Offical Civ III Webpage Updated!!

[SerapisIV]

The webpage has been updated!!! No pics, just an Ask the Team section.

Biggest new info...2 pop points per settler, 1 per worker. The idea is to limit the ICS strategy.

Also national border size are now connected to culture rating.

Besides this the rest of it just confirms the addition of SMAC innovations like seeing the "go to" command route a unit will take
[This message has been edited by SerapisIV (edited April 06, 2001).]

[The diplomat]

1 settler = 2 pop points !!

This sounds really interesting and so simple too. I think it will help fight ICS. If you want to build settlers, you will have to wait longer. Just building settlers without improving your city won't make much sense strategically anymore.

Is Sid really going to be an advisor in the game, or is it an "april fools" joke?

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No permanent enemies, no permanent friends.

[Dan Magaha FIRAXIS]

quote: Originally posted by The diplomat on 04-06-2001 04:04 PM 1 settler = 2 pop points !! This sounds really interesting and so simple too. I think it will help fight ICS. If you want to build settlers, you will have to wait longer. Just building settlers without improving your city won't make much sense strategically anymore. Is Sid really going to be an advisor in the game, or is it an "april fools" joke?

No joke! Sid really is one of the game's advisors.


Dan
Firaxis Games, Inc.

[The diplomat]

quote: Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS on 04-06-2001 05:09 PM No joke! Sid really is one of the game's advisors. Dan Firaxis Games, Inc.

COOL!

[Roman]

The news regarding the settler taking two population is exelent! I believe this kills ICS and at the same time does not kill city growth, which removing the city tile worker would have done. Congratulations, Firaxis - a very innovative solution.

BTW: Do new cities now start with 2 population, or still with population 1, but having a tile worker and a normal worker? (Of course, I know it makes little difference - ICS is dead anyway)

[EnochF]

I presume that this replaces the old system in Civ II, in which every Settler and Engineer had an unkeep cost in food.

If so, I agree with the decision absolutely. My feeling has always been that, once a group of Settlers leaves a city, it becomes entirely independent of the city and no longer relies on the city for food or resources.

If Settlers still have a food cost, well, I'm mildly miffed, but I'll get over it.

[bagdar]

You should be joking when you ask 'Is Sid in the Game?', because we know that already! The Science Advisor IS Sid, right? and Jeff Briggs is the military advisor as we saw in the CGW preview... And perhaps the winner of the 'your face in the game' contest is going to be an advisor... That is SID, and I am right, aren't I???

P.S. I'll send you a photo of mine and you'll render it into the guy who rides the elephant, ok?
[This message has been edited by bagdar (edited April 07, 2001).]

[Nikolai]

Finally! A new update! And the day is just soooooooo perfect!!!!

Guess why? April 6th is my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a present!!

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Who am I? What am I? Do we need Civ? Well....

[Henrik]

Hehe, last update (before this one) was on march 1, my birthday

[Henrik]

Double Post
[This message has been edited by Henrik (edited April 07, 2001).]

[dennis_caver]

Hi Civ folks,

Settlers - 2 Pop points
workers - 1 pop points

I understand the logic here but this is going to make the beginning
game very very slow(boring). No more running around terrorizing your
neighbor at the beginning. You just won't have the resources to build
offensive units. Lots of other strategies won't work at the beginning.
Also this will discourage new civ'ers. Young ones especially. "BORING"


I suggest a compromise. Make Settlers one pop and workers no pop
until a single city first reaches the transition size ... size 4? And
slow everything down after that with the 2+1 pop penalty on a per Nation
basis. Also it makes logical sense from the citizen stand-point. Small
established cities like to hold on to their population. This would
encourage lots of small cities at the start. The AI would also build
lots of small cities. It does this in Civ 2 depending on culture.

Another possible compromise would be to make these slow start games
occur only at the higher levels of difficulty.

At minimum it needs to be easily turned off. So it will be the first
thing I do after spending $50.

Cave til ya puke,

Dennis

[Ralf]

quote: Originally posted by SerapisIV on 04-06-2001 03:23 PM Biggest new info...2 pop points per settler, 1 per worker. The idea is to limit the ICS strategy.

Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective one. This idea together with some additional anti-ICS relaleted tweaks should really - if not exterminate, so at least "domesticate" ICS it into a very minor issue in Civ-3.

Well, perhaps ICS really IS exterminated. Any opinions?

[Ralf]

quote: Originally posted by dennis_caver on 04-07-2001 03:28 PM I suggest a compromise. Make Settlers one pop and workers no pop until a single city first reaches the transition size ... size 4?

I think its enough that they let each civ (including the human controlled one) start out with 2-3 settlers as default, instead of only 1-2 settlers as in Civ-2/SMAC.

The boring part in Civ-2 WAS the early beginning. You only produced 2-3 scouting warrios, then settler, settlers and still settlers - and some ancient wonders thrown in between. It was the same repetitios early game procedure each and every time. Until the whole basic 15-20 city empire-layout was completed. THEN one started to cultivate each city.

Talk about historically unrealistic - and also a rather boring strategy, although rather effective.

[The diplomat]

I don't think that the new rule will make the beginning too boring. Instead of cranking out settlers, the player will have to improve his city. In the begining of the game, the player will be able to concentrate more on that first city and exploration. Besides, all they need to do is give us 2 or 3 settlers to start.

I think that making the settler be 2 pop is a great thing. It is so simple but really ingenious. And, it will kill ICS which is the main thing. For me at least, ICS is the single worst thing about civ. So, I hope that it is fixed.

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No permanent enemies, no permanent friends.

[Ilkuul]

quote: Originally posted by Roman on 04-06-2001 05:35 PM Do new cities now start with 2 population, or still with population 1, but having a tile worker and a normal worker?

I don't understand this -- what do you mean, a "tile worker" and a "normal worker"? I thought the distinction Firaxis was making was between settlers and workers?