ToT?

[Malikas]

I have played civ2, including MGE. I am interested in Test of Time, but I don't really know what it is. How is it different from civ2? What makes it better, what makes it worse?

[tobyr]

Playing on four overlapped maps at once (in the fantasy and SF games) makes it better.

The price, and the relatively dark graphics (which you can easily replace) make it worse.

Look for a very good price, it's available at discount.

There are indications the AI plays a bit better in ToT.

If you buy it, you must download the v1.1 patch !

Existing civ2 scenarios are not compatible with ToT, but some scenarios have been upgraded, and there are ToT-specific scenarios.

I really like the fantasy game; perhaps you will too.

- toby


------------------
toby robison
criticalpaths@mindspring.com

[Malikas]

how do you have overlapped maps? what role do they play, and how is it displayed? & are the graphics modified in the same way as origional civ2? Also, what sort of indications are there of a better AI?

Thanks for helping one so ignorant of the game!

[tobyr]

To answer your questions:

(1) How do you have overlapped maps?
In addition to a normal map on the surface of the world, there is an undersea map, an underground map, and a clouds map. Some units have a natural ability to move from one map to another (without any move cost), appearing on the same coordinate square of another map. This gives the feeling that the maps overlie each other. For example, hawks in the cloud map may suddenly swoop down and kill a settler on the surface.

(2) what role do they play?
You have to get used to thinking in slightly more than two dimensions. Intermap attacks are common, and you cannot easily create a boundary around your territory to keep enemies out. Each of the seven tribes has a natural preference for one or two maps, enforced by the fact that most units are restricted to certain maps. For example, the porpoise can swim in the ocean undersea, or on the surface, but cannot go underground or in the clouds. Caravans can only move on the surface or underground.


(3) how is it displayed?
One map at a time.

(4) are the graphics modified in the same way as origional civ2?
I'm not sure what you are asking. There are new animation capabilities that are quite a nuisance for scenario developers.

(5) what sort of indications are there of a better AI?
Microprose claims the AI is improved, and some people have commented that the AI fights a little better than in civ2. I'm the wrong person to comment on this, I have never played civ2, only ToT.

Claims that the AI is improved are best evaluated with regard to the original civ2 game. In the fantasy game, some experts fee that the AI rarely is able to attack as strongly as in the original game.

NOTE also that a new method of winning has been added to the original, SF and fantasy games -- you can keep researching until you make a discovery that grants you a win. I believe that in general this is the easiest way to win, because you can build defensive units (instead of spaceship units) while researching.

ToT also comes with a macro language for events that is fun to play with, and makes more interesting scenarios possible. ToT comes with an interesting fantasy scenario called MidGard.

- toby


------------------
toby robison
criticalpaths@mindspring.com

[MGamer07]

Don't buy the game unless you get it REALLY cheap. It's not much better than the old one. I mean, it's fun, but if you already have the old one, it's kind of a watse.

[Malikas]

Thanks guys. I found out that ToT is not compatible with civ2 games. (ie, you can't play old civ2 scenarios on ToT). As I have been playing civ2 for quite a while now, that is a major minus for me. Especially as Tot seems to be more of an upgrade than a completely separate game. I have been able to find ToT pretty cheap ($20), but I'll probably try find something else until civIII comes out. Thanks again for your help.

[Angelo Scotto]

Hey, what's about CivConverter?
It's not totally true that ToT is not compatible with civ2 scenarios:
using CivConverter you can convert the majority of civ2 scenarios to Tot compatible versions (All classic & CiC, FW scenarios without major objective flags and, i think, all MGE scenarios).
Unfortunately near all WW2 scenarios use major objective flags and so cannot be converted.

P.S. Has anyone found a MGE scenario not working on ToT (obviously after conversion...)?

Angelo