Civ3 - image is nothing, gaming is everything

[Ecco]

As i stumble upon these new screenshots that so many of you have come to like, i question myself, whether the new game of civilization will in fact be the upholder of all the improvements that we have come to expect? In normal language, will it be tougher, cooler, more interesting, more challenging, more realistic, more lively then civ2, or just better graphics?

Let me tell you this. And this is jsut my point of view. F@ck graphics. The hell with all the state-of-the-art crap, i would for once like to see a better improvent in gaming rather than in appearance. I mean, yeah, ok, sure, it's probably much more fun to experience civilization through a totally different lens, but...but i ask this: will there be anything breath-taking in the game itself?

Yes, i have read all of the pregame release notes, and i am up-to-date on the changes and advancments in civ3 that the boys at microprose so keenly talk about. But when i look at the screenshots, all i see is SimCivilization. Or Walt Disney Civilization.

Anyone else feel that civ3 is gonna be a wreck for us older players?



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"The weak have one weapon: the errors of those who think they are strong."

- Georges Bidault

[bvd]

I agree completely, but if we do not feed the gaming populace the "eye-candy" and flare for which they clamor, Civ III's community won't grow to a very large size. The implications: no new scenarios, maps, modpacks, very scant multiplayer games, etc. By the way, any original Civ I players HATE the new, "improved" isometric view that became fashionable in recent turn-based strategy games? It's very befuddling, easily costing the player moves.

hey, i'm an original civ1 player and i don't hate the isometric view at all. christ, if you haven't gotten used to the isometric view by now, spending hours and hours on civ2, then there's gotta be something wrong with you. civ challenges your mind, right? then you should be able to pass the obstacle of a different viewing angle pretty quick. there's also something called ctrl+g.

gaming is everything, image is questionable

i loved civ i, when civ ii came out i got it imediately, didn't like the new view at first, but got used to it because the game was so much better. i bought tot as soon as it came out too, didn't like the graphics, game not better, hardly ever play. i'll buy civ iii as soon asit is available, not too bothered with the view / graphics, lets play.

[Dreadnaught]

Man, it's gonna be damn good with or without graphic changes. You say you've read all the release notes, well for starters just think about the improved negotiation and diplomacy system. That in itself is worth buying the game. Can you even begin to fathom the added game play that system will create. If you fail in negotiations it could mean the starvation of your civ. Whether economically or materially.

The role of trade has expanded greatly. With dependacies on other nations for raw materials.

There is also the new idea of culture. How that all works I'm not quite sure, but the abilty to expand your borders by the amount of technolgy you have sounds awesome.

New units, expanded techs and better graphics just add to all of this. I don't think you need to worry your self so much. Just have faith in Sid as we have said all along.

In the end just remember, didn't they bring you Civilization I and II?

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"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the the size of the fight in the dog."
- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

[kittenOFchaos]

without good graphics the game won´t be classed as "sex on a stick!"


My eyes ask for the roads to be sorted out in the mountainous areas!

[Michiel de Ruyter]

I agree the tade and culture additions alone will bring a whole new dimension to the game, but they should make them indispensable, because in civ II I never used caravans for trade only to win wonder races.

[animepornstar]

hey, if i pay a lot of $$$ for a new computer i want some great graphics for it.

however, i don´t think the civ3 graphics looks so good as i had hoped i would.

<FONT size="-2">i think it sucks...</FONT s>

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<IMG SRC="http://home.oea.se/oea01190/Image72.jpg" border=0>

[Matrix]

Graphics should be adequate. You'll get used to it anyway. Only they shouldn't have these kind of flaws like roads that float over mountains.

And I'm actually already convinced that the gameplay will totally kick @ss!! First because of all the previews and especially what is said at http://www.firaxis.com/civ3 , but also because the game is made by Sid Meier. And Sid loves his Civilization series most!

<FONT size="1">Can anyone guess what character my @ represents? Hard, isn't it?</FONT s>

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<IMG SRC="http://home.hetnet.nl/~maartencl/tmp/MatrixBW.gif" border=0>
CivFanatics staff member: Game of the Month administrator & moderator.

[Vrylakas]

The Civ III graphics look suspiciously to me like Age of Empires graphics. I know they took the new look from the Breughel painting, but they are very similar. That puts me off a bit because I played that game a few times and just couldn't get into it. My beef with AoE is exactly what you are all complaining about; that it has lots of neat animated eye candy, but doesn't deliver (for me) the gameplay. I got especially worried about this when Firaxis opened the units display page and I saw they were animated.

However, the exciting things I've been reading here about the new Civ III features (diplomacy especially) really do excite me. I think this will be a better game, regardless of what it looks like. The animation worries me a bit about our ability to customize units but the Firaxis site has claimed this won't be a problem.

So in the final analysis: Whatever the look, if it's a good game to play - better than Civ II (tall order, but possible!) - then I'll get used to it.

And hey - a little animation never killed anyone....

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"...über den Bergen sind auch Leute..."
<IMG SRC="http://www.donlinke.com/images/Vlad/vlad_bevel.jpg" border=0>

I dont think any one can know how good the game is until they play it. However, I think the new and improved graphics is simply cosmetic; to keep up with the new gaming indrusty. Plus I doubt with technology of today graphics will be made a big issue and drain the money and energy of the team upon development.

[thedirk]

The eye candy is nice if you can get it. But I play the game for the game. I mean Civ I graphics sucked, but the game was still addictive.