{The List} Graphics

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by Drachasor
Considering the artists making graphics aren't going to be programmers, and that after a certain point it is all artist work (no more programming), it actually doesn't do much to hurt the game, per se. Naturally some companies, as in the film industry, spend more time on fluff than on substance. This isn't always the case, and it needn't and won't occur here. Unless you are saying you somehow think the Civ team is going to suddenly be focused on graphics to the detriment of everything else?

Well, if you are focused on implimenting special zoom options or special kinds of views or other things like that, it does take programming to impliment them in the game - it's not as though every new graphical addition simply has to be made and that's the end of it.

Anyhow, as I said, there is going to a certain amount of work put forth into graphics. They are going to be 3D. Now I am sure the Dev-team understands we don't want the best graphics in the world, indeed, I am sure they understand the substance is of primary importance in order to get good sales. As such, there are going to be a *limited* amount of resources put forth into graphics, and the Dev-team might appreciate some idea of where the fans would like to see that focused on. "Don't spend time on graphics beyond Civ-1 levels" isn't helpful. What will be found helpful is something like "focus on terrain more than Leader-heads" or "wonder movies more units."

Personally I think the Wonder Movies should be nice and entertaining, but since Units and terrain are going to be around the whole game, I'd like more time spent on them. The Civ2 movies were great, and I don't think anything much beyond that really needs to be done (beyond updated graphics).

I agree.

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by Brent
Graphics to concentrate on: opening movies, wonder movies, victory movies, advisors

Graphics not to concentrate on: unit animation, terrain, CG leaderheads

I disagree 100%.

Opening movies you see once or twice, and every other time you either skip through it or you tweak the ini file to never see it at all. A complete waste of resources.

Wonder movies... la dee da. I would rather the terrain and units be brilliant, as that's what I'm staring at 95% of the game, not the wonder movies.

Victory movies - same as before - few people ever win games and fewer ever play games to completion on a consistant basis. Don't waste time and resources on something that 25% of players see and 5% of players see regularly at the END of every game.

Advisors - why are these so important over units and terrain? The advisors are useless anyways, I have no need to stare at them as well

Terrain and Units - come on... that's what you spend most of the game looking at! That should be a priority over the opening movie and victory movies...

Leaderheads - while I agree an excessive amount of time shouldn't be spent, it would be nice if they actually looked like real people and made you feel like you were dealing with real nations.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Trip
Leaderheads - while I agree an excessive amount of time shouldn't be spent, it would be nice if they actually looked like real people and made you feel like you were dealing with real nations.

No way. I want gorgeous babes with large, uh, frontal lobes.

[Max Sinister]

I think a good video for the end should be included, that people who play the game 'til the end don't get the "I played through 6000 years of Civilization and all I got was a lousy 'You won' message" feeling.

@Urban Ranger: Wouldn't you prefer to play Biing! (does anyone here know that this game once existed?)

[Jon Shafer]

The enjoyment in playing the game is in playing it, not seeing the movie at the end.

If you're playing the game in order to see the movie then you're playing the wrong game.

[Urban Ranger]

Max Sinister,

What's that game?


Trip,

It's nice to have a reward when you win.

[Enigma_Nova]

The reward is the ego boost you get from kicking some ass.
Now, get back in there and kick some ass again!

We don't buy video games to watch movies - we rent movies to watch movies.
While I admit it helped Tiberian Sun, does Firaxis really have the time and money to shoot such sequences?

[Urban Ranger]

There's a reason why they put the movies back in Civ 3.

[Enigma_Nova]

How many discs will Civ 4 come on?
The novelty of having movies is lost if you have to discswap to see them.

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Trip,

It's nice to have a reward when you win.

I don't play to see a fun little movie at the end, and I don't know anyone who does (well, maybe I do now).

This isn't an RPG, it's a strategy game.

[Enigma_Nova]

Is there a concise pro/con argument to having movies?

PRO:
Looks good
CONS:
Less space on the disc for other graphics, the game engine, music, AI scripts, etc.
Only seen at certain intervals.
ANNOYING to be disrupted from the flow of a good 0wning binge
...

Cons > Pro
No movies.

[Drachasor]

Well, if they have two discs, they could stick the engine and game graphics on one disc (which is fully installed), and then you play the movies and fluff off the other disc, which is the play disc.

There's a huge amount of room.

-Drachasor

[Enigma_Nova]

Well, as long as there's a menu option to 'ignore cinematics'.
God I hate being prompted to switch CDs in the middle of an 0wning binge. >_<;;

[Drachasor]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
Well, as long as there's a menu option to 'ignore cinematics'.
God I hate being prompted to switch CDs in the middle of an 0wning binge. >_<;;

That's why you'd place all the non-installed stuff on one disc. You won't have to switch since you just use the non-installed stuff disc. Of course, you'd have the option to install both.

Anyhow, the games these days can do a lot with only one CD, and I am sure they'll be able to cram everything onto one disc.

Hopefully ciV will use a DVD though.

-Drachasor

[Enigma_Nova]

By the time it comes out, everything will use a DVD.