new article and screenshots on gamestar.de

[sabrewolf]

here it is

it's in german and there is not much new information, but an interesting screenshot with a comment about colonisation. i'm not sure why it's written, but i could imagine that there is a colonisation scenario

http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/previews/strategie/28340/2.html

the reviewer's comments are that the game itself seems great and pretty except for bad unit graphics (which seem "ugly" and battles are non-fluid) and the cluttered city-overview screen.
however he is positive that many UI things will be fixed before it goes gold and can imagine that it can beat his favourite: civ2!!!

[Atahualpa]

Maybe there is some news here:

Civ-typisch starten wir mit einem Siedler, der das erste Dorf errichtet. Kreise zeigen passende Orte für die Siedlung - eine Hilfestellung, die wir per Optionsmenü aktivieren. Bautrupps (errichten Geländeverbesserungen wie Straßen) dürfen wir automatisieren, damit sie sich selbstständig um den Ausbau des Reiches kümmern. Das klappt bestens, spart viel Mikromanagement und macht Civ 4 einsteigerfreundlich. Unsere Arbeiter verbessern zunächst das Umland von Rom. Neu: Mit der Technik »Fischfang« können Bauschiffe Fangnetze vor der Küste auslegen.

Translation:
Typical for the Civ series, you start with a settler that creates the first city. Circles mark suitable spots, a helpful option that we activated in the options menu.... then follow some bits about how worker automation is nice... with the advance »Fishery«, "worker-ships" can build nets on the coast.

[clausewitz]

In general this article does not tell a lot of new stuff and it seams to be written by a civilization beginner.

However, there may be another interesting detail about tile improvement, at least I have not heard of it before:

Auch auf dem Land gibt's neue Verbesserungen, etwa Häuschen, die zu Kleinstädten heranwachsen und so für steigende Steuereinnahmen sorgen.

"There are also new land improvements, such as little houses that develop into small towns which increase your tax income."

In my understanding this implies that workers can actually build these houses. I saw several mod packs for civ3 where houses started to apear when your road network had a certain density - but those never had any effects on tax income.

Since roads don't give any trade bonus any more (as in previous civs), this would be pretty much the same idea. Just that now you have to build roads seperately for unit movement and houses for tax income.

I also recognized that in the city screen some tiles also had little money bags AND coins and I was wondering what the difference may be. There could be an answer now: maybe coins can be "processed" into science, gold and culture whereas money bags are direct income from these towns in cash.

What do you guys think?

[Atahualpa]

I think I've heard this already, though it's nice that it's confirmed.

[Boris Godunov]

I dunno about the workers being able to build those houses/towns. It could also be an automatic thing, like in Imperialism.

[sabrewolf]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
I dunno about the workers being able to build those houses/towns. It could also be an automatic thing, like in Imperialism.

aren't "hamlets" what the writer might mean?

[Provost Harrison]

That's interesting, that river seems to be forming some sort of natural frontier...

[Mace]

I saw a screen of a river forming a border before. That must be a feature built into the border logic...to take advantage of natural features to some extent...neat.

[Sabre2th]

Originally posted by clausewitz
In general this article does not tell a lot of new stuff and it seams to be written by a civilization beginner.

However, there may be another interesting detail about tile improvement, at least I have not heard of it before:



"There are also new land improvements, such as little houses that develop into small towns which increase your tax income."

In my understanding this implies that workers can actually build these houses. I saw several mod packs for civ3 where houses started to apear when your road network had a certain density - but those never had any effects on tax income.

Since roads don't give any trade bonus any more (as in previous civs), this would be pretty much the same idea. Just that now you have to build roads seperately for unit movement and houses for tax income.

I also recognized that in the city screen some tiles also had little money bags AND coins and I was wondering what the difference may be. There could be an answer now: maybe coins can be "processed" into science, gold and culture whereas money bags are direct income from these towns in cash.

What do you guys think?

I'd guess that the bag is the same thing as the coins. Most likely something like 4-5 coins = 1 bag.