Civilization 4

[random evil guy]

heard it is released oct 25th; is that true?

 

btw, will the new 'unit' system be a success or a total failure?

[Darque]

I'll go with possible failure... but until I see it first hand I can't really say for sure.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/produc...v_(4)_-_dvd_rom

[Reveilled]

http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/produc...v_(4)_-_dvd_rom

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Seriously?

 

If someone preorders it for me, it'll arrive on my birthday! This is awful! I'm meant to be having a party on the 29th! How will I be able to do that when I'm stuck in front of the computer?

[Darque]

Stand up?

[Reveilled]

Stand up?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

But then I'll just end up with a sore back from bending over to look at the monitor.

 

 

I've been reading the pre-release notes at Civfanatics, and from the way the other features are being talked about, I would guess that the new unit system was implemented to take the focus off the military aspects of the game and encourage players to focus on more diplomatic and domestic aspects. Interesting stuff.

[Darth_Schmarth]

I just hope they didn't go to extra lengths to make a dodgy military simulation worse.

[Nartwak]

My Civ3 disc exploded in my CD drive.

[Reveilled]

I just hope they didn't go to extra lengths to make a dodgy military simulation worse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It seems that the way things now work is that units get promotions that influence their abilities. For instance, a unit might get the City Garrison promotion, which will increase their strength when they defend cities. I would hazard a guess that a barracks will allow the player to select a promotion or two when a unit is built, to allow him or her to customise units (perhaps, for example, building one spearmen unit with a Formation promotion to help against mounted units, while building another spearmen unit with City Attack, so that the player's army can deal with units in the open and attacks on cities).

 

It sounds to me like it will work quite well.

 

 

So far, the only things I've seen of the game that I don't like are the technology system (which will allow you to research a technology as long as you have one of the prerequisites, allowing you to hypothetically discover Fusion Power without discovering Writing), Julius Ceaser apparently giving thumbs up/down based on his approval (Since the gestures were actually the thumb inside a fist for the gladiator living, and the thumb pointing toward the throat for the gladiator's death), and the truly ugly mug of Queen Victoria (on the other hand, Catherine the Great now looks damn fine)!

[Calax]

Stand up?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

or perhaps bend over... let the strippers do what comes naturally?

[SteveThaiBinh]

Amazon.co.uk is still saying October 21. I appreciate that gaming sites will have widely differing dates some months in advance, but is it normal for this to continue so close to the possible release date? I'm still hoping for my copy next week. I'm fairly confident that Civ4 will be a fun game, though the learning curve is another question. Streamlined or fiddly? Time will tell.

[Enoch]

It seems that the way things now work is that units get promotions that influence their abilities.  For instance, a unit might get the City Garrison promotion, which will increase their strength when they defend cities.  I would hazard a guess that a barracks will allow the player to select a promotion or two when a unit is built, to allow him or her to customise units (perhaps, for example, building one spearmen unit with a Formation promotion to help against mounted units, while building another spearmen unit with City Attack, so that the player's army can deal with units in the open and attacks on cities).

 

It sounds to me like it will work quite well.

The game has been beta tested by a hundred or so of the hardest-core Civilization fans. Their reviews are starting to hit fansites, and they seem to like the combat system much more than previous Civs.

 

So far, the only things I've seen of the game that I don't like are the technology system (which will allow you to research a technology as long as you have one of the prerequisites, allowing you to hypothetically discover Fusion Power without discovering Writing) ....

The advantage of the single-prerequisite system is that now there are lots of different research paths. You don't get the Civ3 problem where every Civ on the planet is always researching in unison (and the tech trading rate has, I believe, been toned down). You make your own unique technological path rather than follow the same path in every game like in previous Civs.

 

... and the truly ugly mug of Queen Victoria (on the other hand, Catherine the Great now looks damn fine)!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's a reason that Victoria doesn't look so good:

[Darth_Schmarth]

It seems that the way things now work is that units get promotions that influence their abilities.  For instance, a unit might get the City Garrison promotion, which will increase their strength when they defend cities.  I would hazard a guess that a barracks will allow the player to select a promotion or two when a unit is built, to allow him or her to customise units (perhaps, for example, building one spearmen unit with a Formation promotion to help against mounted units, while building another spearmen unit with City Attack, so that the player's army can deal with units in the open and attacks on cities).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That sounds interesting. That way we counter the black-and-white feeling of attack vs defense. I just hope the AI will be good enough to handle it.

[Reveilled]

So far, the only things I've seen of the game that I don't like are the technology system (which will allow you to research a technology as long as you have one of the prerequisites, allowing you to hypothetically discover Fusion Power without discovering Writing) ....

The advantage of the single-prerequisite system is that now there are lots of different research paths. You don't get the Civ3 problem where every Civ on the planet is always researching in unison (and the tech trading rate has, I believe, been toned down). You make your own unique technological path rather than follow the same path in every game like in previous Civs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I still think a balance between the two options should have been struck. I would have preferred it if there were a few more bottlenecks in the tech tree, such as writing, which one would have to research eventually to progress. For instance, there is already going to be one in Electricity, as all the techs for which electricity is an obvious requirement (like Computers and Radio), all ultimately have Electricity as the only prerequisite at some point in their tree. I'd have liked something similar with Writing.

 

Looking at the tech tree, though, a lot of the technologies have symbols for other technologies on the right of their infoboxes. Perhaps these symbols show technologies which are actually required for the discovery? It certainly appears to make sense that way (Banking has the symbol for currency on its right, which is certainly a requirement for banking), and if so, it would mean that some technologies (like writing) would be required for advancement.

If that is the case, then I have no problems with the system. If not, I'll simply cut the links at Feudalism, Theology and Guilds connecting to the Writing tree, since the game should be that customisable.

[metadigital]

Stand up?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But then I'll just end up with a sore back from bending over to look at the monitor.

...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean your inconsiderate so-called "friends" haven't bought you a projector and mouse pointer?

 

For shame! Go out and show them by buying it yourself, now!

[metadigital]

So far, the only things I've seen of the game that I don't like are the technology system (which will allow you to research a technology as long as you have one of the prerequisites, allowing you to hypothetically discover Fusion Power without discovering Writing) ....

The advantage of the single-prerequisite system is that now there are lots of different research paths. You don't get the Civ3 problem where every Civ on the planet is always researching in unison (and the tech trading rate has, I believe, been toned down). You make your own unique technological path rather than follow the same path in every game like in previous Civs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I still think a balance between the two options should have been struck. I would have preferred it if there were a few more bottlenecks in the tech tree, such as writing, which one would have to research eventually to progress. For instance, there is already going to be one in Electricity, as all the techs for which electricity is an obvious requirement (like Computers and Radio), all ultimately have Electricity as the only prerequisite at some point in their tree. I'd have liked something similar with Writing.

 

Looking at the tech tree, though, a lot of the technologies have symbols for other technologies on the right of their infoboxes. Perhaps these symbols show technologies which are actually required for the discovery? It certainly appears to make sense that way (Banking has the symbol for currency on its right, which is certainly a requirement for banking), and if so, it would mean that some technologies (like writing) would be required for advancement.

If that is the case, then I have no problems with the system. If not, I'll simply cut the links at Feudalism, Theology and Guilds connecting to the Writing tree, since the game should be that customisable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Assuming that is the finished tech-tree, I think it has merit; writing is a pre-requisite for:

• code of laws
  
• Feudalism and
  
• Theology
  

but not for:

• Priesthood
  
• metal-casting, or
  
• animal husbandry
  

all of which lead to worthy advancements for the civilization, but not to information technology.

 

There was a very good article in the New Scientist dated 24 September, 2005, by Ray Kurzweil (page 32-37). In it, the author reflects on the exponential pattern of information technology, and he confidently predicts that the point of singularity

[Enoch]

Looking at the tech tree, though, a lot of the technologies have symbols for other technologies on the right of their infoboxes.  Perhaps these symbols show technologies which are actually required for the discovery?  It certainly appears to make sense that way (Banking has the symbol for currency on its right, which is certainly a requirement for banking), and if so, it would mean that some technologies (like writing) would be required for advancement.

If that is the case, then I have no problems with the system.  If not, I'll simply cut the links at Feudalism, Theology and Guilds connecting to the Writing tree, since the game should be that customisable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Upon further investigation, that is the case. Here is a fan-made tech tree with all pre-requisites mapped. A bit cluttered, but it does make it clear that you cannot research Constitutional Government without first discovering Code of Laws, or Artillery without first knowing how to make Steel.

[metadigital]

Yeah!

[Enoch]

Earlier I mentioned Beta testers and their commentary on the game's combat system without a link. Here's the example I was thinking of.

 

Of particular interest to thousands of frustrated Civ fans over the past 15 (or so) years: "Using a program that simulates CivIV combat, I ran fifteen thousand Tank vs. Spearman fights and the Tank won them all." :D

 

(Note also that the links at the top of the screen go to the author's take on other aspects of Civ 4.)

[Reveilled]

Upon further investigation, that is the case.  Here is a fan-made tech tree with all pre-requisites mapped.  A bit cluttered, but it does make it clear that you cannot research Constitutional Government without first discovering Code of Laws, or Artillery without first knowing how to make Steel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Awesome.

[metadigital]

...

"Using a program that simulates CivIV combat, I ran fifteen thousand Tank vs. Spearman fights and the Tank won them all."  :D

...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean there wasn't one lucky phalanx ? "

[Azarkon]

If only I were born fifty years from now...

[metadigital]

... Just clone yourself in fifty years, and transfer your soul into the clone ...

[Darth_Schmarth]

You can do that now? Awright, I wanna be Brad Pitt. Him or Johnny Depp. Or hell, make me a woman and I'll have stuff to play with for the rest of my days. And what if I wanna be an animal? Then I won't have the brains to ask to become human again, so that really would be a bummer. At the end of the day I think I'll stick to being myself; that's really teh stuff anywayz. Darth Schmarth for President. And get me a vodka martini. And keep 'em coming. And shut me up.

[Enoch]

By the way, to answer the initial poster's question, it has been confirmed that the game went gold yesterday and will ship to North American stores on the 25th. I think Europe gets it a week later.