Sid Meier Interview

[Petek]

In an interview posted at GameSpy (http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/pirates-/644806p1.html), Sid mentions two new projects:

GameSpy: What are you working on next?

Sid Meier: (smiles) You know I can't tell you. I will say that I'm working on two things, though. If everything goes right, you should see them in '06 and '07.

Could one of these be SMAC2? We can hope!

[BlackCat]

Yeah, more lost nightsleep

[Darsnan]

Re: Sid Meier Interview

Originally posted by Petek
Sid Meier: (smiles) You know I can't tell you. I will say that I'm working on two things, though. If everything goes right, you should see them in '06 and '07.

Could one of these be SMAC2? We can hope!

cIV released in 3-4 months, another game released in '06, and another game in '07. Sounds like a really aggressive schedule. If one of these is SMAC2, then I'd hope that they take their time and do it right.
And of course with the approach Firaxis took with cIV (1 part old, 1 part new, 1 part tried and true) what exactly would get thrown in as far as options in a SMAC2, anyways? I'd personally like for Firaxis to get and incorporate the feedback from cIV as far as what worked and what didn't, and then build a SMAC2 (meaning that I'm opting for a SMAC2 to be the '07 project, at the earliest).

Regardless, thanx for digging this up for us!


D

[Illuminatus]

I hope he didn't mean expansion packs for cIV.

Perhaps we should start doing a SMAC 2 list? I know there were threads with suggestions before, but should we start the real thing now? Anyone in?

[binTravkin]

/me predicts an incoming wishpost strike..

[Kataphraktoi]

i should go back and top the last one

if smac2 comes out in only 2 years or so ish, just how good could it be? im thinking we dont want any corperations messing around with smac-if we had the skillz we could do it ourselves like VERY good games like Enemy Territory that was made opensource and is the best FPS since UT

but i must be the voice of cynicism once again and say that wishposts do nothing else than give everyone a legit +1...they do not have the time to read them.ive participated in making a game before,and i know that such activites as reading through forums became ignored except for peeps that wanted to or had the job of idea sifting...

[Illuminatus]

Originally posted by binTravkin
* binTravkin predicts an incoming wishpost strike..

We already have a wishlist thread and this is not what I meant . Wishes differ from sensible suggestions.

Firaxis did ask for input from fans on several occasions. In case you are not familiar with list for cIV, here is a usefull link . It may be wishful thinking, but in case Firaxis decides to make SMAC 2, they should listen to ideas from a very faithful community.

Cataphract887, the purpose of the list is to avoid need for developers to read through countless "I want better AI and more factions!!!" posts on forums. If we prepared our suggestions in an organised way for Firaxis, they could certainly dedicate some time to read the list and perhaps incorporate some of the ideas presented.

It may be wishful thinking but would you prefer wasting a chance than using it?

[Senethro]

Good old Wolf:ET. How I love the Quake 3 engine in all its buggy, trickjumping glory.

Splash Damage have a sequel coming out in the next year, Quake Wars: enemy territory. However, I'm concerned that its not going to be very good. Firstly, its in the Doom 3 engine (lol will everything be dark? oll etc) and secondly they've taken an ambitious route with all the new soldier classes and I'm not sure they can balance them well. I think it'll just lead to Covert Ops syndrome where low skilled players take low-utility classes and fail to be a team asset.

But anyway, SMAC2. One of Sids projects will be an Civ4 expansion. I'd give the other one the chance of being SMAC2 50/50 at the most.

[Illuminatus]

Well if the poll results are of any value to them...

[Kataphraktoi]

ataphract887, the purpose of the list is to avoid need for developers to read through countless "I want better AI and more factions!!!" posts on forums. If we prepared our suggestions in an organised way for Firaxis, they could certainly dedicate some time to read the list and perhaps incorporate some of the ideas presented.

ok. but i know that by the time we got to the stage of creating the game,there was virtually no way i was going to deviate from the path i wanted.only if it was a very very good suggestion would i implement it.maybe it would be different if it had been for money,but i viewed other peoples opinions as intruding upon my personal vision...but maybe firaxis dont see it that way. certainly it would make sense $wise to rip off peoples ideas for free, but i find that companies very rarely run by logic and sense.

[binTravkin]

Well, if there was a person or a group who were approved by Apolyton SMACX community to compile their "wishes" into detailed overview with no repeating of the same "I want better AI etc", then they might take us pretty serious, wouldn't they?

[Kataphraktoi]

only if they recieved it by mail or fax. and i mean PHYSICAL mail. then they might take us seriously. but still,without playing their game,i dont see that we could provide much meaningfull data. sure id give it a shot. but i have a hard time veiwing this optimisticly

I think it'll just lead to Covert Ops syndrome where low skilled players take low-utility classes and fail to be a team asset.

ill have to take a look at it,i havnt heard anything.im not to active on et boards

[binTravkin]

I disagree with the mail/fax thing although it could be organised as well.

If we post a closed thread where all the wishes have been collected here, in this same forum and have a discussion thread for that then we can get it to the point where the ideas dry out.

At that point we could invoke some of the Firaxis stuff registered here on Poly to kindly take a look.
It won't take much of their dear time to be convinced that the effort should be awarded or at least read through.

And in the end I actually think mailing or faxing them might be idea even worse.
They must have received hundreds of crap mails which went straight to trash before.

And what's the most important - if it's on web and people approve it by voting that "yes, I would like to see all or many or at least some of these things in SMAC 2", they would have some kind of approval, like a petition.
A simple mail or fax can never do that.

[Kataphraktoi]

well, i meant submit the finalzied 'list' as you might call it that way. of course intitiate with email\forums

you must understand to people that do not use forums,they are meaningless and the information contained within is largely inaccessible to them.my dad,for example,is very high tech and he runs the mail server i use,and is doing professional site desighning for buyer-to-seller connects..

but he dosnt seem to understand the amount of freewhare content and how much free flow of data goes on. the other members in the family are lucky to grasp the fact that yall are actually real people

[binTravkin]

Well, still the fact remains that most fan mails go to trash.
Also the fact remains all of them have emails.
Also there's the fact of several Firaxians aboard Apolyton and aware of this free flow.
This won't be the first time Apolyton helps Firaxis.
The guys know the thing and if provided by a link and visible proof that it's not only some fanaticians putting together what they want, but the entire SMAC community, they will copy the info where needed.
Things like this have been going on not only at Firaxis.

Two other very good examples are Paradox and Blizzard who both rate user feedback very highly and look what they do - their games is something people really want!