Civilization 7 influence guide: How to make friends and influence people - Related to people, guide:, 7, come:, torch

7 Monster Hunter Wilds tips to help you get started in the beta

If you're new to Monster Hunter—or simply want a lightspeed lesson on the big changes since World—these Monster Hunter Wilds tips will help you get back into the hunting saddle. Monster Hunter is a pretty complex series at the best of times, so if you haven't played one in a while or didn't log in for the previous beta, you might be feeling a little lost—no problem!

With two further betas on the way before launch, there's plenty of opportunity to see what Wilds has to offer and even get yourself some beta rewards for the main game, including a cute charm and a cache of hunting supplies.

I'll also run through some helpful hunting tips here so you can gauge what's changed and stayed the same, or learn how to get started if you don't know a charge blade from a switch axe.

Since the new Seikret mount lets you switch between different weapons mid-hunt for the first time ever, it'll pay to experiment with weapons in this game more than ever. Even if you're a devout hammer main, say, you might want to mix things up with a faster, more mobile option like dual blades or insect glaive, or even a ranged weapon like bow or bowgun. You could also try hunting horn for when your squad needs that little bit of extra support.

At the very least, experimenting with different weapons will let you decide which suits your playstyle, especially considering the plethora of new weapon mechanics that Wilds adds to the hunt. For those willing to upgrade and master two separate weapons at once, you'll have more options when dealing with tough monsters, especially if those weapons cover different elements and damage types.

-top shape is super essential in Monster Hunter Wilds, just like it was in previous games. Your weapon's sharpness improves the damage you deal but also means you're less likely to bounce off when striking monsters with tough skins and hides. Admittedly, it can be frustrating having to sharpen in the middle of a hunt, so try to time it for when you're chasing a monster from one area to the next.

Just like in Rise with the Palamute, you can sharpen your weapon on your trusty Seikret while on the move. When you upgrade your weapons or acquire new ones, make sure to take a look at their sharpness gauge, as this varies between equipment, and some weapons will be able to reach a higher level of sharpness than others. If you find sharpening a pain, you'll also be able to acquire armour skills and decorations later on that make the whole process easier, such as Speed Sharpening.

Learn how to guard or evade with your weapon.

When you first start using a weapon in Wilds it's worth learning how it functions defensively. Lance, gunlance, greatsword, and sword and shield, all have a defensive element built into them, letting you guard against monster attacks. Others such as dual blades, bow, and insect glaive use their mobility to reposition and avoid attacks instead. Since one of Capcom's community livestreams confirmed vaulting dance is being returned to the insect glaive (the capability is missing in the beta builds), it'll be one of the best options for aerial combat and overall mobility.

Even with all of these, you'll frequently find that you have to evade attacks and timing is paramount here. If you find yourself struggling to evade in the beta, look out for armour skills and decorations to improve it like Evade Extender or Evade Window in the main game. Most importantly, watch the monsters you fight and learn their tells. Recognising when big attacks are coming, especially the AoE one-shots that late-game monsters often have, can save you a lot of trouble.

Like wirebugs in Monster Hunter Rise, Focus Mode is one of the new combat mechanics in Wilds. Entering Focus Mode essentially lets you aim attacks and guards, allows you to focus on weak points such as monster heads, or protect yourself against reprisals in a more precise manner. Most importantly, though, if you damage a monster enough you'll create a wound—a glowing spot that appears when aiming with Focus Mode.

Hitting these points deals extra damage, but you can also use a special Focus Strike attack to deal massive damage against these weak points and wounds. This is especially worth it since destroying a wound gives you a free monster part, too. Sure, you can also just smack away at monsters however you want, but if you'd prefer a speedy efficient hunt, playing into these new mechanics will help.

Another advantage of Focus Mode is that it displays weak points when monsters perform certain attacks, helping you gauge their most vulnerable moment so you know when and where to hit hard. If you really want to get into the nitty gritty of monster weaknesses, consider the element you're bringing as well.

Monsters have weaknesses to specific elements and status effects, and the more you hunt them, the more you'll come to learn about these in your monster manual. A lot of it is just good sense, though, like not bringing a greatsword that inflicts fire to fight a big fire-breathing wyvern. If you want to defeat a monster in the fastest way possible, using a weapon with an element or status buildup it's weak to is your best bet.

Another way to inflict status ailments on monsters is through Endemic Life—the small creatures you can find and interact with in each region. Take a Paratoad for instance; if you annoy this amphibian and time it for when a monster is nearby, it'll be paralyzed by the toad's effect, giving you a chance to deal some damage. Beware, though, since Endemic Life can also affect you.

You can also use your environment to trap and entangle monsters, and though this was a feature in Monster Hunter World, there are far more opportunities to use it in Wilds. Look for rocks or vines and use your Clutch Claw to pull them down on top of an unwary foe. Some monsters, like the Balahara, will even create their own traps; in this case a whirlpool of sand that sucks in anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.

As any Monster Hunter player knows, the pre-hunt meal isn't optional. At its most basic, it boosts your health and stamina, but it can even provide powerful extra abilities and buffs like increased elemental resistances or decreased stamina consumption, depending on what you choose. When you're out hunting you'll want to keep your stamina topped off by eating meat or rations, and heal yourself with potions, first aid meds, and mega potions. Remember that collecting herbs and honey while exploring will let you craft more.

Once Wilds is out and you progress towards the endgame, stuffing your face with endless consumables becomes even more critical. You'll need antidotes and herbal medicine when fighting a poisonous monster, and armorskins and demondrugs become a necessary part of each hunt for extra protection and damage. Thankfully, there are usually armour skills and decorations that offset the endless consumption such as Free Meal.

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Civilization 7 influence guide: How to make friends and influence people

Influence, which you may be familiar from past Civs' expansions, has finally made the jump to being a base game currency out of the box in Civilization 7. Alongside Food, Gold, Culture, Science, and Production, it's one of your main tools for achieving world domination. But unlike some of the others, it's not tied to a specific victory condition. Instead, it can give you an assist with any of them. It's just a matter of learning how to use it, since the Legacy Path objectives won't really tell you how.

Here's how to generate influence in Civ 7, and—more importantly—how to put it to good use:

How do I get influence in Civilization 7?

The primary way of getting influence is through Urban buildings like the Altar, but it can also come from certain Wonders, Policies, Diplomatic Pacts, and leader or civ abilities. Civ 7 will repeatedly warn you that there is a cap on how much Influence you can have stored, so you should spend it as you get it. But this cap isn't displayed anywhere in the UI or mentioned in the Civilopedia, and I have never personally been able to hit any kind of cap even when I was trying to. My honest suspicion is that this cap doesn't actually exist, but some references to it remain from an earlier build when it might have. If you know anything more about the Influence cap, let us know in the comments.

One of the best ways to spend Influence, especially if you're playing as a leader like Tecumseh, is befriending City-States. For a one-time investment, you will start ticking up toward befriending them. Some City-States will start out as hostile, meaning this process will take longer. But once you hit the first milestone, their military units will stop being hostile to you. At the next milestone, you will become their suzerain, and get to pick a suzerain bonus like a unique tile improvement or a free technology. Finally, at the highest level, you can spend another large chunk of Influence to integrate them and make their capital into a town under your control.

If another leader is trying to befriend the same City-State at the same time, you can spend more influence to speed up the process and beat them to the punch. It's also possible to spend Influence on a City-State you are already suzerain of to promote their growth, bolster their military, or levy some of their military units, which gives you permanent control of them.

One of the other main ways to use Influence is on Diplomatic Pacts, which have a one-time cost and can be responded to in multiple ways:

The other leader can Accept your proposal, which costs them no Influence, which typically gives you as the sender a medium-sized bonus and they either get a small bonus or no bonus.

your proposal, which costs them no Influence, which typically gives you as the sender a medium-sized bonus and they either get a small bonus or no bonus. The other leader can Support your proposal, which costs them Influence, and gives both of you a larger bonus.

your proposal, which costs them Influence, and gives both of you a larger bonus. The other leader can Reject your proposal, which costs them Influence, refunds you your Influence, and cancels the whole agreement.

This also works the same in reverse for you, when you receive a Diplomatic Proposal from another leader.

Typically you can only have one of each type of Diplomatic Proposal going at once, though certain abilities increase this limit. You should almost always have the main type of Diplomatic Proposal relevant to the Legacy Path you're pursuing active, such as a Research Agreement if you want to win a Science victory.

An key pact for military leaders is Denounce, which will lower your opinion with another leader. It can also be used against you, so you might want to keep some influence saved to counter it. The reason it's so significant is that declaring war on someone you have good relations with is considered a Surprise War, which penalizes your starting War Support.

In Civ 7, War Support is a tug-of-war mechanic representing who is seen as being more "in the right" in a given war. Declaring a Surprise War, for instance, will usually start you on the back foot in terms of War Support. Both combatants can spend Influence to swing War Support to their side, but it gets more expensive every time. There are also some Wonders and Policies that grant more War Support.

For every point you're behind in War Support, your units will incur a stacking combat penalty against the opposing leader's units, and it will penalize your overall Happiness in every settlement. So it's really not a good idea to start a war where you're not going to be able to stay ahead in War Support, and you can very reliably end one even when you're outgunned by driving your side's War Support up.

Eventually, you will gain the ability to spend Influence on Espionage actions, such as stealing technologies from another leader. They typically have a 100% chance to succeed, but may have a high chance of being discovered if you're not focusing on espionage. Being discovered will give you a large negative opinion modifier with the other leader. You can defend against Espionage actions with the Counterespionage action, which makes Espionage actions against you from that leader take longer and have a higher chance of being discovered.

Almost every Legacy Path will require some understanding of Influence if you really want to make the most of your capabilities, and it's especially crucial for Military victories. For more specific tips on each legacy path, check out our Victory Conditions guide.

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How to use a torch in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Working out how to use a torch in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is pretty vital, especially in a game as dark as this one where you'll frequently find yourself exploring gloomy caves or wandering through woods at nighttime. If you want to avoid strolling off a cliff, or straight into a wolf den, grab a torch.

More importantly, it's illegal not to carry a torch at nighttime in KCD2. You might have found yourself confused as to why guards kept accosting you when you were innocently lurking at the Troskowitz trader's backdoor. If you're sneaking around and staying away from guards while doing some crimes, you definitely don't want a torch equipped as they tend to make you more visible—being made of fire and such.

Now, torches do have a condition meter like other gear and will wear out over time as you use them. That expressed, I think in my 100 hours with KCD2 I've used about three torches, so don't worry too much. Maybe just stow a spare couple on your horse by pressing X—once you've got a horse —and you're all set.

Also be aware that while holding a torch you can't use a shield or two-handed weapons. If you favour the longsword, I suggest that you take the Arm of Beowulf perk in the Sword section when you can, since this will let you use a longsword with a torch for any nighttime tussles you get yourself into.

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