23-02-2003 00:22									#31
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

OK, since I haven't won anything, and can't check myself ( ), some more questions.

1) I assume that in the beginning ages, you can only attack the territories adjacent to the ones you own and have armies on. Is that correct?

2) How do you attack other continents? Do you have to build something special in the coastal territories? Or are ships automatically built, just like in the real-time part of the game?

3) In the modern or information age or whatever, is there a possibility to attack very distant territories by sending your armies via airplanes?

Thanks a lot for the answers you already provided, and looking for more.

	23-02-2003 15:57									#32
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Originally posted by vovansim 1) I assume that in the beginning ages, you can only attack the territories adjacent to the ones you own and have armies on. Is that correct?

correct, and it goes for the entire campaign. e.g. you AT ALL TIMES can only attack an adjacent territory

quote: 2) How do you attack other continents? Do you have to build something special in the coastal territories? Or are ships automatically built, just like in the real-time part of the game?

i havent found overseas yet(havent finished my first game yet(yes, i'm slow, not much time to play), geting africa now...) europe is connected to north america through greenland i think. south america from west africa i believe. the point is: you have to get some territories in order to then move on to other targets. it's not a "ok, i'll now send my ships to the other side of the world" thing

quote: 3) In the modern or information age or whatever, is there a possibility to attack very distant territories by sending your armies via airplanes?

no

	23-02-2003 16:46									#33
	Remove this text

vovansim,

Here's a screenie of CTW's map:

http://www.3davenue.com/reviews/ronpreview/2l.jpg

Markos,

This isn't a question about CTW but about the game in general. Remember when CTP2 came out and they gave you all that documentation for the GameData and AIData files? Is there anything in the RoN Beta file directory that looks like it might correspond to CTP2's AIData? In particular, is there anything that looks like strategies.txt or goals.txt? This would give us a first indication of how modifiable the AI will be.

I asked a similar question on another forum and got the answer "Well, it just looks like a bunch of lists." Is that it, do the files contain just simple lists or is there any mention of priorities (or something like that) in them?

	23-02-2003 22:03									#34
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Thanks for the answers. Peter, I have seen this map, (and some other screenies of the CtW), and I see the little punctured line thingies connecting some territories over large bodies of water - the British Isles to the mainland, Europe to Africa (in the left-most part of this pic), etc.. And I realize that these are the only territories that allow you to cross to other continents over water. It's just that I was wondering if to use those you had to do something special - i.e. expend money to build a port or something. I see now that you don't, and can just cross over those.

Also, I think it is cool that there are several "connections" between eurasia, and the americas. If the only one was across the Bering Straight, as it probably actually should be in the stone age, it would have been quite hard to conquer the whole world.

	24-02-2003 06:27									#35
	Got spare money?

quote: Is there anything in the RoN Beta file directory that looks like it might correspond to CTP2's AIData? In particular, is there anything that looks like strategies.txt or goals.txt?

there is an AI folder that contains .bhs files which are scripts using the ron scripting language(i had posted on example of a script file back in the beta #1 days)

what's really interesting is that there are also some .log and .bho files which are modified on the date of my last game. whether these are just something for the programmers, or if they are somehow used by the ai on the next game, i'd really like to know

	24-02-2003 06:41									#36
	Tired of ads?

Oooh, that is very interesting indeed. An AI that actually learns the player's style perhaps?

Oh, and Mark, if you put the image after the quote, it won't look that ugly. As it is now, on my computer at least the quote overlaps the image...

	24-02-2003 06:49									#37
	Get a bigger avatar today!

on mozilla it looked fine

	24-02-2003 07:36									#38
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Thanks for fixing it. Just FYI, see the attachment for what it looked like in my browser.

Now, I also have a slight question about the AI. In these script files, do they define variables like agressiveness, rushing or some such thing, as well as decision making - if this happens, do that - or are they just pre-written actions, as in the (rather pathetic) C&C Generals, where the AI "script" literally tells the computer what to do (i.e. build so many units, attack this player, rinse, repeat), which might be good for scenarios but is really pretty weak for actual strategy.

Attachment: ugly.jpg
This has been downloaded 337 time(s).

	25-02-2003 00:48									#39
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by MarkG europe is connected to north america through greenland i think. south america from west africa i believe.

And kamchatka to alaska?

I mean when they said risk like world map, i didnt realize they meant it so literally.

	25-02-2003 07:21									#40
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

Does RoN have a Scenario Editor?

	25-02-2003 12:50									#41
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

quote: Does RoN have a Scenario Editor?

yes, although it's not in the beta disks
a powerfull scripting language is included

	10-03-2003 00:43									#42
	Wonders in CtW, misc other answers Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

Hi all,
Just wanted to supplement MarkG's excellent answers on a couple of points (thanks Mark!):

Wonders do appear in CtW, FWIW. Wonders are acquired through bonus cards--certain cards allow you to build a Wonder from the Age you are currently in or any previous Age.

The effects of the wonder show up in any scenario you play, world-wide. For the final game (but not implemented in the beta) you need to research a certain number of civics techs to "turn on" the Wonder powers in each scenario.

When you construct a Wonder you'll be asked to place it in a certain territory. If you are attacked in that territory the Wonder will appear in the scenario, and defending that Wonder becomes an important secondary goal.

In my experience the CtW game can take anywhere from 10-20 hours depending on the kinds of scenarios you generate. The game plays more quickly if you are intelligent and put together a lot of "overruns" where you automatically take territory without a fight. As Mark mentions, an overrun occurs when you have 2 more armies in an attack than your opponent has. Allied reinforcements count towards your total in overruns, so judicious diplomacy can go a long way toward furthering your goals. Overruns make the strategic positioning of your armies much more important--should you concentrate your forces on one front in order to bring more reinforcements to bear, or spread your armies out to protect against enemy attacks? On the higher difficulty levels, the enemy AI will look for places where it can overrun your territories as well, so you have to be careful about leaving areas unprotected.

We are looking into an editor capability for CtW, but that would be in an Xpack if we can put it together.

We hadn't really thought about setting starting and ending ages in CtW, since the campaign game is meant to be about all of human history, but if after playing CtW for awhile our fans felt that this feature would significantly improve the game then we could probably add it.

There is no "trade route" functionality between provinces on the world map. In general, we wanted to avoid duplicating things on the CtW map that already happen in the inner game. Instead, we wanted most everything you do in CtW to be something fresh and new and not just a re-creation of what happens in the RTS part. That's the same reason why we don't have you constructing individual buildings in territories on the world map (a la Medieval: Total War), or researching technologies, etc. That stuff is all kept inside the RTS part.

Hope this helps! Great thread, Mark.

Tim

	10-03-2003 01:39									#43
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Thanks a lot for the clarifications, Tim!

I do have another question related to your explanation, though.

quote: The game plays more quickly if you are intelligent and put together a lot of "overruns" where you automatically take territory without a fight.

Does that mean that you can only fight on one territory per turn, and then the ones you overrun are added to the total?

And also on some of the screens of the CtW victories some folks have already posted on the net, I see stats saying something like "marginal victory", so many per-cent of the world conquered, etc..

Does that mean that there is a limit on the number of turns the campaign takes? Or does it automatically end when a nation conquers, say 75% of the world? In other words, I am curious as to the winning conditions of the campaign.

Thanks in advance.

	10-03-2003 03:18									#44
	Support Apolyton

Hi vovansim,
You are correct--you can overrun as many territories per turn as you can manage, but you can only fight a battle in one territory per turn.

The game ends in the Information Age, so there is a set number of turns. After that time, you can choose to continue the game if you wish, but no further score will be recorded. You earn a "marginal victory" if you complete the game and are the largest nation on the board. A complete victory is earned when you conquer the entire world. You can also earn marginal defeats (complete the game but are NOT the largest nation on the board) and allied victories.

Tim

	10-03-2003 07:19									#45
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

How much is provided at the start of each CtW scenario?

	10-03-2003 07:44									#46
	Got spare money?

The starting setups are dependent on several factors, including the defender's territory strength, the reinforcements on both sides, any bonus cards played, and rare resources under each players' control.

Territory strength determines the number and size of the defender's cities. A size one territory has just a basic starting setup of a few farms and a woodcutter. At size four, the defender gets a second city. At size eight the defender will have three cities with defending towers and castles, as well as bonus starting resources. (Note that these are somewhat subject to change before release as we continue to balance the game).

Reinforcements come in play in the first few minutes of the scenarios. If you have supporting armies in neighboring territories, they will send troops that can significantly increase your chances of success. Allies can also send reinforcements--in that case the ally will bring citizens who can construct new cities and join you as an equal partner in the attack, in addition to some military units.

Bonus cards can be used to "even the odds" when you are attacking into a key territory with particularly high strength. Some bonus cards give you starting technology, or resources, or special powers that last for the scenario.

All these variables make every Conquest scenario have its own special setup. Attack a strength 8 capital territory and you'll need a lot of bonus cards and / or reinforcements to change the equation. If your opponent attacks you with an ally, you'll be in a Teams of 2 situation with the enemy ganging up on you.

Finally, rare resources can also significantly affect the starting situation. In you capture a territory with a rare resource in it (as shown on the strategic map), then that rare resource is available to you in every subsequent scenario. You gain its bonus income and its special power. One of the positive side-effects of this feature is that later scenarios get started much more quickly due to the increased resources at your disposal. This helps eliminate some of the repetitiveness of the early game, when many of your tasks are similar. Instead, you can be creating armies and planning assaults much more quickly.

Tim

	10-03-2003 15:23									#47
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

good to have you back Tim

	11-03-2003 08:59									#48
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

How is territory strength determined?

Is it one of those things of how many armies you have in it?

Or is it size due to prior battles on the territory?

Thanks Tim.

	11-03-2003 09:08									#49
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Territory strength depends primarily on how long you've held a territory. The territory increases in size for every Age you've held it. You can also choose to spend tribute to increase the territory strength.

	11-03-2003 20:45									#50
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Hey tim, how can you conqure the whole world exactly? I heard that you can choose from 1 to 4 turns per age (which means 8 to 32 turns total) but there are more than 32 territories, and with only 1 battle per turn....that doens't equate to conquring the world? Does capturing an enemy capitol give you all their territory in the CtW map?

	12-03-2003 04:58									#51
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Does the actual CTW map have fog of war, or can the player see what happens in the other territories?

And also, can I cheat in CTW? Because in EE, I had to download a trainer to cheat in the scenerios which made the game run slow.

	12-03-2003 05:29									#52
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

You have four turns per Age (except for the Ancient Age, where you only spend one turn), for a grand total of...29! Conquering a capital does give you all of that nation's territories, so you can certainly win in the allotted time. Also, when you overrun a territory, that does not count as your attack; you can do as many overruns in a turn as you can manage to put together. Finally, there is a rare bonus card called "Treachery" that allows you to take a province without fighting, and that also does not count as your attack for the turn.

The player can see what is happening in other territories in CtW, as an abstraction of the timescale covered in the game.

You will have access to all the cheats in CtW scenarios that you get in the regular game, which should be most anything you could want. We're big fans of letting people mess around with the game however they want, including "artificial enhancement" :-). Of course, that doesn't extend to MP, where cheats are disabled.

	12-03-2003 05:44									#53
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

by overrun you mean surrounding an enemy territory on all sides and then attacking? do you need an army in every territory or just need to own all the territories around it?

	12-03-2003 05:59									#54
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Overrun is when you have three armies more than the defender, as has been mentioned several times before.

I have a question about this "Treachery" card, though. I suppose one can't use it on a capital... But also, is there some other limit on its use - like maybe one cannot use it on a very strong province?

Thanks for the answers, they have been great so far.

	12-03-2003 06:15									#55
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

To clarify, overruns are where you have 2 more armies than the defender has. But otherwise, vovanism has already anticipated some of the balance changes that got made on the "Treachery" card--you cannot use it in a capital territory, and you cannot use it on a territory of strength 4 or higher.

Tim

	12-03-2003 06:24									#56
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

So then if you simply bring 2 armies to bear on a territory with no defending army you can take over the territory easy. Good deal.

How many armies would you have after say... you get halfway through the campaign? I'm just trying to picture what kind of numbers we're talking about. Does every other territory supply an army? every other 2 territories?

If you loose an attack, do you loose the army (or if you loose a defence with the army in that territory)? And if you loose it, does the original territory you got the army from "respawn" the army after a time?

Just trying to figure out how you aquire/loose armies really.

	12-03-2003 08:14									#57
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Say I have this treachery card, do I have to use it on an adjacent territory?

And also, in CTW, if I attack on my eastern flank and I get attacked on my western flank in the same turn, do I play two games?

P.S. So far, BHG has had, IMO, the best public relations section then any other game developer. It's good to know that the company actually reads over this stuff. From the bottom of my teenage heart, Thank you.

	12-03-2003 08:35									#58
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

There are 49 territories total in CtW, of which 14 contain the supply depots that provide armies. You also start with an army, so you can aquire a total of 15 in a game. Six or seven might be a reasonable mid-game total, depending on your strategy, starting location, and ability.

The only way to lose armies in CtW is to lose control of a supply depot (similar to the board game Diplomacy).

As for the Treachery card, you are correct that you have to use it on an adjacent territory. Another balance change to that card that happened awhile back :-).

If you execute an attack and also have to defend in a turn, you will fight two battles in that turn.

As for the best public relations section, no way man! I'm development :-). Our Microsoft PR & marketing people are great, I have to say, but I personally would not be staying at work until midnight for the third night in a row if it weren't for working on the game. I've been a fan and folllower of Apolyton for several years now, and I'm just happy that these guys have this cool site that we can post on.

Tim

	12-03-2003 08:38									#59
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Thanks for all the feedback tim, will make the learning curve a lot gentler for many of us!

So if you get attacked by say 3 different countries (or maybe 3 times by the same country on different fronts?) would that mean you'd play 3 battles (plus 1 if you attacked)?

	12-03-2003 08:46									#60
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

You would, but unless the AI REALLY hates you it won't attack more than once per turn, and usually not even once per turn. It used to be more frequently, but it was no fun to get bogged down by continual AI attacks.