CIV World: IGN Preview

markusbeutel · May 12, 2011

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/116/1167265p1.html

I was fully prepared to ignore this game as an inconsequential addition to Civ, but it actually sounds fairly in depth and complex with some great features like a commodities market that goes up and down based on resource consumption, and a dynamic voting system that trumps the system currently in CIV V.

"Perhaps that's because it's being developed by Sid Meier himself. 2K says it's his baby, and you can tell. He's created a new experience that still feels like classic Civilization, with all of the strategy and depth that comes with it."

This quote makes me wonder how CIV V - or even CIV IV - would have turned out if Sid was as hands on as he seems to be with the Facebook version.

Morningcalm · May 12, 2011

Nice find. What interested me most was this quote:

IGN said:
You can earn bonuses in culture, science, and gold by playing mini-games. To get a bonus in culture, for example, you have to unscramble a great work of art. CivWorld makes it even more interesting as you're directly competing with other players in the mini-game, trying to complete it as quickly as possible before your opponents. In mini-games, you can see other players' moves as they happen, and the first player to complete the game wins a bonus for themselves and for the other players in their civilization as well.

The market is also new, where you can purchase resources in order to get ahead or play the commodities market. Prices shift in real-time based on buying and selling activity, so a keen eye on the market can enable you to make a ton of gold.

Looks like there's a WoW-like auction house and some puzzle game elements here too! Not too bad, given the Facebook social game platform it's on. The artwork also looks like it's mostly drawn from Revolution, but the gameplay itself hopefully will be more satisfying.

Shurdus · May 12, 2011

Sounds to me like the people who are willing to spend the most time online and in-game get an unfair competetive edge. It does not sound like fun at all for that reason alone.

anandus · May 12, 2011

I had quite some fun with Farmville, Cityville and an Age of Empires knock-off of which I forgot the name. I expect this game to be like those games only with a Civ-sauce, but I certainly hope this game isn't as pressuring.
Not forcing me to play the game at least X times a day or something to make the most of it. Or forcing me to have at least Y friends also playing the game before I can develop further.

I hope I can play this game decently on my own terms.

Morningcalm · May 12, 2011

Shurdus said:
Sounds to me like the people who are willing to spend the most time online and in-game get an unfair competetive edge. It does not sound like fun at all for that reason alone.

Perhaps, but that's a flaw in many competitive online games. Even World of Warcraft, with its rest system, is innately guilty of that flaw, and most Facebook games are similar in that respect. I think this is something that comes with the platform (nd the fact it's catering to online players who want to best each other. Not necessarily Civ World's fault.

That said, I didn't see anything in the article that suggested this would be a big problem with Civ World. =|

Lovebird · May 12, 2011

If it's part of Civ 5, then it sucks. That's the rule, and I'm sticking to it. He should make a sequel to SMAC anyways.

anandus · May 12, 2011

Lovebird said:
If it's part of Civ 5, then it sucks. That's the rule, and I'm sticking to it. He should make a sequel to SMAC anyways.

It's a game/franchise on it's own. Doesn't have anything to do with Civ5

Haig · May 12, 2011

Not that excited, guess it's just not for me.

Also after the perfect faultless review scores for the release of Civ 5 I'm "just a bit" sceptic for these previews..

Dunkah · May 12, 2011

"Their goal is to have the same fun and fair experience for the player that plays for free as the ones who pay."

How can this be? Impossible. Pay to play... I'm out.

Perhaps a game for only people who pay. and perhaps a game for only those that don't where the Payers get more features...

Louis XXIV · May 12, 2011

I think what they mean that it's possible to get extra bonuses that you pay for, but they don't want those to give the person a huge, unfair advantage compared to those who just play for free. If you've played Mafia Wars its the same way. They give you extra moves or some weapons or something.

It's clear it's a facebook game, so anyone who wants it to be Civ4, but playable on facebook probably aren't going to be interested. I'm curious about Sid Meier's influence here. When was the last time his role wasn't enigmatically described?

anandus · May 12, 2011

Louis XXIV said:
It's clear it's a facebook game, so anyone who wants it to be Civ4, but playable on facebook probably aren't going to be interested.

Yeah, I doubt it's aimed at most of the people that visit these forums.

Helmling · May 12, 2011

Lovebird said:
If it's part of Civ 5, then it sucks. That's the rule, and I'm sticking to it. He should make a sequel to SMAC anyways.

He can't. Firaxis doesn't have the rights to it.

Helmling · May 12, 2011

Dunkah said:
"Their goal is to have the same fun and fair experience for the player that plays for free as the ones who pay."

How can this be? Impossible. Pay to play... I'm out.

Perhaps a game for only people who pay. and perhaps a game for only those that don't where the Payers get more features...

I'm hoping that paying will allow me to skip the mini-games. I don't want to solve puzzles, for Pete's sake. I want to conquer India or something like that.

But 200 players in a game? Color me intrigued.

Louis XXIV · May 12, 2011

anandus said:
Yeah, I doubt it's aimed at most of the people that visit these forums.

Well, the interesting thing is the suggestion that there really is depth of strategy. It could be a mindless facebook game where you log on for an hour and click to use up your moves, but it might be one where those clicks have a profound impact on how your Civ does and if you pick the best methods, you'll do better than someone who doesn't plan ahead.

Then again, it could just be IGN. I think it's possible to be a random facebook game that doesn't appeal to people here who want it to be a Civ TBS empire builder, but still appeal to people here who appreciate strategy.

Lovebird · May 12, 2011

Helmling said:
He can't. Firaxis doesn't have the rights to it.

How can this be? Is Sid Meier's game?

Morningcalm · May 12, 2011

Sid Meier apparently made much of the game himself. And Geoff Knorr, one of the composers for Civ V, mentioned in an interview from some online site that he was composing stuff for the Civ World game. Maybe not full on tracks, but I'd expect some musical motifs to be in there that he made.

Louis XXIV · May 12, 2011

The publisher owns the rights, I believe. If not, it was owned by Microprose. Bryan Reynolds has as much claim to Alpha Centauri as Sid Meier anyway.

Helmling · May 12, 2011

Lovebird said:
How can this be? Is Sid Meier's game?

I think it was released through EA and they retain the rights. The same is actually true of Civ. Firaxis doesn't have the rights, but as the actual rights to the game have passed around, whatever company holds them has always come back to Sid to develop the next game.

SMAC wasn't the genre-defining blockbuster that Civ is (despite being oh-so-good), so EA has never gone back for more. That doesn't mean, though, that they're going to give up or sell the rights.

anandus · May 12, 2011

Isn't it ironic that they made Alpha Centauri, amongst other reasons, because Sid Meier didn't have the rights to 'Civilization'? (which was in the hands of Activision at the time who made Civilization: Call To Power).

migkillertwo · May 12, 2011

They should let us short commodities, like what happened in trading places

CIV World: IGN Preview

NiGHTS

Keeper of Records

Am I Napoleon?

Errorist

Keeper of Records

Warlord

Errorist

Deity

Emperor

Le Roi Soleil

Errorist

Philosopher King

Philosopher King

Le Roi Soleil

Warlord

Keeper of Records

Le Roi Soleil

Philosopher King

Errorist

Prince

Similar threads