Better Management System

[DogmaDog]

I'd like to see a better management system for your civilization.

The current advisor screens are pretty good, but how about adding improved sort functions, and a "search" or "query" function? Maybe I need to find all the cities on this continent that have barracks, or I've somehow lost track of which city built the military academy, and I want to build an army...do I have to go scroll through each city's improvements until I find the MA?

Also, how about the ability to change citizens into specialists from the advisor screen, without opening the city screen?

I'd also like more effective tools to manage corruption--say a map view that allowed you to predict the effects of moving your palace, or building the FP.

DogmaDog

[Beloyar]

I agree.
When I finally build the Art of War, I want to have the option to sell all barracks that I built previously. Without this option I have to search through every city manually.

[xerox]

I agree.
It would be great to have the ability to see status of any KNOWN tribe: Resources, Luxuries, and relationship to other tribes
1. View would be limited to whatever could be seen in diplomacy screen
2. Allow view of RELATIONSHIPS,RESOURCES,LUXURIES
3. Include links to Diplomacy Screen, Civilopedia, & other Tribes

PERSIAN Relationships <Go To Diplomacy Screen>
BABYLONIANS No Contact
JAPANESE No Contact
AZTECS Peace, Mutual Protection Pact (6 turns)
GERMANS Military Alliance VS CHINESE (11 turns)
CHINESE War, Military Alliance with AMERICANS (11 turns)
AMERICANS War, Military Alliance with CHINESE (11 turns)
IRIQUOS No Contact

PERSIAN Resources (Discovered/Available/Unlinked)
IRON 5/2/2 <display need>
COAL 1/0/1
HORSES 2/0/0
SALTPETER 0/0/0 <display available>
OIL 1/1/0 <display need>
RUBBER N/A (Tech not yet discovered)
ALUMINUM N/A (Tech not yet discovered)
URANIUM N/A (Tech not yet discovered)

PERSIAN Luxuries (Discovered/Available/Unlinked)
GEMS 0/0/0 <display availibility>
INCENSE 1/0/1
SPICES 5/4/0 <display need>
WINE 1/0/0
FURS 0/0/0 <display availibility>
SILK 1/0/0
DYES 1/0/1
IVORY 2/1/0 <display need>

This would help a great deal in negotions!

Also it would be great to have the ability to choose which tribes to include on "Foriegn Advisor" screen.

Another helpful tool would be a Message Queue
1. Chronological list of all message that have been displayed on screen
2. Year, Tribe or General, Message
1490 Chinese Discover Iron Working
1500 Greek Peace Treaty Signed

[Garbarsardar.jr]

@xerox . not only a good idea, but IMHO this is how all ideas involving interface should be presented. I for one enjoy long theoretical discussions, but a simple display of some interface makes everything easier for the reader.
And 5 boooos to anyone who dares to disagree with that....

[Beloyar]

Originally Posted by Garbarsardar.jr

@xerox . not only a good idea, but IMHO this is how all ideas involving interface should be presented. I for one enjoy long theoretical discussions, but a simple display of some interface makes everything easier for the reader.
And 5 boooos to anyone who dares to disagree with that....

Not just easier for the reader, but for the viewer and player. We are not actually supposed to read games, but look and play them.
Sometimes visual symbols - signs, shapes, colors, etc. - are better than text, so you can absorb and interpret those a lot faster, without reading.

[xerox]

The info in the form of a Tolstoy novel would not be the normal display but an optional display. How many times have you attacked the civ that was half your size only to find out that you forgot that it had a Mutual Protection Pact with the civ that was twice the size as yours?!?! As you watch you cities being taken by the handfuls you bang your head on the desk. Should I really have to have a paper and pencil handy to make note of these agreements???

[Verowin]

Yes, all good ideas. Maybe in a seperate prefernce screen, you can choose which items you would like to see in your advisor screen.

[Beloyar]

Originally Posted by xerox

The info in the form of a Tolstoy novel would not be the normal display but an optional display. How many times have you attacked the civ that was half your size only to find out that you forgot that it had a Mutual Protection Pact with the civ that was twice the size as yours?!?! As you watch you cities being taken by the handfuls you bang your head on the desk. Should I really have to have a paper and pencil handy to make note of these agreements???

I actually sometimes do that. But that makes me hate the game more each time. Don't forget that it's not impossible to get other civs into an alliance against your enemies. I find it quite easy to bribe others with a tech or something to join a war against foes.

I think a big map screen would help, where you can click on a civ and all civs that have a pact with it would turn a similar color; or civs it trades with would turn a certain color, etc.

[Dr. Broom]

This really needs to be added in Civ IV, not only would it make the game easier to play and more enjoyable but also quicken the multiplayer games by a great deal and they really do need to be faster.

[socralynnek]

Yes, this would mean a big improvement, it's kind of harrd to filter the information you need now, so it would be very good to keep some thing like message history, info screen for each civ and so on!

[Commander Bello]

Good idea, xerox!
This really would be helpful, especially since all the information are already available - yet not displayed in the current game.