Check "The List" Against the Game!: Volunteers Needed (All of Poly Welcome)

[yin26]

First, if you haven't already, please check out the List we sent to Firaxis while they were still very much making the game:

http://apolyton.net/cgi-bin/civ3files/download.pl?id=2

And for even more excitement, take a look at the list that was then voted on for our most wanted items. Wow! Some if it is so obviously part of Civ 3!

FIRAXIS, THIS IS THE ESSENTIAL CIV3!
(27 March 2000, 15:16 EST/Civ3) After lot's of discussion and voting, this is the Essential Civ3 List: the fixes that need be done and the new ideas that must be in Civ3 in order to deserve the number "3" in it's title. The number next to each item is the votes it got in the final vote:

Fixes
1. Trade - 105
2. Diplomacy - 86
3. Make It Harder For Civs To Last - 73
4. Comprehensive Scenario Editor - 72
5. Improved Road & Rail Rules - 72

New Ideas
1. Rise and fall of Empires - 75
2. Domestic Politics - 63
3. New Modes of Victory - 52
4. Energy - 48
5. Stacking - 46 TIE
5. Religion - 46 TIE

others receiving votes

Fixes
6. Bring Back News Reports - 52
7. No more Instant City Conversions - 52
8. Amazing City Veiw - 42
9. Faster Smoother Graphics/Interface - 35
10. Multiplayer Startup Option - 26

New Ideas
7. Open Source AI - 44
8. Expanding City Radius - 43
9. Detailed Replay - 41
10. Hex Based Map - 40
11. Simultaneous Turns of Play - 36
11. Different Levels of Cities - 36
13. Recruitment System - 29
14. Automatic Patrolling - 23
15. Tourism - 20

The "official" letter to Firaxis will be sent in the coming days.
(Note: it's pretty encouranging to see that the first two fixes(trade and diplomacy) were already mentioned in Sid's recent message as things where there is going to be lots of improvement)

Since we will very soon start playing the game (well, some of us are waiting for the MP release), we will be able to see who many items from the List were either taken directly from us fans or reflects what we were thinking. Of course, some of these things we can confirm NOW.

VOLUNTEERS: Please go through this and as you find things that are reflected in the game, post them here.

For example, these appear to be in!:

EDITOR

• A Single, Integrated Editor. This is perhaps the single most frequent wish among the fans. A "Game Editor" where everything found in Text and Graphics files could be edited, as well as maps and scenarios. This would be a separate executable from the main game, i.e. not a "cheat Menu" like in Civ2/SMAC, but a separate executable.
• Simplify the interface. Almost everything in the Game Editor should be reachable either through a simple drag-and-drop system or through pull-down menus. Placing objects should simply be a matter of dragging an object onto the game square.

As you guys post things, I will update this first post so we have a constantly updating view of how many cool things we asked for are in the game. Now get searching!

[connorkimbro]

I'd love to help, but i'll need to wait unti civ3 actually comes out to do it, as i've been purposly avoiding too much SPECIFIC information, so as not to ruin the joy of discovery.

[Sarxis]

I am having trouble opening the .doc file. Anything special I need?

[Lord_Davinator]

same here connorkimbro doon't wanna ruin it especially after prerdering the limited edition... and I couldn't open the file either btw.

[ColdWizard]

Originally posted by Anunikoba
I am having trouble opening the .doc file. Anything special I need?

word and wordpad work but works doesn't

[Bubba]

The great leader idea is taken right from the list.

[cassembler]

DAMN THAT'S A BIG ****IN LIST!!!

Damn!!! I knew it would be big, but that's freakin huge!!! Kudos to the research and all of the effort... I only scratched it though.
I'm sure many things have been fixed as a result of it.

[Stuie]

Hey Yin- I'm all for giving you guys who provided so much feedback over the years with a big pat on the back. But wouldn't we be better served compiling what didn't make it in, revisiting those ideas in light of the actual game (when it comes out), and then consolidating those that still have merit so as to provide Firaxis with suggestions toward ongoing patches/expansions to the final product? Just a thought.

[yin26]

Stu:

That's a great idea! If you are interested in working on that project with a mind toward the x-pack and a possible Civ4, then you have my total support. Any suggestions on how to start? Are you thinking of starting a "What is still missing?" thread? I imagine it might help, though, to accentuate the positive for at least the few first months as we learn the game, etc.

Still a great idea, though.

[yin26]

By the way, my reason for highlighting what's IN:

1. I want it to be a tesatment to how much Firaxis did listen and is in touch with what we wanted.
2. I want all the people who worked so hard to give ideas to know that their feedback DOES make a difference.
3. I want all people here at Poly to see that their feedback WILL make a difference for the x-pack and future games.
4. And I just want to celebrate those hundreds and thousands of hours we collectively spent on that sucker...and see that the "If only one idea..." was more successful (it seems so far) than we ever could have anticipated.

I should also say that some MAJOR ideas like Resources and Culture got hased out in threads and not really the List in all cases. So I am NOT saying the List did it all. But it was an awesome effort as was a number of great discussions about ICS and so forth.

[Mannamagnus]

Probably every idea a tbs game designer could possibly think of has at some point been mentioned on this forum. This doesn't necessarily imply that every thing the Firaxians come up with is copied from Apolyton.

[MarkG]

yin remembering his constructive side....

watch this guys, it wont last for much longer...

[Mannamagnus]

I just don't see why he's so eager to take credit for a game he's crusading against.

[MarkG]

Originally posted by Mannamagnus
I just don't see why he's so eager to take credit for a game he's crusading against.

yin is misunderstood

[Mannamagnus]

Yes probably, but he did warn us!

My posts in no way indicate just how right I always am.