Okay... it's a random goodie... and basically I'd just tried to produce a main menu for this, and I've finished:

Main_Menu.zip (http://rapidshare.com/files/75171656/main_menu.zip.html)

Of course, not official, just made by me. Main menu template from here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=316). Background and text are both made by me.

If you guys like it, feel free to use it, if there "some quibbles", I can change it further, if you don't like it, well that's self-explanatory! ;)

EDIT:
1) Changed to completely 2D title - and changed text style to fit better
2) Replaced unused textures by blank ones, to reduce file size a lot
3) A screenshot is attached.

Cheers, LT.

Lord Tirian, the background has a lot of depth considering it is a 2D image!

It seems a lot of the files in download are unused and can be removed (may require some .nif modifications). The day/night cycle may not make any sense on a static 2D background. Hence, you could simply do the title directly on the background image (carre.dds) and make the title screen completely 2D.

The title text is perhaps too small; at least it wouldn't hurt making it take up a bigger part of the screen. The lighting effect on the font is nice and you may want to experiment with all upper case (PLANETFALL) or lower case (planetfall) characters--perhaps stretch the font or include more space between the characters to make the title wider.

Oh, and a screenshot in your post would probably be very helpful for feedback.

It seems a lot of the files in download are unused and can be removed (may require some .nif modifications). The day/night cycle may not make any sense on a static 2D background. Hence, you could simply do the title directly on the background image (carre.dds) and make the title screen completely 2D.
Done. And because I have no clue how to modify the .nifs without breaking everything, I've simply replaced the unused textures by "blank" textures - this reduced the file size a lot. It isn't optimal, but unless someone else cleans the .nif up, it has to do. Or until I learn how to do that on my own!
The title text is perhaps too small; at least it wouldn't hurt making it take up a bigger part of the screen. The lighting effect on the font is nice and you may want to experiment with all upper case (PLANETFALL) or lower case (planetfall) characters--perhaps stretch the font or include more space between the characters to make the title wider.
Done. Seeing it directly atop the background helped alot, so I kept the font and general style, but changed the way I've done it - and it's the middle ground between all caps and no caps, at least sort of...
Oh, and a screenshot in your post would probably be very helpful for feedback.
Done! ;)

Cheers, LT.

I like it. :goodjob:

Lord Tirian, could you do the current logo (the Planetfall text) in a separate .dds file, similar to your original civtitle.dds?

Also, what is depicted on the globe surface? Is it a stock image of Earth or something you drew up? (Maybe stupid question.)

I ask because it may be possible to do the main menu as a 3D screen with moving stars and perhaps some slight, moving clouds.

An alternative idea is to do the "line" in the title as a 3D component that uses alternating day/night colors. I am currently thinking some dark green color.

Lord Tirian, could you do the current logo (the Planetfall text) in a separate .dds file, similar to your original civtitle.dds?
Could do, though it would take me some time to get the alpha channel and size right, but I think it's doable... and I can perhaps crank up some time this week to do that.
Also, what is depicted on the globe surface? Is it a stock image of Earth or something you drew up? (Maybe stupid question.)
It's made up, based on two different earth stock photos and a lot of artistic license in colouring the mash-up.
I ask because it may be possible to do the main menu as a 3D screen with moving stars and perhaps some slight, moving clouds.
If somebody could do that, it'd be incredibly cool. I'd really like to see that!

Cheers, LT.

If you can procude a "flat" image of the globe "texture" it can be used wrap on a 3D globe (Civ4 default main menu). Depending on how you did the globe this may be highly problematic, though.

Also, the main logo should be available as an isolated graphics component because we may opt to use the logo in different contexts and not just the main menu screen. The logo has an elegant simplicity which I like.

For a 3D representation we need just a logo and a globe texture. I've removed the lights from the Civ4 globe (shown during the night cycle) and I may do some additional modifications to the clouds. I don't know yet if we want a 3D main menu.

If you can procude a "flat" image of the globe "texture" it can be used wrap on a 3D globe (Civ4 default main menu). Depending on how you did the globe this may be highly problematic, though.
Yeah, I've just used a distortion effect to spherize it... and forgot to save the base texture (d'oh!) - I don't know how much I can get back... though I can produce more planets and textures with that style (colour-wise).
Also, the main logo should be available as an isolated graphics component because we may opt to use the logo in different contexts and not just the main menu screen. The logo has an elegant simplicity which I like.
I've attached a PNG with the logo, since PNGs have a proper alpha channel, it should work correctly. I can also supply a PSD, if needed. And I've discovered that it doesn't look good at all with a bright background.

Cheers, LT.

Thank you, Lord Tirian.

The .png should be fine to use as raw image.

In this post at Apolyton I've tried to depict the area of the Earth texture that shows up on the main menu screen:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?postid=4409787#post4409787

So, if you can produce flat images (non-"spherized") of planet surfaces similar to your background image, I'll try doing a 3D screen using that (when I'll get around to that; I have some ideas to test as well).

So, I have tried out the opening menu, and I'd say it looks cool. Good job. ^^

I like it though I can't help but think the "Planetfall" logo needs a little sprucing---like maybe a re-entry effect to the letters (a mildly furnace heated look).

I think it could use a space-pod (a sort of 20th C. Apollo pod with a bit of a SMAC-esque texture). Probably one just starting to enter the atmosphere of the planet.