West Point Question (confused)

[Lost Soul 1]

I'm a relative newbie...so maybe I'm missing something pretty obvious.

I've waited for and tried to build the "West Point" National Wonder when it's become available (in the same city as the "Heroic Epic" NW). And I've rejected building any other NWs with the expectation that I'll be able to construct "West Point" one of these turns.

But, after playing 4-5 full games, I still have been unable to do so.

I think what is missing is a "Level 5 experience," but I'm not sure exactly what is required for that:

(1) Is that applicable anywhere in my Civ OR does the "Level 5" unit need to be located in the city where "West Point" is to be built at the time of construction? (I've unsuccessfully tried to move units which has 9/10 XP, 12/15 XP, 5/10 XP, 11/15 XP, 8/10 XP... but with no change in unbuildable status.)

(2) What exactly is a "Level 5" experience and how can I tell which of my units meet or exceed this requirement?

(3) Anything that could be a problem besides my not fulfilling the "Level 5 experience" requirement?

Whatever insight/help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Lost Soul 1

[zeace]

A Level 5 unit is one that has 4 promotions. So you need to get a unit with over 15XP. He doesn't have to be in the city in question.

With Warlords it has been changed to a Level 6 unit, which requires 21 XP (I think). It's much harder to get now, although combining it with a military academy and great generals makes it more useful too. Many people have said they use their first great general to promote a unit to Level 6 just so they can be assured of building WP.

If you do get a unit promoted to the desired level early in the game, you should strive to protect him so you can build WP later. It sucks to take your best unit and use him for garrison or mop-up duty, but it's usually worth it to get the WP.

[CerberusIV]

Promotions are at 2, 5, 10, 17 and 26 experience points (and go higher). In vanilla CivIV you need a unit with 10 experience to build Heroic Epic and a unit with 17 experience to build West Point.

You only have to have such a unit once in the game. If you get a unit with 17XP before you research Military Tradition and the unit gets killed next turn you should still be able to build West Point later.

You can only get units up to a maximum of 5XP fighting animals and 10XP fighting barbarians in vanilla. So only fighting barbs will get you Heroic Epic but you need to war against another civ for West Point.

The thresholds are raised to 17 and 26 in Warlords but are easier to reach as you can add 20XP to a single unit with a Great General. Warlords also has leaders with the Charismatic trait that reduces the promotions thresholds by 25% (to 13 and
20).

Edit: I play at Prince and Epic speed, not sure if the figures are different on other settings.

[Jaybe]

XP required for a great general varies with game speed.

[Lost Soul 1]

Thanks for all the input and clarifications...very much appreciated.

Now, I've got to go and declare war on one of my neighbors to boost my XP some. I'm obsessed, sort of, with finally getting a chance to build West Point.

Lost Soul 1

[Calvin Vu]

Originally posted by CerberusIV
You only have to have such a unit once in the game. If you get a unit with 17XP before you research Military Tradition and the unit gets killed next turn you should still be able to build West Point later.

I haven't checked again but I think you need to get the Lev 4/5 unit back to your own territory before you can build the HE/WP. If it dies in enemy territory before making it back to your cultural boundary then that does not count.

[joncnunn]

The unit can be in enemy territory, but in any case if your sole level X unit dies before you complete the Wonder you won't be able to build it until you get a new level X unit.

In addition to the Great General being able to give 20 XP to a single unit if that's the only one in the tile, it can be settled in a town to yield all units after him +2 XPs. (If your running a Republic, he'll also yield +3 beakers like any other specalist.)

[JackRudd]

Originally posted by joncnunn
In addition to the Great General being able to give 20 XP to a single unit if that's the only one in the tile, it can be settled in a town to yield all units after him +2 XPs. (If your running a Republic, he'll also yield +3 beakers like any other specalist.)

And if you have the Sistine Chapel, he'll yield +2 culture for the same reason.

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by joncnunn
in any case if your sole level X unit dies before you complete the Wonder you won't be able to build it until you get a new level X unit.

Not so in vanilla at least. I have, in the past, built Heroic Epic without any current unit having the necessary 10XP, the unit that did reach that level having been killed many turns previously.

Don't know if they changed anything apart from the required experience level for Warlords

[trumbo]

My very first warrior usually gets 10 exp from whacking animals and barbs. When he reaches that point I'll return him to my starting city (sending out a replacement) to wait on the first general. When I combine him with the general, he winds up with 30xp -- so no problem at all with getting Heroic and WP later on the down the line.

If you want to protect your warlord in combat, be sure to give him the withdrawal promotion. Otherwise he's gonna be a dead duck.

[Dis]

Why did they raise the west point requirement? It seems almost impossible to get now.

[ColdPhoenix]

They raised the requirement because it's a lot easier to get XP now with the introduction of great generals.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Dis
Why did they raise the west point requirement? It seems almost impossible to get now.

Not if you slap a general on a 6XP unit.

[Minmaster]

Originally posted by Cort Haus


Not if you slap a general on a 6XP unit.

duh...totally forgot about attaching the general for easy high level unit. i was also one of those *****in about the steep requirements for HE/WP.

[couerdelion]

Originally posted by Dis
Why did they raise the west point requirement? It seems almost impossible to get now.

Or fight several wars before you reach Renaissance age. More often than not, I'll find it easy enough to build up one unit in time even if I share out the first XP from the GG. Maybe West Point gets delayed a little but it should not be by much.