improved graphics hype vs improved AI hype

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Sabre2th
Check out this poll, technophile.

AI it is.

You linked me back to the poll that I started.

[Sabre2th]

I KNOW. My point is that you're contradicting yourself a bit. I mean, you proved yourself wrong before you even said it.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Sabre2th
I KNOW. My point is that you're contradicting yourself a bit. I mean, you proved yourself wrong before you even said it.

I began that poll immediately after posting my response to this thread, to see whether everybody's focus is really on graphics or whether people are only complaining about the graphics because they can't complain about the AI yet. TechWins makes a valid point that lousy graphics can make the game unplayable, but most posters are focusing on the aesthetics and not the functionality of the graphics. Either they're lying in my poll, or they haven't posted in my poll, or they're placing unnecessary weight on the graphics because they cannot place weight anywhere else.

[SerapisIV]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
It's not in the tradition. Where did you see any ad for a computer game that says anything about improved AI?

I haven't seen an ad that says anything other than "Civilization III"

Looking at the info released, we have very minimal information about Civ3. We have screenshots, from which you can tell the existence of culture and improved diplomacy. So obviously, those are things that they'll talk about, things that they can show. Anything that's been discussed so far about Civ3 is stuff that is visual, game improvements that can be physically shown to the public. Besides, if Firaxis started talking about the AI 2 years ago, (like Black and White) our hopes would've been raised too un-attainable levels. The AI will always have shortcomings in any Civ series due to the incredible complexity of the game. But those shortcomings are made smaller and smaller with each iteration (that is with Firaxis/Sid games, ignoring any mention fo CtP)

Though I completely agree, I'd definitely like to see some talk about the AI and how its grown since SMAC, at least mentioning if they've made AI war more focused, using overwhelming force, not 1 unit after another without any plan of attack

[Sabre2th]

Originally posted by technophile
most posters are focusing on the aesthetics and not the functionality of the graphics.

I don't think this is the case. I certainly don't care so much about the graphics and I know there are many others that feel the same way. The only problem is that the pessimists are much louder than everyone else. Certainly, there isn't much else to complain about. If Firaxis released information about the AI or other parts of the game, they would just complain about them. Many people seem to be here just so they can complain about things they know nothing about. That makes a lot of sense, eh?

[kolpo]

double post

[kolpo]

Many people seem to be here just so they can complain about things they know nothing about. That makes a lot of sense, eh?

If nobody complainted about what is or could go wrong will it go wrong.

Feedback is a very important thing in making games and in fact is realistic feedback better then blind optimistic feedback. Everything is godlike good is next to useless feedback for firaxis because they don't know then what the players want to see improved. SMAC his AI used some form of invasions and was much better in anexating small countries then that of civ2 because people have heavily complained about that in civ2.

And I still see some things that could be improved in the graphics(like pink units) so we can better let them know what we think is wrong. They aren't paranormal beings who can feel what there fans don't like about there game, if we don't tell them that, won't they know that most likely(Firaxis thought that there SMAC grahpics where much better then civ2; they aren't Gods they don't know everything that there fans think).

This doesn't mean that complet pessimism is good but blind optimism is even worser(it stops progress). The screenshots can be inproved in my view and I think we can better post that.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, the question is what would they say?

That Civ has the best AI of the series? How would they be able to pass that off a year before the game was released? By contrast, talking about the graphics is easier, because you can easily make good graphics, and can predict how the graphics will look a year from now. Can you do the same about AI? I doubt it.