Announcement

**The Unknown** · November 7, 2001, 03:50

multiplayer expansion???

What do you mean, multiplayer will probably be installed in an expansion??? That's terrible! Strategy games today are EXPECTED to have some form of multiplayer, this is absolutely necessary. I will be VERY annoyed if the first (or at least the second) patch does not include MP. Please, please, please do not get so greedy that you release MP for another 50 bucks, Firaxis. My opinion of your company will decline dramatically.

**player1** · November 7, 2001, 03:57

Try to live with it!

Anyway if they didn't thinked about MP till now, I don't think they can do it quickly.

Still, I hope I can at least get a Hotseat or PBEM.
I played those even befor Civ2 Gold (I used some file to hack gamefiles)
Since they are easy to make, why not to have them in patch?
(SMAC & CTP1 got them in patch, for example)

**morb** · November 7, 2001, 04:27

this is exactly the kind of thinking that game developers (and more so game publishers) are _expecting_ of their customers these days, because they can. THAT IS NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE! Lets see a console game fix things with a patch! Either it comes out right, or its forever doomed. I payed ~50 buxx for a box with a CD and a wordy and vague manual and not even a quick reference card. On top of all this, the game is not even finished! Just imagine, you buy a car with seats, but without uphulstry, "oh we'll fix it in the recall." That's just absurd.

**Grumbold** · November 7, 2001, 04:28

They've been working on MP since game inception, it just got cut to make the release deadline, like scenarios, comprehensive beta testing, a manual written after the unit stats were finalised etc.

You just have to realise that there are a percentage of gamers who have had enough of this release first, patch later attitude that the majority of publishers persue these days. For unusual hardware combinations it is understandable but when it is fundamental software flaws that any reasonable amount of testing should have discovered, they won't put up with it any more. I've got plenty of cash to spend on indulging my hobbies so its not a problem that about a quarter of games I return after a week, half I play for a while then uninstall, and only about a quarter end up as successful additions to my gaming alternatives. It still rankles when each one of those games could have been a winner had they only been produced with a little more care and attention. For people who can only afford one game a quarter it becomes vital that you don't make a bad choice.

Firaxis certainly seem keen to patch some of the issues raised so far. However they have indicated the earliest we could expect such a patch is end-november. They have not yet been hired by Infogrames to produce the scenario/multiplayer segments that they had to cut from the original release. Any delays will lose the game another part of its potential audience.

**player1** · November 7, 2001, 04:35

Originally posted by morb
this is exactly the kind of thinking that game developers (and more so game publishers) are _expecting_ of their customers these days, because they can. THAT IS NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE! Lets see a console game fix things with a patch! Either it comes out right, or its forever doomed. I payed ~50 buxx for a box with a CD and a wordy and vague manual and not even a quick reference card. On top of all this, the game is not even finished! Just imagine, you buy a car with seats, but without uphulstry, "oh we'll fix it in the recall." That's just absurd.

Well, THIS IS a PC.
And, world is not fair.

**morb** · November 7, 2001, 04:59

Originally posted by player1

Well, THIS IS a PC.
And, world is not fair.

So you're saying its OK to not get your money's worth? I don't understand.

don't get me wrong, I understand the time and complexity of todays games and that some things will slip through no matter how much testing is done. But the problem is, there is hardly any other industry which would support such irrisponsible behavior as is prevolent in the PC games industry. Its not just about the "world is not fair," its about business. These people make their money selling games to you. You shouldn't be expected to buy an incomplete or unfinished product.

Would you buy a dull knife? You know you could make it sharp yourself with a grinder.... so what's the problem? The problem is, you aren't buying a knife for grinding, you buy it for cutting.

**Fidel** · November 7, 2001, 05:04

no he is saying that this is the deal we can have. the pulling power of the brand is just too strong.
as for the obsolete units. it has to be like that, otherwise the civs would easily overrun each other. we talked about that before, think of spearman as of mujahedeen. although they will be obliterated, occassionally they can shoot down american helicopter and/or kill some delta guys. were it not like that, the technologically most advanced civ would steamroll.
civ2 also had several patches. civ3 will be spanking good by january.

**player1** · November 7, 2001, 05:14

Poit said, LaRusso

Anyway, we can't chage the world on that large scale.
We could complain about some things a little & hope for a best.

Some people thinked that they can chage the world in 60-ies, and know thay act as the ones thay complained about.

Sopme other people thinked that they can chaged the wolrd for better, but didn't (Stalin, Mao), they chaged it on worse.

**Jaundice** · November 7, 2001, 05:19

potential...

This game is definately fixable...and could be a good game in the end. HOWEVER....I do agree that when I pay $60.00, I would like to get a finished product. It is kind of disappointing to discover that they KNEW things were unfinished but shipped anyway.
Also....I heard a thing about some guy writing a letter to Firaxis because he was mad that the Limited Edition version in a tin box was not available outside the US. Well, he can buy mine, or trade me his and pay me the extra 10 bucks, because it was the ONLY version available at my local PC store. I was just looking to buy the regular boxed one. For the extra 10 bucks...all I got was a metal box, a movie about the making that I haven't even watched, and a paper tech tree. Whoopie. I just wanted the game. It could have come wrapped in a brown paper bag and I would have been ok with that.

-JD

**Roulette** · November 7, 2001, 05:44

Surprise shock and amazement. PC games need a patch more than 90% of the time. Wanna know why? Because they are more complicated than console games, have higher expectations, and a wider array of hardware and software requirements to satisfy. Beta testing helps, but few PC games are perfect in the first release. It's something gamers put up with because we understand the difficulty involved.

So sit back, chill, and wait impatiently for the patch from Soren and the rest of Firaxis.

BTW, great job on this game guys! I'm hooked!

**Libertarian** · November 7, 2001, 06:33

[...wagging finger...]

I'll have you know that writing bug-free programs is a piece of cake. I've done it before. I opened my VB, cracked my knuckles, set a few properties, typed in a line of code, and clicked "Run".

And voila! It said, "Hello World" in big blue letters.

There's no excuse for Firaxis releasing its two bugs.

**Lemmy** · November 7, 2001, 07:41

@ Libertarian

i have to agree with player1 and the rest of the non-whiners, i have every confidence in Firaxis that it will be patched properly.
And those that are complaining that the game is unfinished : it was initially planned for Q1 2002. What else did you expect?
As LaRusso said : civ3 will be spanking good by january

**Grumbold** · November 7, 2001, 07:50

Originally posted by Lemmy
And those that are complaining that the game is unfinished : it was initially planned for Q1 2002. What else did you expect?

No. There were suggestions in the press that it might be put back to Q1 2002 to allow the project to be completed after the hiatus when half the project team left. Instead they cut features to make the original deadline.

**tishco** · November 7, 2001, 08:34

who left firaxis, sorry, what have i missed?

will civ3 change and be different [hopefully better] by the time we in Yurop get it.
someone said the only ochanges will be getting **** van **** to do the voiceovers!

Announcement

I just don't understand some people in general forum

I just don't understand some people in general forum

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment