Column #201; By Cassembler

[DanQ]

The 201st edition of "The Column", dated December 29th, 2001, <A HREF="http://apolyton.net/misc/column/201_squeaky-wheel.shtml">has arrived</A> albeit somewhat late. Entitled "CThe Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease", author Cassembler leaves you with one question looming in your mind: it's a matter of fiction... or is it? To comment on this article, simply respond to this thread.

For the month of March, Thursday`s will show off one of the four submissions received since mid-December last year. You can find a preview of them, plus a summary of all past columns going back to August, 1998, by <A HREF="http://apolyton.net/misc/column">clicking here</A>. We are in desperate need for more submissions. It is hoped that "The Column" will begin publishing regularly every Saturday starting in April if enough interest and contributions are generated.

If you would like to submit one, please vist the "<A HREF="http://apolyton.net/misc/column/submit.shtml">Article Submission</A>". If your article is not featured in a preview on "The Column"`s index page, please re-submit it as it was not received for one reason or another.

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Dan; Apolyton CS

[ColdWizard]

When he gets home, he really could care less about the extra stuff in the tin...

that's because it's crap

Let them complain, I say, just make sure they complain in a completely rational, civilized, appropriate manner...

is that a fictional or based on real-life people? either way a good article, funny with an important message.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Why wait for Sim Septitank when you "dive into" a real one today?

[Shadowstrike]

I am so example 1. Except for the name, that's me dead on.

Edit: And at this rate, I might even get the title "Thread Killer" before long....

[Hywel Dda]

He buys Civ3 with his $450 paycheque.

He was seriously overcharged!

[War4ever]

he wasnt' over charged anyways.....funny article with many valid points....

there are things in this third version of the game that have changed the game forever. That said, its an interesting change of pace for a series that did need an overhaul, but unfortunately we can't all agree on those changes..good or bad..

[JustinianMagnus]

Civ III just wasn't fun

I don't know why exactly. But Civ III got really boring really fast. I wasn't doing something right, I was playing on Prince mode(I played Deity in Civ II) as several powers and I just couldn't advance. Half way through the game the enemy civs had entered the Industrial age and I was barely in the Middle Ages.

No one would trade with me or share resources.

It got to the point where it was either isolation or destruction. And the game just sucked. Worse, there was no cheat mode so I couldn't even SEE what I'd paid for in graphics to amuse myself while I got the hang of the game.

Civ III just turned out to be really boring and I went back to my Civ II.
Some specific complaints-
-The leaders talk like 10 year olds. I'm a Military and Political History buff, and the atmosphere in Civ III was pure computer game. There was no sense that I was fighting for history, just for a score.
-no ability to pick music
-no liberal trade. Every civ starts out a statist authoritarianism, controlling all trade and resource production.
-no mods
-slow game play. Settlers costing 2 people slows down the game considerably (at least it did with me)
-no scenarios
-no multiplayer
-drab colors. For me, the units in Civ II were colorful, and people that made units (Myself and people like Alex the Magnificent) made them even more colorful, even cartoony...but accurate. Most civ III units appear like drab blobs with no attention paid to detail and no zoom, so it's irrelevant anyway.

In the end it just wasn't a history game anymore. It was more like a board game with moving pieces except I wasn't playing with anyone.