...perhaps Firaxis should be applauded...?

[Asher]

When I heard they announced the Dino game, my first thought was: "Just how cheap is the marijuana in Maryland?"
Then I chuckled to myself.

Lo and behold a bit later it was "put on hiatus". The price for marijuana had just gone up.

[yin26]

Now you talkin' ma language!

Seriously: Bet all that Dino and Golf craziness looks pretty stupid about now with an unfinished Civ3 on the shelves.

[techumseh]

Originally posted by Aendolin
Basically, they had 3 options:

1) Release SP and buggy MP in november (Well, oct 31)

2) Release SP and no MP in november. Release MP later.

3) Release SP and MP later (who knows how much longer).

Why would you take 3 over 2? You get to play SP while waiting for MP, instead of waiting for both.

As I understand it, Firaxis had major personnel issues (not for the first time, remember the departure of Brian Reynolds?) which held up development. I also understand that at various points in the development of the game, Firaxis promised both multi-player capability and high quality scenario editors.

It was then apparently decided to release Civ3 according to the original schedule, in time for the Christmas rush, even though it wasn't finished. They are hoping, I assume, that enough people will buy the game to recoup their investment and make a profit, before word gets out that it's unfinished, unstable and a dog.

They will then be in a position to decide whether to release additional versions with some of the things promised for the original version, such as multi-player. Apparently, more finished editors may be included with a patch. It is unlikely that this will include events language, however. Even much improved editors will not make good scenarios possible without events.

If Firaxis had internal issues which delayed the game, it is their problem. Stop trying to force us (game consumers) to take responsibility. THEY chose to rush the game into the stores for Christmas. WE get an unfinished game, AND have to pay again for multi-player. Ho! Ho! Ho!

[Imran Siddiqui]

WHY MAKE A FRIGGEN DINO GAME, CANCEL IT, THEN START UP A GOLF GAME?!!!!

Two different parts of the company. The Dino people weren't involved in Civ3 anyway... so they wouldn't have mattered.

before word gets out that it's unfinished, unstable and a dog.

Seeing as most of the word on this forum is that it is amazing, stable, and finished... I doubt your prediction .

[Asher]

Originally posted by yin26
Now you talkin' ma language!

Seriously: Bet all that Dino and Golf craziness looks pretty stupid about now with an unfinished Civ3 on the shelves.

I'm not sure which moves faster: golf or dinosaurs.

I'm not vaguely interested in either of those games.
I'd rather be downloading word documents.

[yin26]

The Dino people weren't involved in Civ3 anyway... so they wouldn't have mattered.

It's like I said: The oldest story in the book is about the small, hardcore breakout company that gets a few early successes and decides they can handle more than one title at once. Before you know it, they have doubled their staff almost overnight, talent is pulled in all directions, people are fighting over resources, the company's focus begins to get blurry (...'well I'm working on the game Sid REALLY wants to do...' '...oh, yeah!? I'm working on the game that MADE Sid!...').

If they had just kept the core group, added a small contingent of talent, and done Civ3 and Civ3 only, I gurantee that not only would a finished Civ3 be on the shelves by now, but they would NOT have the huge salaries going along with doubling the work force (and losing efficiency).

See: Trilobyte.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, SimGolf, was your fault, you know .

[yin26]

...ouch...

[Imran Siddiqui]

What part did you have in Dinos!

[LancerSH]

The only thing that I'm having a major problem with is the buggy combat system where a 1-1-1 warrior with 3 HP can take out a 1-2-1 veteran spearman with 4 HP... while the spearman is on defense...

Rest of the game is fine for me.

[yin26]

Well, I did e-mail Sid my personal objections. I don't like seeing cruelty to animals portrayed for human pleasure. Looks like he agreed.

[Chronus]

Stop trying to force us (game consumers) to take responsibility. THEY chose to rush the game into the stores for Christmas. WE get an unfinished game, AND have to pay again for multi-player.

We consumers do have a responsibility and should gladly take it. THEY cannot force responsibility on us; WE choose to ignore it and pay the penalty. THEY can rush the game out before Christmas; WE can choose to buy it after Christmas, or before, or not at all. THEY can hope to sell us MP as a separate pack; WE can forego buying the initial release and wait for the MP version.

I am not saying that everything out there is all fine and dandy. Unfair practices obviously do exist. However, I am alarmed by some of these quotes which foster feelings of consumer helplessness and place blame on the producers. If you don't like it, don't buy it or take it back for a full refund.

[Döbeln_2001]

Originally posted by yin26
Now you talkin' ma language!

Seriously: Bet all that Dino and Golf craziness looks pretty stupid about now with an unfinished Civ3 on the shelves.

As it really hasn't affected the reviews, and the game is quite fun, I'd say It worked out in the end, despite the risks...

/D_2001

[Döbeln_2001]

Originally posted by LancerSH
The only thing that I'm having a major problem with is the buggy combat system where a 1-1-1 warrior with 3 HP can take out a 1-2-1 veteran spearman with 4 HP... while the spearman is on defense...

Rest of the game is fine for me.

Never happened to me... (Even though I want it to be possible - hell, the tech difference is pretty small, and I don't want a deterministic combat engine - that would truly suck...)

/Döbeln 2001

[LancerSH]

Originally posted by Döbeln_2001


Never happened to me... (Even though I want it to be possible - hell, the tech difference is pretty small, and I don't want a deterministic combat engine - that would truly suck...)

/Döbeln 2001

well Dobeln I would also want the same chance for my warrior to take out a spearman, but the odds seemed to be stacked AGAINST humun players...I'm going to try a different strategy, bombard 3 times in a turn against a unit, then attack it... see if that works..