Civ3 "news" from PC PowerPlay magazine review.

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

HI Guys,

Just a little "news" I obtained from a PC review magazine from my little corner of the world:

1) On territory- essentially borders and territory greatly advantage a defender in a conflict situation, as enemy units cannot make use of your infrastructure (roads etc), making invasion a slow and difficult process.

2) Air units: These will no longer move like ground units, but will have an "Operational Range" in which they can perform air-missions.

3) Leaders: No exact limit given on # of leaders/civilization, but going on one screen capture I saw, there can definitely be about 4!

Anyway, wish I had more, but most of the article was information that has already appeared here.

Yours,
The_Aussie_Lurker.

[shum00]

I like the idea of an operational range for air units, though I don't see why enemy units can't use your infrastructure, since a road is a road, no matter who built it.

[jsw363]

I didn't quite follow the air units thing, but the territory bit is interesting. Seems to be more accurate, like the defenders getting the "home court advantage." Defenders have access to supply lines, have more morale for defending their patria, and should also get the local support of peasants. I guess giving them a little boost is the best way to show all that.

I wonder if each civ gets their own leader units (Napolean appearing for the French only) or if leader units are sort of random, like Napolean appearing for the Americans. Are the leaders different? Do some have better skills than others at naval combat or building wonders (I think I read about that somewhere)

Thanks Lurker-

[isaac brock]

i'm pretty certain that every civ has its own great leaders, Napoleon will not appear for americans or any civ but the french.

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

Hi Again,

I agree with jsw363's take on why you can't use an defenders road if it lies within his territory. Additionally, this rule will makes spec-ops forces (those that treat all terrain as roads) that much more important (and worth building). It should be also noted that this rule only applies if the structures lie WITHIN a cities borders! Low culture cities with no borders will be able to have their roads and rail used against them!!! Also, just because you can't use a nations infrastructure, doesn't mean you can't disrupt it. According to the review, enemy units can cut off internal supply routes by blocking roads or by occupying the resource squares in question (though much of this has all been mentioned previously!)
The screen capture showing the leaders was a Roman screen, and 3 out of the 4
were leaders famous Romans like "Hadrian, Caesar etc..", the 4th one had a "Silly" name, which probably served the same purpose as Place-holder art.

On a final note, it is easier to "Expel" enemy (or hostile) units from within your territory!

Yours,

The_Aussie_Lurker.

[The_Aussie_Lurker]

Hi JSW363,

I thought I'd try and explain how I think operational ranges for air-units works.
Basically, rather than moving your air-units to their destination like glorified ground units, your air units will basically have an "operational range". If your target lies within that range then you can perform an air mission. Assuming your unit(s) survive the mission, then they will return to home base. I'm not sure, but I'm hoping that this also means that aircraft and AA fire will automatically intercept enemy aircraft that come within their operational range. I'm also assuming that you can move an air unit from city to city (or city to airfield), so long as it lies within the operational range.
Anyway, I hope this clears things up, and I hope I'm on the right track (if any Firaxians are out there, it'd be nice to get this clarified!)

Yours,
The_Aussie_Lurker

[lockstep]

It should be also noted that this rule only applies if the structures lie WITHIN a cities borders! Low culture cities with no borders will be able to have their roads and rail used against them!!!

The effects of culture appeal to me more and more. It will be hard for warmongers now to wage a 'blitz' on my medium-sized perfectionist empire.

[Edward]

Re: Civ3 "news" from PC PowerPlay magazine review.

Originally posted by The_Aussie_Lurker
2) Air units: These will no longer move like ground units, but will have an "Operational Range" in which they can perform air-missions.

Gets rid of that bomber wall cheat.

[Ralf]

Originally posted by The_Aussie_Lurker
1) On territory- essentially borders and territory greatly advantage a defender in a conflict situation, as enemy units cannot make use of your infrastructure (roads etc), making invasion a slow and difficult process.

Sounds reasonable to me. Some civers may question why the invader cant use neither road-tripled or RR move-rates in enemy-territory. But remember that you only really control the local border-area expanding from the target-city, once you actually have succeeded in taking the city itself. Before that the invader is busy dealing with mines, blown-up bridges, removed roadsigns and so on (besides regular fighting) - all in order to slow down the advancement. Not to mention the usual food/fuel-logistical problems.

I agree though that completely nullified road/RR-bonus seems a little harsh. Treating both roads & railroads as roads with only doubled (not tripled) move-bonus, would be more enough to simulate above. As it stands, there is no incentive whatsoever to make use of enemy-roads - which is unrealistic since (after all) moving your tanks on enemy-roads or through enemy-mud DOES make a big difference.

2) Air units: These will no longer move like ground units, but will have an "Operational Range" in which they can perform air-missions.

Sounds great!

[TechWins]

Woohooh, airplanes will now be useful to be build for several reasons. to help protect your units as they travel slowly throught the enemy borders. They now perform missions instead of acting like a ground unit.. I guess Firaxis listened to me when I said the airforce in Civ2 was useless.

Ralf, your idea of gaining half a point from roads and railroads does sound a little bit more realistic but maybe for game terms it's not.

What I would like to see is helicopters being able to hold units. The only units they could hold are special op. forces (i.e. paratroopers, marines, etc...). Possibly three units could be held on a helicopter. Also no need to make two helicopter units (transport copter and normal copter). Only use one helicopter that contain all of the attributes of the two.

[Fiil]

Originally posted by The_Aussie_Lurker
The screen capture showing the leaders was a Roman screen, and 3 out of the 4 were leaders famous Romans like "Hadrian, Caesar etc..", the 4th one had a "Silly" name, which probably served the same purpose as Place-holder art.

One of the most famous Roman generals was Sulla. Besides Caesar he was the only one ever to be appointed dictator for life under the Roman republic.


And now for something completely different:

Did anyone else notice that on some of the old screenshoots Screenshoot 1 and Screenshoot 2 some of the roads are wider than the others? Is this just art or are different kinds of roads (if it's still in)?

[The Mad Viking]

Ralf, excellent idea:

I agree though that completely nullified road/RR-bonus seems a little harsh. Treating both roads & railroads as roads with only doubled (not tripled) move-bonus, would be more enough to simulate above. As it stands, there is no incentive whatsoever to make use of enemy-roads - which is unrealistic since (after all) moving your tanks on enemy-roads or through enemy-mud DOES make a big difference

I also hope air units will be more useful. Air units should not be destroyed when attacking ground units, unless they are protected by some sort of AA capability. In civ2, a fighter strafing a veteran phalanx on a mountain would be destroyed. Man, those guys sure can throw spears. A bomber squadron would be destroyed by a battleship.

Air attack should be more like spy sabotage, where some hit points are taken off the defender, and the air unit almost always survives, but may take some hit point losses.

Air support should have a chance to disrupt advancing ground units before they attack the city the air unit is in.

But this isi all for naught. In 41 days, we will learn how it will work!

[tishco]

the thick roads conect cities so they can trade! when they connect the shortest road route thickens to show its like that!

[Roman]

I am especially pleased by the new system of air units.
The idea of not being able to get a bonus from roads in enemy territory is also good, but I do think that roads should always act as 1 move tiles for the enemy (so moving across a mountain by a road would only take one move).

[Edward]

Originally posted by Ralf
Before that the invader is busy dealing with mines, blown-up bridges, removed roadsigns and so on (besides regular fighting) - all in order to slow down the advancement.

I know I'd be thwarted by roadsigns in the Aztec Empire, even without any manipulation on their part. Every city sounds like Texacolapax to me. Reading a train schedule would be even worse!