Why is the governor so incompetent??

Beltz · January 15, 2004, 06:53

I set my governors to MANAGE MOOD and EMPHASIZE FOOD and it emphasizes trade instead!

My city isnt growing because the stupid gov decided to put all my city workers on WATER squares (1 food) instead of irrigated grassland. Why is that???

Beltz · January 15, 2004, 06:54

This is with conquest, 1.12 too.

MrWhereItsAt · January 15, 2004, 07:07

The Governor is best left alone, unless you want to push a new pop point due next turn to work a particular tile. In this case it is still of limited use, as it does not always do exactly what you ask.

For example, in a recent game my pop was about to increase from 2 to 3, and I wanted shields maximised (naturally, as this is the only thing that is counted after growth). I was hoping a forest would be worked. However, upon growth, a freshwater fish (3 food, 2 trade) was worked instead. I suppose that the Governor breaks down like this when there is a clearly better overall tile around to work.

Note that when I was working the fish the turn before growth instead, a Governor setting emphasising production DID result in a forest being worked, whereas a Governor setting of food meant a grassland was worked, so the Governor CAN work.

Harovan · January 15, 2004, 07:29

The governor does exactly what the AI would do (duh! He is the AI). It may be much more challenging than in other 4x games, but overall it's dumb. So unless you wish your cities to be ran by untalented halfwits, don't use the governors at all (except for the situation MWIA describes).

Cerbykins · January 15, 2004, 09:23

*whistles*

Although to be fair, I just let the city grow and manage it via tile/city improvements instead

I suppose one day I will get around to taking that too, but for now I'll just circumvent the governor and his damage using the methods above

gunkulator · January 15, 2004, 11:22

The only time I use the governor is late in the game to manage moods for things like war weariness and growth. Combined with a large number of automate-but-do-not-change workers, you get automatic pollution clean up followed by the governor putting a citizen back to work on the cleaned up tile. I think you do lose one turn of work on the tile since the governor seems to reassign citizens at the end of your turn.

CerberusIV · January 15, 2004, 11:40

If you must use governors then only allow them to control citizen moods. That way they (mostly) stop cities going into disorder and put citizens back to work after pollution is cleaned up. They really can't prioritise anything else properly.

Even then, after the city completes a build, you can find all the citizens assigned to water tiles although the governor will correct this on the following turn.

It is more efficient but much more time consuming to do it yourself.

MattPilot · January 15, 2004, 12:36

where do you set the governor? Only reference i've found was in the editor.

Harovan · January 15, 2004, 12:38

Go in the city view and press G. Or choose "Contact Governor" in the city's context menu.

MattPilot · January 15, 2004, 12:59

ah thx!

vmxa1 · January 15, 2004, 14:29

Everything to never.

asleepathewheel · January 15, 2004, 14:33

I admit that, at a certain point in most games, I turn over moods and emphasis to the guv. Sheer laziness. However, I would never, never, turn over the build list.

Sarxis · January 15, 2004, 15:59

Governor = bad. Well, ok, not completely useless, but I've never used it yet.

Paddy · January 15, 2004, 17:13

It is a shame that the Governor is so useless...

Hopefully for Civ 4..... especially for those HUGE maps

eris · January 15, 2004, 17:38

The governor is incompetent because he is an elected official. This is similar to the realism of workers being braindead simpletons.

The governor is incompetent because the programmers want to entice you into doing the micromanagement yourself in order to get more efficient results. It increases your involvement in the game.

The governor is incompetent because it drives you crazy. Never underestimate the power of irritation to push you into "I'll do it despite you!" mode, which is, IMHO, a part of the game deliberately inciting the addiction so many of us feel. It's not a coincidence or a mistake. It is meant to be that way because it works on people like us.

The governer is incompetent because I said so! (Sorry, slipping into bad parenting mode, there.)

MrWhereItsAt · January 15, 2004, 21:59

Reading the above led me to another example, even where micromanagement is something you use. When changing Governments, I will always put all my cities on 'manage moods' so that I don't have to worry about finding the least productive tiles to take workers off from to become entertainers.

But then, on second thought, if you wanted to micromanage you would then go through every city with entertainers, change as many of them as you could into taxmen whislt still keeping the peace, and maximise food in those cities....

maybe that's not such a good idea if you micromanage. But if you can't be bothered with all that then the auto-manage moods Governor setting works wonders.

Jaybe · January 15, 2004, 22:32

Has anyone ever played a game where the governors were left ON ALL THE TIME with NO manual placement of workers, just to bring yourself down to AI level?

No, I am not including the governor handling production

... but anyone ever do that also?

vmxa1 · January 15, 2004, 22:54

Isn't that what many players do already?

MrWhereItsAt · January 16, 2004, 01:01

Sounds like a helluvan AU game.

Jaybe · January 16, 2004, 02:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Jaybe
Has anyone ever played a game where the governors were left ON ALL THE TIME with NO manual placement of workers, just to bring yourself down to AI level?

Originally posted by vmxa1
Isn't that what many players do already?

How would I know?? I am only ME (and no MP)!

OMG, I HOPE not!!

Harovan · January 16, 2004, 03:23

I played such a game long ago, for tests sake. All governors on, including production management, all workers automated. I quit it in the early medieval age, because I got frustrated by desert cities building aqueducts, 1-gold cities building marketplaces, multiple cities wasting shields, because they lacked the food for settler production, peripheral cities starting 400 (later even 600) shield wonders etc. etc.. And my offensive army was built mainly out of regular archers. It ain't fun, believe me.

Torkkeli · January 16, 2004, 04:53

I usually play (PTW:SP) with the governor taking care of happiness.

But in my recent games I've found myself micromanaging some of the bigger cities myself.
But no way am I ever going to mm all cities. It is too much work for me.

When civ3 came out I played some games with all governors on. Boy was that a mess...

I'm fine as they are right now.
If they can do one job adequately, I'll do the rest.