Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Verge]

How do you change your title (below your username)?

Wait 30 days and amass 30 posts.

 

[bournvita]

hey folks ... new to the forum, new to civ 4 ....

how do i remove the num pad graphic from appearing around a selected unit ? couldnt find an option amongst the game preferences ....

 

[Sisiutil]

hey folks ... new to the forum, new to civ 4 ....

how do i remove the num pad graphic from appearing around a selected unit ? couldnt find an option amongst the game preferences ....

Welcome to the forum and to your new addiction.



It is in Options, under Game: turn Numpad Help off.

 

[bournvita]

thanks ... and hope its not as addictive as civ3 .. that game nearly ruined my life ....

 

[cabert]

thanks ... and hope its not as addictive as civ3 .. that game nearly ruined my life ....

really?
you'd better not start playing then...
This one's just so "onemoreturnish" it's a threat to everyone's life.

 

[Crazy Civ]

Wait 30 days and amass 30 posts.

I've easily gotten 30 posts ... but when I have been on this for 30 days, will it just pop up?

 

[cabert]

I've easily gotten 30 posts ... but when I have been on this for 30 days, will it just pop up?

no, you'll have to go to "my account" and edit your profile.

 

[Crazy Civ]

Can you mod (edit XML, in particular) on the Mac Civ?

 

[ggganz]

I'm sure it's exactly the same as PC. So, yes.

 

[ori]

Can you mod (edit XML, in particular) on the Mac Civ?

I'm sure it's exactly the same as PC. So, yes.

Actually modding is extremely limited on Mac - you might want to check the Civ4 Mac forum for this - quite a lot of stuff does not work on Mac, IIRC xml modding is pretty much all that is possible, and there might be caveats there...

 

[ggganz]

Not even Python???

 

[ori]

Not even Python???

well lets put it that way - it is a pain:

The cache is the least of your problems. I've never had to worry about it when investigating mods. You can force the software not to load from the cache by holding down Shift during launch, but this is only necessary if you sever see (cached) indicated during the load sequence.

FWIW, the cache folder is in ~/Library/Application Support/Civilization IV or ~/Library/Application Support/Civilization IV Warlords, depending on the version of Civ4 you are using.

There are several major Mod compatibility issues that I am aware of:

1. The mod maker you are talking to assumes you can run a mod created using the SDK, and is talking about changes to the C code to be compiled into a custom CvGameCoreDLL.dll file. You can't use a custom dll with the Mac version.

2. If the mod can be made to work using Python and XML changes, then Mac OS X currently runs Python 2.3, and that's what Civ4 expects to find on OS X. A lot of Windows mods are created using Python 2.4 level language capabilities, so they have to be modified to run on a Mac.

3. Windows Mod makers often use Windows Registry calls from Python in order to link into the directory structures in the file system. These will fail on a Mac. They have to be replaced by Mac OS X-compatible Python calls.

4. Windows Mod makers, particularly non-English speakers, seem to be able to get away with murder in their XML files. They put all sorts of illegal characters in them, and Windows shrugs its shoulders. OS X sticks to the rule book and complains, and fails to load the XML file.

 

[ggganz]

#4

 

[taulph88]

I'm sorry, I don't understand the question.

In another forum I read this:

you edit the worldbuildersave text file, up at the top, change CALENDER_MONTHS to CALENDER_WEEKS

I guess you can do this in scenarios? If so, where can I find this file?

 

[ggganz]

Ooh, I hate people that decribe something inaccurately then cause people to ask nonsense questions.
It's not a text file. You have to open it as text. Find them in C:\Program Files\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4\PublicMaps. (If you are talking about ones in an expansion, put the name of expansion between Civilization 4 and PublicMaps, with a backslash. Like this Sid Meier's Civilization 4/Beyond the Sword\PublicMaps.) Then right-click on it, select Open With, and open it with Notepad.

 

[Mknn]

Some noob questions about wars:

o If an AI Civ asks me to help them in war, and I say yes, are there any expectations that I actually DO anything? Does the level of my involvement in the war impact their rating of me? Clearly, there are diplomatic implications for the war, but what If I say yes, then withhold troops.

o Can anyone point me to tips on how to profit most from wars? Even remembering to pillage, I tend to help in a war, lose a bunch of troops, but not really gain in cities or land possessed.

o Can anyone point me to a REALLY basic primer on the mechanics of warfare. Like, are all attacks unit v unit? Is there an easy way to just say, "throw this whole stack at the city until they die or we die?" Is there a limit on the number of war "actions" that can happen in a single turn? Things like that ...

 

[Sisiutil]

Some noob questions about wars:

o If an AI Civ asks me to help them in war, and I say yes, are there any expectations that I actually DO anything? Does the level of my involvement in the war impact their rating of me? Clearly, there are diplomatic implications for the war, but what If I say yes, then withhold troops.

o Can anyone point me to tips on how to profit most from wars? Even remembering to pillage, I tend to help in a war, lose a bunch of troops, but not really gain in cities or land possessed.

o Can anyone point me to a REALLY basic primer on the mechanics of warfare. Like, are all attacks unit v unit? Is there an easy way to just say, "throw this whole stack at the city until they die or we die?" Is there a limit on the number of war "actions" that can happen in a single turn? Things like that ...

1. No, you can engage in a "phony war". AFAIK, you earn "military struggle" diplomatic bonus points for (a) joining in the war when asked and (b) for the duration you stay involved while whoever asked you is also at war. You don't actually have to fire a single shot.
2. Set specific objectives and focus on achieving them, such as capturing a specific resource or city. If capturing cities, choose ones that will benefit you most.
3. Check the War Academy on this site for some useful articles on this topic and others. There is a "stack attack" game option, but few players use it, preferring to more carefully select which unit attacks in order.

 

[rantzzz]

1) Is signing an "open borders" agreement useful in improving relations in the early game?

2) I have full combat animation turned on. During the midst of battle involving large stacks, obviously it's gonna take quite a while for the battle to resolve. Is there a short cut which I can enter during the combat phase which will jump to the end result?

 

[ggganz]

Some noob questions about wars:

o If an AI Civ asks me to help them in war, and I say yes, are there any expectations that I actually DO anything? Does the level of my involvement in the war impact their rating of me? Clearly, there are diplomatic implications for the war, but what If I say yes, then withhold troops.

Yes, but keep in mind that the civ you declared war on will come after YOU.

1) Is signing an "open borders" agreement useful in improving relations in the early game?

2) I have full combat animation turned on. During the midst of battle involving large stacks, obviously it's gonna take quite a while for the battle to resolve. Is there a short cut which I can enter during the combat phase which will jump to the end result?

1) The bonus for Open Borders can take a while to kick in, so you may want to do that early.
2) No, sorry.

 

[s.bernbaum]

oops double post