Quick Answers / 'Newbie' Questions

[Sisiutil]

I think if you go into CivilizationIV.ini and set EnableVoice = 0, that should take care of this.

 

[CivIVMonger]

Hesse should be a playable choice...

 

[vinny5252]

1. How long do games last, what is the average time of one?

2. When doing a custom battle, how big are the maps? How many other nations can i play against?

3. How does it stack up compared to other games such as Rome Total War? Age of empires?

4. Will this game get repetitive like CIV REV for the 360?

 

[dalamb]

1. Game duration varies tremendously, even for two people playing the same map. On a map where I take 20 hours, TheMeInTeam might take 2.

2. There are several sizes of map, with different numbers of opponents. Standard size has 6 opponents. The maximum without loading special Mods is 18 (for which you want a Huge map)

3. Somebody who has played those games needs to answer this one.

4. No; Civ IV has a lot more complexities to learn (I've played PS3 Civ Rev, and assume it's much the same as 360).

But Civ V is coming out in the fall; you might want to wait... Nah, you can never have too many Civ variants.

 

[qyll]

Just a wandering thought: why can't you demand techs from your vassals like you can resources? You know, like if you refuse to give me that tech, I'll declare war on you?

 

[s.bernbaum]

1. How long do games last, what is the average time of one?

2. When doing a custom battle, how big are the maps? How many other nations can i play against?

3. How does it stack up compared to other games such as Rome Total War? Age of empires?

4. Will this game get repetitive like CIV REV for the 360?

1. Like dalamb says, it varies. However, as an example, I usually play at epic or marathon (which make the game much longer), on large maps, and spend a lot of time micromanaging cities and reviewing the maps situation to plot out my plans. I also prefer detailed play to early victories. Taking all this into consideration, my games usually last from 25 to nearly 40 hours of playing time. Since I only play two or three hours per evening tops, that translates to two or three weeks per game. OTOH, people who play for early victories on smaller maps at standard or quick speeds will finish a game in a couple of hours or so.

2. dalamb described the map options pretty well. On the Large maps that I favor, there are 9 civs by default. Sometimes I may increase or decrease that amount using the custom set up screen.

3. and 4. Sorry, never played any of those games.

 

[IAM]

Just a wandering thought: why can't you demand techs from your vassals like you can resources? You know, like if you refuse to give me that tech, I'll declare war on you?

that's just the game. Ignore what you can not doo and concentrate on the strengths. You can direct the research of a vassal. You can gift military techs the declare war on their neighbor. You can... well you get the point.

 

[CivIVMonger]

I know this is probobly the wrong thread, but I need a quick answer, and I don't want to have to start another thread:

How do I MOD a unit? If I wanted to replace a certain set of units completely with another given set, what file would I have to visit? And, specifically, how would I do it?

 

[henrebotha]

Perhaps you should take that question to Creation & Customization, but assets\XML\units is where you'll probably start. Here you can mod units to some degree. Best thing to do is to create a new mod folder for yourself (something like mods\mymod), put an .ini file in there (with modular loading on), and then create a new assets\XML\units folder within your mod. Copy the files you want to alter here, then go to town.

 

[Raneday]

1. How long do games last, what is the average time of one?

2. When doing a custom battle, how big are the maps? How many other nations can i play against?

3. How does it stack up compared to other games such as Rome Total War? Age of empires?

4. Will this game get repetitive like CIV REV for the 360?

3. Age of Empire is 'Real Time Strategy' while Civ 4 is 'Turn Based', so they are nothing alike.

I enjoyed AOE 2 but not AOE 3 so much.

As you know, Rome Total War is like two game styles in one. You have the overall strategy map part and the down close part where you can direct your units in battle.

One of the things I found annoying about Rome TW was that you had to go around to each of your cities every ? turns and move the governor/general out because he was becoming lazy and corrupt. Don't know if there was ever a fix or patch that fixed that feature.

I enjoyed Rome TW but in the end returned to Civ 4, probably because the game just has so many mods now available and you can adjust so many options to suit your own individual tastes.

With Civ 4 you can choose to start a game from the Stone Age era and develop your civilization right through to the future. Or you can start your civ from one of numerous era in between. There are a couple of small mods that allow you to restrict your civ game to a specific era like the Medieval times.

Mods are easy to install and the games main interface allows you to easily select a mod to play.

Like any game, if you play a huge map and end up with countless cities/units to to control, it can become tedious. I generally play a standard or small map and choose to play against fewer civs.

The 'Complete Edition' of Civ 4 includes quite a few mods so that would save you a lot downloading.

 

[ElderDarkDragon]

I just bought Civ IV complete from steam. Never played it before and I'm no stranger to the series but I'm wondering if I should start with vanilla and get used to some of the changes or if I would be better off to jump right in with one or more of the expansions. Any suggestions?

 

[CivIVMonger]

Perhaps you should take that question to Creation & Customization, but assets\XML\units is where you'll probably start. Here you can mod units to some degree. Best thing to do is to create a new mod folder for yourself (something like mods\mymod), put an .ini file in there (with modular loading on), and then create a new assets\XML\units folder within your mod. Copy the files you want to alter here, then go to town.

Thank you. Instead, I think I'll just download the BAT mod, (which was initially what I was looking for).

 

[Samson]

I just bought Civ IV complete from steam. Never played it before and I'm no stranger to the series but I'm wondering if I should start with vanilla and get used to some of the changes or if I would be better off to jump right in with one or more of the expansions. Any suggestions?

I recomend going with the most advanced version, fully patched. There are a couple of extra complexities, but I think it is generally a better game and if you have played a version of civ before then I am sure you will be up and running quickly enough.

 

[phoenix_sprite]

RFC question, what year are extra resources programmed to appear in the Americas or at what tech are they unlocked? Playing as Inca, trying to REX the required land in SAm but I also have my eye set for NAm, I survived the conqueror's event and the plague, but the Aztec did not.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

How would i get access to a one tile resource? I see a dye on a one tile island but i already build a city 2 tiles away. Does just building a plantation and a road on it give me access to it, or do i have to build a city on it?

Build a fort on it.

This is the only correct answer. Gaining access to a resource on an island requires both "enabling" the resource (plantation, fort, or city, plus the required tech) and connecting that tile to the coastal trade network (road/river connection to either a coastal city, a coastal fort within your cultural borders, or a rivermouth) - on a one-tile island only a fort or a city can provide both.

You can, if you build a road too and you have the necessary techs for coastal/ocean trade routes.

No, a plantation and a road will not connect the resource to your coastal network. You will get the yield bonus, but you won't get the dye resource in your trade network. And it is pretty obvious that without the tech for coastal trading (sailing) you won't be able to get the resource - you need that tech to get a worker on that tile anyway.

 

[henrebotha]

Ah, thanks for setting me straight. I don't yet understand the "trade node" function of forts very well - and I had no idea that rivermouths perform the same function. Is there any good reading material on this?

 

[Samson]

RFC question, what year are extra resources programmed to appear in the Americas or at what tech are they unlocked? Playing as Inca, trying to REX the required land in SAm but I also have my eye set for NAm, I survived the conqueror's event and the plague, but the Aztec did not.

Most appear in 1600, some more (the rice near San Fran and some other IIRC) appear quite a bit later, perhaps 1800?

BTW, there is a specific RFC quick answers, at http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=176755 that is very good for this sort of thing (I asked this exact question, and this is what I remember of the answer).

 

[getalot681]

When playing a multiplayer game with mixed human/AI teams, is there any way to control what the AI on your team is researching?

 

[kcd_swede]

When playing a multiplayer game with mixed human/AI teams, is there any way to control what the AI on your team is researching?

Yes. Enter diplomacy with the leader on your team. Select "Let's discuss something else", and the select "we would like you to research...." and select the tech.

 

[getalot681]

Yes. Enter diplomacy with the leader on your team. Select "Let's discuss something else", and the select "we would like you to research...." and select the tech.

Thanks, I figured that it was simple. I assume that it's not a given that they will always acquiesce to your request?