Post negative points of Civilization 4 here

[Traelin]

Originally posted by Alaric II.
Civilopedia is a BIG disappointment for me!

Yes the Civilopedia is a big disappointment for me as well. All I want is some standard Windows-based Help with a good search engine. If the Help is detailed enough, I could find anything I need to without having to ask so many questions.

[mansquatch]

I have seen several posts in here about not having enough computer to run the game. I thought it might be beneficial to show you guys my system as a benchmark of sorts. Seems like we are working up from what doesn't work, it may pay off to work down fron what does work as well so we can arrive at a known minimum.

I was able to load the game with no issues other than the Install/ Play Disc goof up and am able to play the game with no issues at full graphics settings. I am not experiencing any lag either.

Here is my system:
AMD Athalon 64 3200+ (Venice) OC'ed to 2.6 MHZ
DFI motherboard
ATI X800XL 256MB Graphics Card
1 GB Dual Channel Ram

I am running the latest drivers from OmegaDrivers for ATI. I have found that Omega's modded drivers can fix a lot of issues with ATI Compatibility. For those running ATI, give them a try, they are available for free.

My big beef with the game is a minor one, I think the Settler and Cheiftain settings are too easy. Seems that if you mass build cities early you can just coast through until the end game.

[rjwoer]

My complaint has to do with the pace of the game. I know Firaxis was trying to accomodate ordinary folks with too many time demands on their hands--people that would want to play a game of Civ over a lunch break (ghastly, if you ask me). But I've played several Epic length games and have finished them in about 6 hours! WTF! I want a 20 hour game, damn it!

Now I know all I have to do is adjust the variables in the XML file, but they aren't exactly intuitive and I am worried about screwing with the ratio between the dozens of variables.

That's my complaint; an Epic game should be . . . well . . . EPIC!

[rjwoer]

Oh yeah, and I agree with some others: the Civilopedia is really quite lacking. At least Civ III's allowed you to hyperlink to other related topics. With this one you have to search around, sometimes mousing over dozens of thumbnail images which appear to be in no order whatsoever. Aggravating.

[Mace]

Originally posted by rjwoer
But I've played several Epic length games and have finished them in about 6 hours!

Wow, 6 hours for an epic game in Civ4? That's fast. It took me a lot longer...

[sidearm]

I just feel that the 3d graphics have taken away some the playbility of the game. It feels like the "SW Pirates" land battles but on a larger scale. Oh they re-used some music from that which is a tad cheap. Prefered the more indepth Advisors.

Oh to ppl who got random names, it uses ur Computers name as a default until u change it.

[Standup]

Don't mind the 3D gfx but i find it hard to get the information i want. The F1 screen is a big disappointment - might as well be an excel spreadsheet except i'd have more options then. And as previous posters have said the civilopedia is very poor and everything needs more hyperlinks and generally more information.

Gameplay is a big thumbs up though although the pace seems a bit brisk.

[Meef]

Originally posted by Higgypop17
Seriously, I attack a civ for no reason and it counts as a -2 in the diplomatic screen but because I have another state religion it counts as -4?

you know how many wars there had been going on between france and germany in history? quite a lot!

but there had also been at least 3 cooperative crussades against the muslims.

nowadays the european countries live in peace and even became friends, but there´s still conflicts with the islamic world.

so for religious people, religion IS important.

[Senty]

- Wonder movies aren't that good, just a quick little 3d animation. I loved the civ 2 movies and music for each wonder.
- Workers are useless and an anoyance after the initial improvements.
- No civi hyperlinks, might as well keep these forums open while you play to run quick searches whenever you have a question.
- No way to plant, or speed up the spread of forests.
- No way (that I saw atleast) to check how much of a resource you have when another civ wants to trade.

On the plus side, "Don't bring a sword to a gun fight."

[Bill3000]

No way to plant, or speed up the spread of forests.

There is a mod that already adds this in.

[snakegurl]

Civ4 is an excellent game spoilt by a mickey mouse combat system.

The combat system sucks and is a retrograde step, it enforces a Verdun mentality whereby one must use up stacks of units to attack and to lose them as casualties.
No bombardment allowed by catapults/cannons to soften up targets, just attack and hope the unit withdraws in time.

Also, I don't feel that the tech tree has been improved, one must still research all techs, anyway.

I plan to stick with Civ3, a very good game with a combat system to match. Good job I got the game at cut-price and didn't waste the full price !

Very disappointing.

[philosophile]

I hate to just ditto everyone else so I'll try not to.... but:
The civlopedia is terrible. Civ 3 had a great one. Hyperlinks would be nice.... but better yet, an index would be nice. I feel like I'm playing 20 questions with the civlopedia. " Does your question fall into one of these categories? " How the heck do I know? I want to know what X is... if I knew what it was, then I wouldn't need the pedia.

I suffer from cheshire cat syndrome. So I just see eyes and mouths of leaders. Waiting for a patch....

The spy is functional, but not terribly useful.

I tried playing the game with out culturing my opponents utilizing religion, culture bombs, etc. Nobody seemed to want to flip. It was easier to flip cities in civ 3. Maybe this isn't so much a criticism of the game as it is something different.

In negotiations, it doesn't seem like I can get people to pay me gold per turn for tech, only for resources.

Some of the tech just makes little sense to me. Why do I get writing before Alphabet? Why does Animal Husbandry unlock writing?

Why can't the helicopter unit (I forget the name of it) capture a city? I'm assuming helicopter pilots can get out and point a gun a people just as much as a cavalry officer can get off his horse and point a gun at people. Thats what makes helicopters so valuable.... they can land where planes/fighters/bombers can't....

But above all.... allow us to change the font on some of the dialogues. Sometimes its much too small.

[kretos]

First of all I love Civ3 - I really didn't play Civ2 much because when I got it I already have Civ3 and couldn't force myself to step back. My list of complaints:

1. Games are short - on standard map it took me 3 hours to win - sure it was on 2nd level from bottom (only 2 games played) but it was QUICK

2. ADVISORS - what ther are for? Military advisor is misunderstanding and takes ages to load... Economic advisor - well I don't use him (actually don't use any of them). I don't even touch those sliders until late game (when everything is invented and there's no need to pay for science) - 90% science, 0% culture and it works through whole game - it wasn't possible earlier even on lowest level - and it's unrealistic now. Civ3's advisors were much better - more informative and had beautiful head icons - now you see some strange symbols

3. wars - very seldom in this game - I was attacked only once during my games (but luckily I managed to start my own wars ) Units are expensive so you don't see those beautiful armies coming from whole country to defend or attack - two elephants on the border are not the same. WARS ARE NOT FUN ANYMORE IN THIS GAME.

4. Civics - people are nice and pleased - even if you start a war they're nice, if you conquer a city they're nice - they riot few rounds - that's all

5. Workers - lazy bastards hiding in cities... First I though i did something wrong and try to move them manually - can't they say "I've got nothing to do - consider to delete me"

6. MOVIES SUCKS - people at Firaxis - have you seen Warcraft 3? This is how movies should look alike in 21 century, your movies are from Warcraft 1 and sound is cluttering... There should be some background of wonder shown (like in Civ2) - this game should be fun and teach something! Same goes to tech discovery - beep...beep...beep... Is it best what you can write about satellites?

7. GUI:
a) overall darkness
b) leaders' portraits - taken live from Pirates! - I want to feel that I'm playing serious epic game and i'm fighting for life but I feel I'm playing some arcade game for 8 year old boy...
c) end turn button - small, hard to point, sometimes doesn't work so I have to "enter"
d) upgrades for units - another bug - text appears or not when mouse is over upgrade button
e) city screen - no exit button, no build queue managment

8. OPEN BORDERS? It's not working in real world and it's stupid - to allow armies of other country to wander on my territorry. I've already read that if I start war all those armies will be removed from my territorry but it's even more stupid - completely unrealistic solution for threat going from stupid solution...
I should be able to negotiate right of passage but it should cost something and I imagine that I choose start and end point and I can't go from computed path otherwise it means war and my diplomating ratings go VERY LOW because of broken pact.

9. Diplomacy - a little useless because always "we don't like you enought" or something like that. And because of little aggression of AI, all countries are happy family and pleased to each other...

10. requirements - even if 3d this game tooks a lot more resources that should be

11. stability - it's strange with so many problems that in all reviews this game is referred as very stable - it locked twice my computer so hard that I had to use reset button... I'm using xp and I can't remember any other game failing in that way.

Well, I expected something different from Civ4 - I got Civ3 in 3d made to be easy. It's fun to play but it's step backward in my opinion. You can it's because it's different from Civ3 - well I have to play Civ4 more - maybe I change my opinion.

[Hakai]

I accidentally found out that in the Civilopedia you can click on the icons to link to the other referenced items, but only if there is an icon. It does make navigating it easier.

[baboon]

Originally posted by philosophile
.

Some of the tech just makes little sense to me. Why do I get writing before Alphabet? Why does Animal Husbandry unlock writing?

Well there is no point in inventing an alphabet if you don't know writing, right? The egyptians used those hyro thingies, after that someone invented an alfabet because that works better.

The Civ 3 alphabet-writing order is just weird, if you think about it.