suggestions for next expansion/patch

[brianshapiro]

add to this , though i dont know if we could really expect another expansion, a list of small refinements to the already existing game , if theres no immediate plans for a new game

apart from obvious points like improvement in multiplayer,

. unit disbanding animation , probably kneeling and setting down weapons in case of ground units, so ti doesnt look as if you kill your units

. when starting from later eras, generation of cities units and terrain improvements for start , so the later eras dont begin by a single settling

. in place of of removing cultural flipping , massacres/revolts each turn where stationed units battle population until resistance or happiness is gained

. one thing i would like is keeping the old architecture of cities captured until there is new growth. firaxis probably considered this and rejected it though

[brianshapiro]

also i guess though no farms , have a railroaded square automatically replace irrigation graphics with farm graphics

[Odin]

Disasters, like in Civ1.

[Inverse Icarus]

how about we start with working multiplayer?

[Traelin]

Well if there isn't another (less buggy) XP, I'll be extremely disappointed. I'd even settle for an XP with one or two major bugs if it has what I want. I fully expect to see sweeping reforms of the U.N. and diplomacy, and there's no way this kind of stuff will be put into a patch.

[PLATO]

UN reform needed?? Hmm...Is this a touch of realism?? Seriously, I think that diplomacy still needs work. I also agree that the UN could be greatly expanded. What about a security council that reacts to excessive razing of cities for example??

[brianshapiro]

reaction to razing of cities -- like in Alpha Centauri ??!@.

[Dimension]

How about a small wonder that lets you design your own units? That was one of the coolest parts of AC. There's not exactly going to be a lot of variation in ancient times (I'll take the horse chassis and put the sword weapon on it), but it'd be nice to have different kinds of modern units.

Along those lines, it's a little weird that there really is no legitimate means of a modern air invasion, just because the chopper is so useless. It's just a bit of a letdown after having nerve gas choppers in SMAX and being able to air drop tanks.

They also really need to make espionage a more interesting facet of the game. I loved the way you could get by in AC with almost nothing but spies and enough cash to subvert units. I'm not saying this should be added to Civ3, but there has to be a middle ground somewhere.

Maybe I should just play SMAX instead, but I really like the Civ3 setting more than the sci-fi setting. Oh well.

[Traelin]

Originally posted by Dimension
How about a small wonder that lets you design your own units? That was one of the coolest parts of AC. There's not exactly going to be a lot of variation in ancient times (I'll take the horse chassis and put the sword weapon on it), but it'd be nice to have different kinds of modern units.

Yeah I always liked the unit workshop in SMAC, but I think Firaxis mentioned a long time ago that there was really no chance in including this in Civ3 or in an XP. I think it would be really cool, but that's just my opinion.

I still would argue that the best turn-based strategy game ever would be a combination of Civ3 and the best features of SMAC. Change the UN to function like the Planetary Council, and add all the diplomacy features of SMAC (plus a few more) and you'd have a ridiculously addictive game. The unit workshop would be nice too, but it's probably a pipe dream.

[Sinapus]

1. A "make peace with" option in diplomacy
2. Ability to hire units in the capital out as mercenaries, with renewal every 20 turns. (If not renewed, then *zoom* the unit goes back to the capital. Unrealistic movement, but can't think of any other way to return them.)
3. Give colonies ability to move one of the main resource types (food, shield or commerce) to any city connected by road (default is nearest) and don't have them disappear if in the cultural boundaries of a civ. If within a city radius, then that city's population cannot work on that square. (Yes, I liked the supply crawlers from SMAC.) Also, they don't grow like cities do. Consider them small towns that never really grow in population.
4. Worker project: build docks at cost of one worker. Allow it to be built in same square as colony for those 1 mountain islands that appear from time to time. Ships can't move into square with dock. (Or allow that, but give a high build time, say double that of a fortress, to represent digging the waterway in, and let them be linked so we can finally build canals connecting landlocked seas, etc.)
5. Offensive air superiority. Which basically is send a fighter into airspace where enemy fighters are in the current air superiority mode with the intent of drawing them into combat to destroy them. (This might be moddable, but haven't managed to playtest it.)
6. Air defense ability for units. To make mobile air defense units and give warships AA ability.

[Rusty Nail]

Civ3 should allow conversion of any SP game to hotseat and vice versa as was possible in civ2, so you can play any or all civs in a saved game. This was really a step backwards. Only the latter is possible now in civ3, and due to a bug when loading a hotseat game from a saved SP game. Even MP games should be included except when password protected.

[Theodrik]

In regicide games, rather than all the cities turning into rubble, how about they become "kingless" cities, generating barabaians? And with culture flipping, how about a 'civil war', with the garrisons fighting the population? I also like the merc idea listed above.

[Switch]

Originally posted by Theodrik
In regicide games, rather than all the cities turning into rubble, how about they become "kingless" cities, generating barabaians?

Although all of the cities should become size one with no improvements, to make it sorta fair...

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Dimension
Maybe I should just play SMAX instead, but I really like the Civ3 setting more than the sci-fi setting. Oh well.

You should because overall its ten times the game Civ3 will ever be (even after 3 more expansino packs )

[WarpStorm]

SMAX is great, but the AI was laughable.