Allow Cultural Conversions

[Fanatic]

Does anyone know exactly what this option, "Allow Cultural Conversions," does?

It's under Scenario Properties, under Game Options, in the selector for rules.

The Help in the PTW editor is no help on this subject.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

It allows Culture Flips of cities.

[WarpStorm]

I thought the help does explain this flag.

[Fanatic]

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
It allows Culture Flips of cities.

What do you mean by "Culture Flips"?

[Fanatic]

Originally posted by WarpStorm
I thought the help does explain this flag.

If it does, I sure can't find it. I'm using the editor that came with PTW, out of the box, no patches. The help with this editor leaves out explaining a lot of the features that have been added with this release, this is just one particularly cryptic one since the term is not explained anywhere that I can find.

[Azeem]

When a city of a rival nation that produces only a small amounts of culture points per turn and is close to your cities producing large amounts of culture, then that rival-controlled city has a danger of being absorbed into your empire. This is "Culture Flipping", when the city of another nation suddenly joins your side because your culture is "greater".

[WarpStorm]

When I looked it up in the help (by pressing the Help button and clicking on the section of the dialog in the picture I wanted help on) I got this text:

"Allow Cultural Conversion - Allows territories to expand based on culture with the possibility of converting neighboring cities of other civs."

BTW, you really ought to patch it. Firaxis didn't spend all that time and money on them for no reason.

[Fanatic]

Originally posted by Azeem
When a city of a rival nation that produces only a small amounts of culture points per turn and is close to your cities producing large amounts of culture, then that rival-controlled city has a danger of being absorbed into your empire. This is "Culture Flipping", when the city of another nation suddenly joins your side because your culture is "greater".

Ahah! Thanks for the explanation. It all makes sense now, and I can see situations where you would want this feature, and scenarios where you wouldn't.

Maybe you can provide some info on another issue where the PTW Editor help is less than helpful. On the Wonders and Small Wonders effects, the one used for Smith's Trading company is unclear. The flag (Oops, programming term, perhaps I should say "check box") is labelled "Pays Maintenance for Trade Installations" and the help text is "Maintenance costs are waived for all buildings designated as Trade Installations." Talk about using the term in it's own definition! This does nothing to decribe what exactly designates something a "Trade Installation" I'm guessing that it is either one or more of the flags (check boxes) under Improvements or the "Commercial" flag under Other Characteristics, but there is just no way for me to know which one(s) without a hugely time consuming trial and error approach. Any thoughts on this? BTW, the help for "Other Characteristics" is misleading, since it doesn't mention at all that the build cost for improvments with a given flag checked are halved for a Civ with that advantage, which is more significant effect (to me anyway) than whether or not it triggers a peaceful golden age.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Fanatic
The flag (Oops, programming term, perhaps I should say "check box") is labelled "Pays Maintenance for Trade Installations" and the help text is "Maintenance costs are waived for all buildings designated as Trade Installations." Talk about using the term in it's own definition! This does nothing to decribe what exactly designates something a "Trade Installation" I'm guessing that it is either one or more of the flags (check boxes) under Improvements or the "Commercial" flag under Other Characteristics, but there is just no way for me to know which one(s) without a hugely time consuming trial and error approach.

It's very simple, a civ with that wonder doesn't have to pay the maintenance for Marketplaces, Banks, or Stock Exchanges. Anything that has the "+50% Tax Output" flag checked. I don't know why you'd be confused by that, it seems pretty self explanatory.

[WarpStorm]

You are correct on the circular defintions for that flag. Your guess was correct, it helps on any building (not Wonder) that has the commercial flag checked.

[Ozymandias]

This might or might not be germane, but (1) does the "increase treasury 5%" flag make a wonder count as a trade installation (you know, taxes = treasury ...?)and (2) -- the reason for "(1)" -- what does it actually do, as it's not in the online help?

Thx,

Oz

[Willem]

Originally posted by Ozymandias
This might or might not be germane, but (1) does the "increase treasury 5%" flag make a wonder count as a trade installation (you know, taxes = treasury ...?)and (2) -- the reason for "(1)" -- what does it actually do, as it's not in the online help?

Thx,

Oz

That flag can only be used once, it doesn't accumulate. And Wall Street doesn't have a maintenance cost.

[Ozymandias]

Originally posted by Willem


That flag can only be used once, it doesn't accumulate. And Wall Street doesn't have a maintenance cost.

Ah. Gracias.

-Oz