quote:![]() Raingoon, ...the discussion is: Should trade be the dominant factor from the beguine or not ? In according to the two threads about this issue they say yes it should, and I say not it shoundn't. What do you say ? ![]() |
I'm confused, what do you mean what do I say? I said:
quote:![]() Trade should be available in full force from the beginning of the game on... ![]() |
That means I say that trade should be available in full force from the beginning of the game on. Obviously it should potentially be the dominant factor, depending on how you use it. To that end, the others are right to suggest very intricate trade models. And by the same token, war should also be potentially dominant, and you might suggest intricate war models. Others certainly have. But I disagree with your argument that trade should be reigned in at the design stage. I disagree with the title of this thread -- Civ 3 is a trade game AND a war game. And this is a non-issue.
Why? We already know that the machinery of war is clearly available from the first turns in Civ 3. So, if you favor a war game, you should be very happy. On the other hand, this thread wants to say that the ability to build your nation through trade should be curtailed, or at the very least should not be emphasized. I totally disagree. And arguing about when trade was or was not influencial in world history is irrelevant. Who cares? If you want to force me into using trade or not at a certain point in the game, make a scenario mod. But don't argue against a game design that gives me more options simply because you think it would deviate from history. Deviating from history is part of the fun of Civ 3.
Civ is obviously a trade/war/exploration & diplomacy game. I am for more options in all those categories, while I am against arguing for less in any, which is what this thread does. I've reviewed the other threads this thread seems to refer to and I have to agree that arguing for more trade options is not detrimental to the fun of the game or the players ability to make war. There are some seriously flawed assumptions going around this topic that are interesting to discuss, nevertheless.
The most flawed assumption is the assumption that "restriction" means less options. In what I've seen suggested, for every restriction caused by some of these trade models there is in fact a gain. For instance, if a trade model made it harder for you to conduct war -- let's say it reduced your "tactical possibilities" by making some units unavailable to you. It may also makes your challenge more interesting and forces you to become creative with the units that are available to you. And if a hypothetical trade model increased the element of chance by randomly seeding the map with resources necessary to make war, it would also increase your motivation to go to war in order to compensate for drawing a weak hand. Does anybody seriously want to remove the element of chance from a game? Particularly this game, where the stakes are so clear? "Free form" is not a good thing in a civ game. If one thinks it is, one is not considering all the implications of "free form." Restrictions are far more liberating -- see the design and aesthetics of almost, well, anything...
[This message has been edited by raingoon (edited March 23, 2001).]
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