Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[SpookS]

Ok some of these may have been answered as this thread is sooo long now I have only gone through a fraction of it.....didnt really get into civ4 when it came out, but now with warlords I'm rather noobicised with what I dont know.

1. How does the difficulty system work....ie If I set the diff for me to settler/chieftan that should mean the easiest for me to play/build/research etc correct? But what about the computer players.....is there a way to change their difficulty level? I noticed that they have there levels permanently stuck on noble..... Does this mean they have a hard time developing....and if you set them to settler/chieftan will they have things easier?

2. Are you able to play a customised map for a custom game...ie if I download a map and then start a custom game and play that map while still customising the game elements etc. Thus I wanna be able to play a custom game on an Earth map, but dont really know how to go about it.

Thanks in advance.....

 

[Roland Johansen]

You can read anything you want to know about unit healing in this strategy article.

1. Do defensive bonuses reduce damage taken from seige engine and aerial attacks? Defensive terrain, bonuses for being on certain terrain (Guerrilla, etc), city defenses, City Garrison, mounties' bonuses against catapults and cannons?

No for the collateral damage part, yes for the normal attack damage part.

2. What do people think of the new chariot bonus vs. axemen? Obviously axemen are a vastly OP unit in Civ4, does this seem like the right balancer? I ask because I've always liked Persia and I hear Darius or Cyrus got better traits in Warlords.

I haven't bought the expansion pack yet. What is this new bonus? (I also couldn't find it in the information center for the Warlords expansion pack.)

1. How does the difficulty system work....ie If I set the diff for me to settler/chieftan that should mean the easiest for me to play/build/research etc correct? But what about the computer players.....is there a way to change their difficulty level? I noticed that they have there levels permanently stuck on noble..... Does this mean they have a hard time developing....and if you set them to settler/chieftan will they have things easier?

If you set your difficulty level lower, then you will have an easier game and the AI will have a more difficult game. If you set your difficulty level higher, then you will have a harder game and the AI an easier game.
At low difficulty levels, you will produce faster, research faster, have a lower upkeep, have better bonuses against the barbarians, get more from goody huts, have a higher happiness and health starting bonus in your cities, get barbarians at a later date, etc, etc. At higher difficulty levels, these things will be negative for you and the AI will get bonuses in these areas.

You should stay away from modding the difficulty level of the AI until you understand exactly what you are doing. The AI gets the settings that you would get at noble level modified by certain percentages which are determined by the difficulty level that you set for yourself.

You can find all the details about this in the file CIV4HandicapInfo.xml. But don't change stuff in this file until you know how to read it. An example would be the entry iAIUnitCostPercent>60</iAIUnitCostPercent at difficulty level Deity (the file has this entry for each difficulty level, but the number is different at each level). This means that the AI pays 60% of the unit upkeep cost that a human player at noble level would pay for a similar army.

2. Are you able to play a customised map for a custom game...ie if I download a map and then start a custom game and play that map while still customising the game elements etc. Thus I wanna be able to play a custom game on an Earth map, but dont really know how to go about it.

You can probably start a game on a customised map by loading it as a mod just like the other scenarios that are already available in the standard game. Or am I missing something about your question?

 

[SpookS]

You can find all the details about this in the file CIV4HandicapInfo.xml. But don't change stuff in this file until you know how to read it. An example would be the entry iAIUnitCostPercent>60</iAIUnitCostPercent at difficulty level Deity (the file has this entry for each difficulty level, but the number is different at each level). This means that the AI pays 60% of the unit upkeep cost that a human player at noble level would pay for a similar army.

So does this mean that if I play as chieftan, if I set the ai to a much harder level it means the AI take longer for everything eg research, production etc....and if so is there a way to change the AI setting without going into the xml file?

You can probably start a game on a customised map by loading it as a mod just like the other scenarios that are already available in the standard game. Or am I missing something about your question?

I was talking about starting a 'custom game', not a 'scenario game' but using a customised/pre made map eg rhye's map. I have found out how to do this with some simple modding of the map file.

Thanks for your help.

 

[ian.coetzer]

Hi

Ok, help...
I can't build an ICBM the icon stays grayed out always I am at future tech already and still grayed out. All buildings have been built! Why can't I build an ICBM : BTW I am using Total Realism Mod-could that be the reason?

 

[MrCynical]

Ok, help...
I can't build an ICBM the icon stays grayed out always I am at future tech already and still grayed out. All buildings have been built! Why can't I build an ICBM : BTW I am using Total Realism Mod-could that be the reason?

I can't be certain if mods are involved, but has the Manhatten Project been constructed? If so do you have uranium? Another possibility is that the construction of nukes has been banned by the UN.

 

[a4phantom]

No for the collateral damage part, yes for the normal attack damage part.

That's what I meant. So there's really no way to reduce collateral damage unless you get lucky like I did with the Incas. They had artillery but no railroads, so I bombed most of their artillery units before they could suicide against me. Don't tell me being damaged doesn't reduce the collateral damage a seige unit can throw!?

I haven't bought the expansion pack yet. What is this new bonus? (I also couldn't find it in the information center for the Warlords expansion pack.)

I think people have said chariots now get +50% vs axemen. I suppose they could have been talking about a mod but I think it was Warlords.

 

[Roland Johansen]

So does this mean that if I play as chieftan, if I set the ai to a much harder level it means the AI take longer for everything eg research, production etc....and if so is there a way to change the AI setting without going into the xml file?

Yes, if it were possible to change the AI level to a higher one, then it would get more difficult for the AI. But you need to mod the game for that and the AI level setting is in another file. I'm not quite sure where it is stored. There is a standard_handicap and a AI_handicap entry in the globaldefines.xml file, both of which could controll the standard AI level.
Note that the AI is programmed to handle the routines of the normal game. If you give it more penalties or bonuses, then it will probably not handle that as well. But that is generally true when you mod the game.

May I ask what is your goal of changing the difficulty level?

If you want to start modding the game, then the best place to ask questions is the creation and customization subforum.

I was talking about starting a 'custom game', not a 'scenario game' but using a customised/pre made map eg rhye's map. I have found out how to do this with some simple modding of the map file.

Ah, ok. May I ask what you modded? I haven't played custom made maps with customized rules. What do you need to mod?

That's what I meant. So there's really no way to reduce collateral damage unless you get lucky like I did with the Incas. They had artillery but no railroads, so I bombed most of their artillery units before they could suicide against me. Don't tell me being damaged doesn't reduce the collateral damage a seige unit can throw!?

I don't think that the number of hitpoints matters for the collateral damage they do, but it does matter for the chances they have to damage and defeat the main unit they are fighting in regular combat. Everything you want to know about combat can be found in this strategy article.
The only way to avoid collateral damage is to kill the unit before it attacks you.

I think people have said chariots now get +50% vs axemen. I suppose they could have been talking about a mod but I think it was Warlords.

That's interesting. That would make the chariot a far more useful unit and it would mean that you would get a counter for axemen before the horsebowman. (I don't consider another axeman as a counter because the chances remain 50-50.) I think that the game needed an early counter for axemen.

However, I do think that the early game matchups between units are a bit artificial. There's no historic reason to give axemen a bonus when fighting swordsmen. And for instance an axeman has an easier time to defeat a warrior than a rifleman has to defeat an axeman. Rather strange and I would definately change some of the values and bonuses if I were to balance the game.

 

[a4phantom]

I don't think that the number of hitpoints matters for the collateral damage they do, but it does matter for the chances they have to damage and defeat the main unit they are fighting in regular combat. Everything you want to know about combat can be found in this strategy article.
The only way to avoid collateral damage is to kill the unit before it attacks you.

Which is usually impossible in enemy territory. Fortunately the AI doesn't seem to like attacking with half dead artillery, so if you have bombers and they lack railroads you have a chance. But I was never worried about the cats/arts actually killing my strongest defending unit, just weaking all of my attacking units.

That's interesting. That would make the chariot a far more useful unit and it would mean that you would get a counter for axemen before the horsebowman. (I don't consider another axeman as a counter because the chances remain 50-50.) I think that the game needed an early counter for axemen.

That's what I heard, could someone who has Warlords confirm or deny that chariots now get a bonus vs. axes?

However, I do think that the early game matchups between units are a bit artificial. There's no historic reason to give axemen a bonus when fighting swordsmen. And for instance an axeman has an easier time to defeat a warrior than a rifleman has to defeat an axeman. Rather strange and I would definately change some of the values and bonuses if I were to balance the game.

It is a little wierd, and I bet the same thing happens late game (tanks beat infantry, sam infantry beats choppers, choppers beat tanks). It's like the infantry>cavalry>archers>infantry system used for Age of Empires/Mythology games, but without as many variations in the units and number of units and no tactics. But since it's not exclusively a wargame I guess that's to be expected.

 

[Roland Johansen]

It is a little wierd, and I bet the same thing happens late game (tanks beat infantry, sam infantry beats choppers, choppers beat tanks). It's like the infantry>cavalry>archers>infantry system used for Age of Empires/Mythology games, but without as many variations in the units and number of units and no tactics. But since it's not exclusively a wargame I guess that's to be expected.

Some kind of rock-paper-scissors system is good, but they could have made a rock-paper-scissors system based on realistic-historical counter units.

Another problem that is already present from civ1 is that the makers for some reason want to start with a unit with strength 1 (or now 2 in civ4). If you would start with a unit with strength 10, then a lot more subtle differences in strength would be possible. Now, the warrior is virtually useless against axemen, while the axeman is just 1 techlevel further on the tech tree. And the true reason for that is that they try to balance the ancient units using only strength values 2,3,4,5 and 6. So in the ancient age, strength values go up with a factor 3. That's the largest jump in the whole game by far.

 

[a4phantom]

I think sometimes they get carried away with the dedication to keeping Civ from being a wargame, and maybe that's why the combat system has always been oversimplified. For example, why the devil don't you get a bonus if you're attacking a unit that's surrounded or that has fought several other units this turn?

On the other hand I must admit that eliminating seperate attack/defense values hasn't been the problem I anticipated. I was angry when I read about that, but I never even notice anymore. Unlike the absence of field artillery and inability of aircraft to sink ships . . .

 

[letsdance]

hi!
how do i get good trade routes? i have open borders and free market but i have just +1 trade routes between my own cities...
thx, dance!

 

[Roland Johansen]

hi!
how do i get good trade routes? i have open borders and free market but i have just +1 trade routes between my own cities...
thx, dance!

The foreign trade routes are 2.5 times as profitable as the domestic ones. You can only have 1 foreign trade route with each city of a foreign nation. You also need open borders with that foreign nation and your cities have to be connected ro the foreign cities using roads, rivers, sea and ocean (after you can trade over oceans).
For each such nation that you have open borders with, you'll get another set of foreign cities for foreign trade routes. If you have a very large empire and lots of trade routes per city, then a lot of them will be the less profitable domestic trade routes.

Does this answer your question?

If you're good at mathematics, then you can find the formula for the trade route income in this strategy article.

 

[pixiejmcc]

Okay. As I have explained before I play only MP, and a lot of my games can finish in the renaissance era. However lately I have been playing some late era games. Could somebody explain exactly how nukes deal out damage?

They seem to take some population off the city, the one time i checked it was 5 (which HURTS).

They also damage surrounding worked tiles, which cannot be improved again for a certain length of time.

I would test it in world builder but i imagine this would be hard to arrange. And, I expect I could find what I need to know much more easily by asking here.

 

[Raisin Bran]

I have a question :

the destroyer can intercept aircrafts (30% chance).
It needs to be stationned in a city to be able to intercept, right ?
(seems obvious since airplanes can't attack naval units)
I just want to know if I got this straight!

 

[a4phantom]

I have a question :

the destroyer can intercept aircrafts (30% chance).
It needs to be stationned in a city to be able to intercept, right ?
(seems obvious since airplanes can't attack naval units)
I just want to know if I got this straight!

Ooops, I think you misunderstood my complaint. Airplanes can attack ships at sea, they just can't sink them (airstrikes only bring targeted units as low as 50%, which is reasonable for ground units but ridiculous for ships). Therefore, those destroyers can and should guard your battleships, carriers and transports.

Actually ships in ports seem immune to airstrike damage.

 

[Harrier]

That's what I heard, could someone who has Warlords confirm or deny that chariots now get a bonus vs. axes?

To quote the manual:

"Chariots recieve a +50% strength bonus when attacking Axemen, but their withdrawal chance is reduced to 10%".

 

[a4phantom]

To quote the manual:

"Chariots recieve a +50% strength bonus when attacking Axemen, but their withdrawal chance is reduced to 10%".

Thanks. Finally axemen won't be all-powerful between bronze working and horse archery.

 

[Dagenham Dave]

I believe the manual says 50%, but that in the actual game it is 100%. I hope I'm not spreading false information. I just built a couple of chariots a few minutes ago so you'd think I'd remember. But no! No I'm pretty certain it's 100%.

 

[ShowMeTheMoney]

Quick Question:

Are Temples and Monasteries stackable?

Let's say I found Hinduism - then convert to it - so I build Hindu Temples and Monasteries and my neighbour starts spreading Buddhism in my cities - if I build Buddhist Temples and Monasteries in my cities do I gain their benefits? What negatives would this bring?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lord Parkin]

No negatives at all - it's always beneficial to build more Temples and Monasteries (and Cathedrals, for that matter).