How can I interrupt auto-end-turn?

When I turn on "Single Player Auto End Turn" in the game options I don't have to hit enter to move to the next turn. Trouble is the game can run on auto for quite a lot of turns (esp. on "marathon").

Sometimes an "exploring" unit finds something and I want to tweak the course that has been set, but I'm powerless until the next user event. Is there some way I can cut in and get control back? A keyboard shortcut? It's not "esc".

Solution 1:

As a wise person (computer) once said

"The only way to win is not to play"

There isn't any way to reliably interrupt auto end turn, so I quickly learned to start playing without it. Its simple enough to end the turn manually, especially with the force end turn hotkey (Shift+Enter).

You can also leave one unit without any automated orders so that they always provide a stopping point, but you can quickly pass their turn to trigger the auto-end. This is dangerous though, if you forget and lose this unit or tell it to march to the other side of the world, you're back to not being able to interrupt turns.

Solution 2:

I don't believe a hotkey for that is implemented. You could hit Control+O to get into the Options, and change it there. I think that's pretty much the fastest option in Civilization...

Solution 3:

I FOUND THE PAUSE BUTTON FOR AUTO END TURN. Left-click a unit, right-click the unit. Game pauses.

This reply is years late but valuable enough for anyone who is still playing the game (like me!). The pause button is 100% reliable, instant, dead easy to use and gives you a very generous usage window. (It does require having at least one (non-caravan) unit.)

First order a unit to do something (improve a tile, fortify, etc) then, when you want Auto End Turn to pause you simply left-click the unit, right-click the unit. Done. (both clicks within the hex, not somewhere else) Left-click selects the unit, right-click cancels it’s orders, Auto End Turn pauses until the unit is given new orders. No hotkey required, just a double-click.

You can do this at any point up until the start of your next turn (if the Next Turn button appears then it’s too late), plenty of time to notice something like a new Religion being founded and what not, especially since you still have the City-State’s and Barbarian’s turns to go through.

That’s it. Double-click: Instant pause.