What do you make of this?

[Case]

From an interview with Jeff Morris on Gamespy:

GameSpy: Are you going to ship a scenario editor with the expansion?

Jeff Morris: We're shipping it separately as a free download, but scenarios really figure into multiplayer. If you start a multiplayer game on a random map and you start adjacent to iron and someone else doesn't, the advantage you're going to have is going to ruin the game. The scenarios let us go in there and say "everyone gets six grasslands, all irrigated and with roads."

GameSpy: So are you adding scenarios to the expansion?

Jeff Morris: Absolutely. We've got 10 multiplayer scenarios…

GameSpy: What about single-player? Civ 2 shipped with…

Jeff Morris: Yeah, the problem with that is the modified tech tree, artwork and how it heavily modifies the game. Turns in a WWII scenario don't really work if one turn represents a year. Rather than take that upon ourselves, we're letting the people who really love the history of the eras do it. We're giving them the tools to do it.

Does anyone want to guess what this means? Are Firaxis not including SP scenarios becuase they're too lazy to make them, or are they not including them because they're impossible to make?

[academia]

Mmm... Lazy guys!!!!!
Or maybe, they are going to include them in another Version of Civ3?? You know, it takes a huge effort to make scenarios and they won´t give us that for free. Perhaps a new expansion for another $34.99???

[DarthVeda]

a little from column A and a little from column B.

Probably they are too lazy to take the time needed to modify the game to make it able to produce quality scenarios. So I doubt any single player scens will ship with the game. They seem to be saying "if you want to make a ww2 scenario that passes time at one turn per year, we'll let them, but we're not going to put our name on that kind of crap."

Basically what they mean by scenario I guess is "modified startup map."

Which means you'll be able to place resources and control starting locations and that's about it.

[Gothmog]

Firaxis hates history?

[Exile]

This is TYPICAL fir-crapsis.

Whether it's unwillingness to take on the task, the inability of the game to accomodate scenarios, or the attempt to milk us all of another 30 or 40 bucks for another piece of crap, the result is the same;

fir-crapsis stinks.

But let me clarify.

This is only to be expected of a company that turns out shoddy, worthless, unworkable, bug-ridden "merchandise" on a repetitive basis. I repeat; (yes, once again; get used to it ) NOT A SINGLE PRODUCT THAT I HAVE EVER PURCHASED FROM FIRCRAPSIS HAS EVER FUNCTIONED AS ADVERTISED. Some won't even install properly.

Unfortunately, we're all stuck with the dismal fact that, like it or not, fir-crapsis is the company that now has the rights to produce "civ" products. This isn't over. They will continue to disappoint us all as long as this is the case.

I SURE do miss Microprose.

The difference is telling; I NEVER had a single problem with a microprose game and I thoroughly enjoyed each product purchased from that company. Why is it that fircrapsis can't seem to do anything right?

No idea.

[/rant]

[yaroslav]

With the graphic system of Civ3, I think that units will be more difficult to be design. And also, I'm afraid of who many game paremeters are hard-coded in the program...

I expect the new scenario editor, but I don't believe that is can as good as civ2 was (and/or IS)!

[Jacobite1688]

Originally posted by academia
Mmm... Lazy guys!!!!!
Or maybe, they are going to include them in another Version of Civ3?? You know, it takes a huge effort to make scenarios and they won´t give us that for free. Perhaps a new expansion for another $34.99???

I can save time by just saying ''ditto'' - sur they plan on milking the brand name. I ain't fallin for it.

[WarVoid]

Firaxis is going to milk Sid's name as well as that of Civilization to the last drop.

I think every little expansion we see for Civ3 is gonna cost money.

*keeps watching eBay*

And I have to agree with Exile's points. Firaxis hasn't made anything really decent and I really DO miss good ol MicroProse.

[ravagon]

Jeff Morris: Yeah, the problem with that is the modified tech tree, artwork and how it heavily modifies the game. Turns in a WWII scenario don't really work if one turn represents a year. Rather than take that upon ourselves, we're letting the people who really love the history of the eras do it. We're giving them the tools to do it.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I wonder if they tried to put something together and found out their AI didn't work if they modified things too much ...

I was going to wait for the Civ3/Civ3 expansion all-in-one pack but now I think I'm going to wait until somebody else has tried to make it work first ...

[Stefan Härtel]

Jeff Morris: Yeah, the problem with that is the modified tech tree, artwork and how
it heavily modifies the game. Turns in a WWII scenario don't really work if one turn
represents a year. Rather than take that upon ourselves, we're letting the people
who really love the history of the eras do it. We're giving them the tools to do it.

Typical computer programmer talk.

Me: It's too bad I can't do this.
Programmer: Why, you can do it.
Me: How?
Programmer: All the functions are integrated into the software.
Me: I tried all of your functions, but they didn't do what I exactly wanted.
Programmer: Well, what exactly do you want?
Me: I want to do this&that, not that&this.
Programmer: Well you can do it.
Me: Tell me how.
Programmer: Try this.
Me: It still wont work the way I want it.
Programmer: Well, why do you want it that way anyway?

[hardjoy]

Here's what I hope it means. That they'll provide a set of new graphics work, including units and civ artwork, and thorough tools that makes one able to place cities and script events; and make it work, so that someone qualified and willing to put in the time and effort, can produce a quality scenario on virtually every historical subject. It would be cool to see a decent civ3 WWII or 30YearsWar scenario. But until then, civ2 pretty much does the job. I still miss the diplomats and caravans of civ2, when I occasionally play civ3. I think I still prefer the simplicity in design and complexity of gameplay of civ2. But who knows, I might be wrong. These new add-ons might actually improve things and make it interesting in new ways.