The Civ 3 High Council?

[Christantine The Great]

The High Council should be depicted in movies because remember that everybody who is buying this game is not going to be the elite, I-Know-Everything, Civ I and II owning people some of us are. (Not hinting at anybody) Some people are going to be first timers who think the name and cover look cool or the people who must own every top ten game since 1999. They won't know what a typed report saying that you should increase the money to the science bar without hurting the luxury bar is. They need a stupid looking guy in a funny costume saying "you better not touch that pal..." in the form of a movie because what better way is there to learn than by seeing. And there should be the wonderful and useful ON/OFF switch for us elite, I-Know-Everything, Civ I and II owning group we are who would rather see a boring printout telling us what we can do with our money.

BTW: If Firaxis does use movies, which I am sure they will, they should make the arguments between the council members a little hotter and stimulating.

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"Adorare Christantine!!!"
Republican Decree #1

[phunny pharmer]

Evil Capitalist: I agree. Most of the acted movies in Tiberian Sun (including GDI and Nod) were not good. However, some of the computer generated ones were interesting.

Let's face it: if Firaxis puts movies on the CD, how long will you watch them. How many times did you watch the pyramids movie? I mean, after you built the pyramids for the fourth game, didn't you just click or hit escape or just get rid of the movie? Or did you watch it every single time?

I think that movies in games are simply the effect of companies trying to improve their graphics ratings. Graphics (and thus, the movies) may make the difference between a 4 star and a 4.5 star game. Basically, I think the company would simply be pandering to a bunch of magazine writers who play the game for ten minutes. Look at the boxcover for any game, and see how many of the shots from 'gameplay' were from some sort of movie.

However, we resolute civvers (I believe that everyone in this forum must have logged over five hundred civ hours) don't care about the magazine writers. Most of us will buy civ3 because we are expecting a better AI, or better multiplayer, or better gameplay. We aren't generally looking for graphics; instead, we are looking for something useful so that we can beat up on our friends/buddies/etc.

In my opinion, I think that graphics should be one of Firaxis's lowest priority. Of course, from a business standpoint, that won't happen. However, the less time Firaxis spends on the production of new graphics and the more time Firaxis spends on other issues, the better the game will be.

[CornMaster]

I thought the movies were cute for the first few months with the game and then I realized that hey.... I could play a game a lot faster if I didn't have to watch these repetive movies. Do that stupid throne room!! (Bring back the castle from Civ 1!!!) And a few other things like instant advice, tutorial help, civilopedia, hearlds, etc. The game is so much faster now, and I'm able to enjoy it more.

But, and there is always a but, first time players will have a problem getting the idea and may be turned off by it's strict gameplay without these few luxeries. I for one will turn them off as will most Apolytoner's, I think, but they should be included.

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"I'm too out of shape for a long fight so I'll have to kill you fast"
"If the great Emperors of Rome, Egypt and Greece were alive today, do you think they would prefer Coke or Pepsi?"

[UltraSonix]

Hehe, how about a different approach to movies altogether - get rid of most of 'em.

BUT have an alternative:
I suggested in Country and Towns that there should be !purely decroative! settlements/suburbs in the squares surrounding cities. This can be extended further so that if you "are revolting" (civ2 loved to say this dumb comment), then you see the settlements burn/look bad/riot etc. If you are building a physical-wonder/spaceship, then it'll be visible on the map, and you'll be able to see it finish. If a town is happy, you see the city decorated with banner, and tiny people being happy. Perhaps to see all this, the game will zoom in for a while (yeah! - that's a good idea - say if you build the human genome project, then the game will slowly to the city, then to the building, and the a scientist saying "Eureka!" or something - it'll look cool).

But of course, there'll be a movie for some things - like conquering you enemies.

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No, in Australia we don't live with kangaroos and koalas in our backyards...

[Par4]

OMG I was being sarcastic WW hired Kari Wuher(see hot red head) to be in RA2!!! I don't like the movies either they suck hoy!!

man you people take stuff way too literally!!

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King Par4!!

There is no spoon
-The Matrix
Let's kick it up a notch!!
-Emeril Lagasse
Fresh Soy makes Tofu so silky
-Ming Tsai
[This message has been edited by Par4 (edited July 24, 2000).]

[Evil Capitalist]

Animate the city view, a la the Industry screen in Imperialism. Bustling markets, smoking factories, moving traffic. It would make the game more involving.

[raingoon]

Okay, yes, there is a reason for the high council movies -- I can see them making the game easier for some of the uninitiated. But IF there be movies, let them, PLEASE, have high production value!!

Somebody mentioned the pyramids as a clip they turned off after awhile, but I'll confess. I STILL watch the pyramids movie. It has the great Egyptian-sounding ancient instrument, with a kind of reverb. IT's actually very cool and evocative.

It could be WAY better, as with the high council. If they're going to do the high council, they should at least do it right.

[Tiberius]

I completely agree with UltraSonix when he's saying:

quote: And if the ministers turn out to be dumb, then firaxis should remove them completely and just go back to having detailed reports. eg good economics reports, showing which area of your civ is sucking up your money, or having a list of all the buildings that cost more than 2 "dollars" to maintain.

First: Good reports.
Then: Wise ministers with good reports and advices (Not just that dumb "Oh, yeah!")
Necesarry: If they're going to do high council movies, they should do it right.
My wish: Beautiful, animated, 3D CityView, with awesome graphics and sound!

Generally: Make the game good, no, very-very good and fun, and AFTER THAT add some cool multimedia features.

And comm'on, in late 2001 or 2002 a game on 1 CD? It will be on DVD.

[Evil Capitalist]

quote: Originally posted by raingoon on 07-24-2000 03:51 AM I STILL watch the pyramids movie. It has the great Egyptian-sounding ancient instrument, with a kind of reverb. IT's actually very cool and evocative.

If we;'re admtting to this sort of thing, I still watch the following: King Richard's crusade, Adam Smith's TC, JSB's Cathedral and the woman's sufferage. But I could never stand ones like the Hanging Gardens or Darwin's voyage. IMHO the best civ series movie clip was the bit of the CTP intro with the German attack, but even that could have been a lot better (More like the Red Alert intro- now that was fantastic).

[DarkCloud]

Just get rid of the ministers and make the high council a COUNTRY REPORT report that looks like a newspaper such as one heading
TRADE ADVISOR REQUESTS MORE MARKETPLACES or MORE UNITS TO DEFEND CITY NEEDED, SAYS MILLITARY ADVISOR
This way you would save the space on the CD for videos.

[Ari Rahikkala]

quote: Originally posted by Evil Capitalist on 07-24-2000 02:53 AM Animate the city view, a la the Industry screen in Imperialism. Bustling markets, smoking factories, moving traffic. It would make the game more involving.

Problems with this:

Needs a helluva lot of optimization, civers hate things that just use their time (There was a discussion about time pace at another thread recently)
Can in the worst case look like a repulsive beehive.

Onwards to my opinion about the graphics:

Keep the city view simple and make sure that it is easy and quick to see the needed information from it.
Keep the council videos, don't care of culture. Just different videos for different governments, time periods and attitudes as before. And make sure that those people give good hints, but not perfect hints so that the player knows that they are not always right and doesn't take everybody's time in MP games .
Really, I would like to see my nazist science advisor telling about how the science proceeds well and hearing the screams on the background. And in facism the science advisor in his suit on a clinical environment.