Unterschiede zu Vanilla Civ IV (Civ4 FFH)
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Vor dem Start
Beachte, dass die gewählte Zivilisation (und im geringeren Ausmaß auch die Anführer) eine bedeutend größere Auswirkung haben als in Vanilla Civ IV. Zivilisationen haben meist mehrere einzigartige Einheiten (die sich allerdings mitunter nur im Aussehen von den Standardeinheiten unterscheiden, um das Spiel atmosphärisch dichter zu gestalten) und können andererseits oft über manche allgemeine Einheiten nicht verfügen. Bestimmte Völker haben einzigartige Fähigkeiten (z.B. können die Lanun Piratenhöhlen bauen). Manche Eigenschaften der Anführer erzeugen entscheidende Auswirkungen im Spielverlauf. So verlängert die Eigenschaft beschwörend die Lebensdauer der beschworenen Kreaturen um mehrere Runden und mit der Eigenschaft barbarisch hat man von Beginn an Frieden mit den Barbaren.
Erste Runde
Your initial settler has some promotions that allow it to move faster and see further than most Settlers (see Beginning of Game for detail). This allows a real choice of starting spots. Note that due to the Sailor's Dirge, creating your first city next to a large body of water may not be a good choice.
Barbaren
There are a broader range of early "animals" (Giant Spiders, Hill Giants are more difficult than vanilla animals), and some early creature generators (Barrow, Ruins - both destroyable by entering them with any unit). Because of these, consider sending two Warriors (or the equivalent) for each unit you need to protect in potentially hostile territory (like Settlers). Also note that there are some unique barbarians, including a ship (Sailor's Dirge), a melee combatant that spawns in the early game (Orthus), and a Dragon that usually spawns a little later (Acheron the Red Dragon).
Beförderungen
Note that the XP cap is (for most practical purposes) absent, and there are far more promotions, with far more effects. In most cases, Combat I-Combat V are safe, good choices to take, if they are not always optimal. Note that adepts (and their equivalent) need to take appropriate (sphere) promotions to gain spells.
Technologien
In general, technology gains are far slower than in vanilla CIV IV. A relatively easy path is to go for Education, then go for one of the early technologies that grant you a religion - Way of the Earthmother, Way of the Forests, Message From the Deep (unless you can't gain one), then rounding out the various tile improvements for resources that are relevant, then focusing on a single branch of research, to get the military units. Although the optimal choice depends on your civilization (and situation), in general, the Melee units (ex: Warrior, Axeman) require the most metals and are a bit stronger, whereas the Recon units (ex: Scout, Hunter) tend to be weaker and require no metals. As in Vanilla Civ IV, military (or at least military-supported) victories tend to be the easiest. If you make it to the late game, Druids are a very nice choice (since for most civilizations, they allow terra-forming with the proper promotions).
- To see Copper, you need Mining. To use it, you need a forge, which can be built after researching Bronze Working. Other than the Recon Units, Copper can improve the strength of many early- and mid-game units.
- To see Iron, you need Smelting. Much like Copper, you simply need a forge to upgrade your units to Iron. Other than Recon Units, Iron is needed for many late game units and improves the strength of most melee units.
- To see Mithril, you need Metal Casting. To use it, you need Mithril Working. Mithril is mostly needed for late game Melee Units.
- technology needed to use Mana Nodes: Knowledge of the Ether and:
- Alteration and/or
- Divination and/or
- Elementalism and/or
- Necromancy
- Technology useful to reduce Maintenance: Code of Laws, Feudalism
- Technology useful to increase Science: Writing, Infernal Pact, Alchemy
- Technology useful to increase Wealth: Currency, Mathematics, Way of the Earthmother, Taxation, Mercantilism, Machinery
- Technology useful to increase Culture: Ancient Chants, Drama, Message From the Deep, Way of the Earthmother, Way of the Forests, Orders From Heaven, Infernal Pact
- Technology Useful to increase Production: Bronze Working, Construction, Engineering, Guilds, Iron Working, Commune with Nature, Blasting Powder, Machinery
Geländeverbesserungen
The most important one to mention here is Mana Nodes. Mana Nodes can be built in a variety of types, by most Arcane Units, depending on what technologies you presently have. If you want to create highly promoted arcane units, go for up to 3 of the same type of mana for your favorite mana types (see here for detail)..
Einheiten
Major units types (note that there are others):
- Animal Units - Note that with the Subdue Animal Promotion, certain of these units can be captured (mostly by recon units). They then can produce buildings at carnivals, or be used as Hidden Nationality units.
- Arcane Units - spellcasters. Always promote through each level, so as to get the extra free promotion. They have a slow automatic XP gain (see here for detail). You'll want to focus each arcane spellcaster on Summoning or Sorcery.
- Archery Units - the early ones are much like vanilla Civ IV, but some of the later ones have different abilities - the Marksman attacks the weakest unit in a stack, and the Flurry has Blitz like a Tank in vanilla Civ IV. Also note that the later units require metals.
- Disciple Units - everything from the lowly Prophet (a unit with Medic I) through the Druid or High Priest (powerful spellcasters), through combat units (Paladin). Note that Disciple spellcasters start with more automatic promotions than Arcane spellcasters, but they cannot gain additional spheres, nor do they gain free promotions from multiples of a mana resource.
- Melee Units - these units tend to be a bit stronger than roughly equivalent counterparts, but require more metals. Note that the Immortal must be killed twice in a single turn to be slain.
- Mounted Units - Much like vanilla CIV IV mounted units, but faster. The later ones tend to be very strong units as well. They tend to require a second resource (typically Horses).
- Naval Units - Much like vanilla CIV IV naval units. Note that they all can change their statistics a bit in their cities - so they can fight better at one point (through Buccaneer Crew), then (later on) move faster instead (through Longshoremen Crew). Note that the Arcane Barge can cast Fireball.
- Recon Units - The units you want to go for if you have no metals. Also note that the Hunter is very cheap in Technology terms, so in many cases, this is a very tempting branch even with decent metals. It also leads to the Druid, who is both a good spellcaster, and (for most civilizations) a very good terraformer (if given the Nature II and Nature III promotions).
- Siege Units - the main differences are that they tend to have higher withdrawal chances and lower strength than in Vanilla CIV IV. Unlike Vanilla Civ IV, there are other ways of taking down city walls - Fireballs, Meteor Swarms, and Hill Giants are three examples.
- National Units - the most powerful units (non-Hero units) are National Units. this means that you can only have 3 at a time.
- Heroes - for their technology, these tend to be the strongest units in the game. They can gain a number of promotions that non-Hero units can't. Only one hero of any particular type can be built (by any player). A number of Heroes have the Hero promotion, which grants them a significant XP gain until they reach 100 XP.
- Buildings - note that many units have pre-requisite buildings. Consider having only 1-2 cities with that building, particularly for the later units, unless the building gives significant other advantages.
Religionen
Your choice of religion has a stronger effect than in vanilla Civ IV. They act as pre-requisites for Heroes, some units, some technologies, and some civics. Until you get used to the basics of the game, I'd take one of the early ones, and stick with it for the game. Also note that a few civilizations can't gain the standard religions, one religion is only available to a couple of civs, and one civ can't found or adopt any religion at all. Note that some civics grant penalties for having multiple religions in a city, and the Inquisitor can remove non-state religions for all cities (except for a religion founded in that city).
Staatsformen
Civics have different and larger effects than the early ones tended to in Vanilla Civ IV. Agriculture in particular can be a very nice early civic.
Zauber
For your Arcane Units, you will want to look at the spells available with Channeling II and Channeling III and Summoning or Sorcery. Then take promotions along that path and/or get 2-3 mana resources of that type (the later gives free promotions for Arcane Units). Some initial suggestions (primarily due to ease of use and non-overlap with common Disciple Units):
- Sorcery
- Summoning
- Chaos has a strong Channeling II Summons (with a drawback), and a long-lasting Channeling III Summons.
- Death has some summons with good special effects. Note that getting this mana type will give you a diplomacy penalty.
- Fire gets a unit that can see invisible (with a drawback), and a strong attack unit.