What I miss in Civ 3

[Guynemer]

I like Civ 3 a lot. Very good game. A lot of great additions to the Civ tradition, especially the resource system. But there's something missing... flavor.

I know, it doesn't add to the thinking of the game, or the strategy, or anything else that makes up the actual "meat" of the game. But I miss the "flavor" that peppered SMAC. The voice-overs, reading quotes from books that have never been written, or books written long ago. The wonder movies. (Good lord, the wonder movies!) Just the general "feel" that the game created through these extra touches. It made SMAC very immersive. That's what Civ3 is lacking. It isn't pulling me in the way SMAC did. It might be slightly less deep strategically, but it's the flavor that makes SMAC the superior game, in my mind.

Anyone agree? Disagree?

[ACooper]

Agreed.

[FNBrown]

I never played SMAC or any of the CTP games...

So I guess you can't miss what you never had.

[Strollen]

I agree as strategy game CIV3 is clearly a better game than CIV2 or even SMAC. It fixes some of the abuses of CIV2 and reduces the complexity of SMAC, which I believe leads to better AI.

However, I found SMAC and even CIV2 to be better gaming experience. I believe the lack of wonder movies, the funny advisors, the quotes from the various SMAC books, and even the awakening of the planet in SMAC all really helped my immersion in the game.

CIV3 is very well made but a somewhat dry experience.

[MonsterMan]

I never liked SMAC, because I never liked the idea of Alpha Centauri in Civilization to begin with. Anyone with knowledge of astronomy will tell you that a binary system like AC is extremely unlikely to have planets at all; if they do, the chances are very high that the planet(s) are huge lumbering gas giants which can hold off the gravitational forces.

Elite II: Frontier is a very educational game for us that love practical astronomy

[BeBMan]

Yes, some elements from SMAC are really cool.
However, generally I like Civ3 more, because I do not like the tech and unit overkill in SMAC (IMO too much, several of them are simply uneccessary). Also I think the user interface could be better (too much mouse clicks needed)

[Ironikinit]

Well, this is colored by personal experience, but I really hated the voices in SMAC. My housemates kept making fun of them.

The wonder movies, the advisors in Civ II... eh. I just turned them off after a while, same with the palace.

Can you turn the palace off in Civ III?

[FrantzX]

I love Civ III, but yeah. Those voiceovers kicked ass. I can quote some of them word for word. And the SP movies! You have to love the Longitevity Vaccine: "Get of my planet, you Peacekeepeing son-of-a..." Great stuff.

On another note, if I ever get my hands on a copy of "We Must Dissent", I'm burning it, Farenheit 451 style.

[SirSchwa]

I would've liked to see the wonder movies, especially if they were up to the same caliber as the opening movie in Civ3. I never really got sick of those movies in Civ 2.