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In-House Preview Part 1: "Console Genesis"
Since it began in 1991, among the staples of Sid Meier’s Civilization series has been that it is a computer game. Sure, some of its sequels have been ported to other platforms including the console such as Civilization II to the PlayStation. But these ports were reconstitutions of works that were designed with the computer gamer in mind, such as the keyboard and mouse as input devices. They were playable, but arguably not enjoyable… for very long anyway. If they were, Civ console ports would surely be as successful and commonplace in the console strategy world as their PC brethren. Beyond the fact that there is no true strategy in the console world (yet), for Civ’s potential to be realized in this environment a different approach is clearly needed. The recognition and practical response to that realization is Civilization: Revolution.
CivRev, as it has commonly become abbreviated, is not a Civ sequel. It is not a port – heck, it is not to be playable on a PC. It is a re-imagination of sorts. It is designed for the console gamer by some who have and continue to play console games, keeping in mind considerations such as the standard input device is the controller. Developing a Civ title for a platform other than the PC does not mean that it is only Civ in title but it could. What brings Civ its delightful blend of refreshing and reliable gameplay are those elements that have made Civ greater than the sum of its parts: those which, at the end of one day and into the next (figuratively or literally), leave you saying “one more turn”.
LEGEND AT THE HEALM
As Lead Designer, Sid was the gaming world’s equivalent of the construction world’s architect of the original Civ for the PC. He has now returned to that role in CivRev. Present-day Director of Creative Development at Firaxis Games, Sid was an integral consultant, confidant and partner in the second through fourth Civ titles but their development was led by others: Brian Reynolds, Jeff Briggs and Soren Johnson respectively. As with all of these titles, CivRev is not a simple game. What makes it not simple remains by and large the same – how it is not simple is what makes it different.
The desire of this Civ parent to bring his child natively to consoles is not a sudden impulse. At one time computing technology could not support the 3D graphics it can now. Similarly, Sid has felt that until now – in the era of so-called seventh-generation consoles -- the platform could not support a game as complex as Civ without being convoluted.
For a long time we actually avoided Civ on the consoles, concerned about can we ever have a game that without a mouse and keyboard would be playable? What about the resolution of the TV screen? Could you really show a world, maps and all the cool stuff of Civ?
As the consoles got more and more capable, better technology, and I started playing more and more console games... I was like, well, let's try it: put together a prototype and see how it looks, how it plays.
Most if not all games for console platforms labelled as strategy arguably have more basis in tactics than strategy. A much cited argument why this is the case goes back to your basic input devices: keyboard and mouse on a PC, controller on the console. The controller a few buttons, bumpers and a directional-pad (D-pad). The keyboard has dozens of keys, the mouse one or more buttons. They can do more, but can they do that much more and better than a controller can for gaming purposes? How manageable could it be to play Civ with a controller instead? Would it not be too complicated? Sid does not think so.
I think the fact that [Civ’s] a turn-based game really makes the control work very well actually on the console controller -- you're not trying to lasso units or quickly move three or four different things at the same time. You're focusing on one thing at a time. [..] I find it actually pretty fun to play using this controller... ruling the world with your thumbs.
Then there’s that whole X-number-of-hours-to-play-a-typical-Civ-game concern be it in single or – and arguably more so – multiplayer. You may have missed some of the options in Civilization IV to help address this such as smaller sized maps (e.g. Duel) and simultaneous turns. Still, it’s looking as well as sounding as though the Civ experience is being streamlined even further in CivRev. Sid thinks so too.
The length of the game really depends on your play style. You can play a game where you toil in your one city for the one game and maybe it goes by quite quickly, or if you're going to conquer the world that can take some time. Overall, the games do move forward I think at a nice pace.
AT YOUR THUMBTIPS
From the beginning to the end of this multi-part preview, I will be leading you on an exploration of much of what CivRev is shaping up to be from what I have seen and heard of it while at Firaxis Games in early November. I will start by documenting what came about from Sid and Barry’s extensive demonstration of the game followed by my own play experience. There will be much talk of who, what, where, when and why as a player but that leaves how.
As I first mentioned in my preface to this feature, my personal experience with console gaming is limited particularly since the early 1990’s. It has already been well established that CivRev is targeted towards console gamers and particularly those who for whatever reason(s) have rarely if ever played Civ before. I am a PC gamer who has rarely played any console games before. Technically speaking, how do I get at what I need to get at to play this console game once its system is setup? (I’m confident that going in I could have managed that much.
)
Enter the CivRev ‘Controller Map’ accessible from the game’s “Start” menu. It clearly illustrates what button, bumper and otherwise does what in the game – a welcome frustration saver. For example, while in-game the left bumper calls up the city screen (and yes, you can cycle through them should you have more than one) while the “Y” button brings up the Civilopedia.
Hold the right trigger down within the main interface during gameplay; in a few moments, a window will appear with data on what technology you’re researching and how far along that research is, how much gold you have and are getting per turn, and your total and incoming cultural output. Additional summative information can be found by going into the Civilopedia. Unit, technology, Wonder and building entries will include photos and videos courtesy connections to National Geographic archives. History and "Fun Fact" entries will also appear. You can also find some current game data that was previously but only partially found in, for example, CivIV's Military Advisor screen. If you call up a unit's profile here, you will be informed how many of that unit you currently have available (if any) and what upgrade(s) they have (if any). The latter is a handy addition.
The controller instructions detailed above apply specifically, but not necessarily exclusively, to the version of the game you’re playing – here, the Xbox360. Sid and Barry used units of its wireless model and I the wired later when I had the opportunity to play CivRev first-hand. The design of this and other controllers are out of Firaxis’ hands but how they make use of their design is critical. I found the learning curve for this controller to be only 10 minutes and a bit longer for the Nintendo DS model. However, keep in mind my playtime with the DS version was less than half that of the Xbox360 and in both cases my experience with modern console controllers is next to nil.
PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
Civilization: Revolution is a prime example of electronic gaming where the more things change, the more they stay the same. Familiar faces abound but with different looks and occasionally different outlooks too. With Civ on the PC, there's a great community there playing the game. But going to console, we really felt a lot of new people will be taking a look at the game, Sid explains. Further:
So for me, it was an opportunity to say “well, if I had to do Civ all over again what would I do differently... how would I try and introduce it to a new group of players?” [This] allowed us to rethink some things especially with the console-type of game in mind [to] take advantage of that technology and tank advantage of the existing online infrastructure. There's some cool things about the console world that we really want to take advantage of [such as] 3D graphics [and] standardized hardware.
Barry emphasizes the graphical changes CivRev brings to the series throughout the demo he and Sid delivers. There's a lot of things that we're doing graphically that we've never been able to do before. While recognizing these changes may be largely discounted by some hardcore Civ enthusiasts, he stresses why they are such an important consideration and marker for the game’s hopeful success in the marketplace.
Especially for consoles, the visuals -- animations, graphics -- are really important to get people into the game. That's really the key: for a lot of console players, this is really a new genre of game. We know they're going to love it once they get into it, but just getting a new generation of players to try a game... really, the graphics are a big help for doing that.
Since CivRev’s existence became public knowledge, some anxious PC Civ players have expressed worry that a series title for and only on the console is a sign of its death knell on the PC. Not so, assures Firaxis Director of Marketing Kelley Gilmore.
We have this game that is enjoyed by so many people on the PC. Sid has built [CivRev] for [console play] -- we're not trying to replace the PC version with this, we're not trying to compare them... we're trying to deliver the [Civ] experience on [this] platform [in its environment].
We want you to continue to love Civ on the PC forever and ever, and if you keep loving it we want to keep making it. [That said, w]e're hoping that you can approach [CivRev] in th[at] it's a new Civ experience.
Come next spring on the PlayStation 3, Xbox360, and Nintendo DS followed by the Wii that fall, you too can experience Civ again for the first time. Before that, I will share my experiences from this title still in development. Your exclusive, all-access pass is about to be well-used.
CivRev, as it has commonly become abbreviated, is not a Civ sequel. It is not a port – heck, it is not to be playable on a PC. It is a re-imagination of sorts. It is designed for the console gamer by some who have and continue to play console games, keeping in mind considerations such as the standard input device is the controller. Developing a Civ title for a platform other than the PC does not mean that it is only Civ in title but it could. What brings Civ its delightful blend of refreshing and reliable gameplay are those elements that have made Civ greater than the sum of its parts: those which, at the end of one day and into the next (figuratively or literally), leave you saying “one more turn”.
LEGEND AT THE HEALM
 Firaxis Games' Sid; CivRev splash screen; Barry |
As Lead Designer, Sid was the gaming world’s equivalent of the construction world’s architect of the original Civ for the PC. He has now returned to that role in CivRev. Present-day Director of Creative Development at Firaxis Games, Sid was an integral consultant, confidant and partner in the second through fourth Civ titles but their development was led by others: Brian Reynolds, Jeff Briggs and Soren Johnson respectively. As with all of these titles, CivRev is not a simple game. What makes it not simple remains by and large the same – how it is not simple is what makes it different.
The desire of this Civ parent to bring his child natively to consoles is not a sudden impulse. At one time computing technology could not support the 3D graphics it can now. Similarly, Sid has felt that until now – in the era of so-called seventh-generation consoles -- the platform could not support a game as complex as Civ without being convoluted.
For a long time we actually avoided Civ on the consoles, concerned about can we ever have a game that without a mouse and keyboard would be playable? What about the resolution of the TV screen? Could you really show a world, maps and all the cool stuff of Civ?
As the consoles got more and more capable, better technology, and I started playing more and more console games... I was like, well, let's try it: put together a prototype and see how it looks, how it plays.
Most if not all games for console platforms labelled as strategy arguably have more basis in tactics than strategy. A much cited argument why this is the case goes back to your basic input devices: keyboard and mouse on a PC, controller on the console. The controller a few buttons, bumpers and a directional-pad (D-pad). The keyboard has dozens of keys, the mouse one or more buttons. They can do more, but can they do that much more and better than a controller can for gaming purposes? How manageable could it be to play Civ with a controller instead? Would it not be too complicated? Sid does not think so.
I think the fact that [Civ’s] a turn-based game really makes the control work very well actually on the console controller -- you're not trying to lasso units or quickly move three or four different things at the same time. You're focusing on one thing at a time. [..] I find it actually pretty fun to play using this controller... ruling the world with your thumbs.
Then there’s that whole X-number-of-hours-to-play-a-typical-Civ-game concern be it in single or – and arguably more so – multiplayer. You may have missed some of the options in Civilization IV to help address this such as smaller sized maps (e.g. Duel) and simultaneous turns. Still, it’s looking as well as sounding as though the Civ experience is being streamlined even further in CivRev. Sid thinks so too.
The length of the game really depends on your play style. You can play a game where you toil in your one city for the one game and maybe it goes by quite quickly, or if you're going to conquer the world that can take some time. Overall, the games do move forward I think at a nice pace.
AT YOUR THUMBTIPS
 Barry holding Xbox360 controller (wireless) |
From the beginning to the end of this multi-part preview, I will be leading you on an exploration of much of what CivRev is shaping up to be from what I have seen and heard of it while at Firaxis Games in early November. I will start by documenting what came about from Sid and Barry’s extensive demonstration of the game followed by my own play experience. There will be much talk of who, what, where, when and why as a player but that leaves how.
As I first mentioned in my preface to this feature, my personal experience with console gaming is limited particularly since the early 1990’s. It has already been well established that CivRev is targeted towards console gamers and particularly those who for whatever reason(s) have rarely if ever played Civ before. I am a PC gamer who has rarely played any console games before. Technically speaking, how do I get at what I need to get at to play this console game once its system is setup? (I’m confident that going in I could have managed that much.
)Enter the CivRev ‘Controller Map’ accessible from the game’s “Start” menu. It clearly illustrates what button, bumper and otherwise does what in the game – a welcome frustration saver. For example, while in-game the left bumper calls up the city screen (and yes, you can cycle through them should you have more than one) while the “Y” button brings up the Civilopedia.
 ‘Civilopedia’ entry example (“Fun Facts”, Archers) |
The controller instructions detailed above apply specifically, but not necessarily exclusively, to the version of the game you’re playing – here, the Xbox360. Sid and Barry used units of its wireless model and I the wired later when I had the opportunity to play CivRev first-hand. The design of this and other controllers are out of Firaxis’ hands but how they make use of their design is critical. I found the learning curve for this controller to be only 10 minutes and a bit longer for the Nintendo DS model. However, keep in mind my playtime with the DS version was less than half that of the Xbox360 and in both cases my experience with modern console controllers is next to nil.
 The ‘Controller Map’ screen (Xbox360 version) |  Example of summative info screen |
PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
Civilization: Revolution is a prime example of electronic gaming where the more things change, the more they stay the same. Familiar faces abound but with different looks and occasionally different outlooks too. With Civ on the PC, there's a great community there playing the game. But going to console, we really felt a lot of new people will be taking a look at the game, Sid explains. Further:
So for me, it was an opportunity to say “well, if I had to do Civ all over again what would I do differently... how would I try and introduce it to a new group of players?” [This] allowed us to rethink some things especially with the console-type of game in mind [to] take advantage of that technology and tank advantage of the existing online infrastructure. There's some cool things about the console world that we really want to take advantage of [such as] 3D graphics [and] standardized hardware.
Barry emphasizes the graphical changes CivRev brings to the series throughout the demo he and Sid delivers. There's a lot of things that we're doing graphically that we've never been able to do before. While recognizing these changes may be largely discounted by some hardcore Civ enthusiasts, he stresses why they are such an important consideration and marker for the game’s hopeful success in the marketplace.
Especially for consoles, the visuals -- animations, graphics -- are really important to get people into the game. That's really the key: for a lot of console players, this is really a new genre of game. We know they're going to love it once they get into it, but just getting a new generation of players to try a game... really, the graphics are a big help for doing that.
Since CivRev’s existence became public knowledge, some anxious PC Civ players have expressed worry that a series title for and only on the console is a sign of its death knell on the PC. Not so, assures Firaxis Director of Marketing Kelley Gilmore.
We have this game that is enjoyed by so many people on the PC. Sid has built [CivRev] for [console play] -- we're not trying to replace the PC version with this, we're not trying to compare them... we're trying to deliver the [Civ] experience on [this] platform [in its environment].
We want you to continue to love Civ on the PC forever and ever, and if you keep loving it we want to keep making it. [That said, w]e're hoping that you can approach [CivRev] in th[at] it's a new Civ experience.
Come next spring on the PlayStation 3, Xbox360, and Nintendo DS followed by the Wii that fall, you too can experience Civ again for the first time. Before that, I will share my experiences from this title still in development. Your exclusive, all-access pass is about to be well-used.
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