Preview: Day 6 & 7

[MarkG]

screens posted, texts coming up
http://apolyton.net/ctp2/screenshots/screens4.shtml
http://apolyton.net/ctp2/screenshots/screens5.shtml

[MarkG]

Day Seven
Editor Documentation, Editor Experiences, Map Sizes/World Map, Diplomacy: The Friendly Side, Diplomacy: The Ugly Side, Diplomacy: Treaties Read

Day Six
The Impossible Medium Game, Reply to Ralf, Reply to Slingshot Read

[Dauphin]

Mark

You really are dedicated, staying up until past 3am just to give us these previews... whereas I only have to stay up 'til 1am to read them.

[Lancer]

Well I just can't wait...but I guess I have to do just that. The diplomacy aspect...alliances being the culmination of friendly treaties built over time. It seems we've been waiting ages for this. Any sign of allied civs growing nasty over time as in Civ 2? Although the way our friendly neighborhood Brits treat the good ol' USA here at Apolyton I'm begining to wonder if Civ didn't model it right after all. That said, I've actually been dumped by more allies now than girl friends...and that's getting WAY out of line!

Mark, does adding additional civs seem to impact the new diplomacy aspects? If each AI civ has to maintain info on every other civ, does this go kaput when civs are added beyond the limit?

Also, do units gaurding borders (out of cities) create unhappy citizens? I don't recall how it was in CTP 1, but it always seemed to me that there are more problems raised by having the military in cities than otherwise...at least in governments other than monarchy, or perhaps communism....Prague Spring comes to mind. That made the citizens umm, 'happy'.

[Slingshot]

Thank you for your hard work, Mark.

So are you now practially an Activision employee? I see that their CTP2 website gives you a lot of ink.

- Certainly you must find yourself formatting the same diplomatic options. I could see myself playing the stoic researcher who wants to be left alone. How many options would such a player have? Have you noticed actions from the AI's that are consistent with their long character descriptions (e.g. thoughtful warmonger blah blah blah?)

- Is it true that Activision lets its employees wear jeans on Fridays?

- Nice to hear that they've changed the actions of the settler unit. But what about movement? Some people said that CTP1 gave them a sore mouse-hand. The best part about CivII was the ability to use the keyboard without remapping everything. Is CTP2 build primarily for the mouse or the keyboard?

- Certainly you must have your favourite wonders picked out already. In Civ II I always went for the pyramids. There must also be some wonders that seem useless by now.

- So have you met the Actigrammer who put together the music yet? It would be great to know if such a creative soul also has a website full of other music tracks.

- How many music tracks do you have in total?

- Sounds like the gov't thing is a little different than CTP1. That's good!

- What is your favourite strategy so far? Does this have anything to do with the fact you haven't seen to many stealth units? Exactly what did you mean when you posted the graphic with a caption saying "finally, diplomatic efforts pay off!"?

- Say 'Hi' to Mr. Ogre for me next time you walk past his office. Tell him to say 'Hi' to his cat, the Goblin.

[Nemo]

there is very little critical feedback. what is wrong with the game? or are there any changes that YOU personally dont like since CTP I? i find it hard to believe that it is all as good as is said. even when Civ II came out, there were negative issues that it created (i.e. no end world preview, or the throne room vs castle screen) so, what is wrong and/or personal dislikes since CTP I (even compared to civ2 or smac).

------------------
"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."
-Michael Sinz

[Pyaray]

quote: Originally posted by Slingshot on 11-13-2000 09:08 PM - Is it true that Activision lets its employees wear jeans on Fridays?

"Lets"? Hmm.... I'm not sure I've ever been to Activision NOT wearing jeans, and that includes the interview.

quote: - Say 'Hi' to Mr. Ogre for me next time you walk past his office. Tell him to say 'Hi' to his cat, the Goblin.

It's "cats", plural. He has two.

Pyaray

[Eternal]

Nemo, it seems to me that it would be ungrateful to give a bad review before the game is out -this is a preview, that Activision let MarkG try out of the goodness of their hearts, and to whet our appetites. If there are a lot of flaws that he blasts them for, sales on the first week could be kinda bad and we may not get these previews when other games are on the way.

[Nemo]

eternal: a preview would give a balanced and unbiased view of a product. what you are suggesting is that mark is not giving a preview, but propoganda. who wants propoganda??? propoganda is evil - look at history. i want a fare judgement, which includes BAD AND GOOD, not just one or the other.
if mark gives an unrealistic review, then less people would care to hear what Mark has to say, thus leaving the site. in turn activision would still not give out a preview in teh future, since no one would be listening to mark. if, however, mark gives an accurate view, then the people will return to this site. and as long as people will come to this site, the gaming co. will still support the site too, because that is where their clientel is.

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by Nemo on 11-13-2000 10:34 PM there is very little critical feedback. what is wrong with the game? or are there any changes that YOU personally dont like since CTP I? i find it hard to believe that it is all as good as is said.

i'm sorry if you find as many bad stuff as you would like/expect to see. wait for the complete preview, which will be done before the release of the game


btw, so far you have read 3.5 "weekend" previews on apolyton and they are not even the half of an "apolyton" preview....

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by Eternal on 11-14-2000 12:46 AM it seems to me that it would be ungrateful to give a bad review before the game is out

i'm not doing anyone any favors here eternal. i have a 3-days-before-gold version of the game and i consider it to be the same thing as the released.

[MarkG]

perhaps, nemo, you have a problem with my writing style. let me give an example:
i wrote yesterday

quote: There is currently no readme for the map/editor. It seems that there wont be anything "in the box" as well.

if you expect me to make an analysis why this is bad, i dont have the time. i have to move on to cover more things. the game is huge and i dont have one whole month as i had with ctp1. i'm writing what i see, make your own conclusions

[Tiberius]

Markos, still no Great Library link when you have to chose a new Advance to research? Or is it possible through the Goal button?

[MarkG]

quote: Originally posted by Tiberius on 11-14-2000 04:23 AM Markos, still no Great Library link when you have to chose a new Advance to research? Or is it possible through the Goal button?

see this http://apolyton.net/ctp2/images/view...y6-science.jpg

[Tiberius]

Markos, I saw it, that's why I asked. Maybe I'm dumb, but I still don't get it.
The Science manager looks good, but in the very moment when your scientists make a discovery and ask you what should be the next project (the screen in the upper-right corner of the screenshot) is there any possibility to consult the Great Library? Is there a possibility to find out what nationalism is, but not earlier or later, but in that very moment, when I have to chose! Or does the Science manager pop up in such a moment? If yes, then my question is pointless and dumb

I saw that there is a button, called "Change research". Does it mean that you can change the research objective even between discoveries (We have dicovered 50% of nationalism, but from now I want to focus on chemistry)? Is that right? Do you receive penalties for doing so?