GRAPHICS (ver1.0): Hosted by Evil Conquerer

[LordStone1]

Why not have 2-D graphics for units that LOOK 3-D. Painters have been making 2-D canvases look 3-D for 500 years, why can't we. Just deftly use the power of light and shadow to make the unit look 3-d. This would kill two birds with one stone: making the units look 3d AND speeding up the interface.

By the way, EnochF, I LOVE your idea. As I recall, SMAC was going to do something like this, putting faction-specific graphics. They ditched it almost at the last minute. I don't know why. One thing: it'd probably take up some memory. Oh, and I hope you're not considering putting those age-specific fonts for city names ON the map...I wouldn't want to see hieroglyphic fonts under London or Paris or whatever - stick with the same font on the map - but for decoration purposes, it's a great idea.

Then again, it would be a bit jarring to suddenly see a new design the next turn...how about some gradual transition? Like a fade in-fade out?

[Darkstar]

I've said it before, and I will say it again...

3D Globe

I want to see CivIII in Popolous III's Round 3D Globe. They implemented it well, with Terrain height and various building and people and whatnot. I like being able to zoom in and out, and navigate the world as I choose. I found the lack in SMAC to rotate VERY irritating, and the 'Flattening' of the terrain was barely acceptable. SMAC's 2D Terrain is barely acceptable. If they aren't going to catch up with the new standard, they should go to at least a split dodecahedron system as found in Discovery Channel's Game Evolution and the old board War Game of Traveller/MegaTraveller Invasion Earth. This aren't new ideas, but make it possible to send units around poles and whatnot and the amount of area is less at the poles than the equator. Makes for a map that lends itself to globe view easily.

re: Water Animation - I don't see why this would be a problem. Using rotating palettes for water blues would give us water animations again. No biggie... As long as tile terrain builders remembered to add in water designated tones, they will get the animations. And the number of tile terrains for the various meetings of land/water isn't going to change because you have added water animation.


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-Darkstar
(Knight Errant Of Spam)

[Icedan]

The units drawn in Civ2 are actually drawn to look 3D, obviously. The units created in CtP, were made in a 3D program (Don't get these confused) The advantage of creating a drawing in a 3D program, is you can see all angles of the image. That is the only real difference. The other advantage is, its VERY easy to animate, and made to look good! And accurate!

Now, I understand, you probably would like to make your own units and put them into the game, well I don't see what the big problem would be, Surely it would be OK for Firaxis to implement that option, to use "own created units" into the game, the only draw back is the fact it won't look as good as the other units which are already in there.

[Icedan]

I agree with you DarkStarr, the only problem is being able to create your own terrain, (Which cannot be done in CtP.. )

But in Quake 2, you could make your own looking units, which are then masked around the body frame. So I guess that shouldnt be tooooo much of a problem.

[This message has been edited by Icedan (edited May 23, 1999).]

[evil conquerer]

Darkstarr: The round globe idea really belongs in the "radical ideas" thread. But in the meantime, I just want to point out that very many players, myself included, still use the numpad for movement. I found CivII and SMAC's mouse movement simply awkward. On a map that's a dodecahedron, a sphere composed of triangles, or whatever shape they come up with, it would be almost impossible to use the numpad for movement.

[Eggman]

I would like to see the monocolor shield that units had in Civ2 changed to a flag of some sort that is unique to the civilization. The Americans would get Stars and Stripes, the English get the Union Jack, etc. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a flag either; just a symbol that is instantly recognizeable (this would be key for ancient civs that don't have flags). It would add a very nice touch to the game and should be fairly simple to implement.

And I don't care if the graphics are identical to Civ2. I want gameplay and improved AI a whole lot more than pretty pictures.

And just as a mention about the maps, I like the idea of inaccurate maps early in the game. Ever seen some of those old maps? One I saw had the Americas upside down. Or how about the infamous ISLAND California.

Also, maps that change would be interesting. Waterways getting silted up, rivers changing directions, etc.

[Andy B]

A litel thought of mine is to have the villages looks based on what position they have on the earth. For exampel if they located close to one of the poles the should look like Iglos. And if they are close to whater that should also affect the look.

[Fugi the Great]

I was playing a little CTP on Sunday, and finally noticed something. I had just built my first Warwalker, and when I told it to go from a far northern hemisphere city to a far southern hemisphere square to to join a Storm Marine, to be transferred there via a Maglev track, I noticed that at the bottom of the screen, it said that the unit was already there in that square, it would just take another minute or so to get there going boom-boom-boom all the way there due to the animating of the unit. It was kind of neat, even if time consuming. It would have been nice to have a way to hurry up the movement of that unit.

Then an idea hit me, what if you would make the units for Civ3 in true animated 3D, but at the touch of a botton or key, the animated image freezes in the position it is in, changes to a bitmap image or whatever and zips along the rest of the way to where it is going. This idea should work for both types of people, those that like watching animated images, and the ones that want to stop wasting time watching animations and want to get back to playing. I really have to agree that the unit animations in CTP are quite cute, but they do get boring if the unit has to go too far.

This then allows another idea I was throwing around in my head, an expanded unit designer something like they did in SMAC. This would then satify me about getting to use the units I really wanted to add to Civ2. You would need a lot more types of chassis, capable of more options than SMAC, but you could then get exactly what you want and see what the unit looks like close up before it miniturizes to 3/4" on the map. Example: Start with tracked tank chassis, armor is steel grade 3, add reactive armor, turret gets two main guns both are 135mm standard with automatic loader - good punch twice as fast with less people, add M93 machine gun - for ground troops, add QPW23 missile launcher - for air defence, add AGC123 rocket launcher - long range artillery, add laser range finder - for better accuracy, diesel engine mod 2 - more range and more speed, add AG-63 mine sweeper, and hazard environment module mod 3 - chemical and radiation protection. Total price: 3692 credits each. If you purchase 10 or more, the price is only 3521 credits.

[Fugi the Great]

I was playing a little CTP on Sunday, and finally noticed something. I had just built my first Warwalker, and when I told it to go from a far northern hemisphere city to a far southern hemisphere square to to join a Storm Marine, to be transferred there via a Maglev track, I noticed that at the bottom of the screen, it said that the unit was already there in that square, it would just take another minute or so to get there going boom-boom-boom all the way there due to the animating of the unit. It was kind of neat, even if time consuming. It would have been nice to have a way to hurry up the movement of that unit.

Then an idea hit me, what if you would make the units for Civ3 in true animated 3D, but at the touch of a botton or key, the animated image freezes in the position it is in, changes to a bitmap image or whatever and zips along the rest of the way to where it is going. This idea should work for both types of people, those that like watching animated images, and the ones that want to stop wasting time watching animations and want to get back to playing. I really have to agree that the unit animations in CTP are quite cute, but they do get boring if the unit has to go too far.

This then allows another idea I was throwing around in my head, an expanded unit designer something like they did in SMAC. This would then satify me about getting to use the units I really wanted to add to Civ2. You would need a lot more types of chassis, capable of more options than SMAC, but you could then get exactly what you want and see what the unit looks like close up before it miniturizes to 3/4" on the map. Example: Start with tracked tank chassis, armor is steel grade 3, add reactive armor, turret gets two main guns both are 135mm standard with automatic loader - good punch twice as fast with less people, add M93 machine gun - for ground troops, add QPW23 missile launcher - for air defence, add AGC123 rocket launcher - long range artillery, add laser range finder - for better accuracy, diesel engine mod 2 - more range and more speed, add AG-63 mine sweeper, and hazard environment module mod 3 - chemical and radiation protection. Total price: 3692 credits each. If you purchase 10 or more, the price is only 3521 credits.

[Icedan]

Andy B has it the spot!!!

It would be rediculous not to do what he has suggested!

I never thought of that, how can you have mud and sticks for a hut, in the snow?

Really, buildings should be built with what resources are availble in the area!! and THEN design of the buildings come in!

Oh and the flags idea, brilliant! add some flavour, power and pride to the game!!

And maybe the armies can carry the flags aswell?

I can imagine that, playing in a 3d world, and then over the hills from your view, an army of legions comes over, but the first thing you see is the Roman Flag waving in the wind, and suddenly you feel afraid.

Such interaction!

[Depp]

http://www.lionhead.co.uk/shocked/lionhead.html

check out Black and White, that´s the kind of graphics we want, just on a different scale

An by the time this game comes out everybody will be able to run fat graphics for sure

[Icedan]

Depp, I saw that game a few weeks ago, aswell, thats what got me going on the 3D idea on Civ3.

So surely its possible.

[Icedan]

By the way, who in here is a Graphic artist?

[Andy B]

Many have said that they want the throneroom back. But I suggest that as in Civ1 we use a palace instead. And when you view the capital you will see the improvements on the palace.

[don Don]

Count me as a vote for fast "isometric" 2D graphics over sluggish overdone graphics any day