DarkCloud: My opinion on Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is this... The game's concept of building your own units is an excellent one, the game actually has inspired units.
However, the game falls flat for the same reason that Civ II Test of Time falls flat, the scenery is too moody and dark, as is the music. I always turn off the music because I cannot stand to be depressed.
In addition, I have to squint at the game when I'm playing it because it is so dark. In addition, the scenario editor is almost as Police Quest: Swat 2's Scenario editor... It is almost impossible to build a scenario with it.
The scenario-editor's failing has colored my view of the game, however, FacEdit, the editor for the factions is a superb tool... when it works correctly.  I have created many factions with that editor, and have enjoyed them fully.
In my mind the two best features of SMAC/SMAX were the custom units and the faction editing capabilities.
I believe that the game was great, however, I think that it did not do better at the box office because of two major problems:
1- The scenery was too moody, etc.
2- The setting was sci-fi. People are wary of sci-fi and other things when they buy games, they expect a cut and dried boring plot. However, SMAC was more than that, thankfully, but Firaxis had a problem in trying to convey that message to the audience.
3- For some strange reason, people don't like TBS gaming.

Solver: CtP - ever tried the series? Are you aware of the active modmakers of CtP 2 community?

DarkCloud: Yes, I tried CTP, but I have never posted in the CTP sections (Excepting the fact that I have about the 3rd ever post in the CTP-2 Multiplaying forum ;)) and yes, I still own CTP.
The worst thing about CTP was the stacked combat system and their little combat-resolution wars, followed quickly by the horrid nonexistent diplomacy :shivers:, quickly followed by the somewhat annoying unit graphics- they looked like cartoons for heavens sake! Give me Civ II's units any day!
The best thing about CTP was the public works system. This was amazing.

Solver: Civ 3 - does it improve the genre, or is it just another average game on the market?

DarkCloud: Civ III: Definition- Firaxis' attempt to make CTP.
I have not purchased this game because of comments made by Apolyton posters. From what I have read and seen of the game I have the following conclusions to make:
1- The graphics are horrid, cartoonish and hard to look at (much like CTP)
2- Firaxis took out several key espionage tools.
3- Firaxis was obviously trying to rip off players by not including a MP version with the game. The game was rushed out without MP. This is clearly an attempt to suck money from useful players wallets.
4- From what I've heard the Scen Editor is horrid.
5- No cheat mode. (at least from what I've heard)
6- No SPANISH or MONGOLS!!!(!#(*%&(!&%(!#&%(
7- Not as many civs as Civ II. Surely this UPGRADED version could have managed to include AT LEAST as many civs as the original, but NO! They want us to buy an EXPANSION pack to get what we got in one game-CIV II!
8- Only one leader per civ- Come on... Don't DOWNGRADE the game.
9- The Iroquois... Let's try not to crowd the east coast... If you must have Amerinds, please add a classic Sioux civ. And the SPANISH have much more reason to be included than the Iroquois.
10- Why aren't more civs playable! Even Empire Earth lets you play with at least 12, and the 2 games were released around the same time!
11- You can't have as large empires (necessary to fix a problem- yes, but 1. This was what was fun for me, and 2. I hear that it didn't fix the problem it was meant to (Infinite City Sprawl).

The 2 good things about Civ III are the:
Unique Leading Generals
and the Unique Units/Unique Civs

In closing, I can only say that Civ III is a downgrade in nearly every way and form from Civ II, unless of course, you happen to like the graphics.

Solver: Is the genre of civ-like games dying out at the moment?
 

DarkCloud: I don't think that it was ever very strong, but yes, it does seem to be dying out.
The Warlords series seems to be moving from TBS to RTS, Civ IV doesn't seem to be around on the immediate horizon, as fails to be for CTP III...
The only new TBS game other than Civ III is Heroes of Might and Magic IV, and that game seems to be a horrid downgrade from HoMMIII (which was one of the best games EVER produced.)

Although, if you include persistent world games in the TBS category, you could say that civ-like games have a good future in store for them, with Paradox's Europa Universalis line.
Persistent-TBS games are perhaps the future for the TBS genre, hybrid RTS-TBSes that please both the armchair general and the shoot-em-up fast-moving RTSer.

DarkCloud: Closing remarks...

DarkCloud: Well, there- I think I've said everything- If I havent, check out the companion thread on the boards where I shalt answer all questions.
Hopefully you made it through the whole interview with all of its byplays (hopefully entertaining and none too tedious- I hope I didn't try to hard to be funny- sadly though, I believe the only people who will get the jokes will be the participants themselves- and I am none too sure about that...)
Ah, well, enjoy Apolyton and the Forums.
And find your own niche, if you do, you won't be disappointed or forgotten, ever.

Well, here's a short list of some of the people who have made my Apolyton experience more exciting, and have helped keep me around this place. (Hopefully you will learn some things from this list- about the "flavor of apolyton"- [To quote Shadowstrike's bygone column article] from this list)

Laser- Thanks for the good memories from CGN.
ColonyPod- Civ III ideas, CGN, Alpha Centauri [Chiron Chronicle] author.
mark13- Alpha Centauri/CGN.
Reismark- Thanks for CGN ;)
Imran Siddiqui- Good Civ-ideas, political-ideas, story-ideas, etc...
DinoDoc- For long periods of time I have puzzled over his name changes... And it's good to meet another Republican on this forum.
GP- Well... He's GP... That should be enough on this issue...
MOBIUS- Great ideas and debates
My Wife Hates Civ- Someone I watched with awe in my early days on the forums
Evil Capitalist- Another person who drew me to the OT in 2000... and kept me there for a time... He now resides at The Frontier.
Fiera- Interesting Spanish OTer... Created several interesting OT threads.
Jay Bee- ;) Spanish Forums Mod- owner of The Spanish Civ II Site (a site where I have received many good Civ II modpacks!)
Faboba- King of Spam. (...Mao being the Deity of Spam)
Comrade Dan- Court Jester of Spam. Someone who helped me to enjoy the OT.
Velociryx- AC-Fiction/AC-Strategy... What can I say?
CivMan2000- This man does tons of work in Civ-Diplomacy games and the Civ-Stories Sections... A legend in the making.
Beno/cbraund/WTE-OzWolf- Good Civ III stories Authors
Googlie- Amazing AC-Fictioneer. One of the people I looked up to worshipfully in the early days.
Hydro- Another amazing AC-Fictioneer
XWaste- A great Chiron Chronicle contribuitor- I miss you dearly.
Axi- Fellow List maker
Rasbelin- Thanks for the help compiling Civ IV: The List
Mongoloid Cow and Spiffor- Thanks for the ideas and support for Civ IV: The List!
OmniGod- Earth: 2025 and other places; a good friend... now dec. on Apolyton. :( [But hopefully, living in Real Life ;)]
Empress- Good Civ IIer... one of the few females on this board... Left civ for Asheron's call before posting enough to become the first Apolyton Empress... One of the people who kept the CIV II section alive.
Christantine the Great- We do seem to run into each other a lot... don't we ;)... Fellow mods at CGN ver I... Now I am a serf and he's still a mod... Yes, Christantine IS a HE... It's like Fiera ;)
Provost Harrison- (Okay, he's listed in a lot of lists but I may as well thank him here) Fellow list maker/CGNer/OTer Fairly humorous
I am not going to thank Ecthelion here.
Eli- Good OT friend in the old days along with Andz83.
Theben- Civ List maker
blackice- Great antivirus help in the OT.
Gramphos- Smilies and more...
Colon and Dominikos- Belgian Chocolates... OT... colors in their sig lines (Dominik at least ;))
DanQ- The OTHER site owner... He does more work than you'd think.
orange- Good friend... counselor... CGN moderator... Also made the Apolyton Yearbook- A list-like endeavor.
Alexander's Horse- sorry for all the jokes- but I think you understand- Trolling you, the Gigatroll is my hobby and has been since I arrived at the OT- but I truly respect you.
Chris 62- I know that I'm on your ignore list- but I do have to say this- you are a very fair moderator at CivFanatics. And it can easily be said that for one week, you made my apolyton experience very excitin.
MichaeltheGreat- A good person to know on the OT, now semi-retired from the fora.
suas333- An interesting former OT poster who is worth knowing
Gibsie- Generic English Poster
Venom- A Very strange... ACOLyte... who I got to test the "Report Post" feature on ;)
Shadowstrike- Canadian...Stories...Civ II ideas- Good associate and friend in the olden days- I'm registered with him on about 4 other forums ;)
Ultra Sonix- Australian... Civ II ideas- Good ass. and friend in the olden days- Now retired from forums temporarily.
SnowFire- Despite the fact that he despises most of my lists- I respect him for his work on Civ3-The List of Ideas for Firaxis
Bolo- The man who brought me into the OT (In a manner of speaking, of course...)
CornMaster- Civ II/III ideas poster in the olden days (well, olden to me- July/Aug/Sept 2000) Now a moderator at CivFanatics along with Smash (another great poster)
Jasonian/Giant_Squid- Two people, long gone (from regular posting) by the time I arrived, but whom I greatly respect... Remember, Giant_Squid made the "Clouds" mod for Civ II ;)
[LordLMP]- co-GM with me on The Chiron Chronicle (now defunct)
Stefu/Imran- Big Influences on me... The only reason I wander into the OT for something other than Lists or to troll AH.
Sagacious Dolphin- Very knowledgeable about Physics... very...
Immortal Wombat- The Immortal Prince...
MarkG/Ming- Sorry for all the BUMP posts in the early days ;) [The Civ IIers nearly called me the "Prince of BUMP" for a while until I created the "Related Threads" thread in Civ III-Suggestions... Good work with the forum. Both of you have donated countless hours to working on something you give away free to others!
Solver- I suppose I have to thank you for this interview- even though you delayed it about 3 months! ;)  Note: I love reading the interview series, it's very good for lists ;) and I think that you are a superb interviewer and compiler.

let's see, is that everyone?
Hopefully... (If I've left anyone out, I apologize in advance.)

Well, enjoy yourselves and enjoy Apolyton.



 

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