Does anyone actually customize spaceships?

[Heraclitus]

Anyone?

[duke o' york]

I did have a look at the various graphical options the first time I got that far, but now it's just a waste of time.

[Heraclitus]

I did have a look at the various graphical options the first time I got that far, but now it's just a waste of time.

What I can't figure out is why did they waste developer resources for something as unimportant as the physical appearance of a spaceship you only see fly for about 8 seconds (and didn't see at all except in the cut-scene video before BtS)

[duke o' york]

Does it actually change the video if you customise it?

[Heraclitus]

Does it actually change the video if you customise it?

It dosen't change the video the only diffrence is the spaceships short liftoff (which makes no sense considering the effects of the space elevator).

[Theben]

When I sorted through the pics I didn't always go back to the original.

[wodan11]

What I can't figure out is why did they waste developer resources for something as unimportant as the physical appearance....

I have the same question about the Throne Room. And we have people begging for it to come back in CiV.

[Heraclitus]

I have the same question about the Throne Room. And we have people begging for it to come back in CiV.

Yes but there is a difference. The throne room is a element of the game for a far longer period than the graphically customizable space ship (if you don't go for space ship victories you may never even see it). Also the throne room like your in-game score is a way to measure your acheivments (the better you do the more awesome it looks). And finally the third and most important difference; people where asking for the return of the throne room, I haven't on the other hand ever hear of anyone saying "wouldnt it be awesome to change the way your space ship looks" (except for a mod but this is not what we are talking about).


These three differences in my opinion mean that the devs would have done better if they scrapped the alternative ship graphics and rather finished the throne room (which was cut during the development of the original Civ4).

[wodan11]

Yes but there is a difference. The throne room is a element of the game for a far longer period than the graphically customizable space ship (if you don't go for space ship victories you may never even see it).

Same is true of the victory movies as well as many other things. e.g., if you don't fight early wars you'll never see swordsmen animations, if you don't build the Pyramids because you REX you'll never see it....

Also the throne room like your in-game score is a way to measure your acheivments (the better you do the more awesome it looks).

And the equally (if not more so) misleading it is. The score algorithm is biased upon things which are NOT factors in the victory conditions, it gives benefits to one VC over others, and other issues. Frankly, simply keep playing, no matter how well you are doing, and you get throne room improvements. The only way to use the throne room to "grade" yourself is to compare the rate at which you see improvements from one game to another. Yet, comparing speed from one game to another depends much more upon factors such as your game strategy, the terrain, whether you end up next to Monty and other interactions, etc. For all these reasons, the throne room literally means nothing.

And finally the third and most important difference; people where asking for the return of the throne room, I haven't on the other hand ever hear of anyone saying "wouldnt it be awesome to change the way your space ship looks" (except for a mod but this is not what we are talking about).

I agree. Let's get rid of BOTH of them, and use limited game design resources to improve the gameplay!

[Felch]

Same is true of the victory movies as well as many other things. e.g., if you don't fight early wars you'll never see swordsmen animations, if you don't build the Pyramids because you REX you'll never see it....

Yeah, but most games are finished before the space race, and even if you get to the space race, most people aren't interested in the graphical customization.

I mostly avoid early wars, but I've seen plenty of Swordsmen. It's not the same thing at all.

[wodan11]

Yeah, but most games are finished before the space race, and even if you get to the space race, most people aren't interested in the graphical customization.

Like I said, I agree! Let's get rid of it.

I mostly avoid early wars, but I've seen plenty of Swordsmen. It's not the same thing at all.

Ok, bad example then. Pick your own... there are plenty.

[#07]

The throne room was cool, but I preferred pimping your castle. Bring that back I reckon and do away with the spaceship rubbish.

[Nugog]

I never customise it.

Mind you - I rarely build it.

[rjmatsleepers]

The throne room was cool, but I preferred pimping your castle. Bring that back I reckon and do away with the spaceship rubbish.

I enjoyed the throne room and I enjoyed even more the videos of the advisors. Of course, Civ4 is heavily OTT on graphics - that's the way of the games world. But there are a lot of things I'd drop to make room for the advisors and the throne room - waves and footprints in the sand for example.

RJM

[Blaupanzer]

Advisors were cool and added some humor. The spaceship is most likely one of those things someone at Firaxis knew how to do quickly.