New CivIV screenshots (from Game Informer)
- Thread starter Snoopy
- Start date
Philips beard
Prince
Great! Finally some more shots! 
By the way Snoopy, Did they mention any more info in the PC magazine you found those pic's?
By the way Snoopy, Did they mention any more info in the PC magazine you found those pic's?
dh_epic
Cold War Veteran
Allow me to speculate. Mostly non observations, discussing what appears to be the same, or raising new questions...
Screenshot 2
Morale: Flags appear to be replaced with banners, making it (slightly) less likely that morale is in the game. The flapping flags, as some people indicated, might have represented that unit's relative zeal. Now that they're banners, there's still an outside shot that morale is represented in some other way, perhaps as a number below the unit. After all, if you take the screenshot literally, then units don't even have hitpoints
City Radius: It looks like the "fat x" is still in, going by the size of those red borders.
Flat Land: It doesn't look like they've made land slope up and down, like a Simcity 2000, 3000 and so on. Mountains and hills are represented in 3D, but they're strictly there as terrain types. Although I am wondering to myself -- how are those little units going to appear on those jagged little mountains?
Workers: It looks like little worker units are in there, so they haven't moved to a public works system. Whether this precludes any kind of streamlining of their work is something else, but it looks like workers behave like regular units with special abilities.
Number of Soldiers: If you look at that square by the lake, the red unit in the top left, it appears to have 4 soldiers. If you look at the red workers and warriors towards the bottom, it appears to have 5. Maybe the number of units represents hitpoints? Maybe the number of soldiers increases as a unit achieves more experience?
Nice engine, by the way.
Screenshot 3
Technologies: See the bottom left? The player appears to be researching Metal Casting, which leads to chemistry and machinery. It looks like they're going for more detail in the tech tree! Also note, these technologies are all scientific, as opposed to social (like nationalism, monotheism, and feudalism) -- it's curious what some of the social techs are.
Building versus Constructing: Also note from that little tech dialog -- Metal Casting allows you to build a Workshop. But it also allows you to Construct Forge. What's the difference between building and constructing? Why mince terms? Are they different? If building is what happens for regular city improvements... Perhaps to Construct something is to make it with your workers? Or perhaps to construct something is to build something on a small-wonder scale?
Unit Stats: I can't see anything that would look like a reasonable attack / defence for a spearman. O/1 seems to indicate movement. There's a number that says Combat: 1, suggesting this is the spearman's attack rate? But then what is the 4 squiggle? Some kind of experience or HP level? What happened to defence? Maybe stats are being rethought?
Rivers: Civ 3 style, between tiles, as opposed to running through tiles like roads.
Also note, they cleaned up the interface while still keeping it relatively consistent. Stats and map in the corner, and unit options in the middle. But the options are icons instead of little buttons. Also, it looks like they're trying to get more information on the screen, with the research info in the left corner as well, along with "34 turns" indicating the amount of time left.
Screenshot 2
Morale: Flags appear to be replaced with banners, making it (slightly) less likely that morale is in the game. The flapping flags, as some people indicated, might have represented that unit's relative zeal. Now that they're banners, there's still an outside shot that morale is represented in some other way, perhaps as a number below the unit. After all, if you take the screenshot literally, then units don't even have hitpoints
City Radius: It looks like the "fat x" is still in, going by the size of those red borders.
Flat Land: It doesn't look like they've made land slope up and down, like a Simcity 2000, 3000 and so on. Mountains and hills are represented in 3D, but they're strictly there as terrain types. Although I am wondering to myself -- how are those little units going to appear on those jagged little mountains?
Workers: It looks like little worker units are in there, so they haven't moved to a public works system. Whether this precludes any kind of streamlining of their work is something else, but it looks like workers behave like regular units with special abilities.
Number of Soldiers: If you look at that square by the lake, the red unit in the top left, it appears to have 4 soldiers. If you look at the red workers and warriors towards the bottom, it appears to have 5. Maybe the number of units represents hitpoints? Maybe the number of soldiers increases as a unit achieves more experience?
Nice engine, by the way.
Screenshot 3
Technologies: See the bottom left? The player appears to be researching Metal Casting, which leads to chemistry and machinery. It looks like they're going for more detail in the tech tree! Also note, these technologies are all scientific, as opposed to social (like nationalism, monotheism, and feudalism) -- it's curious what some of the social techs are.
Building versus Constructing: Also note from that little tech dialog -- Metal Casting allows you to build a Workshop. But it also allows you to Construct Forge. What's the difference between building and constructing? Why mince terms? Are they different? If building is what happens for regular city improvements... Perhaps to Construct something is to make it with your workers? Or perhaps to construct something is to build something on a small-wonder scale?
Unit Stats: I can't see anything that would look like a reasonable attack / defence for a spearman. O/1 seems to indicate movement. There's a number that says Combat: 1, suggesting this is the spearman's attack rate? But then what is the 4 squiggle? Some kind of experience or HP level? What happened to defence? Maybe stats are being rethought?
Rivers: Civ 3 style, between tiles, as opposed to running through tiles like roads.
Also note, they cleaned up the interface while still keeping it relatively consistent. Stats and map in the corner, and unit options in the middle. But the options are icons instead of little buttons. Also, it looks like they're trying to get more information on the screen, with the research info in the left corner as well, along with "34 turns" indicating the amount of time left.
Snoopy
Prince
To everyone: I have a large 1200x800 pic of the tilted view screen. It's almost 2mb. But if you want it, post your email address in this thread. DON'T PM ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
OxfordPferd
Chieftain
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- May 23, 2003
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OxfordPferd@gmx.deSnoopy said:
Naokaukodem
Millenary King
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2003
- Messages
- 4,000
Nice screenies...
Though I don't like the appearance of the horse ressource, it's too much like a 3D icon, I would have wanted to see several horses run through the country, or maybe just running in the tile at a smaller squale.
Though I don't like the appearance of the horse ressource, it's too much like a 3D icon, I would have wanted to see several horses run through the country, or maybe just running in the tile at a smaller squale.
BrutalGodProjek
Chieftain
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2004
- Messages
- 77
To tell you guys the truth, so far I'm dissapointed. The graphics are ok to me, although I do like the new look of the spearman. What are all those giant units doing...it makes it look hella stupid. And you know, if I had to use "hella" to describe the stupidness it must be bad. I feel sad. 
arkammler
Chieftain
sir_schwick
Archbishop of Towels
These screenshots were alright, but many of the subtle observations worried me. dh_epic mentioned most of them, so I will start there:
It looks like the 21-square city radius is staying. This is not conclusive, but distance from square would have been more intuitive if cities could have variable work zones.
Kinda ugly in my opinion.
Agreed. Even the model looks as though it was ripped direct from Civ 3.
I am guessing hit points because of the lack of HP info anywhere else. This means we should expect a lot more
/frustrating combat results.
I am guessing that Forge is a small wonder while workshop is an improvement. The way techs is shown reminds me of RoN in many ways. The rest of the interface, especially the middle box with orders, reminds me of AoE extensively.
Agreed.
dh_epic said:
It looks like the 21-square city radius is staying. This is not conclusive, but distance from square would have been more intuitive if cities could have variable work zones.
dh_epic said:
Kinda ugly in my opinion.
dh_epic said:
Agreed. Even the model looks as though it was ripped direct from Civ 3.
dh_epic said:
I am guessing hit points because of the lack of HP info anywhere else. This means we should expect a lot more
/frustrating combat results.dh_epic said:
I am guessing that Forge is a small wonder while workshop is an improvement. The way techs is shown reminds me of RoN in many ways. The rest of the interface, especially the middle box with orders, reminds me of AoE extensively.
sir_schwick said:
Agreed.
Loppan Torkel
Deity
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2004
- Messages
- 4,756
Could the Wonders and small wonders be a nationwide effort now, and that's what the constuction - improvement differentiation is about..?
Louis XXIV
Le Roi Soleil
Snoopy said:
You're probably gonna get a ton of requests
epsilon530 AT gmail.com
LouLong
In love with Rei Ayanami
OK, I think dh_epic did try to make as much as possible from these screenshots and since it is also more my interest than the mere looks I will try to add my 2 cents as well, which are a mixture of analysis (little), wild guesses (most) with some seasonings of hope (kind of I see what I want to see 
).
Screenshot 2 :
apparently there are different types of groups of warriors (style and not just number) maybe they have civ-specific-looking units or at least culture-group specific-looking units. Or these are really different units or some here are simply UU (guess they will keep it as it was a good and well-liked addition).
Relief on the map is nice but resources on them don't always blend well. The horse for instance looks both very static and a bit like floating above the hills.
Workers and no Public works, I agree.
Screenshot 3
there seems to be 4-5 resources and/or land improvements mostly on the desert/flood plains tiles. Guess 1 is just a scrub on desert to vary the looks. 1 looks like a megalith and I have no clue about what it is, two looks like improvement and 1 looks like resources (ore ?) + improvement (mine ?) (NE of the Western city). Then there is an enormous oasis (too big IMHO) SE of the Eastern city.
Roads are nice but rivers are still along the squares and don't blend with the roads, so apparently they cannot be used for trade, speeding movement. Really too bad.
I also believe build and construct refer to 2 different things : my guess is really 1 land improvement and 1 city improvement. Forge = land improvement ???
The unit stats got me puzzled.
Guesses :
4 refers to the number of figures in the unit. Or it refers to a general combat value (a la DBA) which could be interesting. Then 0/1 could be bonus in attack/defense ? (this might far-fetching but it is a guess).
Combat 1 : could be the experience of the unit = survived 1 combat.
I don't recognize the map from the minimap and vice versa at all..... ????
The icons at the top look like tech icons, some even look like Civ3 ones (monarchy and abacus anyone ?). Now hope it does not mean techs researched or I don't see how we could avoid the cluttering of the screen. Alternative can be the advisors" screen (first would be government, last one army ?) but I don't think so.
Altogether the screen looks really colorful ... or a bit childish (depends on one's opinion).
).Screenshot 2 :
apparently there are different types of groups of warriors (style and not just number) maybe they have civ-specific-looking units or at least culture-group specific-looking units. Or these are really different units or some here are simply UU (guess they will keep it as it was a good and well-liked addition).
Relief on the map is nice but resources on them don't always blend well. The horse for instance looks both very static and a bit like floating above the hills.
Workers and no Public works, I agree.
Screenshot 3
there seems to be 4-5 resources and/or land improvements mostly on the desert/flood plains tiles. Guess 1 is just a scrub on desert to vary the looks. 1 looks like a megalith and I have no clue about what it is, two looks like improvement and 1 looks like resources (ore ?) + improvement (mine ?) (NE of the Western city). Then there is an enormous oasis (too big IMHO) SE of the Eastern city.
Roads are nice but rivers are still along the squares and don't blend with the roads, so apparently they cannot be used for trade, speeding movement. Really too bad.
I also believe build and construct refer to 2 different things : my guess is really 1 land improvement and 1 city improvement. Forge = land improvement ???
The unit stats got me puzzled.
Guesses :
4 refers to the number of figures in the unit. Or it refers to a general combat value (a la DBA) which could be interesting. Then 0/1 could be bonus in attack/defense ? (this might far-fetching but it is a guess).
Combat 1 : could be the experience of the unit = survived 1 combat.
I don't recognize the map from the minimap and vice versa at all..... ????
The icons at the top look like tech icons, some even look like Civ3 ones (monarchy and abacus anyone ?). Now hope it does not mean techs researched or I don't see how we could avoid the cluttering of the screen. Alternative can be the advisors" screen (first would be government, last one army ?) but I don't think so.
Altogether the screen looks really colorful ... or a bit childish (depends on one's opinion).
Commander Bello
Say No 2 Net Validations
The graphics look nice at first glance.
Yet, the typical problem of a 3d-engine seems to occur: you may loose details.
Have a look at the first graphic. There is a little hill left hand in the middle, which blocks the complete view to the little bay. If there were one of the sheep (?) resources, it could pretty well be masked as well. Or the mountain "behind" this little settlement - if there were a 1-head-unit behind it, would it be visible?
This close zoom may be nice to look at once or twice at the first day. I am pretty sure that for the real gaming you would switch to the zooming factor as of the second graphic.
Btw, it looks as if the "diamond" tiles would be back, no? Everything looks a little bit "tilted".
If this were due to a "rotation" feature, then I hope that there will be a "normal view" hot-key, otherwise I see us spending our days with trying to regain the best zoom/angle/rotation - combination.
If this would be the final version of the graphics, then at least I'd hope that in the "close-up" setting, all visible items were animated.
Until being confronted with more impressive pictures, I can't say that I were very much impressed....
Yet, the typical problem of a 3d-engine seems to occur: you may loose details.
Have a look at the first graphic. There is a little hill left hand in the middle, which blocks the complete view to the little bay. If there were one of the sheep (?) resources, it could pretty well be masked as well. Or the mountain "behind" this little settlement - if there were a 1-head-unit behind it, would it be visible?
This close zoom may be nice to look at once or twice at the first day. I am pretty sure that for the real gaming you would switch to the zooming factor as of the second graphic.
Btw, it looks as if the "diamond" tiles would be back, no? Everything looks a little bit "tilted".
If this were due to a "rotation" feature, then I hope that there will be a "normal view" hot-key, otherwise I see us spending our days with trying to regain the best zoom/angle/rotation - combination.
If this would be the final version of the graphics, then at least I'd hope that in the "close-up" setting, all visible items were animated.
Until being confronted with more impressive pictures, I can't say that I were very much impressed....
Portuguese
Vassalising Spain
Saved.
Being in Portugal, that magazines are quite unfair to us, not publishing nothing here, magazine or net pics...
Not saying I don't understand them, but I feel a bit of injustice here...
Being in Portugal, that magazines are quite unfair to us, not publishing nothing here, magazine or net pics...
Not saying I don't understand them, but I feel a bit of injustice here...
The icons are from Civ III, they are probably using them before they create unique ones for Civ IV.LouLong said:
I also agree that I dont want the screen to get cluttered up with a lot of stuff. Keep it clean & simple.
Commander Bello said:
I am not yet sure about that. As you can see the mini-map, the entire box is a diamond. Maybe it suggests that the camera can rotate left and right (hence, the diamond box on the mini map). If thats the case, then the tiles would still be square if you are viewing them normally.
Mongoloid Cow
Great Khan
I've been giving them a second look this morning... Spotted some things no else has yet I suppose cause they haven't said anything:
Screenshot 2:
- Anyone notice the two horses on the right hand side. How one is standing normally, and the other is eating. Does this mean animated resources? If so, it could probably help the "invisible" resources problem, like how it was nigh impossible to see saltpetre in deserts in Civ 3.
- Several types of forests. I can make out at least 3 (maybe four) kinds. Do they just the same stats like the pine and normal forests in Civ 3?
-Look in the far righthand bottom corner at where the ocean meets the land. Notice that little kink o whatever? Animated waves hitting the shoreline or just a graphics glitch?
- The unit second from the bottom, and the one to the northwest of it look like workers building roads and irrigating.
Screenshot 3:
- The Spearman is a Hoplite (one man in a Phalanx). Suddenly it looks like UUs are reworked.
- Next to the four is a flexed arm, and next to the 0/1 is a foot. 4 Strength and 0/1 Movement.
- It looks like the banner might raise and lower to indicate health / morale, just looking to the right of the Spearman. Then again, it might just only indicate civ without any raising / lowering.
- The settlements don't seem to have names.
Screenshot 2:
- Anyone notice the two horses on the right hand side. How one is standing normally, and the other is eating. Does this mean animated resources? If so, it could probably help the "invisible" resources problem, like how it was nigh impossible to see saltpetre in deserts in Civ 3.
- Several types of forests. I can make out at least 3 (maybe four) kinds. Do they just the same stats like the pine and normal forests in Civ 3?
-Look in the far righthand bottom corner at where the ocean meets the land. Notice that little kink o whatever? Animated waves hitting the shoreline or just a graphics glitch?
- The unit second from the bottom, and the one to the northwest of it look like workers building roads and irrigating.
Screenshot 3:
- The Spearman is a Hoplite (one man in a Phalanx). Suddenly it looks like UUs are reworked.
- Next to the four is a flexed arm, and next to the 0/1 is a foot. 4 Strength and 0/1 Movement.
- It looks like the banner might raise and lower to indicate health / morale, just looking to the right of the Spearman. Then again, it might just only indicate civ without any raising / lowering.
- The settlements don't seem to have names.
Mongoloid Cow said:
I agree with animated resources. If you see the whale in the other screenshot it certainly does look animated, because if you compare it with the older screenies, the whale there you could see only its tail fin.
And again, it pretty much is a sure bet that the world will be a lot more lively because of 3D (ocean waves, etc).
dh_epic
Cold War Veteran
It seems to me like most of the changes are representational.
Represent units as multiple figures, instead of one.
Represent resources as animated, rather than still.
Represent the game as 3D, rather than 2D.
Represent city-improvements as "construct" and tile-improvements as "build".
Represent hitpoints, strength, and defence with different values (maybe).
Represent more information about the technology you're researching.
In other words, it's a 3D version of Civilization 3. It's Civilization 3 with new graphics.
Not that the game will end up that way... I'm sure they're just releasing the "safest" screenshots to the magazines, either because they're still testing and implementing the big features, or just to build mystique.
Represent units as multiple figures, instead of one.
Represent resources as animated, rather than still.
Represent the game as 3D, rather than 2D.
Represent city-improvements as "construct" and tile-improvements as "build".
Represent hitpoints, strength, and defence with different values (maybe).
Represent more information about the technology you're researching.
In other words, it's a 3D version of Civilization 3. It's Civilization 3 with new graphics.
Not that the game will end up that way... I'm sure they're just releasing the "safest" screenshots to the magazines, either because they're still testing and implementing the big features, or just to build mystique.
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