Civ3 and Sim Golf: Mortal Enemies?

[yin26]

More than 1/3 of the staff on Sim Golf! I rest my case.

[tniem]

quote: Originally posted by yin26 on 05-11-2001 07:09 PM More than 1/3 of the staff on Sim Golf! I rest my case.

But when does too many people on the same project actually detract from the work that is getting done. Obviously adding people to the staff should improve quality and reduce the time it takes for the game to be released, but eventually the benefits are reduced and negated by extra workers on the staff. So if the 1/3 of the staff on Sim Golf were to move back to Civ III, would it help make the game better? I don't believe it would. In fact it would probably slow down production time. I would have to think Firaxis has the proper number of workers dedicating their lives to Civ III (now whether or not Sid should be involved is another story entirely).

[yin26]

Yes, moving people around in mid-project can often do more harm than good, which is another reason I can't understand why Firaxis wouldn't do one game at a time? Even if that's Sim Golf, do THAT one with everybody you've got (certainly if you manage it right from the start, more people can get more done...otherwise you hired the wrong people). It might well be that Firaxis has over-hired and NEEDS to be doing two games at once. Obviously not a good road to walk.

[tniem]

Fact: Sid has been programming games for about 20 years now.

Recently, I have been messing around with C++ after I got a copy from a friend. After purchasing a book to figure the stuff out, I have learned that it is very different from the Visual Basic that I have had some classes in college to learn. Now, what I am wondering is how has Sid been able to consistently learn the newest languages and code to that specification?

It would seem eventually that you couldn't stay on the cutting edge of design and code especially when with every new game you have to relearn how to design things. Eventually then it would seem to make sense to me that a programmer would turn to new people to have their ideas come to life. Take more of a hands off position and let people under you do the actual programming. I think this is what has happened to Sid.

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by yin26 on 05-11-2001 07:09 PM More than 1/3 of the staff on Sim Golf! I rest my case.

eeer who says that 20 is not the number that is needed at this stage?

[yin26]

You could be right, of course. That means when one game is finished, however, what will the others do? What I'm talking about is pressure on them to HAVE to keep making two games at once or fire some people.

IT'S SIMPLE: They should have kept the team smaller, put all the savings back into themselves, and focussed on Civ 3 to make it the best damn game ever.

[ancient]

i dont like this either.. i mean sure its a big company.. and sure maybe Meier doesnt want to work on civ3... but what exactly do they think making two games at the same time which will compete with each-other is going to get them? it would be better to make civ3 first since it has the largest fan base of about pretty much any game ever made and then do sids little golf game..

[MarkG]

two things:

1) what's wrong with the simgold people moving to another project? firaxis has been a 2-game company for some time now: when smac started, gettysburg was at it's late stages, and when smac was being released, sid had been working on his dinos with a small team for a long time before

2) we dont know exactly what kind of people are included in those numbers. does "20" cover pr or marketing or the web? perhaps, yes, perhaps not. we also dont know how many people from maxis are working on simgolf


btw, if firaxis could get some of the maxis artists(no offence meant to current firaxis employees) for the city graphics(especially), it would be interesting

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by ancient on 05-12-2001 06:56 AM two games ... which will compete with each

first of all, it's not hard for me to see civ3 coming out 6 months after simgolf

second, how will an real-time golf course manager compete with an empire building turn-based strategy game?

[yin26]

Yes, but Markos, we were waiting for a Civil War game and SMAC! What are we waiting for now? A curiously vague Civ3 and....SIM GOLF! Let me repeat that last part: SIM GOLF!!!!

Any staff member put on that project is one too many for me since I will never buy the game and (to your poll) would never visit the forum here if you had one.

Will it make money and not hurt Civ 3 in any way? Hell, I'll even grant that. It just burns me to no end knowing that Sid is doing a Golf game when Civ 3 is still on-going. And it also burns me that Sid is going to release a game I won't play. Yes, that's likely the source of most of my posting about this.

Ah, well, time will tell I suppose.

[yin26]

By the way, using the Maxis artists looks like a damn good idea. Also, let the Maxis people do all the PR work for Civ 3. In fact, why not just let Maxis do Civ 3?
[This message has been edited by yin26 (edited May 12, 2001).]

[ancient]

of course theyll compete with each other all games do realy but i imagined them being 3-4 months apart..

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by yin26 on 05-12-2001 07:45 AM And it also burns me that Sid is going to release a game I won't play.

well, he's a bit older now, and instead of dreaming of ancient civilizations that stand the test of time, he dreams of the greatest golf courses in the world!! but that's life!

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by yin26 on 05-12-2001 07:49 AM By the way, using the Maxis artists looks like a damn good idea. Also, let the Maxis people do all the PR work for Civ 3. In fact, why not just let Maxis do Civ 3?

Sid Meier's SimCiv 3?

[ancient]

quote: Originally posted by yin26 on 05-12-2001 07:45 AM And it also burns me that Sid is going to release a game I won't play. Yes, that's likely the source of most of my posting about this.

thats one of my problems i dont have a job (im only 15) and i dont take money from my parents (no allowance or anything like that) so i would have a hard time getting both so, of course id be getting civ3 and golf cause golf is usually boring anyways maybe your own golf resort could be fun .. especially if its like RailRoad Tycoon... so i probably wont ever play sim golf unless they release a demo.. but i probably wont be missing much..

But what im really look forward to is Sid Meier's SimBird