Aristos
Lightseeker
I have been playing Civs for over 20 years now, starting with #1 on Atari. So, overcome with nostalgia and after having had a good month I finally decided to download Civ V on Steam. Initially I thought there was something wrong with me head, but thanks to this thread I can see now that I'm quite sane thinking: "What a waste of £30 odd quid" and "What a constipation to wait 5 years for this turd"...
I can only echo most of the sentiments posted here, to sum up: -off the top of my head- I don't like:
1. claustrophobic gameplay which does not make me feel like a Grand Ruler controlling a vast Empire and Massive Armies, lack of immersion and intrigue
2. sprawling cash-cow saint city-states (hate 'em and wish I was one) and puppet fail
3. demented schizophrenic diplomacy
4. no vassals, no spies, no sabotage
5. no religion or political doctrine influence
6. indestructible capitals
7. dumbed-down trade and no international trade routes
8. loopy and inverted global happiness
9. 1UPT and AI combat decisions (-face palm- archers shooting, say 20km?!)
10. 1GPT road tax
11. the look, feel and functionality of the interface
12. resource-hogging and buggy graphics
13. £££ for poor quality DLC
14. policies mechanics (good concept but half-baked execution)
15. some other horrible new rules / design decisions limiting options or plain defying logic
To be fair, -scratch scratch- I like:
1. hexes (octagons please in Civ VI)
2. ranged bombardment (awkward but can and has been modded in Civ IV)
The Stacks 'o Doom replaced by the Carpet 'o Doom. Yay!
Like someone brilliantly observed in a post above, the game plays like a board game, and not that good too. I have to add that I still own Civ The Board Game (actual real cardboard) and it is less tedious and more fun to play than this computer iteration.
So yes, I think I shall go back to the excitement of Civ IV BTS Revolutions for now. What really bogs my mind is that Firaxis/2K/WhoeverIsCurrentlyOnTop and Civ franchise has such an excellent, outspoken and vibrant community as a resource to make the game really outstanding, especially as nowadays there's really nothing to compare it to. Instead, it seems to me that Civ V has been designed by The Marketing Department and coasts on the phenomenon of it's predecessors. Such a shame to see it go that way. I hope the excellent modding community will breathe some life into it after a couple of years and will keep it going, for me it is time to adapt and move on with the times: Call Of Duty 4, bring it on!
Welcome to the club, man. I share all your impressions and more.
Yet, stupid me, I am still trying hard to like it... I guess the virus runs deep in me. This iteration put me in so much trouble, even inside this community, yet here I am, still trying to find the "hidden treasure"... helping some modders here and there... trying... trying...
Sometimes I think I see some light, but I wonder if it is only wishful thinking... sometimes the AI seems "sane"... sometimes 1UPT seems interesting... sometimes policies seem civic-like... sometimes I feel like I am really "strategizing"...
Sometimes I wish it didn't happen.