JEFF BRIGGS Interview

[MarkG]

introduction not needed

http://apolyton.net/misc/interviews/civ3_3jeffbriggs-1.shtml

[MOHonor]

Originally posted by jimmytrick
Well, he did a good job of not saying anything. The questions sucked.

Briggs's reply on fundy was probably an outright lie.

Bout what you can expect from this organization- not much.

What's that say about groupie/stalkers like yourself?

[TCO]

The answers were pretty blah. No new insights. given that Jeff is going to be political and safe in his repsonses, perhaps some of the questions (MP omission, etc.) should have been avoided and replaces with things that Jeff was willing to talk about.

[DanS]

I would have like to have seen some follow up on those "other genres".

[Sirotnikov]

sadly, one of the most useless interviews.

we don't need an interview for that much info - we can read the damn firaxis site.

[Sirotnikov]

Which reminds me, his political bable kinda reminded me of DanQ

[notyoueither]

Reinforcement of the notion that more expansions are possible is a good thing.

The thinking behind delaying MP is good also. If PtW kicks *ss, then the decision may well have been worth it.

[Christantine The Great]

Originally posted by jimmytrick

Briggs's reply on fundy was probably an outright lie.

Um...why? I don't see Civ attempting to be very PC since Zulu units are white, just like everyone else's.

[Zealot]

The questions were pretty void and uninteresting.

How about their 3d secret game they're developing?!? Don't tell me they told you something and asked not to spread the word!

[Solver]

How about their 3d secret game they're developing?!? Don't tell me they told you something and asked not to spread the word!

Interview was before the 3D info, Zealot.

Also, do you guys think there's really anything they would talk about ?

[TCO]

Maybe there was Solver. See my comment. Don't give them questions that you know will get blah answers. just omit those. We don't need a trivial PR anouncement. Even if we can't get insights into the more touchy areas, we can at least get more insightful answers about "non-political" issues.

[Tigen]

I have to agree this interview was not well thought-out. The questions all have an accusative tone to them. Must be depressing coming from the "hardcore fans." It's like you're expecting him to say

"You got me! We took out fundy because we were scared of the PC crowd and because we don't care! The negative feedback has been due to the fact that our game sucks! Apolyton also sucks! We won't do any more Civ3 patches since we're trying to squeeze out more $ from PTW, this is also why we left out multi from the start! Hahaha!"

Sigh.

[Spaced Cowboy]

Wow, that was the best interview EVER!

[player1]

Originally posted by jimmytrick
2. Can you explain the rationale behind making an elephant airliftable but not a worker?

Maybe because Workers cost a whole POPULATION point.
(with equipment to make a small city: Colony)
Elephants not.

[Straybow]

You are invited to gape in awe and wonder

This was one Civ3 decision I agreed with, sorta. Fundi is definitely way unbalanced. I had a brilliant suggestion (thread now long lost) to amend it. Of course, the boobs at Firaxis were jealous of my genius and pretended they never saw it.

Fundamentalism: This Civilization Advance has Theology and Chivalry for prerequisites. Upon discovery it makes available, to a Fundamentalist government, creation of Fanatic military units (see below).

• Attitude: A Temple or Cathedral makes one additional unhappy person content (not cumulative if both are present). Cathedrals require one less money upkeep. A city with both Temple and Cathedral gets one content person made happy. Courthouses and Police Stations each make one unhappy person content. Coliseums make one fewer unhappy person content (due to strict censorship). Martial law makes one unhappy person content for each of the first three military units stationed in the city.
• Corruption & Waste: Devotion to the true path keeps it very low and relatively constant outside the Capitol city.
• Resource Support: Each city supports, free of maintenance, 3 units or a number of units equal to ½ the city size rounded up, whichever is greater. Fanatics are all free of maintenance, but are counted first towards the number of free units supported by a city. Settlers require two food units.
• Special Conditions: Luxuries and research are reduced in effectiveness by 25% due to strict sensorship. Tax, luxury, and science maximum rate is 80%. Fanatic military units can't be bribed and their special attributes are always in force.
• We-love-the-ruler day: Each happy person contributes 2 money in tithes; each content person contributes 1 money in tithes. Tithes are subject to ½ city improvement effects (+25% for market, bank, exchange).

Fanatic Armies: The Fundamentalist government can build Fanatic Archers (3/1/1). Ironworking makes Fanatic Legion (4/1/1) available. Discovery of Gunpowder makes Fanatic Archers obsolete and introduces Fanatic Musketeers (3/2/1, 2 HP). Conscription obsoletes Fanatic Legion and brings Fanatic Riflemen (like the Civ2 unit, 4/3/1, 2 HP). Each Fanatic unit costs 20 shields to build. Note they are essentially Archers, Legions, Musketeers, and Riflemen with a defense penalty due to brief training and overeagerness for martyrdom.

Fanatic Vengeance: Fanatics do not disappear or convert to the opponent if the city supporting them is destroyed or captured. Instead they either default to the nearest friendly city or become free of support requirements (following the rules for discovery of mercenary tribes). Where Partisan units would appear on the capture of a city under other forms of government, Fanatics appear instead. Fanatics remain in the game under the control of the computer to exact vengeance if the controlling Fundamentalist civilization is eliminated. Fanatic units belonging to a non-Fundamentalist empire have only a 25% chance of not being eliminated along with the city or civilization to which they belong.

While at first the 25% penalty on research doesn't seem too steep, remember that this version of Fundamentalism never gets the trade arrow bonus. There would also be an ancient version, basically the same but without Fanatics. (Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, we haven't been invented yet!)

Theocracy: Mysticism and Writing are prerequisites. Theocracy becomes the prerequisite for both Polytheism and Monotheism; Polytheism is no longer a prerequisite for Monotheism.

• Attitude: A Temple or Cathedral makes one additional unhappy person content (not cumulative if both are present). Cathedrals require one less money upkeep. Martial law makes one unhappy person content for each of the first three military units stationed in the city.
• Corruption and Waste: Identical to Monarchy.
• Resource Support: Each city supports, free of maintenance, 3 units. Existing Fanatics are all free of maintenance, but are counted first towards the number of free units supported by a city. Settlers require one food.
• Special Conditions: Tax, luxury, and science maximum rate is 70%. While Fanatic units can't be built under a Theocracy, existing Fanatic units like Theocratic government. Fanatics can't be bribed. Where Partisan units would appear on the capture of a city under other forms of government, there is a 50% chance Fanatics appear instead. Fanatics have a 50% chance of surviving the capture or destruction of their supporting city (or civ) under Theocracy.
• We-love-the-ruler day: Each happy or content person contributes 1 money in tithes.

For the purist, the symmetry of 3 ancient and 3 modern government types would not be lost by introducing Theocracy. Despotism is out of the ancient trio as a timeless fallback along with Anarchy.