Your BtS questions

[Robert]

Since I got the game yesterday, I'm able to answer all your questions about Beyond the Sword.
Thus those who are eager to find stuff out, here's the place to be.

(just to proof that it's not some warez version:

)

[MoonWolf]

I see your ring on the finger and what looks like a baby buggy in the lower left side of the corner: How can you find time to enjoy the expansion? Am a father to a little baby boy but have told my girlfriend that I'll be busy on Friday evening/ night...

For more game questions: How is the modern and post-modern experience? I'm thinking both on Earth and after launching for Alpha Centauri.

[Robert]

I see your ring on the finger and what looks like a baby buggy in the lower left side of the corner: How can you find time to enjoy the expansion? Am a father to a little baby boy but have told my girlfriend that I'll be busy on Friday evening/ night...

That's not a BtS question
both me and my wife are flexible people, and since Civ is a TBS game, I find a lot of time to play with my son between the turns

And indeed, every friday night I play Civ with my friends online. Saturday morning my wife takes care of our son so I can sleep a bit longer

For more game questions: How is the modern and post-modern experience? I'm thinking both on Earth and after launching for Alpha Centauri.

After you launch your spaceship, there's some time to cover till the SS arrives. This may be a bit boring for some, for me it's a start for some good neighbour conquesting

If another player launches his SS first, you can send a big bunch of troops to his capital, to seize it, and bring back his SS.

The late game is more interesting.
I like the addition of corporations most. Great People were never that interesting in the late game since their power was not as big as in the early game (where they make a difference).
Now I start saving up Great People from the mid-game on, and focus on certain techs, to get, depending on the available Great People.

The resource-game is also much more interesting thanks to the corporations. I suddenly find myself focussing on getting extra resources (ie. 4 iron instead of just 1). It's also more then ever needed to build courthouses and Wall Street, to make sure that your economy will be able to fund the corporations.

The new units make late game warfire much more interesting. Certainly because the lack of oil isn't that bad anymore, and ships can use uranium as well. (in the past, you were doomed on the seas if you didn't have oil)

[MoonWolf]

That's not a BtS question
both me and my wife are flexible people, and since Civ is a TBS game, I find a lot of time to play with my son between the turns

I think that's related to "System requirements"... It's be the same for me here

And indeed, every friday night I play Civ with my friends online. Saturday morning my wife takes care of our son so I can sleep a bit longer

And that's "Recommended system"

Thanks for the feedback! I think I've read somewhere that it could also be fighting on Alpha Centauri or something. Or have I misunderstood something?

Is there a big change in the resource situation e.g. that there is not enough with only one resource of a kind if you grow large enough?

Seems like BtS is a more significant and "deeper" expansion that Warlords was, can't wait!

Certainly because the lack of oil isn't that bad anymore, and ships can use uranium as well. (in the past, you were doomed on the seas if you didn't have oil)

I thought you could build ships with Uranium in previous versions as well? Of course, that would be later in the game but at least you could.

[Robert]

Thanks for the feedback! I think I've read somewhere that it could also be fighting on Alpha Centauri or something. Or have I misunderstood something?

There's a space mod, I have only played it once for a brief period. I'm not really into space games.
It's a 'game on itself', where you can load a 'total different' version of civ and play a totally different game.
I think that it's cool for the space-fans! But it's not connected to the epic game.

Is there a big change in the resource situation e.g. that there is not enough with only one resource of a kind if you grow large enough?

There's no difference in the resource system, except for corporations.
If you have a corporations, ie. Mining Inc., then all cities that host that corporation (like a city has a religion) will get 0.5 extra hammer for every iron, bronze, stone, marble (out of the top of my head) resources that that city has access to.

Thus, ie. my city: "Robingthon" has "Mining Inc."
It also has access to 3 iron, 2 bronze and 1 marble resource.
That means that my city gets an extra 3 hammers (+ factory and electricity and iron works, that's an extra 9 hammers per turn)
If I now can get some extra iron/bronze/stone/marble resources, that may increase to 5 (15) or even more hammers extra.

Thus it's important to get as much as possible iron resources, to increase the # of hammers in all your Mining Inc. cities.
Both by trading (though the AI knows you have that company, and won't sell stuff for cheap prizes anymore ) or by conquest.

I thought you could build ships with Uranium in previous versions as well? Of course, that would be later in the game but at least you could.

Really? Ok, may have missed that in the past.

[Robert]

Somebody at CFC asked why the epsionage icon sometimes appeared in the leader-score-list at the bottom-right corner of the screen.

That icon appears there if you have gathered more espionage points towards that leader then he has gathered towards you.

If you mouse over the leader information you'll get the espionage information as well, like this: 800/459 which means that that leader has 800 points towards you while you have 459 points towards that leader. (and thus you have less espionage points, and the icon does NOT appear next to his name)

[ben04]

Do you now need fission to use uranium for the ships?
How well does the espionage system work?

[Robert]

Originally posted by ben04
1. Do you now need fission to use uranium for the ships?
2. How well does the espionage system work?

1. Have to look that one up.

2. It works quite nice, you must learn to focus espionage on your neighbours though (imho). If you do nothing, then your espionage points (EP's) will automaticly be divided over ALL civs, and thus you'll end up having almost no EP's against all civs.

What I always do is assign all EP's only to my direct neighbours. When I build courthouses soon enough, the # of EP's is pretty nice. (I never use the slider)

Then you can start to gather passive information. As soon as you find out that your neighbour, ie. is building the same wonder you're building, you can send a spy to sabotage it, ie.

The AI mostly uses espionage to blow up terrain improvements. That's quite annoying.
I don't see much use in blowing up terrain improvements. Maybe I'll do it in MP diplomacy game, just to annoy my enemies

As with all civ-elements, espionage is ballanced, and won't make a difference all by itself. I never tried to focus on espionage for 100%, and in example steal all techs. That would be an interesting approach.

[MoonWolf]

Thanks, CyberShy! Really nice of you to spend time with us don't-have-BtS-and-can't-wait-to-get-it.

[Robert]

Oh well, it's nice to answer questions.
And since I've played at least over 80 full games already, I'm sure that I can come with better answers then those who played it twice

[Robert]

I'm going to have lunch shorthly though, after that I'll answer more questions.

[binTravkin]

80 full games?

Ahh, you were a betatester, now I see..

[Robert]

Originally posted by binTravkin
80 full games?

Ahh, you were a betatester, now I see..

You found the credits, I see

[Robert]

Somebody at CFC asked if the Dutch Dike (Dutch UB) can only be build in cities next to rivers or if they can be built in all cities.

The Dutch Dike can only be build in cities next to water or rivers. (Like the Levee can only be build next to rivers)
The Dike gives +1 hammer to all water tiles, and all tiles next to rivers. The Levee only gives +1 hammer to all tiles next to rivers.

Be aware thus that cities that aren't next to the water can't build the Dike/Levee, even if the river / water is within their Fat Cross. (like lighthouses can't be build if the city doesn't border next to the water immediately)

[sneaky]

Originally posted by CyberShy
Somebody at CFC asked if the Dutch Dike (Dutch UB) can only be build in cities next to rivers or if they can be built in all cities.

The Dutch Dike can only be build in cities next to water or rivers. (Like the Levee can only be build next to rivers)
The Dike gives +1 hammer to all water tiles, and all tiles next to rivers. The Levee only gives +1 hammer to all tiles next to rivers.

Be aware thus that cities that aren't next to the water can't build the Dike/Levee, even if the river / water is within their Fat Cross. (like lighthouses can't be build if the city doesn't border next to the water immediately)

Thanks CyberShy. That's what I wanted to know.