Things must be said,
Vox Populi is an endless modding game rather than a Civilization game.
Who remembers here what was the initial plan of the project? Make a solid and well cut mod. Civ Vanilla being the raw stone, Vox Populi the gemstone.
The result today is shiny but cracked and already overcut to be a jewel. Also, with a leader designer replaced by polls, I'm convinced the worst is to come.
A large part of the drama come from the popular believing that even more is better and also the surrealist quest for balance. I believe.
Consequently, each versions come with its new rules, its new broken features, its new improvements ... Its new consequences as well and again and again.
In the past, some versions were just well. For a such complex game, a few months of polishing could have done the jewel. but...
It's impossible to keep a modmod for VP functional as expected for more than 4 months. After 7 years of development it's a clue that something is going wrong. It's a more important failure that il looks.
A simple and solid base mod would have allowed a large number of 'marginal' modders to develop alternatives and new features. Instead of that, we have more and more complex and heavy tables implemented for just a very few number of modmods. What a waste!
Most importantly: The gamers
There are actually the bravest among us. Can we imagine how they have to wade through sub-forums to guess first that Vox Populi exist. And then to guess what version to get, what the changes are (always there are), what is compatible with what, and what greek sql magic formula to write or to change to have, let's hope, a playable version of VP at home. Have a look on
Reddit/VP ,to understand the extent of the damage.
One of this new brave VP player asked recently for a manual. The VP manual.
@Recursive has answered "It would be nice to have one day but it's a monumental task"
With all my respect, that's not correct. Hundreds of thousands of cumulative hours of work have been already swallowed by VP development. For sure, some guys here would be keen to add let's say one thousand of hours in a beautiful manual for a beautiful Mod.
But it will never happen, because VP is not a Civilization game. VP is an endless modding game.
At a few occasions, I suggested to think about a first final version. The 'community' response was like a barrage. I have no hope anymore to see one day a, what we called before, 'VP Gold version'.
'VP Gold version' ! It sounds like an outdated stupid expression doesn't it?
Now my enthusiasm to mod, to draw and even to play VP is completely burned.
I leave VP and I leave this forum. Asterix Rage account will be closed in a few days.
To anybody, if you want, feel free to take over ENW, EAW and so on... No need to ask.
About Promo Icons, the best thing I can do is to deliver what I called ' PIs for VP - Essential material '
You'll find in it 99% of standardized symbols I created in (7a) Promo Icons on a large transparent png file. It will help some of you to draw PIs like I did so far.
@gwennog has already done a
magnificent work with this 'material' and just a few instructions. Was his first time.
This is my last post. Please do not like it. Many others before was more enjoyable. I'll remain anyway a bit proud for ever to have turn the little triangular stones into well cut gemstones. I made my job. Will you do yours one day?
Long-term simplicity makes perfection.
Keep modding for the best.
Play game.
Au revoir.
).
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