ExtremeTech review (new screenshots plus system requirements)

[Elok]

I couldn't get into Civ I because I played it after II, but that doesn't mean it sucked, especially considering all the new ground it broke. We may be seeing a more ominous pattern: start with one and repeatedly double it. The numbers in that pattern will be the installments that aren't crap...sadly, this means two more stinkers after five before the next good one, unless you count CivRev.

However, that little confession puts it all in perspective. All the little changes weren't really random, they were intended to drastically simplify the non-war parts of the game.

[Sir Og]

They will get it right by the second expnsion.
By that time people from the community will have taken care of the poor AI, stupid or broken parts of the game and the developers will have time to optimise the engine so that it runs better.
Also all the fetures that they are intentionaly not putting in the vanilla are going to be added.

[MxM]

This is a much leaner, easier-to-learn Civilization that paints in broad strokes rather than fine details. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but it offers a very different experience than did the dizzyingly intricate Civilization IV, which made a concerted effort to balance military, governmental, and spiritual concerns within its game-play framework. Civilization V's more visceral feel and design make it play more like a wargame than a wide-ranging socio-political simulator.

Why am I getting impression that it is glorified version of Civ:Revolution and not next version of Civ IV?

[Elok]

Because they're pretty much shouting it through a bullhorn in that bit you cited? Pretty stupid, really; there are plenty of wargames out there, not so many games like Civ.

[macaday]

Sounds like Panzer General with a tech tree. I read how PG was one of the inspirations. Now, I loved PG, but not for the same reasons I loved Civ. But I'll play Civ5 anyway, and hope I play it longer than Civ3.

[Modo44]

Ok, it requires a quad core? Wtf?

No, it doesn't. A quad core is recommended. Meaning, don't try to play huge maps with lower specs. I don't think you'll need that much performance for the normal size.

[Aro]

Oerdin, what's up with you? You've suddenly become very motivated to support Apolyton with regards to Civ5.

As for the requirements, I've been puzzled by stuff like this:


My laptop (which is currently in RMA), has an i7 core processor but it's 1.60GHz. I can't imagine it not being able to play a game like Civ5 though. What gives?

Same here. A laptop (an Alienware/Dell) with the same processor. Maybe one of you gentlemen, so versed in computer technologies, could explain what a difference 1 GHz makes, or will make, or if this handicap is equilibrated by the more advanced architecture and the extra cores (?) of the i7 processors, or what?
Thanks in advance...

[lemmy101]

Same here. A laptop (an Alienware/Dell) with the same processor. Maybe one of you gentlemen, so versed in computer technologies, could explain what a difference 1 GHz makes, or will make, or if this handicap is equilibrated by the more advanced architecture and the extra cores (?) of the i7 processors, or what?
Thanks in advance...

http://www.civilization-5.net/civ5/n...m-requirements


Bear in mind some of the optimizations are left toward the end of development when the entire game is running. One line of code can slow the performance down massively and when you have tens of programmers all adding features in on a schedule the performance takes a huge hit.

The performance in the release version of the game is guaranteed to be much faster than preview versions, where they're still adding features and perhaps not being as focused on optimization as getting the game finished.

[Hauldren Collider]

No, it doesn't. A quad core is recommended. Meaning, don't try to play huge maps with lower specs. I don't think you'll need that much performance for the normal size.

Yeah, I noticed that. Thanks though.

[Aro]

Ok, I've changed the processor to the Intel® Core™i7 920XM 2.0GHz (3.2GHz Turbo Mode, 8MB Cache).
I want to see how Civilization V will scale performance on MY hardware configurations... ;-)

[jkp1187]

Lots of new screen shots never before seen plus information about system requirements and how the game runs on given system builds. It's looking like Civ5 is going to be the resource hog of all resource hogs.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2367392,00.asp

Wow...really disappointed by this:

Movement has been revamped as well. You can no longer use the keyboard's arrow keys to move your units around the game map; you now have to use the mouse. This change probably took us longer to get the hang of than any other in the game—it's been so natural for so long for us to move units with our left and hand and perform mouse actions with the right that we got slowed up significantly at the start. (You can still scan the map with the arrow keys, at least.)

It's always been quicker and easier to use the keyboard to move units. Using the mouse was always annoying. Have they killed all the other convenient hotkeys as well?

[jkp1187]

It's like star trek, the odd ones suck. Or was that the even ones? Damn I can't remember.

Yeah, it's the odd ones.

Although Trek VI had a pretty ludicrous plot....and Trek III was decent.

[Hauldren Collider]

I've only seen the one with the whales, wrath of khan (long time ago), and the two worst ones, Nemesis and Generations.

The whales one was pretty hilarious.

[Sam_Yeager]

It's looking like Civ5 is going to be the resource hog of all resource hogs.

IIRC the part about quad processor was when they stated what system they were using to play the game. The official system requirements are shown here.

[jkp1187]

I've only seen the one with the whales, wrath of khan (long time ago), and the two worst ones, Nemesis and Generations.

The whales one was pretty hilarious.

Khan and whales were 2 and 4, respectively. (You should see 3, as it fills in the gap for a story arc that goes from 2-4.) 4 was very well-executed....although the plot is basically a spin on The Day The Earth Stood Still (you earthlings better [stop fighting/save the whales] or else weird highly powerful aliens are going to show up and eff the place up.)

My vote for the all-time worst is actually Insurrection, though 5 ("The Final Frontier") is just about even with that.