Special Edition With The Older Civs

[Marx]

This Idea is not an in-game Idea, but an idea for the 'special edition'

Many people are searching for a 'legal' version of Civilization I.

I've two legal versions of the game, but some people really can't find the game in shops.

So I hope to see a fully XP/Longhorn Compatible version of civilization I.

Off course I want to buy a copy of Civilization IV including a techtree, and a poster with the different units.

Maybe a beautiful box with special goodies (such as the tech an unit posters) for an additional ten or fifteen euro (or dollar)

[Blasphemous]

Frankly, I don't think a poster with the tech tree and unit list is something that should even require extra cost... Most games that need such posters provide them as a part of the basic package...

[Ultraworld]

They should make it in a way so you can mod it to civ1, civ2, civ3.

[SideshowBob]

Concidering the fact that Civ 2 and Civ 3 are out there as "Best of Infogrames/Atari" and are cheap, it wouldn't be that difficult to make a special edition with Civ 1 (at least for Windows), + Civ 2 and 3, doesn't hurt to have extra copies, different versions with different game play, lots of scenarios for those who haven't got unlimited access to internet, SMAC and SMAC-X would be nice:-) and so on. Thing is, it's so cheap to burn a CD, it shouldn't even be a question whether things can be re-released or modded to work on newer computers. It would simply be a favor and in the best of worlds reduce piracy.

[Teabeard]

Maybe they could include little plastic toys/models of some of the units in the game? Plastic toys are extremely cheap so it shouldn't add much to the cost of a limited edition version. Maybe a Civ 4 coffee mug or mouse pad could be included?

I don't know, just throwing some ideas out here.

[Ivan the Kulak]

LOL, plastic unit models, that would be kind of cool. That's what they should have done with Civ3, each copy should have had a single little toy in it, maybe a little modern armor, or cavalry, or what have you, sort of like a Civ3 happy meal suprise. They'd probably become hot little collectibles, at least among civ3 fans, and Firaxis could have made more $$$ selling these individually or in sets.

Teabeard, don't you think it would be a bit hard to fit a coffee mug in a software box? Unless the limited edition box was WAY bigger.

You know, what I would really like to see (and this would be worth paying $30 for) is a really cool book devoted to all the civ3 stuff, not a manual, but an actual book, complete with great color pictures of all the units, with stats, a beautifully laid out tech tree, with every aspect of every tech listed (better than the civilopedia) and some detailed chapters on strategy and general gameplay by some of the more knowledgeable civ players out there. There could even be a section on mods, with info on Rise and Rule, DYP, and a section for the 50 best fan made units, complete with pictures (need a poll to decide finalists).

[sir_schwick]

They should also have an historical and rules/units/faction primer to go along with each Conquest, not the half-assed paragraph that was in the conquests manual. Also, there should be appendices that discuss actuall gameplay mechanics. In SMAC, the online manual included the rough approximate math that was used in calculating gameplay events.

[Ivan the Kulak]

Yes, that would be nice. Also, detailed lists of all terrain, and the exact effects of mining/irrigating it, plus detailed explanations of civ attributes and how to exploit them to max advantage in the game. Examples of articles that would be nice to see:

Settler Factories: City size and terrain types explained for max production.
Early offensive strategies without resources.
Columbus and the Galley: risks and rewards.
Diplomacy: Let's make a deal! How to negotiate for max advantage.

Pollution occurence should be explained also. If I were to judge by my current game, the pseudocode must look something like this:

Pollution_Chance = .1
Num_City_Tiles_Worked
City_Pollution_Triangles
if City_Build = Wonder then
Pollution_Chance = .5
if Num_City_Tiles_Worked / Terrain_Mountain <> 0 AND Pollution_Triangles _
<> 0 then
POLLUTION Terrain_Mountain(RND)
end if
end if

LOL.

[sir_schwick]

So essentially all we are asking Firaxis to do is condense the entire CFC site into a small box. Sounds good.

[Ivan the Kulak]

Well, most of it. Come to think of it, this book would probably cost at least $50 US, it would run to hundreds of pages if done properly.

Maybe someone with Acrobat could start a project to put this stuff into a giant PDF file for download.

[sir_schwick]

Marketting Idea:
Firaxis, with whatever liscenses they need, put out an Ultimate Civilization Collection. The collection comes on three DVDs.
1) Civ I and Civ II with tons of mods, pdf strategy guides, and a utility that makes modding easier. Extra space would probably include watchable features about the development of Civ. It might also be worth adding SMAC, although some would say SMAC was not really a Civ game as much sci-fi.
2) Civ III with all the expansions and plenty of mods including DYP. Extra space would include the guides and whatnot. It would also include utilities that allowed for easier SGs, story-threads, etc.
3) Civ IV, hopefully not bug choked. It would also include a catalogued version of all the Civ4 Ideas and Suggestions forums from all the major civ sites. It would be sorted by which ideas were adapted or used and interesting ones that were not.
4) There would also be a 'best of civilization' audio CD.

Posters for all the games and some of hte major mods(DYP, Conquests) would be included.
A basic manual(thurough though) would be included for each game. All the expansions would be incorporated into the Civ 2 and Civ 3 manuals.
A mod manual would have details for most of the inlcuded mods for all the games. The more major mods would have several page primers and strategy suggestions.
There would also be a statistics manual for unit stats and comperative combat strategies, terrain stats and worker strategies, government discussions.
There would also be a civilizations manual which is modified versions of all the articles about particular civs for Civ 3 and strategy for Civ 2.
Finally, there would be a small plastic toy of a disabled tank with a spear sticking out of it(suggested by Newaver)

I figure all this runs $60-70 US, but would be well worth it.

[NewWaver]

They should have a plastic toy of a tank with a spear sticking out of it.