Civilization IV

Civilization IV is a play of the series of the plays Civilization, developed by Sid Meier, left in autumn 2005.

A first extension, Civilization IV: Warlords , left the July 28th 2006.

A second extension, Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword , left the July 20th 2007.

Concept of play

In a time distributed between 4000 av. J.C. (or " the paddle of the humanité") and 2050 a. J.C., the player will have to secure a victory according to several modes (diplomatic, territorial, cultural…) vis-a-vis other civilizations. For that it will lay out

of quoted , which will provide him all the other resources (production, but, culture, research) by exploiting the ground around.
of a territory, with varied grounds which, exploited by the cities, will provide the basic resources (" nourriture" , " production" and " commerce") as well as special resources, rarer, which give an ordinary no-claims bonus of resources, improve the state of the population (" bonheur" or " santé"), or are necessary to produce certain military units (not planes without oil, not of " spadassins" without iron, not of rider without horses…)
of military units, produced by the cities, which it will need to dissuade the attackers, to defend themselves, or attack.

As in the back issues, the player can arrange the ground (to clear forests, to build mines, farms, additional cities…) and its cities using buildings which will improve the productivity of the citizens. Certain buildings are ordinary (attic, port, barracks…), others are " wonder nationales" (only one by player), others finally of the world wonders (single).

Research plays a central role: it is it which makes available installations of ground, buildings and units military more advanced. The player must also be concerned with cultural level of his cities, which fixes the borders of its territory and gives a defensive no-claims bonus, as well as his finances: it is necessary to pay for the military units and to maintain the cities under control, which is all the more expensive as they are more and further away from the capital.

The player will be able to make exchanges (equitable or not…) with other civilizations: technology, gold, special resources, etc

Many parameters (size of planet, scenario preprograms, level of difficulty, many players…) will influence the content of each part and the strategies to be adopted.

System of turns in Civilization IV

Like its ancestors, Civ. IV is a play which is played Tour by turn: the originators decided to preserve this specificity compared to the plays of " strategy time réel" who developed since.

That means that the players play in turn; moreover, the players operate the units the ones after the others, and see the result of a first movement before deciding following movement: the order of the action is thus paramount. The decisions of production or research, which will have effect only the following turns, can be to modify and remodifier as long as one wants during the turn: they will be validated only when the player passes the hand to the following player.

As a multijouor, one can choose the " mode; turns simultanés" : the players carry out their turns at the same time, then a new turn is started.

Chart

Civ. IV uses a chart in chess-board, with vicinity by the corners as by with dimensions ones: each box with eight neighbors. This system is rather intuitive but blow the chart is not Isométrique, and an enemy unit can pass between two units which are touched by the corners: one needs twice more units to organize a stopping according to a diagonal, than according to the horizontal one or the vertical, whereas the distance is the same one.

Cities and production

The cities constitute the basic cells of a civilization.

Citizens

The size of a city measures of many citizens: the exploitable number of boxes is this number of citizen plus one (the box of the city), with a maximum of 21.

Each citizen needs two units of food to live; if it misses food, it will be the famine and finally the disappearance of citizens; conversely the surplus of food will make it possible to reveal an additional citizen (one will need two packages to pass from 1 to 2 citizens, three packages to pass from 2 to 3, etc, the size of the package being of 10 at the normal level of difficulty)

The number of citizen is limited by the food available, which itself is limited by two phenomena:

their happiness: if the number of citizens exceeds the level of happiness, the surplus does not work and thus do not bring any more food
their health: a unit of food is lost for each point of disease which exceeds the level of health

One can, under certain conditions (political regime, buildings…) to transform a citizen into " spécialiste" rather than to make him exploit a box: he will not produce food, but it is not inevitably awkward if the number of citizen is already in extreme cases, because then a citizen moreover would transform himself into unproductive striker, or if the city has already more than 20 citizens.

Certain political regimes (slavery and mobilization) make it possible to transform the citizens into production or military unit, at the price of a momentary dissatisfaction

In each city a percentage indicates the nationality of the citizens. If an enemy city is captured, it will contain citizens who have the nationality of their old civilization. Later, your citizens will live this city with the foreigners whom it contains already. If the third civilization captures this city, it will contain citizens of three different nationalities. A city can thus pass from civilization in civilization and contain citizens of very varied nationalities… If you tackle a civilization whereas foreigners of the nationality of this civilization live among your citizens, those will be dissatisfied and that will have an influence on the happiness of your population!

buildings and production

The improvements which will be built downtown will contribute to the increase in the productivity or the cultural influence of a city, being able to go as far as pushing close cities to rebel to join another civilization. Like technologies, the urban improvements have specific goals: forge for the productivity, colized for the happiness of the inhabitants, observatories for the scientific research.

But the more the player has cities, and the more they are far from the capital, larger are the maintenance costs (" corruption") and dissatisfaction: the most remote cities smallest and can be more expensive than they do not pay, which can justify to shave a captured enemy city or to make gift with another civilization of it (to cause an antagonism between this one and the nation of origin, or for price of peace) rather than to keep it.

Boxes and installations

The majority of the boxes contain resources. Some can provide only food or production, others contain resources like spices, and these resources make it possible to form a type of units (for example, the horse: allows to form riders), to increase the happiness of the inhabitants… To exploit the resources of a box, it is necessary to train a Workman in a city and to send it on the box. This one will be able to then build one or more installations (cottage, firm, mine, water mill…). It will then be necessary to build a road to connect installation to a city (one can build several roads by installation and city). The construction of the road can be done before the construction of installation. Once these operations carried out, it (them) city (S) to which installation is connected will profit from the effects of the resources of the usable airfield. The roads are not useful that to connect installations to the cities, they can be used to connect any boxes (for example, one can connect two cities for the trade).

Civilizations

A large range of civilizations is available, each one being represented by one or two leaders, Louis XIV and Napoleon proposed for France, Genghis Khan for the Mongols, Catherine of Russia and Pierre the Large one, Roosevelt, Mao Zedong and so on. Each civilization offers specific advantages (technologies and units starting, special units), in-outside sympathy which the leaders of each civilization can inspire who appear in animated figures.

Conditions of victory and defeat

Civilizations which concluded a permanent alliance counts for only one team, and add their contributions (their territory, their elements of spaceship, etc).

There are six ways of gaining in Civilization IV:

Victoire by score: the team (or civilization) which has the best score at the end of the play (2050) gains the part
Conquête: the team which destroyed all unfavourable civilizations gains the part
Course with space: the first team which succeeds in building the spaceship by gathering all her parts, to carry out her launching and to send it until Alpha of the Centaur gains the part
diplomatic Victoire: when the United Nations are founded, a general secretary will be elected among the players. This one can then make vote a series of resolutions of which one is the diplomatic victory. The player receiving the votes necessary gains the part.
cultural Victoire: the first team which has three cities with a “legendary” level of culture (25000) gains the part
territorial Victoire: the first team which controls 70% of the territory gains the part.

If a civilization with which you did not conclude from alliance fills one of these conditions before you, it gains the part and you lost!

Diplomacy and trade inter-civilizations

During the play, the player will meet other civilizations which will have the same goal as him: to gain. These civilizations will form their own opinion about the player. There are several types of opinions (indicated here more favorable at least favorable):

enthusiastic
favorable
is wary (neutral)
worries
in anger

When you meet a civilization, this one will generally have towards you the opinion “is wary” (but that depends on the character of the chief of civilization); you will be able to make evolve/move this opinion in a favorable or unfavourable way (for example, by declaring the war with this civilization (unfavourable) or by offering something to him (favorable)). A civilization which loves you less will make with difficulty trade with yours or perhaps the war will declare to him. A civilization which estimates you will make you commercial offers more interesting for you or perhaps will make you a gift. It can happen that a civilization very gone up against yours refuses to speak to you, but that is generally only temporary. You can make trade with other civilizations (it will be necessary sometimes that one of your cities is connected by a road or a railway to the city of the civilization with which you want to trade).

Religion

There are seven religions, which appear the one after the others with the discovery of a technology:

Buddhism (meditation)
Hindouisme (polytheism)
Judaism (monotheism)
Confucianism (delivers laws)
Taoïsme (philosophy)
Christianisme (theology)
Islam (divine right)

No civilization has predetermined religion: it is possible to see Louis XIV adopting the Islamic religion, or Mao Zedong to convert with Christianity.

With the acquisition of specific technologies or the contact with a converted civilization, a faith is propagated in a city, which makes possible from the religious buildings of this faith in this city, as well as the adoption of this religion like national religion.

All the religions have same the effects in the play, positive: they improve happiness and culture, and gives access to buildings which improve happiness, the culture, and seeks it. One can cumulate the buildings of various religions, provided that the corresponding faith is present in the city.

It is necessary to take account also of three notable effects:

the civilization which holds the town of foundation of a religion sees which occurs in the cities which adopted this religion (better is thus worth to avoid having this civilization like enemy); moreover, with the help of the construction of a special building, this civilization will receive a financial no-claims bonus for each city, even each building related to this religion: finances of your adversaries (or them yours!) extremely improved
of it the choice of a national religion can be has measurable consequences in the ratios inter-civilizations, energy of a hostility posted with a peaceful benevolence (no-claims bonus/diplomatic malus between the civilization of religion equalizes/different).
the cities where a religion is present are more dissatisfied when the war makes rage against their co-religionists.

It is possible, using missionary S, to spread the religion concerned in another city, that this city belongs to you or not. If the city belongs to you, that generally functions. If the city belongs to another civilization, the propagation of the religion is likely to fail if this city is already converted with one or more other religions.

It is possible to change religion (that will involve one period of anarchy), or of not to have (it can be advantageous under certain circumstances).

Doctrines

A whole of doctrines governmental, political, economic and religious appear as technologies are acquired: thus, one will be able to choose (for example) between the despotism and the vote for all (governmental doctrines), the bureaucracy and freedom of expression (legal doctrines), the slavery and the system of castes (doctrines of work), the property of State and the environnementalism (economic doctrines), paganism and the free religion (religious doctrines).

Revolts and anarchy

If one too quickly changes doctrines or of religion of state, the revolt thunders and anarchy reigns in the cities. The citizens refuse to work and nothing can be produced until the end of anarchy. The duration of anarchy varies according to the speed with which the player changes doctrines or of religion of state (more quickly, more time of anarchy). There is generally a turn of anarchy. Anarchy will reign during a turn even if you waited a long time before changing doctrines or of religion of state. To discover a religion without adopting it like religion of state does not make reign anarchy.

Technologies

The discovery of new technologies is a vital parameter, though sometimes expensive, for the development and the victory of a civilization. Thus, the player will have to choose between the discovery (taking several turns) of a technology having an economic, military or religious utility according to his strategy: a strong economy allows a rapid growth and a durable success, a modern army makes it possible to resist the enemy or to conquer a territory, while a developed religion increases the happiness and consequently the number of the inhabitants and increases the final score.

Thus, the discovery of the compass or astronomy will make it possible a player to discover new territories and to extend its colonies; gunpowder, to create units of elite; priesthood, to send monks to convert other cities, being able to act of spy and collector of dime.

Units and combat

The military units have

a basic force (the same one in attack and defense…)
a mobility (= number of box per turn, roads and railroad reducing the cost of a box); typically (in plain), the units with foot advance of a box by turn, the riders of two, the modern units with engine of three. The planes do not have a mobility, but an operating range.
a " type" (unit of seat, body with body, rises, armor-plated, with arc, or firearms); this type is important because the originators organized system of a circular, standard superiority " hone sheet ciseau" : the riders have the advantage on the " soldier with hache" , which has the advantage on the piquiers, who have the advantage on the riders; and them weapons of seat will make damage with all the units of the same box.
possibly, a specific characteristic (standard: no-claims bonus against a type of unit)
of the points of experiments and a level (except the planes)

One needs 2 points of experiment to pass from level 1 on level 2,3 of (5 on the whole) to more pass on level 3,4 of more (total: 10) for level 4, etc has each passage of level the player can choose the unit a military characteristic which improves the unit: its force in general or in certain type of combat (attacks city, defense in forest, combat against certain type of unit,…), its mobility, its capacity of recovery, etc Of the points of experiments are given during construction (according to the political regime or the existence of a barracks) then increase with the liking of the victories.

The engagements are done by opposing the attacker to the defender most extremely of the attacked pile, and most extremely with more chance to gain (but it is not automatic, one needs at least 30% of variation to practically be on result). The winner in general will be very weakened and vulnerable to a counter-attack, it will need several turns to recover its starting force; recovery is fast in the friends, but very slow in enemy territory

The ground (forest, hills, coast) gives no-claims bonus to the defender, the cultural level of a city (and, before the appearance of the firearms, ramparts) the fact also. The defender who remains several turns on the same box gains a no-claims bonus of cutting off. Moreover, the attacker advances slowly because they cannot use the roads and enemy railroads.

All that makes the attack expensive, except in the event of clear technical superiority, and the catch of a city is difficult.

The unit " avions" function in a different way: they are affected in a city, from which they can, within the limit of their " ray of action" and at a rate of one only mission per turn:

to change assignment, towards any other city;
to carry out a reconnaissance mission, which reveals the ground and the units enemies;
to attack a box (to destroy installations or to reduce the defensive no-claims bonus of the occupants);
to tackle a unit (its force will be then cannot reduced, at worst until half); the hunters at the same time have effect only on one unit, the bombers on a whole pile;
for the hunters, to intercept an enemy plane (in the event of success, the mission of this enemy fails and it undergone damage, sometimes at the point to destroy it).

The appearance of aviation changes radically the war in Civilization IV : the planes can devastate the enemy territory without needing to advance slowly and to expose themselves, and especially they can remove the defensive no-claims bonus and reduce half the force of the defender, which makes possible the catch of a city without loss of assailing unit.

Espionage

Espionage is available only very tardily, since is needed adequate technology, and to build " Scotland Yard " because only the city which has this " wonder nationale" (one by player) can create spies. Those can to infiltrate in territory foreign without civilization concerned of sees (that wants to say that they can enter the territory of a civilization with which you did not conclude from unrestricted passage) and there carry out various missions.

Three missions of espionage

A spy can carry out three missions of espionage:

Destruction of the production: the city in which the spy is loses all the points of production intended so that it was building (this construction is cancelled). It is particularly harmful with a civilization if its city had almost finished the production of a wonder (loss not only of much of points of production for nothing, but in more (in general) of much of turns during which it could have carried out another production).
Sabotage of installations: the spy destroys the installation located on the box where the spy is placed.
Flight of plans: the spy is likely more to make a success of this mission if it is placed in the capital (the city which shelters the Palais wonder, Prohibited Cité or Versailles) of civilization concerned. If the mission is a success, you can see all that is visible of this civilization.

Success or failure of the missions of espionage

The number of military units present on the box where the spy carries out his mission can harm its success. In the event of success of the mission, the spy survives and the civilization which underwent the mission does not give an account of its presence (in the worst case, it can suspect that a spy is on his territory but it will not know which sent it). In the event of failure, the spy is destroyed and the civilization against which the mission was directed knows exactly which sent the spy to him.

Diplomatic consequences of the missions of espionage

In the event of success of the mission, there is no diplomatic consequence but in the event of failure, the civilization which failed to be victim of the mission will most probably declare the war with the civilization which sent the spy to him.

Civilopédia

It is an encyclopedia included with the play and consultable during a part, which presents invaluable information on the play but also of the cultural data on certain elements (civilizations, religions):

Information on technologies
Information on Civilizations
Information on the chiefs of Civilizations
Information on the buildings/units
Information on the Wonders
Information on the commercial resources
Information on the religions
Information on the specialists
etc

External bonds

the patchs

It is necessary to download the last patch 1.74 which corrects all the bugs (blue screens, freeze of the screen of play, reboot inopportune of the machine).

French-speaking Official site
Site
Apolyton Civilization IV
CFC: Civ fanatics Center
Civ4Players Ladder
Civilized.de

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