CivFanatics -- Hands-On Civ4 Preview

In the preview, you mention that units can go into allied cities. Does this mean also that squares occupied by allied units can be entered by your units as well (à la Alpha Centari)?
 
It is great how you were able to write all the pre-release information without violation the NDA. Must have been tough but I guess the people at Firaxis trusted you not to leak information. Great job! :goodjob:


You mention in the preview article units from a civilization with whom you have an open borders treaty can be in the same city, so maybe the following is not covered by the NDA...

If you move units into a city of another civilization (with whom you have an open borders treaty) and an enemy of this civilization (but not your enemy) attacks the city, then what happens with your units?

If it is covered by the NDA, you don't need to respond. I'm watching this thread for any info anyway.



By the way: this is probably also good news for subs, because they can also be in the same square as other ships... probably...
 
Thanks for the preview. A few comments:

1. It sounds like the game is going to be a LOT slower now. You are limited in your expansion early in the game, and limited in your movement late in the game. Since the wars are more detailed, it seems even simple small games will equal or perhaps surpass their respective equivalent length of earlier Civ games.

2. I really am beginning to wonder just how much effort has gone into having this game be moddable. So far, at a very late stage of development (presumably now), there's really been no information about it. This worries me. I think I'm going to have to write up some test scripts and see just how well these interfaces have been thought through. I wonder if they aren't already planning their first patches.

3. It sounds like they've already made a historical mistake with the worker concept. Free democratic countries always had vastly more productive citizens than any slave/fuedal state. Also once serfdom disappeared from a nation, you really saw huge leap in that country's productivity and creativity. Both initially and in the long run. This is one reason why slavery failed and fuedalism collapsed, and did so quickly in modern times. Even non-democratic societies of free people could and would outperform slave nations economically, socially (happiness, stability), militarily, diplomatically, right from the get-go. This implementation is important game-wise, because I suspect this will have us players slowing the game down even more by clinging to older technological concepts so that we can keep a production bonus, which is actually a good idea. Tactically, if I'm going to lose production because I acquire a new tech, then I'm going to put off acquiring the new technology as long as possible, and so will my enemies if their smart, especially if we're at war.

I can only hope that their are other designs in place to encourage the game to keep going at a steady pace. I haven't heard any real comments about game speed yet, except that war is more detailed (slower) and that expansion is discouraged (even slower), and historical misconceptions affect production (living-in-the-past slow). A bit more information on worker management, unit movement management, city management, and other concepts that are meant to speed the game up, most importantly, if they actually do speed the game up or keep the pace steady, would be very welcome. This all could be balanced out nicely, and we just don't know it yet from any information released so far.


Overrall a nice simple review. It will be interesting to hopefully hear a few more critical reviews from truly independent source. But the game is coming out in just a couple of weeks anyway so that may not matter much at this point.
 
Civrules said:
There are six screenies as well, I hope you enjoy it!! :D

Remember to keep an eye for more previews in the near future. ;)
Nice preview, can't wait til the games out.
 
Flak said:
Thanks for the preview. A few comments:

1. It sounds like the game is going to be a LOT slower now. You are limited in your expansion early in the game, and limited in your movement late in the game. Since the wars are more detailed, it seems even simple small games will equal or perhaps surpass their respective equivalent length of earlier Civ games.

feel free to try one of my civ3popMOD maps (limited to 3 starting cities until a later age)

How was performance of AI? (does it doggedly chase the same targets or is there randomness of target? does it split stacks to attack multiple targets appropriately - perhaps 5 (or 10) to 1 depending on ground?)


How was AI performance handling of navy and airforce?
 
Craterus22 said:
How was AI performance handling of navy and airforce?
i'd like to get much more info on navy and air also. all i've read is that there is air attacks, that post-gunpowder navy units can bombard (i wonder if this means all navy units once gunpowder is discovered) coastal cities, and that sea resources (fish, whale, oil) need to be protected

no idea if the AI builds bombers, fighters and a decent navy. or how archipelago maps turn out. civ3 AI was very bad with transports.
 
Hiya Civrules. Now, I realise you might be limited in what you can reveal here, but I was wondering if you could answer a few 'critical questions' for me.

-Have you played any games where you deliberately limit yourself to just a few larger cities (say 4-6)? If so, how successful did this tactic prove compared to civ3?

-Do any civics options add to unhappiness or subract from happiness? If not, is it possible to do so via modding?

-How important are city and unit maintainance as a proportion of your total expenditure?

-You and Solver have both mentioned how units can, with an Open Border arrangement, share any tile with any unit/city of the other civ. Does this fact confer additional benefits for civs in an Alliance and/or Defensive Pact? Also, does this mean Zone of Control has been removed, or is it just different now?

-Related to the previous question, does the ability to share tiles also apply to forts, or can these improvements keep even non-hostile units at bay? Also, can you build forts outside your own borders (or any other terrain improvement for that matter)?

-How easy is it for naval units to block trade routes-both along the coasts and over the ocean? Do you think blockading is going to be one of the keys to a much more important naval system?

-Related to the last question-how well does the AI use its Navy, Airforce and ground units-both individually and as a combined forces element?

-Oh, I noticed from the screenshot how few turns are required to get those early techs, does it get significantly harder as you go along, or did you simply have your science slider up full bore? ;)

Thanks for your preview Civrules, it is absolutely brilliant and makes me want this game even MORE!!!!! Man, still 11 days to go-thats just TOO LONG!!!
 
Oh also, is it just me or have the pyramids gone 'back to the past'? Unless I was mistaken, pyramids in Civ I used to give you access to all governments too, but in Civ2 they moved that ability to Statue of Liberty (because the effect was too overpowered with pyramids), whilst giving pyramids the 'Granary in every city'. I personally think the best effect for Pyramids is +2 free engineers in the city that built it (or +1 engineer in every city) and either a free Great Engineer or an increased chance of one! That is just a minor quibble though ;)!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.
 
A Multiplayer Preview may be out shortly (within a day or so). It has been sent to the editor, so to speak.
 
Nice review:goodjob:
I had questions but I think most were covered already (not necessarilly answered yet though...)

I did enjoy the link to "Complexity" though... Quite amuzing:D :lol:
 
I'm awestruck by the articulation, clarity, and wit of the writer and the contents of his article. From first CIV on I have hammered away at this game with ruthless regularity and glee. If CIV IV is as intriguing and balanced as it sounds, and the multiplayer works and flows, you will have plenty of Kanute to contend with!
 
Kanute said:
I'm awestruck by the articulation, clarity, and wit of the writer and the contents of his article. From first CIV on I have hammered away at this game with ruthless regularity and glee. If CIV IV is as intriguing and balanced as it sounds, and the multiplayer works and flows, you will have plenty of Kanute to contend with!
Yeah it was a great article by Civrules, but even more so when you consider he's only 16 years old, well almost 17 he said a few days ago. He's has a great future ahead of him!

EDIT: Sorry forgot to welcome you to CFC [party] WELCOME!!!
 
Phoenix_56721 said:
Yeah it was a great article by Civrules, but even more so when you consider he's only 16 years old, well almost 17 he said a few days ago. He's has a great future ahead of him!

EDIT: Sorry forgot to welcome you to CFC [party] WELCOME!!!

I've been checking into this sight for a while now and recognize many of the contributors and played on their maps. I don't think I'm any where near the geeks you guys are but I play a mean game of CIV.;)

Thanks for the welcome!
 
Helmling said:
I'd only use cheat mode if a game went south on me. Then I'd suddenly develop nuclear weapons and reign down death on my fiendish (and superior) foes.

But I certainly hope that the HoF is disabled when you turn on the editor.

I read somewhere that the world editor wouldn't be part of the initial release, but added later. :blush: Tell me I'm wrong and that it will be in my pre-order version. I've never really used the editor in Civ3, but this one in Civ4 looks simple enough to give it a try. I don't plan on using it to cheat, but you never know what may happen when your back is up against the wall.
 
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