Dear Firaxis rant...Something new for once?

[Simpleton]

I would like to see some new information about Civ3 for once. For example: (1)The recent interview with Jeff Morris was useless. He volunteered nothing we didn't already know. If your going to do an interview don't spew out old hash we already know or give us that old quote "We're not ready to talk about it yet". If you have nothing new to say don't do an interview!
(2) Most of the new previews have the same gameshots as many older previews. And even when there are new gameshots it's the same stuff again (ie. diplomacy screen, gameplay screen shot with no new graphics or fixes (road still over mountain, etc)). Firaxis: don't release "new" screenshots unless they show some different aspect of the game or graphics.
(3) All previews say the same things with no new or added depth from the previews 2 or 3 months ago! Firaxis: don't agree to demo the game again for another preview unless your going to show something or tell something about the game that's new.

All three of these points makes me very wary about Civ3. They seem very secretive about this game. Why? Yes, I understand you want to surprise people but come on! This game is supposedly so complex and revolutionary I'm am sure some more info could be given out and still have plenty of game aspects left for surprises.
This secrecy has me wondering if Firaxis is sitting on a lemon and they don't want to tell.
Dear Firaxis: Don't waste my time, the previewers time, and any other Civer's time anymore....Please....

[Wiglaf]

Re: Rant

You and I both know that's impossible. Fully disclosing all new developments while the game is in progress isn't a good marketing plan. Rather, Firaxis is handling this by the book. Believe it or not, it will help them in the end - as long as the dev team lives up to its side of the bargain (getting the game out on time, late 2001).

Face it, knowing everything right now about the diplomacy, the graphics, the wonders...it'd ruin the experiance. You'd be happy for about a week or two, then you'd start complaining again. Firaxis couldn't live up to that.

Add that to the fact that the developers don't even know what the game's final copy will contain yet, and you have a situation of false advertising and upset consumers.

All in good time.

[Alex 14]

I don't want to know more than neccisary about a game, the more i don't know, the more exciting the game will be when i play it.

[Simpleton]

To SMACed: Perhaps I am a complainer. BUT my main point is they haven't released any new info at all. The interview was a sham because Jeff Morris added nothing to what we already know. Why do an interview then? All the recent previews are boring because we've heard it all before. There really was no point in having the game magazine write one.

To answer you point about me wanting all details about the game released: I don't I just think if every month or so you have an interview or preview you should probably devulge SOME new info on the game. If not don't have an interview or demo the game since it's pointless.

To be honest I could care less if they released any info on the game but just don't keep peddling the same crud to me and pawn it off as new.

But alas we may have to agree to disagree. Agreed?


Ok. I'm off the soap box. Anyone else?

[Simpleton]

I just thought of something. Firaxis could be saving all the good stuff for their website opening soon???? I hope....

[tniem]

To be fair to Jeff Briggs I think they did give some valuable tidbits and certainly some clarity to some issues that had been debated here on the forums, especially in regards to amount of civs, scenario makers, new features implementations, how close the game is to being done, and the impact ACS has had on Civ III. Yes, the answers were not fully answered, but he gave what he could and it certainly was good to read it straight from the man's mouth.

We also had the very notion of a different graphical interface slammed down as pure fantasy.


On a side note, what I would have liked to hear from Jeff was whether or not he was also doing the musical score for the game. The music in Pirates and Civ I was great from him.

[Simpleton]

Originally posted by tniem
Yes, the answers were not fully answered, but he gave what he could and it certainly was good to read it straight from the man's mouth.

In that context he is acting very much like a politician: Don't answer the question but make them think your're answering it.
Bleegh....

Originally posted by tniem
On a side note, what I would have liked to hear from Jeff was whether or not he was also doing the musical score for the game. The music in Pirates and Civ I was great from him.

He did the music for those games? Wow I never knew that. Cool.

[Warm Beer]

Although I am firmly in the camp that believes that a developer needs to have a dialogue with the fans... I can see both sides of the issue when it comes to Civ3.. It is already stated that this is a 'conservative sequal' that is is not deviating from the previous titles. Thus, if they disclose all of what they are planning, they would risk a whole slew of Civ fans saying 'is that all'.

Now I am happy with the changes the Firaxis is making, but the lack of new information (as stated ad nauseum) is a bit disheartening... to echo Simpleton, we don't want full disclosure, we just want some discloure.

[Zanzin]

I'm thinking they're saving all the info civ3.com
And if civ3.com has no new info on it when it comes out - I'm going to be very wary about rushing out and buying this game

[Solver]

I just can repeat that civ3.com will have enough new info to please you.

[Rhysie]

I think it's hypocritical of some of the guys here to both complain that Firaxis are not telling us enough, and then slag off the interview so much.

Of course they aren't going to tell us stuff if we jump at their throats like rabid dogs every time they show their face!

I think the interview clarified a lot of things, for example the 8 civ limit and being able to push it up to 16, this might seem like old news but if you look at everything we had before he said that it was actually speculation and could have turned out to be totally wrong.

I was hoping that the interviews were going to be a weekly thing, I'm not sure if it were stated how regular they were going to be or not, but if they were planned to be weekly I can imagine why we haven't had the second installment yet... No-one likes to get moaned and whined at, they'd rather just not do an interview than that.

[Draco aka Se7eN]

I just thought of something. Firaxis could be saving all the good stuff for their website opening soon???? I hope....

Correct me if im wrong but hasnt the Official Civ 3 website already been up?

http://www.firaxis.com/civ3/

I thought this was the website. Or is there another one comeing out that would be like www.civilization3.com?

[Sabre2th]

The site at Firaxis was only a temporary one. The new site http://www.civ3.com will be coming out in the next couple of days. From what our friend Solver has been saying, it's a very nice site with plenty of info.

[DATarbell]

Firaxis, Public Relations, and Donuts

Simpleton, I think your complaints betray 1) a great desire to have the actual game in hand (don't we all ), and 2) a somewhat naive view of public relations.

Firaxis is doing a very credible job in granting interviews to a wide variety of computer gaming media. It is in their best interest to do so, since it is generally presumed that each of these media reach a somewhat unique audience, not reached by the balance of those media. However, it is not their responsibility, or in their best interest, to attempt to "ratchet up" each successive interview with more information, newer information, and the most recent screenshots.

Our view of Firaxis' PR efforts are somewhat skewed. Here we have a vast and varied community who are currently experiencing a "feeding frenzy" for new information in lieu of the actual game. In fact, this Internet interaction presents a new and problematic PR dilemna: this community a actually the union of all of those various audiences that the traditional and not-so-traditional media attempt to reach. As soon as any one of these media post something "new" it is immediately brought to the attention of our entire community and we rush on over to see what's new; missing the point that it wasn't intended for our audience at all--it was intended for that media's typical audience.

And, I must admit, that my viewpoint is naive, as well. Here I post a bunch of purportedly rational and well-thought-out insights thinking that it will in some way effect the feeding frenzy. Ha! In truth, the only thing that will bring an end to this feeding frenzy will be the release of the game itself.

And then an entire new cycle of feeding frenzies will begin. Our interactions with regard to strategies, frustrations, "bugs", desired new features, favorite/least favorite units/wonders/animations/buildings/civ3-specific features, and so forth. Not to mention the (hopefully) wave of scenarios that will almost immediately ensure.

Gotta go. All of this talk is making me very hungry. Think I'll go down a box of Krisy Kremes and slip into a sugar-induced coma where I can dream about all night sessions with Civ3!

[Draco aka Se7eN]

Bravo DATarbell, i couldnt have said it better myself. I think few people could have said it better if any at all. I completely agree with you and im glad you chose to share your veiw point.