Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Seraiel]

Colony maintenance is a huge thing on higher difficulties and one pays for someone without getting benefit from his land directly. If the difficulty however is only low or medium, I'd see no sense for having a Vassal at all because the AIs on lower difficulties are so weak.

Vassals are imho then good if they come freely, so through peace, because they then take no effort and are in an ok position, but human is always better at using the land himself, and it doesn't matter that much that a city costs maybe 15 GPT in the beginning when it contributes 20, if the vassal however raises one's own maintenance by 5 GPT per city, that's a huge impact because it's a flat increase without getting something.

 

[Samson]

Colony maintenance is a huge thing on higher difficulties and one pays for someone without getting benefit from his land directly. If the difficulty however is only low or medium, I'd see no sense for having a Vassal at all because the AIs on lower difficulties are so weak.

I thought the main reason to have a vassal was for diplo wins?

 

[dalamb]

Vassaling is also part of conquest/domination victories because it's much faster to get a civ to capituate most of the time than to conquer every city. If you vassal a good techer you can get them to research one line f techs while you research another and trade with them, which can help with any later-game strategy when tech rate is still important.

 

[Jeros]

I started taking it over hoping to colony it all and then Mansa Musa turned up and started throwing tactical nukes about so that ended my hopes of taking it for myself

Thanks for the advice all though

 

[Sisiutil]

Vassaling is also part of conquest/domination victories because it's much faster to get a civ to capituate most of the time than to conquer every city. If you vassal a good techer you can get them to research one line f techs while you research another and trade with them, which can help with any later-game strategy when tech rate is still important.

However, only 50% of a vassal's land and population count towards the domination requirements. Accepting a vassal, whatever uses you might have for them, will make a dom win take longer.

 

[plastiqe]

However, only 50% of a vassal's land and population count towards the domination requirements. Accepting a vassal, whatever uses you might have for them, will make a dom win take longer.

It's good to know the 50% rule, but I don't think 'dom wins take longer' is set in stone. What about the domino effect of quickly moving on to the next AI? The fact that you and your vassal will waste less hammers fighting eachother that can be turned to quicken the next conquest.

Usually... early on or nearby Civs I'd conquer, later on or further away I'd vassal.

 

[Sisiutil]

It's good to know the 50% rule, but I don't think 'dom wins take longer' is set in stone. What about the domino effect of quickly moving on to the next AI? The fact that you and your vassal will waste less hammers fighting eachother that can be turned to quicken the next conquest.

Usually... early on or nearby Civs I'd conquer, later on or further away I'd vassal.

A good point. It's a judgment call each time. Generally, early in the game, I think it's best to wipe 'em out if you're going for a domination win. The later it gets, the more vassalizing becomes an attractive option.

Other circumstances and the map also play a factor. In a recent game I was on a large continent right next to another large continent (i.e. separated by coast, not ocean). As I set about conquering my land mass, my warring prevented my local enemies from expanding to found cities in all available territory like they normally would. Instead, civs from the other continent (Nappy, SB, and Saladin, to be precise) set up shop. Surprisingly, even though they each had 2-3 or more cities on my continent, they didn't create colonies from them. When I had wiped out everyone else who had started on my continent, I turned my attention to these "branch offices". To my surprise, after taking both Sally's and SB's cities on my land mass, both were willing to capitulate. I accepted, since it saved me having to gird up right away for an amphibious assault on their territory. Also, because mine was the largest land mass, I was getting close to the dom win tipping point anyway, and their territory and pop helped me get even closer with minimal time and effort on my part. I only had to sail over and take two of Nappy's cities (after taking his on my continent as well) to get him to capitulate, and the addition of his territory triggered a dom win.

So... yeah. As with everything else in this game, there are no hard and fast rules. It all depends.

 

[rah]

5)Can I play Civ IV in Windows 8.1?

Yes you can

 

[Manco Capac]

Colony maintenance is a huge thing on higher difficulties and one pays for someone without getting benefit from his land directly. If the difficulty however is only low or medium, I'd see no sense for having a Vassal at all because the AIs on lower difficulties are so weak.

Indeed, colonies have no use for lower levels. But on higher levels, it sometimes have an edge (if one doesn't fear to permanently screw its diplo). I'm imagining a scenario controlling early a continent and have access to another where other AI(s) and there. Making a colony and spamming warriors to let the colony upgrade them can lead to funny situations. If colonies were to exist in Warlords, that would be even funnier as the upgrade cost are ridiculously low like 10% of normal cost on IMM and 5% for deity.

 

[Ruler89627]

Is there any way to switch civilizations in game (world builder) like in rhyes and fall's mod

 

[Silv Something]

I have heard of starting a multiplayer game with only one human like in Neal's King of the World Earth 18 playthrough.

 

[auagxa]

Does "No Technology Brokering" apply to AI too? Meaning they can't trade techs they themselves didn't research?

 

[Samson]

Does "No Technology Brokering" apply to AI too? Meaning they can't trade techs they themselves didn't research?

Correct.

 

[STEINMAN1000]

Question, question, question, perhaps even a dumb question...
How do I know what version of BTS I have?
It is store bought, I thought I saw somewhere in these posts that if it was store bought it was version 1.0, is this true?
I would like to add some mods, but all are for 3.19, so I am thinking I need to upgrade.
Is my thinking correct?
Thanks.

 

[Jwitti]

It's a downloadable patch, which can be found... HERE

Just download and run the .exe

Enjoy your mods, if you're looking for some I suggest Vincentz Infinite Projects, Fall from Heaven II, Caveman2Cosmos, RFC Dawn of Civilization, RFC Europe, Total War, and Realism Invictus. All of these are somewhere in here

Glad I could help!

BTW it's not a stupid question There ARE stupid questions but that's not one of them.

 

[STEINMAN1000]

Hey thanks! I actually downloaded BUFFY and it did not work (DUH), which triggered the memory grey cells about what version. Thanks for the recommendations, looking to add terrain and unit mods to my game.
Thanks, and everyone have a great Holiday Weekend.

 

[STEINMAN1000]

OK...after surfing thru some other pages, do I have install earlier patchs, like 3.17, before installing 3.19? It would be useful info to have, so as not to waste time.
Thanks again, as always.

 

[Seraiel]

Usually, you only have to install the newest patch and that one includes all prior patches, but with CIV, there was a rare issue, I think with the complete edition, where installing 3.19 directly caused some mapscripts or options of mapscripts to vanish, so i. e. no tororidal Archipelagio anymore.

Installing only 3.17 and then 3.19 will put you on the safe side regarding that issue.

 

[Jwitti]

Hey thanks! I actually downloaded BUFFY and it did not work (DUH), which triggered the memory grey cells about what version. Thanks for the recommendations, looking to add terrain and unit mods to my game.
Thanks, and everyone have a great Holiday Weekend.

If you're looking for terrain, Vincentz Infinite Projects (my sig and above) is the way to go- he lets you choose Blue Marble, Original, Civ IV Colonization, or his own special mix of terrain graphics.

Units, go either Caveman2Cosmos (which also has a nice terrain graphic set and new terrains entirely) or Realism Invictus (which has slightly different distinctive units for every civ, for realism and variety, as well as completely unique units)

I couldn't find the link for Total War but the optional religion system is amazing.
RFC (DOC or Europe) both are good if you like world maps.

 

[Flamingos88]

Sorry i was just wondering if i can play Earth 18 civs scenario with BtS tech tree including aquaculture, cloning and similar future techs? I have Civ IV, Warlords and BtS expansions.... I had original Civ IV Complete and im not sure but i think i played Earth map with full BtS tech tree.... Now i have only Civ IV techs without mentioned future techs like cloning, advanced shielding etc. Any help pls?