Computer Gaming World CIVIII preview

[Dan Magaha FIRAXIS]

If you were quick, you might have noticed that I alluded to this (magazine features) in an earlier thread. We were told the CGW issue would hit newsstands towards the end of April, so this is quite a surprise =)

If you've got it now, all the better for you. For those of you frothing at the mouth for screenshots, this will probably just whet your appetite, but nonetheless it should be worth the cover price.

Re: the quality of the screenshots: you're talking about images that were about 1.5" big in the magazine, then scanned in and blown up, so naturally they aren't going to look that great. =) I'm not sure if we're going to wait until the CGW issue hits the streets officially before we release screenshots or not, I'll let you know either way.

It's also worth stating just for the record that there is still a lot that needs to be put into the game, and things are changing all the time, so the standard disclaimer ("this product is in development and may look differently when it's finished") is very much in force.

Anyway, hopefully this has put to rest some of your fears about the game. As I've said for some time now, I think this game is going to be the best Civ game ever.


Dan Magaha
Firaxis Games, Inc.

[Shadowstrike]

The screenshots are amazing. Hands down. The only thing is that the units are a bit small, but that could mean a different combat system. It would be neat if we could actually see the little guys duke it out, as long as that didn't distract the player too much. The isometric view has stayed, and it looks pretty good. Knowing how much the graphics can change in a work like this, I'd say that this game will do well. (I remember seeing the preview for SMAC and thinking "OMG, this looks horrible!", and then when I actually bought the game I was thinking "Amazing!")

Some Questions:

Is the city background on the page with the title "Extra Dimensions of CIVILIZATION" the new city view?

Will the 3-D map (a la SMAC) return?

Will the city radius grow?

[Zanzin]

quote: Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS on 03-27-2001 10:43 PM As I've said for some time now, I think this game is going to be the best Civ game ever. Dan Magaha Firaxis Games, Inc.

Don't worry Dan, we never doughted you!

[yin26]

quote: My concern is that nobody has said anything negative yet.

Actually, I did. But I'll make it clearer:

I am NOT impressed with these screens at all. They look worse than Civ2 if you ask me. Of course, I am banking on two things:

1. A blown-up scanned image distorting things.
2. These are still shots of a alpha or early beta at best.

I can only imagine that the graphics will be much improved over what we see here or the let-down will be severe. And anybody who's played these sorts of games knows that those pretty units you see in their full glory on a website don't look nearly as impressive when shrunk down and pasted on the actual playing field.

So I'll reiterate amidst all these over-excited posts that I see nothing here to be so excited about. I do believe, however, this is just an ulgy first showing.

(...some of the gameplay elements sounds promising, though, which is more than half the battle...)
[This message has been edited by yin26 (edited March 28, 2001).]

[GaryGuanine]

I don't care about the graphics. It could look like the old Avalon Hill boardgame, for all I care, as long as we get the great Sid game play. The ideas there sound great. We're all debating things heavily in other threads, but we all know that whatever we suggest will pale in comparison to the beauty of the design in the end. When has Sid ever disappointed?

Gary

[Zanzin]

Good point Gary )

[Sparky]

Thanks Shuttles.

I think they look alright. Reminds me of CTP. I don't see the 3D terrain I heard about, but I don't terribly mind. The city view concerns me the most: most of the screen is the city and countryside, in other words a pretty, but not utilitarian view. All the info is in small boxes at eh bottom. This is very different than Civ 1 and 2, and more like SMAC. I'm worried, though, that Civ 3 is set up to have the same problem civ 1 and 2 did: highlighting garrisson. In both predecessors, if you had too many units in a city, you could only select the first 15 or so. The garrisson menu ignored the rest of them (I actually think TOT fixed this). But if you look at Civ 3's garrisson list in the lower left of the city screen, it looks awfully small...

[Henrik]

quote: Originally posted by shuttleswo on 03-27-2001 05:33 PM http:\\webpages.ursinus.edu\jshuttlesworth

The link isn't working

[yin26]

Actually, I thought that Gettysburg! looked pretty damn good AND had Sid's stellar gameplay. I expect no less from Civ 3...as in, would be very disappointed otherwise.

[Kull]

quote: Originally posted by yin26 on 03-28-2001 12:00 AM I am NOT impressed with these screens at all. They look worse than Civ2 if you ask me.

Yin26: Perhaps this will assuage some of your fears: (From CGW)

"The moment Firaxis inked the deal with Hasbro, Meier and his design team started playing Civ3. They replaced the art assets of Alpha Centauri with crude Civ-style placeholders, and modified the rules to reflect their design decisons for this new game."

To me, this means that the terrain is probably going to see some additional evolution. If you noticed, the terrain shot in cgw1.gif includes those funky half-moon symbols that identify grassland w/shield. I'd be surprised if those survive into Civ3.

Raingon: Culture will have several attributes, but the most significant seems to involve assimilation of conquered cities. If your civ doesn't have a cosmopolitan world view, the unhappiness penalties will kill you! This will quell all the Alexander-types who devote all their resources to the military and go for all-out conquest. Their empires will collapse in rebellion!

the diploamt: Look more closely at the screen. It looks like the heads on the left are advisors! And I'm pretty sure they offer city-specific advice.

One other interesting comment:

"Even the long-standing tradition of random barbarian attacks has been tweaked. The unwashed hordes now have encampments on the map. Destroy one and they will reappear where the fog of war is in place"

[GaryGuanine]

Cool about the barbarians. I love the barbarians in Civ2. I always played with them on the highest setting. Those SMAC mindworms were retarded, but I love the barbarians! I hope "Raging Hordes" means even more in Civ3!

Gary

[Kull]

Henrik: Copy the link directly into your browser. It didn't work for me either when I just clicked it. You could also try these:

1) Terrain

2) City View

3) Military Advisor

4) City Management
[This message has been edited by Kull (edited March 28, 2001).]

[yin26]

Kull:

That's what it looks like to me, too. Mainly crude placeholders while they figure out the gameplay elements. I can't believe all this excitement over alpha graphics! My lord...

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by yin26 on 03-27-2001 07:50 PM Well, the screenshots still look awfully rough. I can see why Dan wouldn't rush to post them. Encouraging, however.

actually, seeing early images would be great for both us,cause we all love seeing screenshots , and firaxis, cause it would show all the big improvments that are beeing done from the first stages to the finishing of the development...

[Kull]

Here's one specific nugget of info on Diplomacy:

"Civ3 sports some nice improvements here that make negotiations more conversational and grant you more latitude, such as the right to deny enemy units passage on your roads."

As if Sid needs us to lionize him further, there's this:

"For Meier, playing a game is the most critical aspect of its design. Without it, he argues, the original classic would never have attained its lofty status. It's dogma at Firaxis -- everyone plays as much as possible. People talk, revisions are made, and they play some more."

I assume Dan Magaha could speak in greater depth on that subject, eh Dan?

This next paragraph is one we would all do well to remember:

"For this reason, many of the design elements are still in flux, which means that some of what you are reading about will be tweaked, changed, or even absent. Civilizations may or may not have inherent advantages. Ditto for the special units in the game. The American F-16 or the Roman Legion may have special powers, but not if Firaxis feels it unbalances the game."