Tentative Civ4 Feature Changes

[Locutus]

I'll repost this in a seperate thread to make sure DC's thread doesn't spin further off-topic:



More news on Civilization IV surfaces as Frictionless Insight reports from the Game Developer's Conference:

Civilization fans may be eager to know that Soren Johnson of Firaxis games made a few comments about Civilization IV in his talk on game franchises at the Game Developer's Conference. All the features under consideration are tentative, and given the game's long development schedule may or may not make it into the final version. Still, the focus of Johnson's talk was on removing "unfun" aspects of games to create sufficient conceptual room for improvements. Some of the features under consideration are:

• Improved interface and help screens
  
• Replacing game concepts such as pollution, rioting and corruption with more entertaining concepts that maintain game balance (he described the current pollution model as "playing whack-a-mole").
  
• Adding concepts of religion and civics
  
• Introducing more sophisticated concepts of unit experience and upgrades.
  
  

Johnson emphasized that the game is still a long way off, and is being coded from scratch to produce a better final experience. He also mentioned that the team is paying attention to a list of suggestions submitted by fans that is longer than the New Testament. He didn't say how long it took the Firaxis team to slog through it.

It seems like Firaxis is keeping an eye on the work Apolytoners have been doing on the `Civ IV List`in the past months. Thanks to Peter Triggs for the heads-up.

[Brundlefly]

IMHO, the game doesn't need new "concepts" it needs an AI that understands how to mount an attack, how to use armies, how to use naval power. The "concepts" are nice ideas that the AI will have no idea how to address within the game. It appears they are more interested in giving players some new bells and whistles than providing a more challenging game. (If they were making it a priority to address the AI's skill level, it would have been in this list.) But we already knew that was going to be their approach. I'll wait until it costs 9.99, then I will buy it.

[Donegeal]

Unfortunately, making the AI significantly better isn't cost effective compared to the average player.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Make the game easiest ?

Eliminate some concepts ?

Reponse is

WHAT THEM MAKING

[Trifna]

I wonder what they'll come out with... I like simplified games, but sometimes for some "simplicity" means "anythign that's fun even if it doesn't make any sense". Like those cavaliers that should have been named "Necro-cavaliers of the Doom" for their resurrecting abilities.

[Maniac]

No rioting and corruption?? What could these possibly be replaced with?

[Maquiladora]

Who gives a crap about improved help screens. Retards, thats who.

[Abdul Alhazred]

and the realism ?

I want realism in Civ 4 !!!

[Trifna]

I just don't quite see why fun couln't be realist :P

[asleepathewheel]

changing the pollution model is a big from me. The rest, well, who knows how it will all be implemented. I think, so long as Soren et al remain throughout the process, the game will be much more solid than civ3. If a split occurs again, then all bets are off...

[lajzar]

Moo2 had pollution as a industry efficiency factor instead of generrating pollution on the map. his is probably a better model for pollution in terms of gameplay. I hope this is what they are planning.

Of course, nuclear pollution should still be handled as now, but that is something that doesn't happen so often so it isnt a whakamole situation.

Pollution shouldnt just be a production penalty though. Theres happness and population growth too.

[Madine]

I think whack-a-mole is too generous. It's more like, oh yay, I get to push the automate clear damage button while my eyes glaze over.

Religion, civics, and a more sophisticated unit system sound cool.

The current civil disorder model isn't very realistic, and adds alot to endgame tedium.