New info (6/25) on Shacknews interview

mjs0

mjs0

The 4th X
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Shacknews have posted an interview with Dennis Shirk that seems to have quite a bit of new info (at least that I hadn't heard before), including:

On unique units:
Shack: Are these - for lack of a better term - spells to be cast or are they passive bonuses?

Dennis Shirk: Not just passive bonuses. The Roman Legion, for instance, can build roads and forts, things previously just given to the worker [unit]. As the Romans, your legions are going across the landscape and paving their own roads at the same time. There are a lot of unique units like this. They don't just look different; they do different things.
Click to expand...
On the impact of policies on diplomacy:
Shack: Will any of these policies or choices you make impact diplomatic relations?

Dennis Shirk: Diplomatic relations, not so much. That's the one place that it doesn't touch for major [civs]. For city-states, yes, there are policies that can really dictate the relationships and yields you might get from city-states. For the diplomacy game, this actually has an impact, because city-states have a diplomacy vote [in the United Nations] at the end of the game.
Click to expand...
On early game races/rushes:
Shack: A lot of the early game in Civ IV ended up being a rush to specific tech or research: founding religions was particularly powerful. Is there any of that in Civ V?

Dennis Shirk: We have one or two rushes in place, but not on the level [of founding religions in Civ IV]. In the early game, we still want to have some minigames going on, but nothing that is going to alter the landscape of the planet. With religion, it was really fun, but extremely powerful. If you didn't go for it right away, you were out of the race.

There are little races going on. There are some natural wonders in the game now placed on the map like a mysterious crater or volcano here or there - that kind of thing. If you discover those, it will increase happiness within your civ. If you found cities next to them it's a huge boon in gold and other odds and ends. There's going to be a rush to find [natural wonders] and ruins because they give multiple benefits, but nothing that's going to be earth-shatteringly game-altering.
Click to expand...
On multiplayer:
Shack: What multiplayer options will be available?

Dennis Shirk: We're going to have the basics out of the gate. About a month after release, we're going to add Pitboss. Pitboss will be accompanied by two extraneous modes that we weren't originally planning, but the fans keep asking for: play-by-mail and hot-seat.
Click to expand...

That last one is particularly interesting as it appears to be a clear indication that Firaxis/2K are listening to some fan requests and making changes.
 
Interesting to see that some of the UUs might have special abilities. I'm guessing not all of them will (I'm sure some will just have extra Strength, or a passive bonus against mounted units, etc.) but it'd make UUs more fun.
 
That's interesting that policies wouldn't at all affect relations with other major civilizations. So policies don't affect relations and there is obviously no religion to affect relations... meaning relations must be based solely on things like open borders, wars, trading with enemies, border tensions, etc. It seems like it will be significantly more difficult to be friends with an AI than be enemies with them, seeing as how there aren't many positive diplomacy bonuses left (as far as Civ4 went) once you strip away religion and civic bonuses.

Also, the Romans building roads wherever they go could potentially be a bad thing. I mean, the enemy can use roads in neutral territory just as well as you can (or so I'd assume).
 
Sorry, but I think having social policies *not* impact on diplomatic relations is a load of rubbish-especially in the modern era. The idea that a civ that follows a Freedom Path is going to enjoy as close a friendship with an Autocratic civ as it does with a fellow Freedom-loving Civ makes no sense to me :(!

Aussie.
 
Alsark said:
Also, the Romans building roads wherever they go could potentially be a bad thing. I mean, the enemy can use roads in neutral territory just as well as you can (or so I'd assume).
Click to expand...

I don't think they build roads automatically.
Dennis Shirk mentions their ability as an example for an UU ability that is not a passive bonus.
 
Excting, exciting stuff. Massive gameplay potential.

Creating 18 really unique civs sounds awesome. Units that do different things, new civ powers... it really makes me want to play with all 18 civilizations. Can't say that about previous Civ versions.

Also, the Geographic wonder bonus sounds pretty fascinating... I like random things to take advantage of. You don't want them to be cheats, i.e. goody huts, but special things like City-State variability, Natural wonders for city placement (which may be worth a war with an AI); annexing vs. puppet. 10 differen investments for social policy. No tech trading. No Cottage Spam. Terrain-Modified Combat.

Just seems they are putting a TON of emphasis on gameplay dymanics. Undoubtedly some key strategies/patterns will emerge.

But doesn't it just seem like they're putting their money where there mouth is on making gameplay truly more dynamic?

I'm very excited.
 
Aussie_Lurker said:
Sorry, but I think having social policies *not* impact on diplomatic relations is a load of rubbish-especially in the modern era. The idea that a civ that follows a Freedom Path is going to enjoy as close a friendship with an Autocratic civ as it does with a fellow Freedom-loving Civ makes no sense to me :(!

Aussie.
Click to expand...

Makes sense to me, america and australia both have similar ideals to us brits. But there are a lot of anti-american, and anti-australian jokes, and prejudicies. Having similar ideals shouldn't force someone to like you, you have to earn that friendship.
 
Aussie_Lurker said:
Sorry, but I think having social policies *not* impact on diplomatic relations is a load of rubbish-especially in the modern era. The idea that a civ that follows a Freedom Path is going to enjoy as close a friendship with an Autocratic civ as it does with a fellow Freedom-loving Civ makes no sense to me :(!

Aussie.
Click to expand...

Eh, civics didn't affect relations in Civ IV that much, generally just a point or two (plus any points when they very rarely asked you to switch civics and you said yes/no). Not a huge loss I think.
 
I'm all for getting rid of cottage *spam*, but not so keen on getting rid of COTTAGES (or, more to the point, the precursors which eventually grow into villages & towns). Personally, I had an easy way around cottage spam in Civ4. I just made them like workshops-bonus money, but you lost 1 food from the tile. Really changed the game dynamic for the better IMHO. Hopefully they've taken this approach with Trading Posts (which, I believe, are the replacements for cottages!)

Aussie.
 
Sharing ideals-or not-shouldn't be a deal maker/deal breaker, but it should be of *some* importance to diplomatic relations!

Aussie.
 
Mef said:
I don't think they build roads automatically.
Dennis Shirk mentions their ability as an example for an UU ability that is not a passive bonus.
Click to expand...

He didnt say it was automatic, but legions (even if you have to clikc a button,) can build roads wherever they go. without bringing along a worker.
 
Schuesseled said:
He didnt say it was automatic, but legions (even if you have to clikc a button,) can build roads wherever they go. without bringing along a worker.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what he said.
He didn't say that they always build them automatically (that wouldn't make any sense with the new road system) so you don't need to fear that enemies make use of your automatically built legion-roads in neutral land.
 
Mef said:
Yes, that's what he said.
Click to expand...

I know

Mef said:
He didn't say that they always build them automatically (that wouldn't make any sense with the new road system) so you don't need to fear that enemies make use of your automatically built legion-roads in neutral land.
Click to expand...

But you can build them wherever you want, if you wanted to.
 
"Shack: Are these - for lack of a better term - spells to be cast or are they passive bonuses?

Dennis Shirk: Not just passive bonuses. The Roman Legion, for instance, can build roads and forts, things previously just given to the worker [unit]. As the Romans, your legions are going across the landscape and paving their own roads at the same time. "

Hehh. I don't want to boast or anything (or yes? :),
but if memory serves me well, I have given exactly these bonuses to the legion unit
in my civ3 mod Clashing of Empires ;)

EDIT:
I ask for excuse, but let me quote from... myself from 5 years ago back:

"A NEW IDEA:
I have the thought to give all UU something specific beside the fact that they have uniqe stats.
A roman leginary can build roads and fortress, for instance. Like this, all UU should have sg. normal units don't have."

here... is the source...
 
Alsark said:
Also, the Romans building roads wherever they go could potentially be a bad thing. I mean, the enemy can use roads in neutral territory just as well as you can (or so I'd assume).
Click to expand...
I think it's an awesome idea, as that's how things went down in history. Roads built by Roman soldiers are what kept the Republic/Empire alive and thriving for upwards of 1,000 years ("All roads lead to Rome" and all that).
 
I think that it would be difficult to have social policies affect relations when you keep the benefits of all policies you have purchased.

It makes sense to have Civ4 civics affect diplomacy, because you can switch between them. But if there's no policy switching, and if you retain the policy you purchased 2000 years ago, then it wouldn't really make much sense.

This is one of the design costs of having policies that don't expire.
 
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