Seems like the Civ3 Lead-Designer is a hot chair

[Atahualpa]

Too hot I would say.
Maybe we expect a little too much of Civ3.

aTa

[Hugo Rune]

No kiddin'!

One would think it would be an honour to be offered the job, but three people obviously declined, forcing Sid into an uncomfortable double-seat...

[Boylard]

I don't think that the designer's chair is necessarily that bad; maybe the opportunity to work in Brian Reynold's own company was just a better offer?

After all Brian Reynolds was the man behind SMAC and Civ2...

Besides, there is no way Sid would mess up a title as important as civ3. Thinking about it, has Sid ever made a mess of any game he has designed?

[Steve Clark]

I would say Sid Meier's Getysburg and Antietam were definitely messes.

[Atahualpa]

Boylard: True, I dont believe that Sid would mess it up, BUT consider the fact that 3(!) other people said "no" when they were offered this job, gives me at least something to think about.

Clark: I enjoyed the Sid Meiers Great Battles Series. I think both games are really good games and if you study the American Civil War (like I did for my final highschool exam) you will get a good feeling of how battles were fought in the War.
Even though I live in Europe, I ordered it from their website (it did cost me: ~$70 (with taxes and all)).

ATa

[yin26]

Gettysburg is a brilliant game! It's one of the VERY few RTS that makes simply massing a bunch of troops in a cluster attack a non-viable tactic. With the addition of terrain defense factors and well-implemented morale and flanking rules, it's truly a thinking man's RTS. Of course, the subject matter and relatively bare-bones approach might not appeal to many people, but the mechanics are stellar.

The only game from Sid that even remotely failed to impress was Covert Action. In fact, based on that experience, Sid coined his "Covert Action Rule": It's better to have one good game than two great ones.

You see, in Covert Action, there were two great "games" (same game, but it switched between two styles throughout) packed into one title--which ended up detracting from a coherent focus.

Since then, Sid has advocated making games with a clear focus in concept and presentation...all in the name of FUN. Complexity means little if the game is confusing and/or not fun.

So goes the company motto. Pretty successful so far...
[This message has been edited by yin26 (edited March 31, 2000).]

[Urban Ranger]

Being the lead designer of Civ3 is a tall order. Simply the fact that the person will be invaribly compared with Sid and Brian is a tremendous mental pressure. Then there is the need to make a better Civ. You get the picture...