So Basically We Have Civ 3...but in 3D?

[yin26]

LOL! Well, I just want to read back the record where I said I'd eat "part" of the box!

[pg]

Originally posted by Sirian
I got 150 hours on a single game.

That's the one that got away. To this day, only I know what happened. It's a shame, too. But after playing the thing for six weeks, 25hr/wk, I just didn't have it in me to spend another 50hr writing about it.

How the hell do you guys find these games fun? The micromanagement must be mind numbing boring. Once I get so large I usually quit. Is it really rewarding and fun to play out a game like this? I find myself playing games up until I know I can win then starting a new one.

This is one of the things I really disliked in Civ3 that I had to customize world maps + random maps myself to be small, balanced and have lots of civilizations. I really like Civ3 on my custom, small, and civ packed maps but I really can not stand playing it in large maps with a few number of civs.

[yin26]

Yeah, I gotta say: Sirian puts most hardcore gamers to shame. I'm a Sunday driver at best next to him, and I thought I played too much. Next game of Civ I try, I'm going to Sirianize my mindset and see if I don't find myself writing a 50 hour After Action Report.

Of course, if I end up liking the game that much, Markos will demand that I eat the entire Civ 4 box, which will likely kill me. So this is a serious (Sirianous ... sorry) decision.

[Sirian]

Originally posted by pg

How the hell do you guys find these games fun?

That particular game was a tournament game. It was not an everyday affair, but a do-once challenge to see how far one could push within certain boundaries.

I had a blast.

This was the largest and most complex of the RBCiv Epics. It was number 36.

Realms Beyond Civilization, Tourney Record

If you check some of the others, you'll see that most are much simpler concepts.


- Sirian


PS: I launched the Epics when Markos allowed Poly's tournament to fizzle and evaporate. A man needs fun games to play! He cannot live on food and air alone.

[alva]

Wow, talk about an old school Poly thread!! All we need now is for both Vel and Libertarian to make an appearance.


Good to you Yin, always fun to read your threads, even if you're being a tad pessimistic.

[Adm.Naismith]

Originally posted by yin26
Of course, if I end up liking the game that much, Markos will demand that I eat the entire Civ 4 box, which will likely kill me.

Not likely if the box is made of cardboard. Munch slowly and well, as any mother teach, and take your time.
Please note a friend's hint: the time to finish the lunch was not part of the bet. You can eat it as slow as to end in time for the first game expansion (that will leave you six to eight months, I suppose).

On a serius note, I'm a really slooooow player, and I can't understand how anyone can really play so many games.
OTOH, I usually don't stop a game if I'm not sure I'm losing so badly that I'm hopeless, while I hate not to be rewarded by an accomplished mission, so I'll keep rolling turn (annoying me) till the end.
I remember the old SMAC/Civ 2 complain, about the need for a game that can bring the players attention high enough till the last bunch of turns, because victory should not be assumed too early.

Very difficult in anything but a pre-made scenario with triggered events, and taking into account it should not be anything so random you can't manage it.

May be something like a civil war, or a revolt into once enemy town (citizen become guerrilla!), an unexpected Great Person born in a city of enemy civilization, a bunch of collateral discoveries that open shortcut to main accomplishment (reserved to this kind of a "lifesaver" opportunity, not available in normal game path).

I don't think this should be an event that really turn the game upside down (that will end in a cursing player and a quick reload of last autosave), still something as an unfortunate serie of bad dice throw, that you must manage carefully to bring your civ back on tracks.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by yin26
Yeah, I gotta say: Sirian puts most hardcore gamers to shame. I'm a Sunday driver at best next to him, and I thought I played too much. Next game of Civ I try, I'm going to Sirianize my mindset and see if I don't find myself writing a 50 hour After Action Report.

Yeah, the thought of me writing an informed day1 review seems ludicrous now... I´m such a n00b compared to you, Sirian and others...

Of course, if I end up liking the game that much, Markos will demand that I eat the entire Civ 4 box, which will likely kill me. So this is a serious (Sirianous ... sorry) decision.

You could try to shred the box real thin and eat it like cornflakes

[yin26]

Considering I must obey an Admiral when given orders and should always follow a Doctor's directions, I think the plan is to eat the shredded box over several months' time. Can I sprinkle on some bacon bits?

By the way, noob schnoob! I haven't played a game myself since the fairly early days of Civ 3. It was Civ 1 and 2 that did me in, but think about how long ago that was. If anything, what's that saying about if you haven't done it in a while you become a virgin again? Be gentle, Civ 4. Be gentle.

[Zoid]

Originally posted by yin26
Considering I must obey an Admiral when given orders and should always follow a Doctor's directions, I think the plan is to eat the shredded box over several months' time. Can I sprinkle on some bacon bits?

Sure, knock youself out.

By the way, noob schnoob! I haven't played a game myself since the fairly early days of Civ 3. It was Civ 1 and 2 that did me in, but think about how long ago that was. If anything, what's that saying about if you haven't done it in a while you become a virgin again? Be gentle, Civ 4. Be gentle.

That´s true of course.

* note to self: Be more self-confident!

[Mahdimael]

I always remember MOO as having a great system to prevent ICS. Every civ, except the silicoids, needed to develop new technologies that would allow them to settle increasingly hostile worlds. For example, I could research tech that would allow me to settle "Minimal" worlds, and later tech that would allow me to settle "Radiated" worlds.

This could certainly work in Civ. Make certain squares uninhabitable or unimproveable until certain techs are discovered. Certainly, you can have a small town eke out existence in a desert with no irrigation, but it should not be more than size 1 or 2. Eventually, modern technology will allow the desert town to thrive (Las Vegas, for example).

Another idea is to make certain terrain types impassible until certain techs are researched. Mountains, deserts and jungles all spring to mind. Alternatively, make them as treacherous as a trireme sailing in open water. An x% chance of any unit dying in hostile terrain.

[yin26]

Nice idea! Could this be done with the new modding abilities?

[Solver]

Of course .

[Zoid]

Originally posted by Mahdimael
I always remember MOO as having a great system to prevent ICS. Every civ, except the silicoids, needed to develop new technologies that would allow them to settle increasingly hostile worlds. For example, I could research tech that would allow me to settle "Minimal" worlds, and later tech that would allow me to settle "Radiated" worlds.

This could certainly work in Civ. Make certain squares uninhabitable or unimproveable until certain techs are discovered. Certainly, you can have a small town eke out existence in a desert with no irrigation, but it should not be more than size 1 or 2. Eventually, modern technology will allow the desert town to thrive (Las Vegas, for example).

Another idea is to make certain terrain types impassible until certain techs are researched. Mountains, deserts and jungles all spring to mind. Alternatively, make them as treacherous as a trireme sailing in open water. An x% chance of any unit dying in hostile terrain.

Great ideas

It´s annoying that there really isn´t that kind of difference in terrain types. C & C Tiberian Sun had this feature for troops that stayed for too long in radioactive patches of land IIRC.

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

Well, I actually think that city health will play a great role in restricting-indirectly-the kinds of terrains that can be reasonably settled.
For instance, we know that both food and proximity to fresh water boost health and-therefore-population growth. This means that cities in deserts will get a 'double whammy', so to speak, when it comes to the rate at which their populations grow. In fact, it wouldn't be at all suprising if some desert cities have a 'negative' growth rate fairly early on, without technological intervention. I have the feeling that other 'hostile' terrains will prove equally hard to settle for this reason.
So, what does this mean exactly? Hard to say without more detail on how Health and Population Growth work together, but my feeling is that we will see much more settlement of River Valleys, Coasts and Floodplains settled almost exclusively in the first 1000-2000 years of the game, with construction-related improvements making less fertile regions more palatable in the latter parts of the game. Though not perfect, I do feel that this will have some impact on reducing settler diarreah.
Another very simple way to reduce ICS is to restrict REXing in the early game. Best way to achieve this is by making those dark parts of the map much more dangerous to non-exploratory units. Even after these regions of the map have been explored, it should be somewhat risky to enter regions outside of your borders until at least the late Middle Ages IMO.

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

[GeoModder]

I think that's the purpose of the 'wild animal' units, to make unguarded settlers move into the wilderness a hazard.