
I see what you guys are saying and -- believe me-- I understand the viewpoint completely.
You guys think it would be fun and add another (real-life) element to game play to have "oil" (and struggles to control oil) be a strategic element in the game. Surely it would be fun to have "oil" be at least a tactical consideration like it is in real life. And it wouldn't be complicated.
However, what I don't think you see is that this tactical element falls outside Sid's "focus" for the game and a very narrow focus for games is something Sid strongly believes in.
What you have here is a bunch of "resources" that are all treated equally by the game. And then you add one that is treated (and hence valued) differently. I don't know how you can't see that -- no matter how simple it is to implement -- this undeniably broadens the focus of the game. It loses some of the simplicity.
There are resources... and they are all treated the same.. except one has additional strategic value and is -- hence -- necessary to value differently. No matter how simple the change is, the complexity of GAME STRATEGY that must be used increases.
It may not be difficult to understand, but anytime the value of something changes in a strategy game -- the overall strategy for playing the game changes. So, you now you have players who have to take into consideration: resources, happiness, culture, technology, military, population, AND... (yes, AND) OIL. Why Oil AND resources? Doesn't the mention of resources cover it?
I submit that oil must be now considered separately from resources because OIL is no longer a generic resource. It's something DIFFERENT, and therefore it requires ADDITIONAL tactical consideration.
I still don't know if I'm communicating myself clearly, but this is why I think with almost 100% certainty that Sid isn't going to implement this feature...
In fact, I'll even make a small wager on it with you guys This is not going to be in the game because of the reasons just stated. Anyone wanna take the challenge?

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