Info re: Compass

[Ike]

A rookie question from a new player:

Specifically, how do I get a compass so I can build better ships?

Generally, is there a more complete flow chart of info that shows what is needed for each unit and how to get all the stuff when and where.

Thanks

Ike http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/read.gif

[ichi]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/pat.gif Welcome to The Org, Ike http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

You cannot/do not have to do anything to get a compass, the game will tell you that it has been discovered, sometime in the late 1100's IIRC, 1170.

Just make sure that you have the dockyard built. It seems to me the AI gets the chance to build better ships before you can, so you need to be ready to take advantage when it does happen.

There is a technology chart included with the game, and lots of answers if you dig around in here.

ichi

[Ludens]

There are several Tech tree's and tech sheet's in the downloadsection of the org.

[iostephanos]

Quote[/b] (ichi @ Jan. 03 2004,19:10)]You cannot/do not have to do anything to get a compass, the game will tell you that it has been discovered, sometime in the late 1100's IIRC, 1170.

Just make sure that you have the dockyard built. It seems to me the AI gets the chance to build better ships before you can, so you need to be ready to take advantage when it does happen.
...meaning that if one doesn't have a dockyard built by then, one won't be able to utilize the compass once it's built?

i have vi now, but haven't played as the rhomaioi/romans yet - i played them in the unpatched original, and couldn't upgrade a dockyard after the compass event; i honestly don't remember if i had a dockyard before or after the event, though...

steph

[Gregoshi]

Hello iostephanos and welcome to the Org.

If you don't have a dockyard built by the time the compass rolls around, I'd think you campaign is not in such great shape. However, you should be able to build a dockyard after the compass and still take advantage of it, if I understand your question right.

[fruitfly]

IIRC it's only certain factions that have new ships available once the compass has been discovered (Caravels? Or do you have to wait until 1205 for them?). Certainly for the Muslims you can build dhows and baggalas before the advent of the compass and nothing better until gunpowder's been discovered.

Either way you won't be able to upgrade your dockyard (level 2 building) to a shipbuilders guild or master shipbuilder until gunpowder has been developed and you've built the necessary foundry upgrades in the province, which means you need a citadel/fortress there too.

That's a lot of extra building to get some fancy new ships you don't really need (weight of numbers seems to more than compensate for tech-level when it comes to navies, especially if you've got a few decent admirals and do most of the attacking).

[iostephanos]

Quote[/b] (Gregoshi @ Jan. 12 2004,11:38)]Hello iostephanos and welcome to the Org.

If you don't have a dockyard built by the time the compass rolls around, I'd think you campaign is not in such great shape. However, you should be able to build a dockyard after the compass and still take advantage of it, if I understand your question right.
thank you for the welcome

anywho, i was playing mtw vanilla and the compass event had fired; i don't remember if i had the dockyard finished or shortly thereafter, but even after the gunpowder event i was stuck with fire-galleys and no building upgrade to be found

according to the fold-out that comes with the game, the romans should be able to make better ships as well as the italians (of the same type), so i don't think that they are one of the factions that can't...

but, like i said i haven't tried since getting vi; right now i'm conquering the world as the danes http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink2.gif