Grishnash
Mad Scientist
Civilization V – Units
In Civilization V, Firaxis has decided to implement unit tile-restriction and ranged bombardment. As opposed to previous Civilizations which allowed unlimited unit stacks on any given tile.
This I find to be a very wrong step for Firaxis, and here is why:
In Civilization 1 to Civilization III, units have been represented by one image, one unit. And no unit has had the ability to shoot across tile lines, except for siege weapons against cities or with modifications by players.
In Civilization IV, units have been changed to be represented by three units, and ranged bombardment was still only player-implemented. This, I believe, was for a very good reason. With unit stacks on tiles, and the image representing units, it is simple:
One unit in Civilization is in fact approximately 10,000 men (for older units), thus better then showing 10,000 dots on a tile, an appropriate likeness was chosen to represent the entirety of the unit. This goes the same for tile squares; one tile is a representation of a region large enough to establish a large city.
Taking into account these two points, it is clear why more then one unit can move onto a singular tile. One unit, around 10,000 men, can move with ease on thousands of squares miles, in fact, millions of men, ten units, should be able to fight on one single tile as they did in 1942 when over two million men and machines fought across less then thousand square miles.
If anything, there should be a limit as to how many units can go on a single tile, like twenty, but to restrict movement to one unit per tile is utter nonsense and vastly -unnecessary- unrealistic. This is a break from the fundamental civilization core-system and has no logical reasoning, and must, in my opinion, be reversed before the initial release of Civilization V, for no other sake then the conservation of Civilization.
Now, on the subject of ranged bombardment:
For the same reasons that many units may enter a tile square, no unit should possess the ability to bombard. Even an unit of Longbowmen, eqiped with the greatest longbows, could not fire an arrow from Seattle to Everett (←A nearby city), it just is not happening.
By the time an archer gets in closer enough to fire upon an enemy army, they would be close enough for that army to charge and engage in combat, which is what would happen, the only logical exception for ranged bombardment is for modern Artillery that fire charges for miles on end. But to have an army of even cannons (Which can fire far longer then any archer) fire across Lake Chad (What would be just one tile of water in Civilization) is absurd and ridiculous. Completely unrealistic and irrational. This feature is acceptable done by players as a modifications but to add it into the core-game is folly.
Firaxis, how is this in keeping with the core fundamental principles of Civilization? Who is the target market?
A common and unfortunate error committed by an alarmingly increasing number of game developers is the move from Game Development to Market Production, where the focus is changed from making a good game to making a profit. And I’m afraid of what may come of Civilization if it too goes down the inevitable path of Capitalism.
I’m sorry if this seems like a rant, but when I read about tile-restriction I thought how stupid that was and what else would be changed in Civ V, like no espionage or religion which is also very untasteful in my opinion. Not that it matters, but I think I’ll ride out on Civ IV for some time after CIV V with the way things are going ☹
Civilization V, so far, is nothing more then a Disappointment for me
In Civilization V, Firaxis has decided to implement unit tile-restriction and ranged bombardment. As opposed to previous Civilizations which allowed unlimited unit stacks on any given tile.
This I find to be a very wrong step for Firaxis, and here is why:
In Civilization 1 to Civilization III, units have been represented by one image, one unit. And no unit has had the ability to shoot across tile lines, except for siege weapons against cities or with modifications by players.
In Civilization IV, units have been changed to be represented by three units, and ranged bombardment was still only player-implemented. This, I believe, was for a very good reason. With unit stacks on tiles, and the image representing units, it is simple:
One unit in Civilization is in fact approximately 10,000 men (for older units), thus better then showing 10,000 dots on a tile, an appropriate likeness was chosen to represent the entirety of the unit. This goes the same for tile squares; one tile is a representation of a region large enough to establish a large city.
Taking into account these two points, it is clear why more then one unit can move onto a singular tile. One unit, around 10,000 men, can move with ease on thousands of squares miles, in fact, millions of men, ten units, should be able to fight on one single tile as they did in 1942 when over two million men and machines fought across less then thousand square miles.
If anything, there should be a limit as to how many units can go on a single tile, like twenty, but to restrict movement to one unit per tile is utter nonsense and vastly -unnecessary- unrealistic. This is a break from the fundamental civilization core-system and has no logical reasoning, and must, in my opinion, be reversed before the initial release of Civilization V, for no other sake then the conservation of Civilization.
Now, on the subject of ranged bombardment:
For the same reasons that many units may enter a tile square, no unit should possess the ability to bombard. Even an unit of Longbowmen, eqiped with the greatest longbows, could not fire an arrow from Seattle to Everett (←A nearby city), it just is not happening.
By the time an archer gets in closer enough to fire upon an enemy army, they would be close enough for that army to charge and engage in combat, which is what would happen, the only logical exception for ranged bombardment is for modern Artillery that fire charges for miles on end. But to have an army of even cannons (Which can fire far longer then any archer) fire across Lake Chad (What would be just one tile of water in Civilization) is absurd and ridiculous. Completely unrealistic and irrational. This feature is acceptable done by players as a modifications but to add it into the core-game is folly.
Firaxis, how is this in keeping with the core fundamental principles of Civilization? Who is the target market?
A common and unfortunate error committed by an alarmingly increasing number of game developers is the move from Game Development to Market Production, where the focus is changed from making a good game to making a profit. And I’m afraid of what may come of Civilization if it too goes down the inevitable path of Capitalism.
I’m sorry if this seems like a rant, but when I read about tile-restriction I thought how stupid that was and what else would be changed in Civ V, like no espionage or religion which is also very untasteful in my opinion. Not that it matters, but I think I’ll ride out on Civ IV for some time after CIV V with the way things are going ☹
Civilization V, so far, is nothing more then a Disappointment for me
