Anybody planning NOT to buy Civ3?

[yin26]

Based on what we know and have seen (which, admittedly, isn't much), is anybody here leaning toward NOT buying Civ3? I suppose the rational response is: "Too early to decide." But I get the feeling some people might have made up their minds one way or the other already, and I'm interested in those of you who plan (at this point anyway) NOT to buy Civ3. Please give your reasons.

As for me, I will say that I'm definitely in the "wait and see" mode. Many, many months ago when we started the List of ideas for Civ3, I was sure this would be one game I'd pre-order. But to be honest, something just doesn't "feel" right. I haven't explained why, I understand, but Civ3 has gone from a "Must Buy" to a "Prove Yourself First" game for me.

Am I alone here?

Outside of the game itself (and, again, we don't know much about it yet), I think part of the problem is I'm just tired of the same gameplay. If you take all the hours I've played of Civ 1 and 2 and put them toward study, I probably could have earned a Ph.D. somewhere. So when I look at Civ 3, I just keep thinking: "This is going to be essentially like all those other countless hours. Fun? Not sure. Predictable and tired? Most likely."

As I've said before, Firaxis can't really make an entirely new game since they'd alienate a proven and loyal audience. I understand that and am not complaining. On the other hand, without enough innovation, Civ 3 will be more like an expansion pack than anything else. Most people will want that. Most people will get that. Most people will be happy.

Perhaps I'll be the odd man out, but perhaps it's also time to move on? Geez. I think I finally understand Sid!

[Alexander's Horse]

famous last words

I don't plan to buy it straight away. I prefer to wait and see if its a dog or not, and bugs have been patched.

But I suspect if all my multiplayer buddies get it and like it, I'll have no choice then but to get it within days of release

[Rollo_CH]

Some negative thoughts there Yin....makes me sad really, but i get your point. "Been there, seen that, done that...."

If you take all the hours I've played of Civ 1 and 2 and put them toward study, I probably could have earned a Ph.D. somewhere.

Well....i feel somewhat the same, but i have the ability to be a fataliste when such thoughts occur...it really helps!

Conclusion: I'll buy it anyway!

[yin26]

Yes. I hadn't considered multiplayer (can you blame me?). However, if Firaxis somehow manages to make an amazing MP component to the game, that could really tip the scales in favor of buying it. I, for one, would want a silky smooth MP process...not something that can be hacked to work well. And the entire aspect of MP'ing would have to be addressed with great care so that an MP experience feels and plays well within a reasonable amount of time. Simultaneous turns, I think, would also greatly add to MP.

I don't mean to be negative, but I am just a bit tired of the Civ formula, and nothing so far suggests A) A true Civ 3 or B) An amazing Civ 2.5 I realize, of course, not everybody has played the game as much and might really welcome most anything. I'm that way with Heroes of Might and Magic, for example. I totally missed 1-3 (well, I picked up late with 3). So for me, I look forward to the upcoming #4 even though the vets may well be saying: "Enough already! Quit kicking a dead horse!" Actually, I feel that way about Might and Magic (the RPG, #6 was great, #7 was o.k., and #8 got deleted)...which needs to do something REALLY new if they want to coax my money out for the 9th edition.

[Fidel]

Re: Anybody planning NOT to buy Civ3?

Originally posted by yin26
If you take all the hours I've played of Civ 1 and 2 and put them toward study, I probably could have earned a Ph.D. somewhere.

Now to my pain. I played so many hours AND I got a Ph.D. in the meantime. Do not ask me how, and - no, it's not 'Doctor of Civ" title

NOw all of you stop arsing around and admit that you're gonna queue outside the shops the first day it gets into distribution (at least those of you who have not pre-ordered it). I also feel a bit of saturation at this point, but we've been salivating over this title for quite some time so any restraint on the release day is highly unlikely....

[yin26]

Yeah, I squeezed out a Masters degree from UCLA (the fools!). That last push up the ladder to a useless Ph.D. in English Lit, though, was too much. So I moved to Korea to do wild and crazy things.

I have NO doubt that Civ 3 will sell like crazy. The pre-orders will be off the charts. I'm just saying *I* won't be in line. I'm strange about stuff like this...

[Fidel]

Hehe, I never cease to be amazed by the miracles of Anglo-American education. People finish their doctorates in Literature, History and Physics only to take 3 months crash course in accounting and end up as chartered accountants.

[Provost Harrison]

I am doing a PhD, I am involved in medical research (a biochemist by degree) but will probably stick with what I am doing; the idea of becoming an accountant sounds quite unpalatable.

As for civ3, yeah, I will probably buy it on day of release, unless there is something incredibly nasty looking with the game that puts me off in the meantime, which is probably highly unlikely.

Some of you are so cynical about this, but that is probably a good thing, makes you think about what is really going on with the game.

[Urban Ranger]

I am going to wait and see. SMAC/X is Civ 2.5 to me, so Civ 3 must have sufficient innovations over it for me to plonk down my money.

[Grumbold]

I'm definitely going to wait for reviews from places which are generally reliable or have proven to think like I do in the past i.e. not PC Gamer or similar FPS addicted sources. If they are glowing then I will take the plunge and buy. Otherwise I'll be hanging back to see what the regular Apolytoners think.

[Colonâ„¢]

There were a lot of games I was interested in to buy the past year or two and I've bought non of them. (I think SMAC was my latest addition)
I'm veey interested in civ3, even if it essentially would be a civ2.5, if only because I've fond memories of the previous civ games.
But I'm afraid I won't buy it unless it would be really innovative and to be honest, I don't see that coming.

[Nikolai]

I think I will buy the game, and since I live in Norway I can wait and see, because the game most problaby willl be released later here.

Another thing that make me think I will buy Civ3 is that everytime new information has been released, I get this...good feeling! But when it has been some time since last piece of information has come, the feeling begin to disappear...

Oh, I will buy the game, if the reviews are good, maybe if they are just mediocre too.

[ContradictioN]

I think Firaxis has been trying hard to explain that it's not easy creating a whole new Civ game. To make it feel completely different, yet stay the same, is very difficult.

But I feel that Civ will be a lot different than Civ2, I think at first glance it will seem quite a bit the same to Civ2, but once you start getting yourself into the game a bit, you'll start to notice that it's quite different and also really good.

Some of the features are really good, and they appear to be solid parts of the game, CTP 1 and 2 had a few new features, but they weren't solid or huge in the game.

One of the new features of Civ3 that I think will be one of the biggest changes is the resources.

Imagine it, it's the very first turn, you have no resources in your visible area, so you feel you must move the settler around a bit, you find some horses, you now have to ponder to yourself, if horses is a good enough resource to use for the beginning of your game. And then, you have to build a road to it, and then you have to make sure that road stays there. And that's just a tiny beginning of that feature. So the fact that you REALLY have to think differently compared to Civ2, right at the beginning is showing Civ3's potential to be a really good new Civ in the Civ series.

I'm not worried, I got sucked in CTP, but not CTP2, I just stopped caring when CTP2 was being made. But I trust that Sid and his team know what they're doing, and it will be a good game.

[Slax]

I am leaning towards NOT buying the game. A game would have to close to perfect for me to buy it right now (I am also nearing completion of a PhD (Geoenvironmental Engineering)), and I have some worries about certain elements of the game (culture, leaders, limited stacking, ai). We have heard so little about the ai (or if it is customizable), the combat model, etc. I have also grown weary of the genre itself.

I will likely play the game vicariously through posters at Apolyton.

What would make me buy the game is if people find the ai civs using smart tactics, the new elements work well, you can't just roll to victory once you have the lead, and if the game includes some kind of "short game" option or scenerio, that would also help.

We'll see, but I am skeptical. We might just find a lot of bells and whistles (read: graphics).

[Marquis de Sodaq]

I might not buy it. Or rather, not for myself. My sister might find it in her xmas stocking, and then I can hear from her if it's worth it. My apprehension is mostly based on the grief I get from the Marchioness for playing CivII. If Civ3 is better, I'll be in big trouble - "Just one more turn..."