminim, Oil et al is extremely valuable so they pay a lot to get it. However, sometimes the AI is backwards and can't use the resource. Say the AI doesn't yet have Steel or Railroads - you can charge through the nose for an extra Coal (you have supplied us with resources +2 diplo) and then cut off the deal when they can actually use the resource. They like you for taking advantage of them. And there isn't a diplo modifier for cancelling the deal after expiration.

 

[rogue131]

Yes, I know what you mean. Its takes a lot of experience to learn enough about the personality characteristics of each different leader and what is needed (diplomacy and/or power rating) to prevent them declaring war... half the fun is learning this by experience, but of course you can take short-cut by looking around in the forums.

Who's to say I haven't? . What do you think you just did, but provide a semi-short cut.

I've always wondered if you can configure what trade routes go for what?

 

[Brian5150]

Some more tidbits..

For the happiness, health, unit availability and wonder production bonuses you only need 1 resource. You may trade all extra resources without losing anything.
So it it says I'm trading gems 1of 4, that means I had 3 extras? And in order for all cities to use them, they all have to be linked together through a trade network?
I have roads between all my cities, but everytime I look at my city map, it shows that my trade is only with two of them. How come they aren't all connected? It is the first two cities I built though, I think