Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Lennier]

Is there a way to take a hut with a scout that has a guard over it? Like some way to clear the guard so you can get the hut with a scout? I know you can do something similar by encompassing it in domain, but if that isn't an option?

You can’t pop a guarded hut with a scout or explorer. You can pop it with a spy at same odds as non-scout/explorer units. And if barb units spawn, they can’t see the spy to kill it.

 

[sampsa]

I've been playing on lower difficulties recently and noticed, that there is the same base happiness level on any difficulty - +4. Doesn't matter, whether it's Deity or Noble. Has it always been like this?
I thought, on lower difficulties you get more happiness by default. Was it in the old version, or maybe I just have false memories?

That was in Vanilla.

 

[TruePurple]

That was in Vanilla.

"Vanilla" meaning?

 

[TruePurple]

I got a size 3 city and something to whip that costs 2 population. How come only 1 population is available to whip? No unhappiness. What decides amount of population available to whip?

 

[AcaMetis]

The maximum amount of population you can whip is half the city's total pop, rounded down, so you need at least a size 4 city to do 2-pop whips. I'm not aware of anything that changes this number.

 

[konata_LS]

I've been playing on lower difficulties recently and noticed, that there is the same base happiness level on any difficulty - +4. Doesn't matter, whether it's Deity or Noble. Has it always been like this?
I thought, on lower difficulties you get more happiness by default. Was it in the old version, or maybe I just have false memories?

If you play BTS, you need to play below Noble (= warlord, chieftain, or settler levels) to get more happiness or health by default.

At the levels lower than Noble, apart from more free , you also get some starting techs for free: you have the Wheel for free at warlord level; free Agri + TW at chieftain level: free Mining + Agri + TW at settler level.

If you play vanilla civ, from Emperor level you start to have lower happy cap and lower cap.

Spoiler Vanilla Civ 4 EMP screenshots :

As shown in the screenshot below, it's emperor level of vanilla civ 4. You only get +3 from "we just enjoy life".

Only 1 free at emperor level and above .

 

[6K Man]

Is there a way to check if AI has the great person priest building for religion home city other than investing espionage?

If you have a Great Prophet, the option to build the Shrine for a religion won't appear if it's already been built.

 

[Qactus]

Finished shrines also appear in the list on the wonders screen though

 

[s.bernbaum]

"Vanilla" meaning?

Original CIV - no Warlord or BTS expansions

 

[TruePurple]

Do barbarians and beasts attack each other?

 

[Qactus]

No, they're part of the same team. Total harmony.

Sometimes they even chill out together

 

[TruePurple]

Do beasts disappear on their own after enough turns? I notice after a point I no longer encounter beasts.

 

[Lennier]

Do beasts disappear on their own after enough turns? I notice after a point I no longer encounter beasts.

Yes.

 

[TruePurple]

So when do beasts disappear in the game?

 

[Lennier]

I got a size 3 city and something to whip that costs 2 population. How come only 1 population is available to whip? No unhappiness. What decides amount of population available to whip?

The maximum amount of population you can whip is half the city's total pop, rounded down, so you need at least a size 4 city to do 2-pop whips. I'm not aware of anything that changes this number.

To clarify, you can only whip half the population of a city in any turn.

 

[AcaMetis]

I thought it was possible to chain-whip a city down from, say, size 8 to size 1 within a single turn, but any individual whip cannot whip away more than half the population (I.E. you can whip 8->4->2->1 in one turn, but not 8->2->1 since size 8 is limited to a 4-pop whip at most). Of course you are still limited to finishing one production per turn, and you can't invest hammers into a production to avoid the hard/cold whip penalty without passing a turn, but it can be useful for large newly captured cities that would otherwise just starve down anyhow.

 

[NickGabben]

If I sink an invading galley with two axemen on it, does the AI realize it has lost three units or does it count it as only one (i.e., the galley)?

 

[Qactus]

If I sink an invading galley with two axemen on it, does the AI realize it has lost three units or does it count it as only one (i.e., the galley)?

Depends for which calculation. For your war success (which is important for capitulation) only the ship will count: you'll gain 4 points for the galley, 0 for the axemen. Other calculations that look at the overall army strength will of course also take into account the lost axemen.

 

[Lennier]

I thought it was possible to chain-whip a city down from, say, size 8 to size 1 within a single turn, but any individual whip cannot whip away more than half the population (I.E. you can whip 8->4->2->1 in one turn, but not 8->2->1 since size 8 is limited to a 4-pop whip at most). Of course you are still limited to finishing one production per turn, and you can't invest hammers into a production to avoid the hard/cold whip penalty without passing a turn, but it can be useful for large newly captured cities that would otherwise just starve down anyhow.

Your clarification is correct. I should have said no more than half pop in one whip. But since only one thing will produce, why whip all on one turn?

 

[AcaMetis]

Either the "capture a large enemy city that would otherwise starve down anyway" scenario I mentioned, or I guess to have things whipped before dipping out of Slavery. Certainly not a common occurrence, but it can come up here or there.