kasner
Jun 04, 2005, 02:56 AM
I absolutely hate the terrain graphics, it's too cartoony and generic looking. The terrain doesn't transition nicely into other squares (like big blocks we say in Civ2), and the coastlines are obviosuly constructed from squares (what about Civ3 terrain, I thought it looked better than this). Also, the ocean could be different subtle colour changes, for shallow water, ocean, lakes etc. Plains look like marsh land, it's a bit depressing to look at...
Forests should be densest at the centre, and die away at its edges. Space between lush rainforest and dry desert doesn't look very convincing. I just say every terrain square that shares borders with a different terrain should transition nicely into each other. Mountain terrain square should morph together to make mountain ranges, not giant separate peaks.
I don't particularly like the size of the units in the game too. Big and easy to see as they may be, I think they dominate the landscape WAY too much, and practically block the views of your cities. There are mines and giant windmills littering the landscape, and surrounding organisation of the conurbations look ill planned. Centre all conurbation on major trade routes, resources and water.
Interface looks too Age of Empires, and I think it kinda looks gross. City information displayed on the map is too much, and adds more clutter to a map that we really should be using to enjoy enivronments and units fighting. A world map is for us to scan, not find out in great detail. Stuff like religion or culture generation should be reperesented symbolically, or a simple scroll upon a city icon gives us more precise information. I think a city should only be labelled with name, popoulation, and who owns it. Anything else should have a scroll option, city view, or symbolism on the map (like the good idea of showing city improvements on the map as little buildings).
Well, I think the interface will be changed (as interface is usually the last thing developers work on when making a game), but keep it simple, functional and easy to understand. A simple overview map, icons for general units and specific units, unit info, advisors and so on and so forth, all with simple iconography. As for the graphics ...
Forests should be densest at the centre, and die away at its edges. Space between lush rainforest and dry desert doesn't look very convincing. I just say every terrain square that shares borders with a different terrain should transition nicely into each other. Mountain terrain square should morph together to make mountain ranges, not giant separate peaks.
I don't particularly like the size of the units in the game too. Big and easy to see as they may be, I think they dominate the landscape WAY too much, and practically block the views of your cities. There are mines and giant windmills littering the landscape, and surrounding organisation of the conurbations look ill planned. Centre all conurbation on major trade routes, resources and water.
Interface looks too Age of Empires, and I think it kinda looks gross. City information displayed on the map is too much, and adds more clutter to a map that we really should be using to enjoy enivronments and units fighting. A world map is for us to scan, not find out in great detail. Stuff like religion or culture generation should be reperesented symbolically, or a simple scroll upon a city icon gives us more precise information. I think a city should only be labelled with name, popoulation, and who owns it. Anything else should have a scroll option, city view, or symbolism on the map (like the good idea of showing city improvements on the map as little buildings).
Well, I think the interface will be changed (as interface is usually the last thing developers work on when making a game), but keep it simple, functional and easy to understand. A simple overview map, icons for general units and specific units, unit info, advisors and so on and so forth, all with simple iconography. As for the graphics ...