Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Mec AntiKythera]

. . . but now I have updated to win 8 . . .

Why would you want to do that? Are you playing on a touchscreen system? Are there other advantages you can't live without? You may be better off rethinking that move first.

 

[Qgqqqqq]

Is the AI smart enough to switch civics during golden age if they aren't spiritual?

No.
Link to source (scroll down a bit):http://www.dos486.com/civ4/adv35/

 

[Manco Capac]

No.
Link to source (scroll down a bit):http://www.dos486.com/civ4/adv35/

Haven't read the link's content, but I'm pretty sure the AI is tied to swap civics at every 25 turns for non spiritual AIs and 10 turns for spiritual ones as long as the calculations approve a better civic.

GA is irrelevant factor in their personal decision of swapping religion or civic. It is an inflexible hard-coded timer as far I recall what I read in CvPlayerAI.cpp file.
Yes, that is a mod's equivalent of the raw BTS file, but regarding that specific aspect, that wasn't changed. Search for keywords: #define CIVIC_CHANGE_DELAY or #define RELIGION_CHANGE_DELAY.

 

[Merovech]

The AI will not change civics in a golden age, as far as I know. This is a holdover from vanilla civ4, when golden ages did not give revolution-free civic changes.

 

[Qgqqqqq]

Agree with merovech - I don't know about any sort of timer, but I do know that they don't change while in a Holden age.

 

[Olson]

I started a game recently, and was paying so much attention to the map type and size that I forgot to ensure that I had checked the correct difficulty level. It seems easier than I expected; is there a way to check -- while the game is running -- what the difficulty level is?

This morning I started a C4W Noble game (it's the 3rd. I've started...ran the others just through Medieval Era). It's just all going better than planned and I don't know what to think.

Somewhere I read the criteria which define/explain the difficulty levels but now I can't find it. I thought Noble was neutral but, while I think I'm focused today, I don't think I should be doing so well...didn't the on the first two.

Can someone link me to an explanation of what defines each difficulty level?

 

[TheMulattoMaker]

This morning I started a C4W Noble game (it's the 3rd. I've started...ran the others just through Medieval Era). It's just all going better than planned and I don't know what to think.

Somewhere I read the criteria which define/explain the difficulty levels but now I can't find it. I thought Noble was neutral but, while I think I'm focused today, I don't think I should be doing so well...didn't the on the first two.

Can someone link me to an explanation of what defines each difficulty level?

This is a chart I found (open the spoiler), does it help?

And a lot of things can make a game easier or harder within a difficulty level. They should get easier as you learn- so if it's too easy just bump it up a level- but leader/civ, AIs you face, starting position, starting landmass, etc. can all affect the game quite a bit.

EDIT: Oops, wait a minute, that chart's for BtS. Let me see if I can find the one for Warlords.

MOAR EDIT: Here's the original post from that thread, which was made way back at the Dawn of Civ4, but it says the values didn't change for Warlords.

 

[Sisiutil]

This morning I started a C4W Noble game (it's the 3rd. I've started...ran the others just through Medieval Era). It's just all going better than planned and I don't know what to think.

Somewhere I read the criteria which define/explain the difficulty levels but now I can't find it. I thought Noble was neutral but, while I think I'm focused today, I don't think I should be doing so well...didn't the on the first two.

Can someone link me to an explanation of what defines each difficulty level?

I highly recommend Anion's excellent reference guide for these sorts of questions. Check page 74 for info on difficulty levels.

 

[Olson]

I highly recommend Anion's excellent reference guide for these sorts of questions. Check page 74 for info on difficulty levels.

May I assume BtS and Warlords are the same?

Your advice prompted me to look for the Warlord and the CivIV manuals and neither were specific about levels. BTW, the BtS manual is awesome. I only have the abridged CivIV.

FYI, I've been using your "Civilization IV Strategy Guide for Beginners", as well as, "SISIUTIL's Civilization IV Intermediate Tactics & Gambits" and they are very well written and useful. I'm very appreciative for them.

 

[Olson]

This is a chart I found (open the spoiler), does it help?

And a lot of things can make a game easier or harder within a difficulty level. They should get easier as you learn- so if it's too easy just bump it up a level- but leader/civ, AIs you face, starting position, starting landmass, etc. can all affect the game quite a bit.

EDIT: Oops, wait a minute, that chart's for BtS. Let me see if I can find the one for Warlords.

MOAR EDIT: Here's the original post from that thread, which was made way back at the Dawn of Civ4, but it says the values didn't change for Warlords.

Thanks. I saw Sisiutil's post before yours. You answer my ques to him. It looks as though Noble and Prince have values that fall within the middle of value extremes. I'd say Noble is 'low middle' and Prince is 'high middle'.

 

[Kallikrates]

Actually the health and happiness caps are different on Warlords, they are harder (lower) from Emperor up I think (I am sure about Emperor, never played the two highest levels). This makes the early game slightly less map dependent on BtS. On warlords you are really screwed without early happiness resources. Otherwise the AI is probably smarter (=harder) in some respects in BtS.

 

[Olson]

BTW, as far as I can tell, no one, no where says that specialists also come from (aside from Wonders) City Improvement Buildings like the Market, Library, and Forge. In my first game I was creating citizen specialists out the "ying/yang" and wasn't getting any Great People!

 

[Sisiutil]

BTW, as far as I can tell, no one, no where says that specialists also come from (aside from Wonders) City Improvement Buildings like the Market, Library, and Forge. In my first game I was creating citizen specialists out the "ying/yang" and wasn't getting any Great People!

You don't get GPP from regular buildings nor do you get them from citizen specialists. You DO, however, get GPP from running specialists--which some of the regular buildings enable, including the three you mentioned.

 

[Olson]

You don't get GPP from regular buildings nor do you get them from citizen specialists. You DO, however, get GPP from running specialists--which some of the regular buildings enable, including the three you mentioned.

We're both correct. I was talking about from where specialists come and you're talking about from where Great People Points come.

 

[Sisiutil]

We're both correct. I was talking about from where specialists come and you're talking about from where Great People Points come.

Ah, sorry, should have read your first post more closely.

Does it really not say that anywhere? I'll have to check my Beginners' Guide to see if it's clear on the subject...

 

[Olson]

Ah, sorry, should have read your first post more closely.

Does it really not say that anywhere? I'll have to check my Beginners' Guide to see if it's clear on the subject...

[It's funny how, when we know things so well, we sometimes forget what it was like to know nothing. When I'm hired to analyze how a co. does things and prepare their ISO application or training manual they are surprised with all the things they don't think about but are critical to how things work.]

I stumbled across it after my first frustrating game when my cursor accidentally rolled over a grayed-out Specialist and caused the info pop-up to...pop-up. I don't see very well but made out the red lettering that states, "Requires Market or Grocer" (for the merchant specialist).

Before posting questions on the CF Forum I search the War Academy for articles and the threads with key words. I've skimmed nearly every War Academy article and thread haven't found it specifically stated.

And not only does no one mention it but in "[A] Guide to City Specialization and Land Improvements" by Excl, it specifically states,

"The sole purpose of the GP Farm is to generate a ton of Great Person points. One way to do that is to build wonders. But the other, easier way to do it is to have a ton of specialists. You can do that by having an extreme abundance of food."

A few paragraphs later:

"The City Buildings you build are only going to be the ones you need to boost happiness and healthiness. No need for banks or barracks or the like here."

Correct banks and barracks don't allow one to create Specialists but "or the like" needs some clarification and expansion.

I understand this is the "Quick Answers" thread but if I may be allowed to offer the following text for anyone's use in helping others:

"The following explains what is needed to create Great People (GP):

The 1)Currency tech, to build a 2)Market city improvement, to allocate up to 3)two 4)merchant specialists, who generate three Great People Points (GPP) each, and serve as a source for generating a Great 5)Merchant.

Now, insert the following, corresponding numbered responses (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) from any single line below.

Merchants:
1) Currency; 2) Market; 3) two; 4) merchants; 5) Merchant
1) Guilds; 2) Grocer; 3) two; 4) merchants; 5) Merchant

Scientists:
1) Writing; 2) Library; 3) two; 4) scientists; 5) Scientist
1) Astronomy; 2) Observatory; 3) one; 4) scientist; 5) Scientist

Artists:
1) Drama; 2) Theater; 3) two; 4) artists; 5) Artist

Prophets:
1) Priesthood; 2) Temple; 3) one; 4) priest; 5) Prophet
1) Music; 2) Cathedral; 3) two; 4) priests; 5) Prophet

Engineers:
1) Metal Casting; 2) Forge; 3) one; 4) engineer; 5) Engineer"

Then I would post a link to that article that talks about the % odds of generating a GP of each type based on # of sources and not the # of GPP each source contributed. Also see sections on Wonders and Civics.


Back to "Quick Answers". I apologize for the conversation.

 

[6K Man]

"The following explains what is needed to create Great People (GP) without the sole use of Wonders:

Caste System civic.

 

[justinian66]

Why do some cities not allow me to manage their build cue from the city screen? This seems to mostly happen to islands or colony cities.

:EDIT:
Hmmm, interesting. I've kind of narrowed it down after playing a bit more. I just captured another city and it seems this problem only happens to the city listed on the bottom. Any idea why this might be the case?

 

[TheMulattoMaker]

Why do some cities not allow me to manage their build cue from the city screen? This seems to mostly happen to islands or colony cities.

:EDIT:
Hmmm, interesting. I've kind of narrowed it down after playing a bit more. I just captured another city and it seems this problem only happens to the city listed on the bottom. Any idea why this might be the case?

If it's happening in recently captured cities, it could have to do with resistance- there's a few things you can't do until the people accept your rule. Can you post a screenshot?

 

[justinian66]

Nope, nothing to do with the fact that some of these cities were recently captured. Happens to cities I settled too. Its always the last/bottom city on the list. I can access the build cue on all the other cities, just not that one.

Here's a screenshot of it after selecting the city: http://imgur.com/CxwZo1N