So where are these Screenshots, Informer?

[Modo44]

Frankly, I am happy with any graphic engine that allows me to move the camera free and enjoy the show of a nicely developed country (or a really big battle ).

If the camera angle can be changed, one should be able to get a straight-from-above look making things uglier but easier to distinguish. I ssume that will be there.

The Mountain is a Mountain alright... for someone who saw Civ3 before modding it with SnOOpy's Terrain.

Any high resolution pics are welcome at:
Andrzej TOD Sawicki TA gmail TOD com

[Nikolai]

A high res pic to fnwilborn AT yahoo DOT no would be greatly appreciated.

[Max Sinister]

Looks good so far. The new 3D look (with a real perspective!) is great. The borders look a bit boring, but oh well. Tile borders not clear enough? I only play with grid switched on. OK for me. Now I wonder about new gameplay...

[Alex]

Originally posted by Sn00py

And to everyone: I have a large 1200x800 pic of the tilted view screen. It's almost 2mb. But if you want it, post your email address in this thread. DON'T PM ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

I want it. Please.

alexandrenm@uol.com.br

(I don't care about spammers, my email client is very good)

[Adagio]

Me too me too


Adagio.81 AtThePlaceCalled gmail SomeFunnySpot com

[Solver]

I HATE the 3D look. Impossible to distinguish between tiles (hope it looks OK with the grid one), and it looks more like a close-up combat map such as in RTS games. I hope that we can play without stuff like that and doing things normally from a zoomed-out view. I really can't see the need to see individual units close-up in a Civ game. I'm still excited about Civ4, but it seems they are going quite a long way in making the game more mainstream.

[Japher]

I agree with Solver.

Also, I am afraid I might have to get a better computer just to play CIV4... this is going to be a very expensive game.

[TechWins]

No matter if these are placeholder graphics or not and Sn00py makes new terrain for the game I'd probably wind up using his anyways. I think it is safe to say from my point of view that I'm resting my hopes on Sn00py doing new terrain.


EDIT: thanks a lot for the screenshots, Sn00py.

[Solver]

Also, I am afraid I might have to get a better computer just to play CIV4... this is going to be a very expensive game.

Yes, another downside. I'm certain my computer will run it very well, but in the past, Civ games have had very low system requirements, while Civ4 might have requirements along the lines of 1GHz and 256 MB RAM to play nice. Which is way more than a Civ game should require. I think a Civ game now should be content with, say, 700 MHz and 128 MB RAM - so that it would run on what is a low-end machine now.

[Maquiladora]

I dont think the terrain are placeholders, or at least screenshot 2 doesnt look like something you knock up, thats not to say its perfect, just you can see the work. Then again i havent seen Pirates or whatever else its used in so i dont know what theyve taken from that.

There seems to be 3 or 4 different types of tree grouped together, the pines, the broadleafs (some are brown), the palms in the desert areas and some other, not sure if its one of the others again or jungle.

And maybe theyre re-using the civ3 units except rendered in 3D this time.

[Leto]

yes please on the high-res, snoopy: rumph_vader@yahoo.com

thanks!

[Alex]

Originally posted by Solver

Also, I am afraid I might have to get a better computer just to play CIV4... this is going to be a very expensive game.

Yes, another downside. I'm certain my computer will run it very well, but in the past, Civ games have had very low system requirements, while Civ4 might have requirements along the lines of 1GHz and 256 MB RAM to play nice. Which is way more than a Civ game should require. I think a Civ game now should be content with, say, 700 MHz and 128 MB RAM - so that it would run on what is a low-end machine now.

Firaxis is using the Gamebryo engine to power Civ4 graphics, and AFAIK they used the same engine in Pirates. I have bad news for those with low-end machines: if we take Pirates in consideration, then Civ4 will require a powerful machine to run with all options maxed out.

I have an Athlon 1.7 with 512 MB RAM and a Geforce 2 MX videocard. Pirates runs very sluggishly on my system if I try to run it on anything above 800x600 screen resolution. If I put "world detail" and "object detail" on max, the game is barely playable, even using a low res such as 800x600. I have to play it in 640x480 and medium options if I want any sense of fluidity.

Now, I'm not saying that things will be as dramatic with Civ4 as they are with Pirates (for those with low-end machines such as mine), especially because I think that the bigger scale in Civ games is not that 3D intensive, but the fact that the same engine is used in both games really worries me...

[Solver]

I have an Athlon 1.7 with 512 MB RAM and a Geforce 2 MX videocard. Pirates runs very sluggishly on my system if I try to run it on anything above 800x600 screen resolution. If I put "world detail" and "object detail" on max, the game is barely playable, even using a low res such as 800x600. I have to play it in 640x480 and medium options if I want any sense of fluidity.

That's ridicilous, I'd expect any strategy game to run excellent on such a system. But it looks like Civ4 might require a decent video card to run properly, which sucks, because a Civ game should run with any video. Not a problem for me, I can run Doom3 and Half-Life2 very well, but I feel bad about this nonetheless .

[Fosse]

Originally posted by Nikolai
It looks real nice. I see that there are two kinds of borders there, or rather two ways of showing the same border?

It looks to me like the solid line shows the border, and the faded gradient shows which direction the owner is in. In other words: Eye Candy.

But it could have some use: if you uncover the fog of war to see a line in the middle of a land mass you'll know which direction contact is in. Or maybe religious/culture borders. I have no idea.

[Donegeal]

hey SnOOpy...

I would like the pics sent to donegeal at yahoo. You know the drill. Thank you very much.