Release Date

[Fidel]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I am a god

awww,
urban ranger = dan magaha??????

[Grumbold]

A PII-300 without graphics card has been less than the minimum required for the many styles of games for years. I know it is inappropriate to compare across genres too much, but just think how it must feel to try and keep up if you are a FPS or flight/racing fan. Even RPG's are graphics heavy these days. I've already gone through 3 different 3D cards (one blew up) and expanded to 256MB Ram and 50Gb hard disk space. These requirements are so low it amazes me.

[Sabre2th]

Of course not LaRusso. Don't be ridiculous.

Ranger = SID

[Nemo]

Computer components at an all time low

For those of you griping about an upgrade:
-1.2GHz (that's 1200MHz) Processor: $89
-Supporting Motherboard: $100 (and that is a *top of the line* motherboard manufacturer price, so you can find an adiquate motherboard for probably $75)
256Mb stick of RAM: $45 (from the leading manufactureer of ram - I've seen other manufacturers as cheap as $21)

If you don't meet your system specs, then your system is aproximately 4 1/2 years old (Pentium 350 was released 1st quarter 1997). Sorry to tell you, but normally 3 years in technology is like 9 years in the automotive industry --it's time for a new one, or buy some new parts to make it hobble along. So, you pretty much have the equivilant of a 13 1/2 year old car (thats 1988 car, btw)

A pentium 350Mhz is NOT too much to ask.

[Sabre2th]

It's actually P2 300, Nemo, which makes your point even more valid. I'm not saying that everyone should have a top of the line computer, especially if you don't have the money for one, but Firaxis couldn't have made the requirements much lower without sacrificing game quality. It's as simple as that.

[DarkCloud]

Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS

Civ III does not require a Pentium III, it requires a PII 300Mhz, which is even a middle-of-the-road PII. By the time the game hits shelves, Pentium 4 2Ghz machines will be available, so by contrast, PII-300Mhz doesn't sound unreasonable to me, but I suppose I'm slighly biased

That is better- I may buy it to 'try' to play it now.
I thought you announced it required a Pentium III- but I suppose I was mistaken.
Thank you for the lower system requirement!

Also, I'm not sure where you got the idea that you needed a 3D video card, because you don't -- you simply need to be able to do 1024x768x16bit color.

So... It isn't 3D it is merely 2D modeled to look like 3D- this sounds good
-I do have a 3D card by the way

As far as your opinion on the graphics, all I can do is say what I've been saying for quite some time, which is that you should wait until the game is released before passing judgment on the graphics. Many of the screenshots floating around the net are *months* old, and we are still in development.

If you can fix the unit graphics (please make them look like Civ II's or, if you must update them... Heroes of Might and Magic's... not Call to Powers) and still keep light colors on the terrain- it will look much better!

Dan [/QUOTE]

[DarkCloud]

Thank you for speaking to us, Dan

[mostly_harmless]

I've got a Celeron 333 Mhx processor will that be enough to run it ? I know Celerons aren't the best processors around

[Kassiopeia]

Re: Computer components at an all time low

Originally posted by Nemo
If you don't meet your system specs, then your system is aproximately 4 1/2 years old (Pentium 350 was released 1st quarter 1997). Sorry to tell you, but normally 3 years in technology is like 9 years in the automotive industry --it's time for a new one, or buy some new parts to make it hobble along. So, you pretty much have the equivilant of a 13 1/2 year old car (thats 1988 car, btw)

Tell that to my parents :victim of young age:
What I can tell mostly_harmless, that doesn't look too good. A friend of mine once told me that you should take at least 50 to 100 Mhz off the Celeron's rating to get a PII rating
I've decided that I'd upgrade my piece of s*** from -98 when there is a TBS I really really want (that is, Civ3) that exceeds my comp's hardware. I'm not sure am I happy or sad about Mr. Managa's announcement, come to think of it

[korn469]

for all of those complaining about the outrageous cost of computers here is one for you...

here is a new dell computer with the following

(it's a customized Dell Dimension L)

Celeron 800 MHz
128 mb ram
20gb hd
48x cd rom
speakers
56k modem
(no monitor)

all for $599
(tax and shipping included at checkout)

which should add about another $120 bringing it up to $720...however you can sometimes catch free shipping from dell and all you'd have to pay is tax

and if you get financing it's $18 a month...

the reason i didn't add in a new monitor is because if you have an old one you don't need a new one...so really if you can't play civ3 because you have less than a pII 300, then you most likely paid between $1,500-$2,000 to buy that brand new 200 mmx pentium with a whopping 48mb of ram...i think it's time to invest just a little in a new computer...because the one you have is probably challenged by SMAC, and about the only thing it can run with no problems is civ2

[Sabre2th]

Nobody is disputing that computers can be very cheap nowadays. I think the issue some people are having trouble with is that they don't have $600 just sitting around in a neat pile waiting to be spent. Another problem some (younger people) have is convincing their parents to upgrade (I went through several years of hell before I escaped this).

[korn469]

Sabre2th

you may not have 600 dollars laying around ready to be spent...but if you are over 18 you do have the option of buying this on credit...you can goto your local bank and borrow 750 dollars (which will certianly be enough for this)...which with interest if you pay off your loan in one year you'll have to pay about 68 dollars a month (which is 17 dollars a week or basically taking your gf out to eat one time that week)...you can get your parents to cosign, and once you pay off your bill you'll have better credit and you can get a better computer right now

if you are under 18 then you don't have as many options...if you are 15 you just have to rely on your parents to upgrade...however before you do that

the minimum requirements are a 300 mhz processor and 32 mb ram...

i am almost positive that a p2 266 or probably even a p2 233 with 64 mb of ram will be able to run civ3 once you cut off every single little optional thing...it probably won't run it very well but it will still run it...so basically we are talking about people who own the original pentiums (which are are four to five years old)

ok so if you own an orignial pentium 200 mhz that has 32 mb of ram no you can't run civ3, but on the same hand you probably had problems running starcraft (it would run it but it would stutter from time to time...i know one of my friends had a 166 p1 with 32 mb of ram) which came out in 98...black and white, emperor, quake 3 all of those games would be beyond your computer...no dvd player...pretty much just word processing...most likely you are running windows 95 internet explorer edition, which also limits which programs you can run...you can type, surf the internet, and play older games and that's about it

over the years computers start running slower, so your computer is probably chugging away now...now if you do have a p1 200 then somebody in your household did pay a fair amount to buy it (unless they got it at a yardsale used last year then you are SOL)

so talk to the parent that bought the computer...present them with the most reasonable computers available, and just complain about how slow your current computer is, keep on asking for a new computer, and tell them you want it as a christmas present...and keep on asking until they eventually buy it for you...civ3 won't be out until october at the very least, and it could be later than that...unless you are just completely poor then more than likely you can get a new computer if you are under 18...if you are completely poor or your parents are unreasonable then goto plan b

find a geek who likes civ, and threaten to beat his ass unless he lets you play civ3...

if worst comes to worst and you are 16...then get a job work it for a month buy a new motherboard, amd duron processor, and ram (maybe 150-170 dollars) then goto http://www.sharkyextreme.com/ read their installation guides and upgrade your computer...once you buy your parts quit your suckass job and play civ3

i can't really see computer power getting in the way of owning and playing civ3...between cheap computers, yardsales, upgrades, getting 300 mhz isn't that hard...buy civ3 and play it at a friend's house...

mostly_harmless

dooes your celeron have an onboard cache? (it should be 128kb if it does) if so you will be fine...if not as long as you have ample ram and you cut off all of the multimedia then you should be able to run it

[Inverse Icarus]

OC your celeron

[Zealot]

Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS
you simply need to be able to do 1024x768x16bit color.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :banned:

Do you know what this means to me? It means that I need to upgrade my video card and monitor! Wich means, in other words, that it's better for me to buy a new PC to replace my oldie AMD K6-2 with 64 MB RAM. Wich means that I have to buy a new PC with my own money, wich will only happen around April 2002! Man, Civ 3 only in April?!?

Life is so cruel!
Damn resolution... What's wrong with 800x600?

[Solver]

I repeat, if they don't let us to go under 800x600, I'll not buy Civ 3, and will curse Firaxis for the rest of my life, like others are cursing Activision now. There are 3 reasons not to buy a new monitor for me, and they are important.
Firaxis, you see, most people are yet using 800x600 resolution, for various reasons. Actually, there are more people running 800x600 than people running CPUs slower than 350MHz. If you don't make Civ 3 work under 800x600, youºe losing profit, as you force many people to change their resolution, perhaps buy a new monitor, and many, like me, will not do that for various reasons. Please think about it, as I really am excited about Civ 3, and if the resolution will suit me, I'm usre to grab the game as soon as it comes here.