Civ4 : info & screenshots !

Socrates · 03-12-2004, 03:12

Going to CFC before going to bed, and BADAM ! The frontpage has a message from TF with info and screenshots from Civ4 !!! It is from a PC magazine in the US, not released yet. Here is some important stuff :

- Development is being headed by creator Sid Meier himself.

- Civ IV has been written entirely from scratch.

- The 3D engine will allow you to zoom smoothly from a global view all the way down to a single city.

- Individual units will gain experience and acquire new upgrades such as bonuses against specific enemy types and the ability to use enemy roads.

- No more spearmen defeating tanks.

- Besides incorporating new technologies, the tech tree has been changed to allow radically different research paths to the same high-level technologies. Now you won’t have to follow a strict research path to be competitive later in the game – a design that opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

- Civilization IV has been designed to fully support the mod community. The game is written using flexible XML data files and the Python scripting language so that modders will have no trouble at all creating their own personalized worlds, units, technologies, and historical events. Advanced modders will even be able to control the AI.

- Civ4 has been designed from the outset to include the multiplayer mode. You will be able to team up in co-op mode against the AI or other teams of players, and a random-map generator ensures an equal start.

And there are 2 scans with rather... odd graphics, even if it's way too early to have a real opinion.

CDZers want to talk about it, without the CFC general mess ?

EDIT : Here are the 2 pics in full size. No word from either anarres or ProPain, and I see other sites hosting them or giving a link to them.

180.88 KB

162.37 KB

Matrix · 03-12-2004, 10:39

1: Cool!
2: Great!
3: Cute... Although it can become quite silly: the fact that Civ3's world is flat will only show more clear.
4: Can't tell how that will work out.
5: Important!
6: Best news I've heard so far!

7: I hope there will still be possibilities for amateur mods, like me. I've seen it happen so often in games that the more complicated the program becomes, the more complicated it becomes to make your own levels. Best example is Doom and it's successors.
8: Equal start: good.

About the screenshots: the only thing I say is that it's good you can see the squares again.

Plux · 03-12-2004, 11:35

Strange pics.. Looks like they're implementing the group units mod somehow. Still lots of work to do, but always good to have a taste

digger760 · 03-12-2004, 13:27

i dont like the look of the graphics..but my guess is that will be modable.

EDIT - infact looking at the graphics again..they are so bad that i now relise that this is somehthing the art department probably whipped up just for a basic system. I am sure that the final will look far better.

Melifluous · 03-12-2004, 16:38

Bear in mind also that the pics look to have been scanned from a PC Magazine article thus lowering the quality further

Melifluous

Pastorius · 03-12-2004, 20:05

The resemblence with the engine used for RTW is striking IMO

Didnt even want to comment on it @ CFC, since that forum is overspammed with n00bs as it is

Shabbaman · 03-12-2004, 21:54

First reaction to the screenshots: "OMFG it's Captain Butt Ugly!"

The units look as butt ugly as the land battle screen in Pirates 2. I bet it's comparatively unplayable.

My guess is that the windmill is a form of terrain improvement, like mines. Cute, but probably nothing fancy.

(btw, bandwith theft from CFC is some good

)

"Civ IV has been written entirely from scratch.": which is the only way to make sure you don't have to be afraid of copyright infringment. Captain Obvious to the rescue!

"The 3D engine will allow you to zoom smoothly from a global view all the way down to a single city.": so it has built in save your eyesight mod. Wow.

"Individual units will gain experience and acquire new upgrades such as bonuses against specific enemy types and the ability to use enemy roads.": hey, they played R:TW as well!

"No more spearmen defeating tanks.": so either no more RNG, or obsolete units are worthless.

"Now you won’t have to follow a strict research path to be competitive later in the game – a design that opens up a whole new world of possibilities.": so they're changing one of the defining aspects of civ.

"Advanced modders will even be able to control the AI.": interesting!

"Civ4 has been designed from the outset to include the multiplayer mode." So no follow up to PTW? Do they really want to make a decent game this time?

BTW, if this game really comes with the kind of editor and moddability they're talking about, it might be so that there's not even a need for expansions. Look at Battlefield:1942 for example, where the desert combat mod is received better than Battlefield:Vietnam.

grahamiam · 04-12-2004, 03:36

another interesting note from Soren on Apolyton in regards to gameplay ("unfun" elements)

Quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Solver
Yes, speculation it is mostly, as I said previously. But they said they'd "get rid of" these unfun elements, that's good - but I do indeed hope they will be replaced with something more interesting.

Quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Soren
There seems to have been a lot of consternation about the "get rid of unfun elements" quote. Perhaps I should clarify. We have identified the game pieces of Civ which have caused the most user annoyances (pollution, corruption, etc.). Instead of trying to band-aid these problems, we are mostly tossing them out and implementing better systems that will require less micro-management, provide better high-level control, and still create interesting gameplay challenges. Pollution, for example, is being replaced by a more comprehensive "Health" system which has a large variety of positive and negative influences. There is no need to go into detail yet - even though I am sure you can imagine some of the factors - the important point is that we aren't just chucking the whole thing.

The take-home here is that we understand that cleaning-up pollution is not fun. We can fix that!

Matrix · 04-12-2004, 06:07

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Paalikles

Didnt even want to comment on it @ CFC, since that forum is overspammed with n00bs as it is

Indeed. This is decisive. CFC is not my home anymore.

Right now we are at about exactly the same time as when I registered at CFC: a year before a Civ-version is presented. I registered there to talk about Civ3, and then it was just as cool as it is here now.

Socrates · 04-12-2004, 13:51

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Matrix

Indeed. This is decisive. CFC is not my home anymore.

Right now we are at about exactly the same time as when I registered at CFC: a year before a Civ-version is presented. I registered there to talk about Civ3, and then it was just as cool as it is here now.

Welcome home, Matrix !!!

I'm so... joy-sad !

You will see, CDZ is a bit small, but it is dense and joyful. LOL. It's "good" to see you say that, sorry if it reminds you of the good 'ol days at CFC in a way. But wait, we might have a better surprise for you, but it's just not the right time now. Maybe after Christmas ? Or later ?

Stay tuned !

03-12-2004, 03:12	#1
Socrates Emperor Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 3,946	Civ4 : info & screenshots ! Going to CFC before going to bed, and BADAM ! The frontpage has a message from TF with info and screenshots from Civ4 !!! It is from a PC magazine in the US, not released yet. Here is some important stuff : - Development is being headed by creator Sid Meier himself. - Civ IV has been written entirely from scratch. - The 3D engine will allow you to zoom smoothly from a global view all the way down to a single city. - Individual units will gain experience and acquire new upgrades such as bonuses against specific enemy types and the ability to use enemy roads. - No more spearmen defeating tanks. - Besides incorporating new technologies, the tech tree has been changed to allow radically different research paths to the same high-level technologies. Now you won’t have to follow a strict research path to be competitive later in the game – a design that opens up a whole new world of possibilities. - Civilization IV has been designed to fully support the mod community. The game is written using flexible XML data files and the Python scripting language so that modders will have no trouble at all creating their own personalized worlds, units, technologies, and historical events. Advanced modders will even be able to control the AI. - Civ4 has been designed from the outset to include the multiplayer mode. You will be able to team up in co-op mode against the AI or other teams of players, and a random-map generator ensures an equal start. And there are 2 scans with rather... odd graphics, even if it's way too early to have a real opinion. CDZers want to talk about it, without the CFC general mess ? EDIT : Here are the 2 pics in full size. No word from either anarres or ProPain, and I see other sites hosting them or giving a link to them. 180.88 KB 162.37 KB __________________ Sent from my Debian

03-12-2004, 10:39	#2
Matrix Administrator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tampere, Finland Posts: 4,828	1: Cool! 2: Great! 3: Cute... Although it can become quite silly: the fact that Civ3's world is flat will only show more clear. 4: Can't tell how that will work out. 5: Important! 6: Best news I've heard so far! 7: I hope there will still be possibilities for amateur mods, like me. I've seen it happen so often in games that the more complicated the program becomes, the more complicated it becomes to make your own levels. Best example is Doom and it's successors. 8: Equal start: good. About the screenshots: the only thing I say is that it's good you can see the squares again. __________________

03-12-2004, 16:38	#5
Melifluous Administrator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: In the bar with SF. Posts: 3,024	Bear in mind also that the pics look to have been scanned from a PC Magazine article thus lowering the quality further Melifluous __________________ Isn't it awfully nice to have a penis? Isn't it frightfully good to have a dong? It's swell to have a stiffy, It's divine to own a dick. From the tiniest little tadger To the world's biggest prick! So three cheers for your willy or John Thomas. Hooray for your one-eyed trousers snake.

03-12-2004, 20:05	#6
Pastorius Custard used tile Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Opening a can Posts: 3,158	The resemblence with the engine used for RTW is striking IMO Didnt even want to comment on it @ CFC, since that forum is overspammed with n00bs as it is __________________

03-12-2004, 21:54	#7
Shabbaman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Costa La Haya Posts: 8,493	First reaction to the screenshots: "OMFG it's Captain Butt Ugly!" The units look as butt ugly as the land battle screen in Pirates 2. I bet it's comparatively unplayable. My guess is that the windmill is a form of terrain improvement, like mines. Cute, but probably nothing fancy. (btw, bandwith theft from CFC is some good ) "Civ IV has been written entirely from scratch.": which is the only way to make sure you don't have to be afraid of copyright infringment. Captain Obvious to the rescue! "The 3D engine will allow you to zoom smoothly from a global view all the way down to a single city.": so it has built in save your eyesight mod. Wow. "Individual units will gain experience and acquire new upgrades such as bonuses against specific enemy types and the ability to use enemy roads.": hey, they played R:TW as well! "No more spearmen defeating tanks.": so either no more RNG, or obsolete units are worthless. "Now you won’t have to follow a strict research path to be competitive later in the game – a design that opens up a whole new world of possibilities.": so they're changing one of the defining aspects of civ. "Advanced modders will even be able to control the AI.": interesting! "Civ4 has been designed from the outset to include the multiplayer mode." So no follow up to PTW? Do they really want to make a decent game this time? BTW, if this game really comes with the kind of editor and moddability they're talking about, it might be so that there's not even a need for expansions. Look at Battlefield:1942 for example, where the desert combat mod is received better than Battlefield:Vietnam. __________________ "Our spam is backed with COMETS!"

03-12-2004, 11:35	#3
Plux King Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 1,213	Strange pics.. Looks like they're implementing the group units mod somehow. Still lots of work to do, but always good to have a taste

03-12-2004, 13:27	#4
digger760 King Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Fake Dog Poo Factory. Posts: 1,887	i dont like the look of the graphics..but my guess is that will be modable. EDIT - infact looking at the graphics again..they are so bad that i now relise that this is somehthing the art department probably whipped up just for a basic system. I am sure that the final will look far better.