This Week's Reasons to WAIT to Buy Civ 3:

[yin26]

if too many people take your advice there won't be an update.

Then again, if EVERYBODY took such caution in buying games, companies would have to put out games in proper condition in the first place.

Anyway, I said "reasons to WAIT" not "never buy."

[- Groucho -]

But we don't, so they won't.

"Wait" might as well be "never buy" - a game really only has about three months to make it. If you wait for MP or the first big patch then you will count as a "never buy" as far as the "do we spend more money" decision is concerned.

[just to show my bias - I have to confess to already having pre-ordered the limited edition. What can I say? I'm weak.]

[Steve Clark]

No, I truly believed that too much time was wasted on such things. I had argued to no avail (regarding the debate about what Alexander should look like) that it is irrelevant and hopefully ignored. Someone argued that you need the eye-candy to tell what their reactions are. I said that having the words, "Mao, leader of the Chinese, is pissed at you" would more than suffice. I don't want leader animations, I couldn't care less what they look like and I will find a way to remove them from the informational screens.

[- Groucho -]

[tongue in cheek] O c'mon steve - you're telling me you don't want that stoned babylonian prancing around your screen? And you call yourself a strategy gamer? [/tongue in cheek]

[yin26]

LOL! It will be cute/annoying the first time you see it and just annoying after that.

Steve: I remember your saying that about Mao, and I agree.

Echinda: I know I will never win this 'battle.' I am the Don Quixote of the gaming world. By the way, Gamespot had an article about buying 'older games' instead of new stuff. It makes sense, of course, for a million reasons, but it's not human nature.

[Steve Clark]

LOL, echinda, go tell that over in the Civ3-Civilizations forum and you'll get folks hammering you.

[yin26]

Here's the article: Staying One Step Behind.

[- Groucho -]

That's a good article. In all things computer (except Civ) I'm a proponent of appropriate technology - I'm almost always a couple of years behind the tech curve at home because the stuff I've got works, so why buy new buggy stuff that will just make my existing stuff stop working?

Except Civ.

Why? Because Excel spreadsheets just don't have the same addictive capacity, I guess.

[Steve Clark]

You know, yin, I do understand where you are coming from, I just don't agree with you regarding Civ3. I am 41 yrs old and been in gaming since the 1980s. In some of the other fora that I'm active in, I railed against many, if not all, of the latest and greatest games. I also do not have anything kind to say about the whole console gaming market and their players. I made comments that I had stop subscribing to computer game magazines because I am totally the wrong kind of customer for them. They (and the gaming industry) appeal to the crowd that wants way kewl, kick ass games that rawks. That's definitely not me. I prefer to play (and replay and replay) a 6 year old game. They don't want me doing that, they want me to stop playing old games and keep buying new ones.

You know how many games I've bought this year (btw, I can easily afford games, computers, etc.)? 3 (EU, which you and I know about; The College Years and Shogun). And what do I end up playing most of this year? Civ2, Imperialism II and Pharaoh, all games 2 yrs or older. No, I don't like 99% of what comes out on the market but I know (and love) Civ2 and I view Civ3 just an enhancement of it and that can only be a good thing.

[yin26]

Echinda and Steve: I'm there with you guys in spirit. But I have adopted Mulder's line: "Trust no one."

[- Groucho -]

I have had much the same experience this year. I'm 32 and funds aren't an issue, but though I've got EU loaded up, I keep going back and playing SMAC. I just like it. The story is a little goofy - but the engine is great (love that unit workshop) ... and something about Miriam makes me want to crush her like a bug - must be the haircut. I have a feeling I'll be smacking that Babylonian around for much the same reason.

Well, that's enough chatting for me - it's midnight on the east coast and I'm taking the kids to Mystic, CT tomorrow (three hour drive). G'night.

[Imran Siddiqui]

LOL! This is the guy, who is trying his damned hardest to get Apolyton to pay for Civ3 for him (for a review he says) so he won't be exposed as a hypocrite when he buys it himself.

Your act wears thin.

[dennis580]

Fact- The majority of Civ players don't give a rats a$$ about MP
Fact- Firaxis probaly has not even thought about MP because thier concentrating on making Civ 3 the pinnacle of SP games for years to come.

[yin26]

Imran: The 'Buy me Civ3' thing was a joke. Live a little.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Underlying it is a desire for a free Civ3. Because you know you will buy a copy!