Noob thread

[duke o' york]

Can someone please help me found a corporation? I managed to get the mining one in my very first game at Settler, but didn't bother with it too much because I'd almost won anyway.
Now I can't get one whatever I try. Last night I had one of almost every resource, including all the necessary for Sid (which I really wanted), and all the mined goods, a great artist and great engineer parked in my capital just waiting for the relevant techs to be discovered, but I didn't get the chance to use them when the techs arrived. I've tried to get corps over many nights now, and am always frustrated. Various games at various levels, with opponents from 1 to 7, and different world types, but it still never lets me found any. What exactly is required beyond what the Civilopaedia tells you? This is really annoying me.

[Supr49er]

You can't be running the State Property civic.

[rah]

That would be my guess also.

[Ming]

And make sure another civ hasn't already founded them... but I would bet State Property is the problem.

[duke o' york]

So is running State Property the reason I can't get them? That's my favourite civic, so that can't be the reason, because I always use it asap.
Maybe I should look at my civics again, because the mercantile civics may well affect the possibility of getting a corp.

[Supr49er]

Yes, you cannot create corporations while running State Property.

[wodan11]

So is running State Property the reason I can't get them? That's my favourite civic, so that can't be the reason, because I always use it asap.

Seems like a classic case of denial to me.

Maybe I should look at my civics again, because the mercantile civics may well affect the possibility of getting a corp.

Mercantilism of course is mutually exclusive with State Property. And, under BtS, you can found a Corp under Mercantilism but you won't really get much benefit for it.

[ColdPhoenix]

And, under BtS, you can found a Corp under Mercantilism but you won't really get much benefit for it.

How so? I thought "no foreign trade routes" only affected the gold trade routes that each connected city has and not resource trading but I may well be wrong. Or is there something else I'm missing?

(Obviously Free Market is best for corps due to lower costs).

[sorinache]

How so? I thought "no foreign trade routes" only affected the gold trade routes that each connected city has and not resource trading but I may well be wrong. Or is there something else I'm missing?

(Obviously Free Market is best for corps due to lower costs).

Haven't tried but I suspect you cannot expand your corporation abroad while running mercantilism (maybe)

[sorinache]

So is running State Property the reason I can't get them? That's my favourite civic, so that can't be the reason, because I always use it asap.

Has anyone just said "woolly thinking" ?
Errr ... State Property can't be the reason BECAUSE it's your favorite civic ? That has to be one of the most funny phrases I read on this forum !

[duke o' york]

Can I have advice on whether or not my latest strategy is worthwhile? I like to create a line of cities near the AI, defend them well and then fill in the space behind them with more specialised cities. This has often kept me protected until well into the game, by which time I am able to respond to any sneaky ships going round my defences. The main issue is that I will always refuse open borders, and this can sometimes mean losing an early scout, and any useful units he may get from villages, because once they are trapped behind enemy lines that is that.

[sorinache]

Can I have advice on whether or not my latest strategy is worthwhile? I like to create a line of cities near the AI, defend them well and then fill in the space behind them with more specialised cities. This has often kept me protected until well into the game, by which time I am able to respond to any sneaky ships going round my defences. The main issue is that I will always refuse open borders, and this can sometimes mean losing an early scout, and any useful units he may get from villages, because once they are trapped behind enemy lines that is that.

I was often tempted to do that but I find I can't always resist the much more productive trade routes you get when you open your borders ... No open borders means your trade routes will be very unproductive, running only between your cities. Other than that is is certainly a good strategy if you ask me. Losing a scout or a couple huts is not a big problem IMO.

[duke o' york]

Well obviously once you have stolen all the decent city positions and filled in the gaps with culture then you can reopen borders again. The AI ask every so many turns, but you'll have lost the long-term gain from trade routes even though you can start new ones quickly.
Of course this doesn't work on all maps, or on all starting positions, but it can come in handy if your start point is appropriate.

[Ming]

I'll pretty much give open borders to anybody at first. If they happen to slip a settler behind my line of cities and create their own city... I hope they improve the heck out of it and build a lot of great buildings... because I will either end up owning thanks to culture, or it will be the first city I take in a war effort. It saves me the trouble of creating a filler city.

Early in the game, the extra money from better trade routes makes a big difference, and I'm not willing to pass it up. Granted, I'm sure there are "some" conditions where I might not offer/agree to open borders to certain civs, but overall, I almost always grant them.

[Supr49er]

In Multiplayer you can be pretty sure they will build a city on a reasonable site. But in Singleplayer, the AI will almost certainly pick a suboptimal site.
Even so, I will almost always accept Open Borders agreements. I can always raze the city.