Caravans get in the way of gameplay

from Elemental Forums

HI all,

When a caravan is in the same square as a hostile unit, I am unable to attack the hostile unit.  The diplomacy window for talking to the caravan owner keeps coming up.  The hostile unit is selected when I click on the square.

What do I need to do to get around this?

And, casting a tremor spell on said square will not have the stated effect of immobilizing for three [actually two] turns.  The spell seems to get divided between the two units, causing the spell to wear off in one turn.  On the good side, the caravan owner does not seem to mind.

 

Also, If a caravan is on a road square where I would like to send my unit, clicking the square does not move my unit.  It brings up the diplomacy window.  I know I can just click on a square farther down the road to get around this, but I was wondering if there is something I need to press on the keyboard be able to click on the square that I want my unit on?

Cheers

17,119 views 14 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

When a caravan is in the same square as a hostile unit, I am unable to attack the hostile unit. The diplomacy window for talking to the caravan owner keeps coming up. The hostile unit is selected when I click on the square.

What do I need to do to get around this?
End of quote

You could declare war on the faction owning the caravan, which will allow you to destroy it. If the location is inside your borders, you can probably drop a strategic damage spell on the tile (for example, Starfall or Pillar of Fire). You can wait and see if the caravan moves out from under the hostile. You can refuse all Economic Treaties offered to you by AIs, which will reduce the number of foreign caravans on the map but which will cost you some potential income.

You also haven't found the really 'fun' version where the caravan is sitting on a city you're trying to invade and blocking the only tile you can attack.

And, casting a tremor spell on said square will not have the stated effect of immobilizing for three [actually two] turns. The spell seems to get divided between the two units, causing the spell to wear off in one turn. On the good side, the caravan owner does not seem to mind.
End of quote

This has been reported as a bug before. You could try finding that bug report and mention that it's still current (assuming that the bug report was for a game version prior to the one you're using; can't remember if it was a 1.0 bug report or not).

Also, If a caravan is on a road square where I would like to send my unit, clicking the square does not move my unit. It brings up the diplomacy window. I know I can just click on a square farther down the road to get around this, but I was wondering if there is something I need to press on the keyboard be able to click on the square that I want my unit on?
End of quote

As far as I know, there is no keyboard key or anything like that which will get you around this.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top


The annoying aspect I find about caravans is that they have only a very limited use within the game. Imo, either have caravans more dynamic and more involved, or don't have them at all.

 

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I would like to see caravans made purely graphical, so we get a sense of who is trading with whom, but they don't get in the way. In the meantime, just enable cheats and use ctrl + k to kill the the selected unit.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

agree.  since caravans don't upgrade the road as they did in E, just eliminate the caravan units (or make them specialized, special resources, etc.

 

Reply #5 from Elemental Forums Top

I agree also with this.

 

Caravans are a relic of the GalCiv2 ideas War of Magic started with.

 

Reply #6 from Elemental Forums Top

 Definitely agree, caravans as they are currently are just annoying.

Reply #7 from Elemental Forums Top

Agree, dump them.

Reply #8 from Elemental Forums Top


doesn't clicking on the pile to bring another group to the top of the pile, making that the active unit work ? I seem to remember doing this to caravans to get the other unit.

 

This was added in to deal with this particular complaint.

 

When there are 2 or more objects on a tile, you can click on the pile to make another object the active one. This enables you to build a resource or target a unit with a spell or attack.

Reply #9 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Glowing_Ember, reply 8


doesn't clicking on the pile to bring another group to the top of the pile, making that the active unit work ? I seem to remember doing this to caravans to get the other unit.

 

This was added in to deal with this particular complaint.

 

When there are 2 or more objects on a tile, you can click on the pile to make another object the active one. This enables you to build a resource or target a unit with a spell or attack.
End of Glowing_Ember's quote

Not if it's an AI caravan... your cursor turns into a "talk" cursor so you have no way to click on the resource behind it.  That's the problem.  I'll mention one other problem.  In my current game, Yithril is spending most of his "Wither" spells on my caravans instead of on my Stacks-of-Doom (SoD).

Reply #10 from Elemental Forums Top

yup, +1 to converting the caravans to a background graphic rather than a clickable object.

 

Auto raze them if you're at war and standing on the same tile, but otherwise don't let them interfere with the gameplay/UI.

 

OR

 

make them useful by adding in a number of mechanics that utilize the caravans.

Reply #11 from Elemental Forums Top

+1 they are a relic from the past. We don't need them. Graphics and trade income is enough, we don't need them as units that get in the way or can be destroyed.

Reply #12 from Elemental Forums Top

The problem is that roads are upgraded for how strong the roads effect is by the number of times a caravan passes from start to finish.  This is balanced by caravans surviving the trip start to finish before the road gains experience.  Instead you would have to add something else for roads to gain further experience or an option to manually update roads within the construction queue.

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top


agreed - just need to give Carrodus something then.

Reply #14 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting lpisko, reply 13
agreed - just need to give Carrodus something then.
End of lpisko's quote

In all honesty, I think Legacy of Serrane would be good enough even if caravans were completely removed from the game. Bazaars are good for your money cities, and Warhorses aren't exactly bad, either.

Plus, given how little I pay attention to caravans in my games, and how unpopular they seem to be from other posts in this thread (both from a bonus-granted perspective and an interferes with gameplay perspective), I don't think many people would think Legacy of Serrane would be a bad trait without the caravan immunity.