A return to the good old days of the space race

[wilebill2]

Playing Civ4 now, it is fine now, will improve with each patch. Mem leak problem is annoying, I'll admit.

Gray_Lensman, I would love to play SMAC, but it is not an easy game to find these days.

[Adm.Naismith]

Originally posted by LzPrst
why do they insist on taking away good things for every new version?

Gameplay choices and balancing come to my mind.
I've always been critic to Civ III and Firaxis, but I'm now playing Civ IV and so far I've found interesting points. They can't sactisfy everyone requests: many players were against the silly "rush conquest the capital and the starship is broken" strategy.
I'm all for the ability to half complete the ship and try to fly quicker to the target earning less points: this is a tactical decision and should be left to the player.
I suppose Civ IV first expansion can bring it back, with the improved blueprint that showed completed parts in Civ III Conquest.

Originally posted by LzPrst
i'm sad to say, the game is still incomplete. its only 95% done, and a game should not be sold until it is 100% done.

The graphic trouble is a serius one, but you are out or running: a yes/no problem as a whole, not a matter of finishing the game.

Small improvment are like your tailor trying to better fit a "pret a porter" standard size jacket to your body: standard size can't perfectly fit everyone, IMHO that doesn't mean they are "only 95%" done.

[ant1]

The spaceship race definitely is a massive disappointment. You don't see the spaceship, you don't know how many modules/parts/stuff need to be built, turn after turn you keep wondering "what's up with my space ship?? Has it gone already??" and eventually one day you see a small message saying that you've won the space race...

[liamburke]

Not buying the game yet doesn't really make you that much better off than those who have. As irritating and god damn awful the game can be sometimes, I -still- play the thing. Even though it crashes every 3 turns, I'm still addicted!

[Disk Killer]

Originally posted by Gray_Lensman
So far, from all the posts I have read. I am absolutely thrilled that I have no been duped into rushing out to buy this beta release. My posture of wait and see has paid off!!! At least this time, I have not wasted any money.

Time to go back and play Alpha Centauri/Crossfire.

I wasn't duped; I'm having a ball with this game. Yes, the space race needs modding; that aside Civ4 is fawesome compared to Civ3. I haven't been this addicted to a game in a couple of years, now; and I play a lot of games.

Your opinion is your own; but don't presume to judge the rest of us.

[Richter]

I agree that the spaceship screen could be improved. But to play devil's advocate on a couple points:

1. The ss components appear as build options in the cities. A mouseover tells how many more of each you need. When you have enough in the queue, the option disappears. I never had a problem figuring out what else was needed, though a summary would be nice.

2. The game announces when a competitor builds a component (at least it did for me). If you can rush to attack someone before their ship lands, can't you also rush to attack someone before they build it?

[inca911]

Originally posted by Richter
The game announces when a competitor builds a component (at least it did for me). If you can rush to attack someone before their ship lands, can't you also rush to attack someone before they build it?

Nominated for post of the week.

Originally posted by Gray_Lensman I am absolutely thrilled that I have no been duped into rushing out to buy this beta release. My posture of wait and see has paid off!!! At least this time, I have not wasted any money.

Nominated for post of the weak.

[Volstag]

Yeah, I'm w/ Richter. Just won a space-race, and I had no difficulty knowing what I was building, what needed to be built, and where I was building it at. And, to reiterate what he said: you can smash the cities where components are being built.

Civ IV is rapidly becoming my personal crown jewel of the series, IMO. With patches and expansions it's only going to get better (we hope).

[Richter]

Please don't get me wrong. I'd like to see the spaceship screen made useful. Adding more steps to the space race- esp. the variable spaceships- would be fine options. But I don't see the current space race system as either an impediment or reason for disappointment.

[spy14]

I wasn't against the space race system in C3 but the C2 system was definately better, it opened up more tactical options for you to play with (such as sending the overpowered spy in...).

As for the U.N, George Bush tells them where to get off, so why can't we???

[Zebitty]

Originally posted by Richter

2. The game announces when a competitor builds a component (at least it did for me). If you can rush to attack someone before their ship lands, can't you also rush to attack someone before they build it?

True.....but that can come with unwanted consequences. The great thing about the rush to capture the capital was that it was an all or nothing attempt. No need to worry about the political ramifications and other treaties or whether you were leaving yourself exposed on another continent. It was "Do-or-die". It was like winning at roulette and letting it ride double or nothing.....it was the sheer thrill of of that last ditch effort. Now I can appreciate that not everyone was into this, but then that's what mods are for, right? Leave the option in and if people don't like it they can turn it off.

[Zebitty]

Originally posted by Richter
Please don't get me wrong. I'd like to see the spaceship screen made useful. Adding more steps to the space race- esp. the variable spaceships- would be fine options. But I don't see the current space race system as either an impediment or reason for disappointment.

Not an impediment but the Civ1/2 space race was much better. I was just being nostalgic. I don't find it hard to know what I'm building or need in Civ3 (Civ4 is not here yet that I can find but I'm hoping this weekend will see it on the shelves). But the picture of the bits in place and the early launch option plus the twenty year lag made for a far better end to non-military conquests (IMHO).

[Adm.Naismith]

Originally posted by spy14
As for the U.N, George Bush tells them where to get off, so why can't we???

AFAIK U.S.A. respect enough U.N. to stay with it. Of course they manipulate, use to forbid some resolution, change some others from the inside, etc. but that's business as usual.

You can't expect to have a minigame inside Civ IV just to model Mr. Bush (and others nation leaders) madness

[Zebitty]

Originally posted by Adm.Naismith

AFAIK U.S.A. respect enough U.N. to stay with it. Of course they manipulate, use to forbid some resolution, change some others from the inside, etc. but that's business as usual.

You can't expect to have a minigame inside Civ IV just to model Mr. Bush (and others nation leaders) madness

No that would be a bit dull.......but trade sanctions by other UN members or even war (depending on the magnitude or frequency of the transgression) would be a nice (and more realistic) option.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Adm.Naismith
You can't expect to have a minigame inside Civ IV just to model Mr. Bush (and others nation leaders) madness

But they have a point from a gameplay aspect. Why, at the end of the game, should all players be forced to adopt a particular government form? That just removes the element of choice in the game. What's the point of having all these different civics if in the end you're just going a have to adopt a particular one anyway? A player should be able to experiment with various forms as he/she chooses. Suffer a penalty for not going with the flow sure, but it shouldn't be compulsary. Same with any other resolutions. If the player is prepared to pay a heavy price for not abiding by them, then they should be able to play the game the way they want to. And in the end it becomes more realistic as well.