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Some people are tired of hearing about how the Internet is changing the way the world works. But I'm not. I love it! The world is coming closer together; people from all over the world are talking to each other and exchanging and creating new ideas as never before. Every day, something simply amazing happens on the Internet.
We all know Apolyton is a truly special place, and in many ways. In this article, we'll look at the special relationship between Apolyton and the making of Civilization 3.
Throughout the development of Call to Power, the developers and producers frequently visited the Apolyton. They gave Markos and Dan exclusive interviews and inside looks at the game. But most importantly, they wanted to hear from the fans. They wanted INPUT. And the fans gladly obliged. And that's when it all started...
Now, most original games succeed because they give the public a unique idea that differentiates the game from the rest of the crowd. Often this uniqueness is a vision of the original designer(s). If the game is good, you can feel the heart and soul of the designer in the game. You immerse yourself in the game. You stay up nights playing the it, and love it. The game sells hundreds of thousands of copies. And becomes a classic.
But an interesting thing happens along the way. Die-hard gamers master the game and hunger for more. And so they pick out areas where the it can be improved. It's not just the designers' game anymore. It's now the fans' game, too. So the fans demand a sequel. And if the company is smart, they'll produce. In the past, fans would write the game company with suggestions with what they wanted in the sequel. Sometimes the company listened. Brian Reynolds did in Civ2. Activision did for CTP.
Compared with past years, the expectations of the fans have changed dramatically. They not only hope their suggestions are taken, they are EXPECTING them to be implemented. And rightly so. After all, the fans play a big part in perpetuating the legend of their favorite games. They do crazy things like unite two fan sites, even though one is in Canada and one in Greece!
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As I browse though the Civ3 suggestions, "the List," I am simply AMAZED. The List is endless. (If you've never checked out the list, you're missing out!) And these aren't just, "well it would be like, cool if they had two kinds of tanks."
These are doctorate-level papers on complex economic, war, and infrastructure changes--well thought out features that are discussed and fine-tuned by a panel of experts. Our community includes proud military vets, doctors of economics, computer wizzes and engineers galore. All have brainstormed and worked hard to come up with the Next Great Idea.
Should we collect the demographic makeup of the Apolyton community, I guarantee ours will be the most intelligent and well-educated game audience in the world. (Dan, Mark *ahem* an idea maybe? Not to brag but just to see what the audience really looks like).
So it's a no-brainer that Brian and his team would want to check out and implement many of the suggestions. Because they're coming from the greatest development team ever assembled -- the Apolyton Community.
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