A Concern and an Idea

[Puppeteer]

Playing a preview mock-up game for 4otm1, I accidentally entered the world builder when trying to figure out if there was a way to reroll the start with the same parameters. One or two clicks and I had the whole map revealed. I think there's a hotkey for it, too. I guess the same thing was doable with Civ3 and other GOTMs via an external editor, but it seems really simple to open it in the editor from the game now. I know there are a lot of new people on board the forums for Civ4; I'd just like to say please keep the 4otm's honest and play fair.

My idea is for you Python hackers. There is already a game log function in the UI. Perhaps someone can add a turnlog user form UI to the game for QSCs, SGs and turnlog-style storytellers. The game knows what year it is and what events are happening, so just direct the log or portions of the log (techs, religions, new cities, production, new civs met, etc.. standard QSC stuff) to a text, HTML or XML file along with (optional) freeform text input from the user for comments on that turn.

Lucky-special bonus points for:
* Integrating screenshots
* XML-XSLT translation to any or all of: HTML, text, forum vB code, OpenDocument
* Theme-able stylesheets

EDIT: eotinb implemented the gamelog idea. Thanks eotinb!

 

[RoddyVR]

i'm fairly certain that if a player opens the world editor in a game, the game is marked as "cheated" somewhere.

 

[DaEezT]

Although I never accidently opened the worldbuilder it is really easy to do now and instantly reveals the map.
I think this is would be a thing for firaxis to address in a patch. I suggest adding an optional password field in the Custom Game setup screen that is required when opening that game in the worldbuilder. That way GOTM (and similar) games won't be opened accidently and those who created it can still edit it at will.

 

[ainwood]

The current password doesn't work - its not kept once the game is saved and reloaded. Its been reported, and hopefully this will be fixed with the patch (another reason to wait )

The Python parser sounds like a good idea. We're also seriously considering requiring people to submit the replay file as well.

 

[Markus5]

I think the turn log would be a fine addition.
I'm still waiting for Civ IV to arrive. The patch might arrive before the game. IVOTM 1 might arrive before the game.

 

[Sir Bugsy]

ainwood - You may want to post a poll to see how many actually have the game up and running before you start a game. I'm still frustrated.

 

[ainwood]

ainwood - You may want to post a poll to see how many actually have the game up and running before you start a game. I'm still frustrated.

Well - I hope you can get it sorted. Another reason to wait for a patch.

 

[thip]

It runs beautifully on my old PC. Loving it...

 

[WackenOpenAir]

Are many people having problems running civ4?

I must say that i was stunned when i saw the Hardware requirements. I was stunned already what the requirements for civ3 were, but this is pretty rediculous, for a turn based game.....

Anyway, it runs perfectly fine on my PC. (AMD 64 3000, 1GB Ram, GF6600GT)

The only thing i dislike is the end turn mechanics. In civ3, in early game when there was only one or few units to move, i could just press the arrow buttons to move them end press enter when i knew i was done.
Now in civ4, there is a little delay before i can press enter and if i press the next turn button, it also functions when i still have units to move.

 

[Markus5]

It ran with choppy video, but still playable. No graphics artifacts. But, my computer died, so I'm not playing anything right now. I'll probably upgrade my video card if the videos aren't smooth, but I can live with the hiccups, too.

 

[Aneurism]

I've never played a GOTM before, nor have I been very active in this community, although I have been passively checking out this site for a very long time, and have been a Civ addict since Civ 1 (I enjoyed some weekend long Civ LAN games while I was in college). Anyway, I think the biggest deterrent to cheating is simply the average type of person who plays a game like Civilizations. If you're smart enough to play Civ, then you're probably also smart enough to realize you're only cheating yourself. (This won't apply to everyone, but I would wager there are a lot less cheaters in Civ than there are in say... Counter Strike) Cheating is dumb. I don't think Firaxis needs to make a patch restricting the use of the world editor, there are a million other ways to cheat anyhow. Some people will cheat, and some of those people will get away with it and maybe get a higher score than those who don't cheat, but only those who don't cheat know that they have accomplished something and improved their game.

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower

"I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world."
-Socrates

 

[ainwood]

I don't think Firaxis needs to make a patch restricting the use of the world editor, there are a million other ways to cheat anyhow. Some people will cheat, and some of those people will get away with it and maybe get a higher score than those who don't cheat, but only those who don't cheat know that they have accomplished something and improved their game.

Yes, but it only takes on person to cheat to ruin the competition for everyone. We prefer to take temptation away from people where possible (preferably without nerfing the game completely, though! )

 

[Aneurism]

The only way you could ever be 100% sure someone didn't cheat, is to personally watch them every waking moment from the time they receive the GOTM save file, to ensure they didn't do anything fishy! IMHO the only real option for cheat prevention is basically what you guys are already doing... checking the incoming files and game results for anything suspicious and having a certain level of trust in the community. No matter how tightly the game could be 'patched' to prevent cheating, if it came to extreme measures a determined cheater could work around them somehow. I believe neither Firaxis nor CivFanatics needs to make any changes for cheat prevention... just stay vigilant when it comes to competitions.

 

[Renata]

For the most part, that's exactly what we already do. The issue with the worldbuilder is that it doesn't take a determined cheater at all, it only takes yielding to temptation for one second -- the hotkey is *right there*.

For comparison's sake, probably the next easiest way to cheat in Civ is by reloading when bad things or mistakes happen. Without giving too much away, let me just say that rather a large number of would-be GOTM players do yield to that temptation. Having seen that trend persist for quite a while now, I'm wary of the presence of any pervasive cheat that's even easier to carry off. So I welcome a fix for the worldbuilder issue.

 

[Aneurism]

For the most part, that's exactly what we already do. The issue with the worldbuilder is that it doesn't take a determined cheater at all, it only takes yielding to temptation for one second -- the hotkey is *right there*.

For comparison's sake, probably the next easiest way to cheat in Civ is by reloading when bad things or mistakes happen. Without giving too much away, let me just say that rather a large number of would-be GOTM players do yield to that temptation. Having seen that trend persist for quite a while now, I'm wary of the presence of any pervasive cheat that's even easier to carry off. So I welcome a fix for the worldbuilder issue.

True, you have a point the harder it is to cheat the more determined the cheater has to be... in my original comment I suggested smart people who play civ would be less likely to cheat than other gamers... so if that is true, if cheating itself is harder, those that are smart enough to pull it off would also be less likely to do it

 

[AlanH]

smart people who play civ would be less likely to cheat than other gamers... so if that is true, if cheating itself is harder, those that are smart enough to pull it off would also be less likely to do it

You got it .... So what does that say about those who do try to cheat?

 

[Aneurism]

You got it .... So what does that say about those who do try to cheat?

...that they are ignorant w@nkers!

P.S.

I plan to try out my first GOTM this December... wish me luck