Upgrading Units

[Mitho]

Is there a better way then upgrading each unit individually and why is there no wonder like Leonardo's in Civ IV? I have looked for upgrade info in the game and within the manual and i have yet to find a referance. Frustrated with this.

[Common Sensei]

Shift-clicking units to have multiple selected then hitting the upgrade will upgrade the selected units.

Alt-clicking the upgrade button will upgrade all of the units of that type in your empire. Mouseover the upgrade button while holding Alt will tell you how much it will cost. Typically, this requires one or two Great Merchant trade missions.

[GeoModder]

In any case, alt-upgrading a type of unit will (randomly) upgrade a number of them even if there are not enough funds to upgrade them all.

[Yaga]

Unfortunately, using the alt-click method upgrades to target-class, rather than from unit-class.

Meaning if you have a collection of Warriors, Axemen, and Swordsmen and you alt-click to upgrade the Swordsmen to Macemen, you will *also* upgrade the Warriors and Axemen, since the Macemen is in their target upgrade path. Worse you cannot direct what units are upgraded first when you don't have the money for all. In fact I find it typical that the specific unit you have high-lighted won't get upgraded this way.

Personally, I find this incredibly annoying. I really wish there were some mechanism that made such upgrades easier. Presently, when I'm in the midst of my 1200s-1600s, fighting countless wars against the infidel and petty states, I have to cycle through every unit in every town to ensure that the proper units are upgrades. There has to be a better way

[Arrian]

Unfortunately, using the alt-click method upgrades to target-class, rather than from unit-class.

Yes, that is annoying. If I alt-click on an axeman, I want to upgrade axemen to macemen, not all units that could possibly become macemen to macemen.

-Arrian

[Mitho]

Well that is a big help but they should have something within the military adviser page. Thanks for the short-cuts and advice anyway.

[Common Sensei]

Originally posted by Yaga
Unfortunately, using the alt-click method upgrades to target-class, rather than from unit-class.

Meaning if you have a collection of Warriors, Axemen, and Swordsmen and you alt-click to upgrade the Swordsmen to Macemen, you will *also* upgrade the Warriors and Axemen, since the Macemen is in their target upgrade path. Worse you cannot direct what units are upgraded first when you don't have the money for all. In fact I find it typical that the specific unit you have high-lighted won't get upgraded this way.

Personally, I find this incredibly annoying. I really wish there were some mechanism that made such upgrades easier. Presently, when I'm in the midst of my 1200s-1600s, fighting countless wars against the infidel and petty states, I have to cycle through every unit in every town to ensure that the proper units are upgrades. There has to be a better way

That's what I meant to convey but wasn't clear. Ancient units drastically inflate the cost of upgrading a unit class.

[LordShiva]

I miss Civ3's military advisor.

Though to be honest, my computer is such a piece of crap that it takes too long to load up Civ4's military advisor that I never use it.

[Modo44]

Originally posted by Arrian
Yes, that is annoying. If I alt-click on an axeman, I want to upgrade axemen to macemen, not all units that could possibly become macemen to macemen.

Select all Axemen then, and then upgrade them... Yes, I know it only works for one tile. Unless there is an option to select all units of a kind everywhere on the map, that is.

[Son of David]

Originally posted by LordShiva
I miss Civ3's military advisor.

Though to be honest, my computer is such a piece of crap that it takes too long to load up Civ4's military advisor that I never use it.

Yes definitely! That's one thing they will probably overhaul for the expansion - adviser screens. The current ones are pitiful.

[ghen]

Originally posted by Son of David



Yes definitely! That's one thing they will probably overhaul for the expansion - adviser screens. The current ones are pitiful.

Heh, by any realistic time that an expansion will be completed all the advisor screens will be done. The Domestic and Foreign advisors have already undergone major overhauls in the mod forum.

[Strategist83]

Do not upgrade your units unless you absolutely must (because an enemy army is on your doorstep, for example). It is much more economic to produce new units and dismiss the old ones. This way, you will not spent gold that could have been used better on research.

[pauli]

apparently, your cities have more free time than mine.

[gilfan]

he's right, though. it costs almost exactly the same to use gold to hurry a unit as it does to upgrade a unit. the only reason to upgrade is if your existing unit has more xp than a new one. Usually, through newly built barracks, pentagon, and theocracy and vassalage civics, it makes sense to build a new army rather than upgrade the old one that usually has less xp.

[Modo44]

Originally posted by gilfan
it costs less to use gold to hurry a unit in 1 turn than to upgrade a unit. the only reason to upgrade is if your existing unit has more xp than a new one.

Except you need a special civic to do that, one that does not come early. Besides, one can upgrade units while building more.

Originally posted by Strategist83
Do not upgrade your units unless you absolutely must (because an enemy army is on your doorstep, for example).

Ever did a massive upgrade before attacking? You build units quickly, for cheap, then you use Gold to make up for the production (which you might even have, just used for other things).