Poll #1: REAL TIME OR TURN BASED?

[MarkG]

poll ended, see the results on the bottom of the thread
[This message has been edited by MarkG (edited January 30, 2000).]

[Eggman]

Whatever works is fine by me.

However, having some sort of real time elements could be incredibly cool. It would give the player a little less control over his beasties which would make sense considering the general intelligence of dinosaurs. It would also add a new challenge - total micromanagement of the units would be impossible.

[Jeje2]

I might be totally wrong but let's try.

How was the engine built in Sid Meier´s Gettysburg? (It was Sid´s game) I haven´t played SMG, so is there anyone who can tell.
IIRC it has some sort of RT.

Jeje2

[Stefu]

Well, you controlled the fraction of army you had for use in each part of the battle. Smallest unit was regiment, towhich you could issue orders like advance, hold, skirmish line, charge, and so on. You could also, of course, have it move to some location. If it saw enemy, it would face it and shoot at it. Regiments made up brigades, which could be given some commands as one, mainly they could move as a front. To this purposes were their commanders used. Having commander nearby also helped to improve unit morale, which was also improved by things like unbroken line. Unit morale was what stopped unit from panicking and becoming routed. Gettysburg was great fun, as to win you had to take care of formations and such, you had to learn when to charge and how to stop a charge, how to flank, and so on, but I highly doubt that it would fit in Dinosaurs game, as great dinosaur formations were rare to exist.

[Atahualpa]

Besides SMG (Sid Meiers bGettysburg) is real-time all the time. However you could pause the game, then give your regiments/brigades new commands, unpause and see the effect. This was quite helpful.

Btw, I voted "not sure". I dont really know.

Ata

[AnnC]

Turn-based, no question.

[VetLegion]

Real time. Not even sid can take civ out. It is out of control

[Dtman85]

I'd like it to be Turn-based myself, but it Should have some real-time in it. One of the factors of power in the dinosaurs is your speed, if I'm not mistaken. I dunno.

I just think if you're going to have a battle with dino's it would have to be real-time...t-b dino battles would stink like rotten fish (i.e. the dino scen. in civ2 mge). I think TB game with RT battles would be cool, or a RT with TB elements in it.

Dan Frampton

[Vanguard]

Yeah, I just don't see what they can do with turn based combat. What, are the dinosaurs going to bump into one another and then lose hit points until one of them dies, like in Civ? That would be a stupid waste of your prehistoric setting. You'd lose any sense of immersion and be constantly jerked back to reality by the mechanics of the game system.

I want to see dinosaurs running around the plains like something out of Jurassic Park. I want to see dinosaur battles like something out of a Ray Harryhausen film. Okay, so the actual mechanics of combat will be the same as turn based. But the fights will be interesting to watch. And you will sort of feel like you are visiting the distant past.

Turn based is fine for Civ3. But if you make D! just Civilization with dinosuars, then it will just be.....well, Civilization with dinosaurs.
[This message has been edited by Vanguard (edited December 23, 1999).]

[Biddles]

The unrealistic combat could be overcome by Lords of the realm style combat. This is where when you bump into the other army you take over combat in real time, which can also be auto calculated. This would satisfy both real timers and turn baseders, although it would get a bit tedious after a while.


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- Biddles

"Now that our life-support systems are utilising the new Windows 2027 OS, we don't have to worry about anythi......."
Mars Colonizer Mission

[ProvostB]

HAS TO BE RTS.
PERIOD.

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[Cam]

(Sarcastic comment removed - it's Christmas afterall)

[This message has been edited by Cam (edited December 25, 1999).]

[St Leo]

I want a WEGO TB system where the turns are simultaneous for all sides and the orders are carried out between turns. I fail to see the need for combat in this game other than an interesting variant of hunting.:-)

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St. Leo
http://ziggurat.sidgames.com/
http://www.sidgames.com/forums/

[Phoenix]

I think the basic game should be turn based. Real Time Combat should be optional because many people play civ because they hate fighting games. Of course if this isn't going to be a civ game....then why the heck is it part of the civ trilogy?

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Use just once, then destroy. Invasion of our piracy. Afterbith of a nation, starve without your skeletal key. I love you for what I have not. I do not want what I have got. Blanket acne'd with cigarette burns. Speak at once stop taking turns. What is wrong with me? What is what I need?

[TEymann]

WAIT! Did you say Dinosaurs AND real time? We are talking about millions of years here. Before deciding, I would like to have a rough estimate on the time scale conversion... If I got the first rumors right, the game covers themes of evolution in living beings. RT would then mean 1 Mio. years per second. Talking about micromanagement of units - forget it! In that case, I'd consider management in a very abstract, god-like sense, like in the Popolous game. I think it is too early yet to give opinions on RT vs. TB.

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