Ask Sid Meier Your Questions

[Locutus]

Originally posted by MikeH
Are you sick of people asking you about SMAC2?

I don't know how many of the desperate clamorings by SMAC zealots actually manage to make it all the way up to the top of the chain of command of Firaxis, but I guess that would make for an interesting question

Originally posted by Nikolai
The rights is a three-way tie, but how difficult can it be to make a SMACesque game that goes around that?

That question's been asked already as well Whether it makes it on the final list remains to be seen (as we haven't made it yet), but we certainly won't dismiss it outright (I fear we'd have a rebellion on our hands if we don't bring up SMAC2 in some form or another )

[Joesocwork]

Originally posted by Dale
Strategy genre questions:

1. In the last ten years, strategy games have become extremely complex beasts, which is the often mentioned cause of the strategy genre fall to simpler genres such as FPS and arcade. Like Soren has spoken about in his recent interview with Gamasutra about how Spore will bring strategy back to the casual gamer, is CivRev your attempt to do the same thing?

As an administrator with a couple of the Sim City and Spore fansites and a big fan of the Civilization franchise I share the same concern as well:

How do you feel about current gamemaking trends that appear to be about softening up the games in order to attract newer and or younger players? Do you believe that it is possible to still innovate the games in a way that can attract the newer players to the satisfaction of corporate decision makers and yet maintain the loyalty of original fans who want the complexity, total immersion, and state of the art production values that they (we) are used to from Civilization and other classics?

(DanQ: I posted this earlier at CivFanatics too if that's okay.)

[DanQ]

Originally posted by Joesocwork
(DanQ: I posted this earlier at CivFanatics too if that's okay.)

No worries.

[PLATO]

How often do you play Civ?

What is your favorite era in a Civ game?

[Lorizael]

Sid, how do you respond to the allegations that you're actually a no-talent hack and that your wife Susan did most of the coding for Civ 1?

[Serb]

Red alert! red alert! Serb is speaking

[Serb]

The inital file was to big to attach so here comes another question:

[Harovan]

Happy Putin for Civ5 leader

[Darsnan]

Originally posted by Locutus
I don't know how many of the desperate clamorings by SMAC zealots blah blah blah......
I fear we'd have a rebellion on our hands if we don't bring up SMAC2 in some form or another

Yes, us "SMAC Zealots" have been known to nerve staple people in the past - sometimes I think Ming is still suffering from the side effects....

Anyhoo, question for Sid: what do you think the historical figures you've portayed in your Civ series would think if they knew they'd been incorporated into a game?


D

[DanQ]

All-Static Voicemail Received

Someone left a 21-second voicemail yesterday at 4:15AM EDT, presumably for this interview, but it was only static. There is no return telephone number or Skype username attached to it.

If you are the individual who left that message, please try again -- check your microphone settings including that it is plugged in and that any mute button on the mic itself is not in the "on" position.

[Maniac]

Re: All-Static Voicemail Received

Originally posted by DanQ
and that any mute button on the mic itself is not in the "on" position.

[Jeje2]

Re: All-Static Voicemail Received

Originally posted by DanQ
Someone left a 21-second voicemail yesterday at 4:15AM EDT, presumably for this interview, but it was only static. There is no return telephone number or Skype username attached to it.

Finally a truly new type of question for Sid - bet he hasn't received that before

Now what would Sid reply to that?

[Grandpa Troll]

I wish, should you make additional Civ installments, you would bring back the caravan option of shipping food/production to its destination.

That was so cool, along with the Civ II advisors bickering with each other was so awesome, I wish these were both options in the future!



(or patch possibilities?)

I would also ask do you ever think of how much entertainment you have brought to lives of so many people?

and thanks so much for taking the plunge and getting this whole series started!!

Grandpa Troll

[Grandpa Troll]

Re: Re: All-Static Voicemail Received

Originally posted by Jeje2


Finally a truly new type of question for Sid - bet he hasn't received that before

Now what would Sid reply to that?

you need to research electronic data in addition to microphone & recording

[Darsnan]

Re: Re: Re: All-Static Voicemail Received

Originally posted by Grandpa Troll
you need to research electronic data in addition to microphone & recording

Question for Sid: when you first got into gaming professionally (i.e. started doing this for a living), what were the reactions of those close to you? Were they supportive, or were they kinda hoping this was a passing phase?