Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[onlinejester]

A few turns ago Russia, with whom I have Open Borders and have had trade routes established for centuries, decided to switch to Mercantilism, which, as I understand it, is supposed to forbid all foreign trade. However, I noticed that my trade routes with Russia continue as before; that is, those cities that have trade routes with Russian cities continue to rake in the dough. Is this a bug?

 

[onlinejester]

Although I see how much a trade route is earning for each of my cities, I don't see how much it is earning for the foreign city with which I am trading. So how can I determine whether establishing such trade routes (i.e., establishing Open Borders) would benefit my civilization more than the foreign civ?

And how exactly is each trade route established? All that happens is that I see the routes listed in each of my city windows, but nothing tells me what is being traded and why it is being traded with a particular foreign city.

 

[scienide09]

A few turns ago Russia, with whom I have Open Borders and have had trade routes established for centuries, decided to switch to Mercantilism, which, as I understand it, is supposed to forbid all foreign trade. However, I noticed that my trade routes with Russia continue as before; that is, those cities that have trade routes with Russian cities continue to rake in the dough. Is this a bug?

I've seen this too. I'm pretty sure it means that while you can continue to trade with their cities, Russian cities can only trade within the Russian civilization.

If you were to switch to mercantilism, your trade routes would only be to your cities, and with no other civs.

 

[Snerk]

How do you make a poll in a new thread? I've seen its and option at the bottom of the posting screen to enable a poll but i cant see anything different in my post after enabling it.
Can some one explain to me step by step how to make a poll in a new thread?

Thank you

 

[Melhisedek]

I remember that you should "mine green" and "farm brown" in Civ3... How about 4, Still same?

What do I do with food plains (3 food), Mine or farm?

Somehow game goes faster (research and such) than in 3... Is it just me or?

 

[MrCynical]

You can't mine flat land any more unless there's a resource on it. A reasonable rule of thumb is to farm brown (plains) and cottage grassland (green). With floodplains I'd probably go for cottages unless I was making a great person farm, in which case I'd go for farms.

 

[Melhisedek]

Dang I see that now... workers can do plenty of things

What goverment I should I aim for? In 3 it was Democracy IIRC or something similar... Damn I've forgot almost everything :/

 

[scloopy]

You can't mine flat land any more unless there's a resource on it. A reasonable rule of thumb is to farm brown (plains) and cottage grassland (green). With floodplains I'd probably go for cottages unless I was making a great person farm, in which case I'd go for farms.

I think I have been doing it backwards - no wonder I do not do so good so far.

 

[shadowrydor]

I am playing my first game of Civ4. Former Civ games allowed me to see what technologies the rival civilizations had already learned once I had established diplomatic contact with them (via a diplomat). I haven't been able to find a method in Civ4 to see rival Civs' technologies.

Is it possible to do this in Civ4?

If not, it should be added, since in real life nations who have established diplomatic contact are pretty much aware of how advanced other nations are technologically.

I was wondering the same thing, and after looking around a bit, I have not found an answer. Can anyone answer this question?

 

[MrCynical]

You can still see what technologies a rival has and you don't in the foreign advisor, or at the trade table in diplomacy. If none are displayed here, then either you don't have alphabet, and so can't trade tech yet, or the other civ has no techs that you don't. It won't show any techs that they have that you don't have the prerequisite for, as they aren't available for trade, but it should give a fairly good idea of how advanced they are.

 

[Terraelite]

Is there a max of "great people" that can be alloacted inside a city, or you can go crazy and put them all inside one? anyone has tried it yet?

 

[scienide09]

If you mean the super specialists, there doesn't seem to be a top-end figure for how many can be assigned in any one city. Note, however, that on the city display you'll only see 6 super specialists shown, even when the city has more.

 

[fung3]

Dang I see that now... workers can do plenty of things

What goverment I should I aim for? In 3 it was Democracy IIRC or something similar... Damn I've forgot almost everything :/

It's probably best that you forget all the things you used to do in civ 3, everything is different now.

On governments: I like to get Organised Religion early on if I have founded a religion. With O.R. your cities get a 25% boost in building production. Another good early gov is representation which gives a modest boost to happiness and science. Slavery or Serfdom are reasonable early choices and Bureaucracy gives a significant boost but only in your capital. Emancipation is good but you need to wait till the mid game and Universal Suff is a good civic but only when you have a sufficient number of towns up and running.

In fact, all the civic have their uses and allow a great deal of strategic flexibility. It could be worth playing a game as a spiritual civ so that you can change civs often without anarchy and see for yourself how they can work to your benefit.

I can't remember which leader is Spiritual and Organised, but those triats will give you unrivalled flexibility in terms of civic choices. Organised for low civic costs and Spiritual for ability to change without anarchy.

 

[baba44713]

What is a "trade route" exactly? I thought I understood the concept, but in one of the civics the bonus says "+1 trade route per city" and I'm not sure what exactly is meant by that.

Oh, and you know that "choose next" list that you get after the city builds something? Can I get that list again after I get rid of it? I seriously hate those icon rows in city view, the list is much more easier to go through....

 

[baba44713]

Another one: Is there any benefit from farms/cottages who are built outside "the fat cross"? I'm not talking about resources, just regular tiles that aren't in those city-limit sqaures.

 

[fung3]

What is a "trade route" exactly? I thought I understood the concept, but in one of the civics the bonus says "+1 trade route per city" and I'm not sure what exactly is meant by that.

Oh, and you know that "choose next" list that you get after the city builds something? Can I get that list again after I get rid of it? I seriously hate those icon rows in city view, the list is much more easier to go through....

Trade routes get set up automatically. Foreign ones are more profitable than domestic. For foreign trade route you need to know other civs and have open borders with them. Certain civics increase the number trade routes per city, other civs prevent trade routes. Harbours and airports also increase trade routes in the cities where they are built. Goto your city screen and see the trade routes and their cash yeild.

Trade routes are just another way to help your treasury but you don't need to be too proactive with them.

Coastal cities give better results than inland cities.

 

[fung3]

Another one: Is there any benefit from farms/cottages who are built outside "the fat cross"? I'm not talking about resources, just regular tiles that aren't in those city-limit sqaures.

No

But yu can mine hills outside the 'fat cross' in the hope of discovering a resource there. You can also build fortresses to help with defence and hook up resources with mines, farms, plantations etc

 

[_alphaBeta_]

No

But yu can mine hills outside the 'fat cross' in the hope of discovering a resource there. You can also build fortresses to help with defence and hook up resources with mines, farms, plantations etc

This goes back to an earlier debate, but I think you need to actually work the mine for it to discover anything. I've discovered resources a couple of times, but always on mines that were being worked.

 

[|B|K|]

is there any replays for this game

 

[SewerStarFish]

Is there a max of "great people" that can be alloacted inside a city, or you can go crazy and put them all inside one? anyone has tried it yet?

I've tried - 5 , note: I didn't try on Caste System