A few questions from a newb

from Stardock Forums
OK, I wrote this in the strategy forum, but maybe that wasn't the best place. So I will post it here.

I am new to the game so I may be ignorant of the answers to these questions, but here goes:

You can rename the races in the setup screen, but when you click STATS from the diplomacy screen it still lists the original names that the races were given.

Is there any other resolution that the game can be played at? 800x600 is just so horsey.
How do you make a peace treaty with another race? When I click "Make Peace" it just gives me an empty screen.

Is there some way to figure out the path you need to take to develop a particular technology? I.E., if I want to develop Battleship Tech, where can I find out what the paths are I need to take to get to it? I downloaded someones GIANT tech tree, but the print is SOOOO small when I print that I can barely read it. It sure would be a nice in game feature.

What are Trade Goods for? I can't get any race to trade them to me. Maybe it's just for influence? But how much influence? Are all trade goods the same except for the name?

In my Planet View screen is a list of all the social programs I can build. Why is there a number in parenthesis next to some of them? [i.e., Diplomatic Translators (6)]
Do Galactic Achievements and Galactic Wonders affect only the planet they are on or all your planets?

If I have sold some technologies to another race for a monthly stipend, is there some place I can go to see how much longer I have on that contract? (I.E., if I sell Weapons Tech to someone for $10/100 mos, I would like a list that shows how many more months I have on that contract.)

There seems to be some basic things missing in the manual, like where does it tell you that there are only TWO trade routes allowed per race? (That's the basic start number.) I built 6 freighters and then couldn't use them until I had teched up in trade. Is there someowhere to get complete information?

When you build a starbase on a resource anomoly, do the ability advantages apply to your whole race (all your planets) or just what is in that sector?

Well, that's about it for now. I know it's a lot so if you can just point me to some resources that answer these questions that would be fine. And FYI: I HAVE read the complete manual (even with that horrible font) and I have read the ENCYCLOPEDIA on the galciv website. I am looking for specific answers if you have them.

Thanks and good game.

Kevin

~SDC~
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Wow, thats a whole lotta questions! Im feeling helpful so here goes...

Is there any other resolution that the game can be played at?

Nope. Mind you, I *think* its already 1024*768

:notsure:

Is there some way to figure out the path you need to take to develop a particular technology?

I agree, it would be a nice in game feature. For now you could load up javascouts website and ALT_TAB between it and the game. Or get a bigger piece of paper...

What are Trade Goods for?

Trade Goods provide a permanent bonus to your whole civ (eg diplomatic translators provide +30% to diplomacy). Some of em are pretty valuable so expect to have to pay big for them.

I try to build them first then keep them to myself.
:)

In my Planet View screen is a list of all the social programs I can build. Why is there a number in parenthesis next to some of them? [i.e., Diplomatic Translators (6)]

The number is the maintenance cost per turn.

Do Galactic Achievements and Galactic Wonders affect only the planet they are on or all your planets?

Depends. Most Galactic Achievements affect one world (capitals for instance), but some effect all.

Galactic Wonders affect all your planets, but often also have a nice secondary effect on the planet you build them on. Check out the individual descriptions.

If I have sold some technologies to another race for a monthly stipend, is there some place I can go to see how much longer I have on that contract?

Nope, not yet. You can only see the total on the economics page at the mo.

There seems to be some basic tings missing in the manual, like where does it tell you that there are only TWO trade routes allowed per race? (That's the basic start number.) I built 6 freighters and then couldn't use them until I had teched up in trade. Is there someowhere to get complete information?

Try here. :) I think Brad & Stardock are working on a new manual, but they have lots of other stuff to do as well.

When you build a starbase on a resource anomoly, do the ability advantages apply to your whole race (all your planets) or just what is in that sector?

The special mining abilities (e.g. +3% to economy from an economy resource apply to your whole race). All other abilities only apply to that sector.

Phew! Do I win a prize for being mr nice? :)

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Instead of starting a new thread let me ask my questions here since I AM a newb at this game.

1)Autopilot-when I press the end turn button my ships on autopilot don't move at the beginning of the next turn, I have to press end turn again for them to move and that makes that turn over but then I miss doing the other things during that turn. It's almost like they don't move until the turn is declared over but I would like them to move first, so I can make decisions on what they may or may not find.

2) Is there a place that you can find what bonuses you picked up from anomalies?

3) Production. It seems that you can move between different productions without losing any production. Example, for ships I can select colony ship and say it's 15 months till completion, the scout ship says 6 months, after 5 months I can simply select the scout ship or whatever if I need that and it will pop up next turn even though for 5 months I had been building a colony ship. The same with social projects, I can just select the longest taking one and change to something later I may need due to changing circumstances without penalty. No long range is planning needed. Am I seeing this right?

4) I bought a colony ship at the beginning of the game for 730 which would be available next turn. Sometime during that turn I clicked on scout ship production and left it there. The next turn I got a scout ship (duh)but I had paid for a colony ship and the game did not refund the difference in price.
Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Ok, here's is what I have to do with autopilot. If I have 2 ships on autopilot or one on autopilot and one on sector survey, SOMETIMES they don't move when the end turn button is pushed. If I select one of those and move it manually then the other one will move automatically as it should
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
MrPremise - THANKS! You clarified some things and verified others. You do get an award... :)

I hope other questions are answered as well.
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
BTW: I believe that number in the parenthesis is the order it appears on your governers list. Here's a quesiton: I know how to use the governers list (you can set a build order for each governor) but what if I have a planet that I do not want to use a particular build order? Like I want to chose the next thing made for Earth every time. Why does it always default to one of the governors?

That is very annoying.

Thanks for the help
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Toaddog, to answer your questions:

1) The autopilot does run at the end of your turn, not the beginning. If you're actually exploring this can be problematic, depending on your style; I tend to explore with the faster scouts and then follow up with survey ships, and just autopilot between the anomalies.

2) The bonuses granted from anomalies are shown in the Stats section of your Domestic Policy view (brought up with F4). There's a lot of great info in there, so it is worth checking regularly to see how you stack up with everybody else; it shows other info than what you get with just the graphs on the left of the screen.

3) Military production can always be switched, from one ship to another. Social production usually cannot be switched between projects, although sometimes it seems to "stick" with you.

4) You're right, if you buy a ship, don't switch to something else; it produces whatever you end up leaving in the queue at the end of the turn. You learn quickly that you will end up losing money otherwise. ;)
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Pyrkaige,

Thank you.

As you can probably guess I just started playing in earnest today. I found out that you can force autopilot by just moving one ship and then the rest will move, somewhat annoying for an old Civilization/Civ I,II&III
player.

I now see those bonuses and found out that some or maybe all don't show up until the next turn. I was hoping for a history log like---survey ship picks up 1 repair---but this will do. I did notice that in the misc. part on the right where you click on the icons to get some stats that nothing shows up for ECONOMIC.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Baddonez:

Just use a governer wiht empty build list.
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
OK MxM111 that does the trick...thanks. I wish I could rename the governers to things like Empty, Militry, Planet Improvements, etc. Then I would know instantly which one to use in every situation.

~SDC~