Civilization 4

[Cantousent]

For it's specific purpose, State Property is damned good. Generally, however, I like the high end settings. I dunno, there have been plenty of times I didn't want to upgrade my settings just because a new option came available. For instance, I rarely take slavery. That doesn't mean it's not useful, but only that it doesn't suit my style.

 

Thanks, Julian. It is State Property, not police state.

Edited November 22, 2005 by Eldar

[Spider]

I don't take slavery much either, mostly because it's just not worth the one turn of anarchy. I hate sacrificing population so the ability would hardly ever get used.

[Krookie]

The Civilization games were always to confusing for me. Is the fourth one a little easier to navigate?

[Llyranor]

You guys need help http://www.civanon.org/

 

 

 

 

.... so do I, actually.

 

This game rocks in coop with a bunch of friends. 6 converts and counting!

[Cantousent]

I'm in the middle of a multiplayer game with a friend. It's awesome on the LAN because we can compare maps. If we ever go cut-throat, I'll be sure to hide it from him.

 

I don't go cottages early, that's why they're great in the mid game, when I have set up the food/production situation and have cities big enough to support a lot of 'burbs.

[alanschu]

Meta, when I finally acquire the game (I have to wait until Christmas since there's a chance I may get it for Christmas), I challenge thee to a game of Civ4.

 

Darque can come too!

 

 

Oh, and by challenge I don't necessarily mean bashing each other to pulp, but just playing the game and seeing where it goes

 

 

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I should probably add in jags, as he was enjoyable to play with in Diplomacy.

 

And probably Walshingham, as I continue to ignore his reminders about Close Combat 3 (I can't find the CD dude I'm keeping my eye out for it but it's looooow on the priority list at the moment). Anyone else feel terribly offended that I'm not mentioning. Can it support a 32 player game?

Edited November 22, 2005 by alanschu

[Enoch]

I don't go cottages early, that's why they're great in the mid game, when I have set up the food/production situation and have cities big enough to support a lot of 'burbs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I find that they're worth it early only if you're financial and have a lot of floodplain or grassland w/ river. On those sqares, you get 3 commerce/turn (river + cottage + fin bonus) even before it grows, with decent food to boot. Otherwise, I'll only plant ancient cottages in sqares that irrigation can't yet reach.

 

The other early tactic that seems popular over on the civfanatics forum is building a worker first, researching bronze working, and using the worker to chop a forest square to speed the production of your first settler.

[alanschu]

Man....this game sounds really fun

 

 

I'm eagerly anticipating it. Probably a good thing I don't have it for school reasons.

[metadigital]

Sounds like a date, Jimmy. (Jimmy Chu, get it? O, never mind.)

 

I still haven't had enough time / courage to pick up the DVD case / play the game again. The game seems to have enough complexity to make it almost endlessly replayable, even if some of the particulars aren't especially winsome. (Not sure what's going on with that 22% inflation: sounds like you've built a banana republic.)

 

Darque: one proviso, I haven't played SMAC (yet).

 

[julianw]

(Not sure what's going on with that 22% inflation: sounds like you've built a banana republic.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's at 23% now. I searched on google and found no answers. Tried a few things like keeping a yearly deficit, getting rid of my stashed gold, etc. No solutions yet. Does someone else know his inflation rate in the game?

[metadigital]

You need to control the cost of borrowing:

How the Bank Influences an Economy

...

Macroeconomic Influences

... regulate the level of inflation by controlling money supplies by means of monetary policy ... open market transactions that either inject the market with liquidity or absorb extra funds, directly affecting the level of inflation. To increase the amount of money in circulation and decrease the interest rate (cost) for borrowing, the central bank can buy government bonds, bills, or other government-issued notes. This buying can, however, also lead to higher inflation. When it needs to absorb money to reduce inflation, the central bank will sell government bonds on the open market, which increases the interest rate and discourages borrowing. Open market operations are the key means by which a central bank controls inflation, money supply, and price stability.

...

 

Or, maybe you need to discover economics and the Free Market ...

 

*quickly puts evil manual away before temptation overwelms ... *

[Cantousent]

I say you kill all the economists. That will teach them to increase the inflation rate!

 

Hey, I'll be up for a multi-player game. I can host a TeamSpeak or Ventrilo server so's folks can voice chat while they play. We can play free for all, teams, or human teams against comptuer players.

[Reveilled]

The inflation increases by a fixed value over time, from what I understand. There is apparently nothing the player can do to affect its increase.

[metadigital]

I say you kill all the economists.  That will teach them to increase the inflation rate!

 

Hey, I'll be up for a multi-player game.  I can host a TeamSpeak or Ventrilo server so's folks can voice chat while they play.  We can play free for all, teams, or human teams against comptuer players.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.

George Bernard Shaw

 

 

You could always use them for firewood or as a nifty food supply ...

[Oerwinde]

I say you kill all the economists.  That will teach them to increase the inflation rate!

 

Hey, I'll be up for a multi-player game.  I can host a TeamSpeak or Ventrilo server so's folks can voice chat while they play.  We can play free for all, teams, or human teams against comptuer players.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm up for a team game too.

[Deraldin]

I say you kill all the economists.  That will teach them to increase the inflation rate!

 

Hey, I'll be up for a multi-player game.  I can host a TeamSpeak or Ventrilo server so's folks can voice chat while they play.  We can play free for all, teams, or human teams against comptuer players.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm up for a team game too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd be willing, but I've only got about 12 hours a week in which to do my homework and chores and watch hockey games. Stupid job.

[julianw]

The inflation increases by a fixed value over time, from what I understand.  There is apparently nothing the player can do to affect its increase.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am beginning to think so myself. 23% inflation is just ridiculous though.

 

I'd join a multi-player game too.

[Krookie]

23% is way to high, for anything.

[julianw]

23% is way to high, for anything.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looks like it will go even higher. Luckily the rate only applies to government spendings but not including the research money. Once you adopt civics with low upkeeps and build tons of courthouses, it's not that bad any more.

[metadigital]

Lots of countries have (had) hyperinflation, like interregnum Germany, which suffered 3.25 million percent per month (prices double every 49 hours), after the European nations uncoupled their currencies from the Gold Standard. Of course the Germans got it right when they occupied Greece: 8.55 billion percent per month (prices double every 28 hours).

 

Current world record holders are Hungary, though who, after the end of World War II at 41.9 quadrillion percent (4.19

[Enoch]

Demo now available here.

[Reveilled]

Also, inflation in Civ 4 is a fixed value increase, not a per-turn increase. An inflation value of 23% means everything is 23% more expensive than it was in 4000BC, not 23% more expensive than it was last turn. Going by that system, inflation values of several thousand percent would be appropriate for real-life modern day countries.

 

Inflation in civ 3 as the term is used in the real world would be measured in fractions of a percentage point per turn.

 

So 23% isn't all that remarkable.

[julianw]

Also, inflation in Civ 4 is a fixed value increase, not a per-turn increase.  An inflation value of 23% means everything is 23% more expensive than it was in 4000BC, not 23% more expensive than it was last turn.  Going by that system, inflation values of several thousand percent would be appropriate for real-life modern day countries.

 

Inflation in civ 3 as the term is used in the real world would be measured in fractions of a percentage point per turn.

 

So 23% isn't all that remarkable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're right! The rate is actually way too low.

 

The AIs are definitely cheating though, since it's impossible for me to get a tech lead.

[Enoch]

Patch version 1.09 is out, but not posted on the website yet. You have to update in-game.

 

EDIT: Mirrors are now up. See the civfanatics forum thread.

 

Changes:

 

- increased cost of Apollo Program...

- increased SS parts cost...

- Animal Husbandry reveals Horses

- tweaked Rifling, Chemistry, Steel, and Railroad tech costs...

- increased late-game tech costs...

- can now add two specialists in size 1 city with Mercantilism...

- final score is now modified by difficulty level...

- Speed up load times

- Global performance enhancements

 

Added:

 

- Include WB map size in the description field

- Save login name

- Added password encryption

- Added regenerate Map Button to World builder Map Mode...

- checkbox for using low resolution textures

- more logging for init failure

- minspec / video memory checking

- Added ability to change to and from fullscreen while in-game

- holding during startup will clean out the cache

- improved bink playback, added ini options

 

Fixes:

 

- ATI issue Failed to Init Renderer Fixed

- Multiplayer Lobby list jump problem and lobby crash fixed

- fixed war weariness calculation bug...

- units maintain their name when upgraded

- fixed Gold-for-Gold diplo exploit...

- fixed no research choice overflow exploit...

- Fix for voice initialization crash

- Fix addressing takeover AI and retirement OOS.

- Fixed issue with diplomacy text being always used in its first form in the translator.

- Popups, screens, and diplomacy properly cleared when exiting from main menu.

- Games protected by admin passwords (only) cannot be loaded if the version is different from the one that created the save

- Fixed bug where player could not offer any deal to other human in PBEM/Hotseat

- Sorting by date on domestic advisor now works.

- fixed bug where settlers could not move if the strategy layer was selected

- fixed Ironworks...

- fixed AI units not obeying open borders rules on declaration of war...

- fixed bug that prevent placing of units in world-builder

- fixed bug that prevented gifting of units to a human player

- stack attack infinite loop fixed

- Civic screen update fix (wasn

Edited November 24, 2005 by Enoch

[alanschu]

Demo now available here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

OMFG you bastard!

 

Must resist downloading until after Friday!