Anyone else misses era-specific leaderheads?

[nanomage]

Hello!

Do you remember how leaders in Civ III would change their background and appearence when their nation advanced an era? They got rid of this feature in 4 and never returned it in Civ V, which is a shame in my opinion.
You greet Napoleon in brilliant uniform riding a barded horse 3500BC? Boudicca in rags still flails with her old sword in 2000AD? For me, that's highly immersion-breaking.
Come on, even Civ I had era-specific (and government-specific) backgrounds for leaderheads.

So i would very much like this to change, but then I though might be I was the only one? What's your opinion on this feature? Sure it's not for us to decide, but it's interesting to know.
Sorry if already posted, my search only brought forth an archive post in Civ IV forum, so here we go.
Also, maybe there's a mod for this?

 

[Junuxx]

Yes, this was fun.

 

[ldvhl]

Agreed, it was a nice touch.

 

[tomtom5858]

Just remember how much work is put into the leaderheads, guys. The 3D leaderheads are literally the most time consuming part of the design process. Designing an additional (34 * 8) leaderheads would take years, and is simply something that's not going to happen.

 

[Junuxx]

What Civ3 did was just switching clothes or tacking on a hat or wig, that's not even close to making an entirely new leaderhead. Also I'm pretty sure you're wrong about this being the most time consuming part of the "design process", and "years".

 

[NoPartials]

I've actually been hoping someone would mod something like this (i don't know the first thing about modding or else I would give it a try). It definetly adds to the game and makes it feel like the game is progressing more. Nothings weirder than seeing someone on a horse in their diplo screen when you are researching computers

 

[oPunchDrunko]

I wish this would come back. I liked the way the leaders changed when advancing into eras.

 

[ImperialChaos]

I wouldn't mind it. It does seem sort of strange for Elizabeth to have such a lavish throne room in the ancient era. However, it would take too much time and money to actually get it done. So it's something I want but never see happening as the graphics in Civ games get better.

 

[I_qua_I]

I'd LOVE to see the return of this feature and I'd even take a less graphically polished version of it over the current stagnant (albeit very nicely done) leader screens in a heartbeat. It's just so much fun and having the leaders visually change across eras really adds to the grand sweep of history the game tries to get across. I'd even pay full-price for an additional expansion that added only this feature (hear that Firaxis?).

 

[Colmar]

My graphics card can't handle the leaders being animated, so I wouldn't mind them cutting animation and making era-specific leaderheads.

That being said, it's apparently one of the most time-consuming parts to create. I would rather they put those resources into a Subsaharan/Southeast Asian city design, and to have some more buildings show up in your city (aqueduct, university, and nuclear plant would be fun.)

 

[Putmalk]

What Civ3 did was just switching clothes or tacking on a hat or wig, that's not even close to making an entirely new leaderhead. Also I'm pretty sure you're wrong about this being the most time consuming part of the "design process", and "years".

You're right.

It wouldn't take years, it would just ridiculously inflate the game's budget, which is not good for any publisher.

 

[Cahillicus]

Though it would be really good touch, especially with the leaders now not looking like they just smoked a toke, being ugly as hell, and not being mimes, waving their hands in the air to show that they're angry at you.

 

[phos_hilaron]

the advisers screens change for era specific. they should change the leader screens too. this has been discussed extensively in the suggestions sub-forum.

 

[Ricardo_]

It would be awesome, but unfortunately for technical reasons it seems impossible to me.

But weighing between amazing screens with talking leaders against smaller screens which evolve between eras, I agree with the design decision made for Civ V.

 

[Cahillicus]

It would be awesome, but unfortunately for technical reasons it seems impossible to me.

But weighing between amazing screens with talking leaders against smaller screens which evolve between eras, I agree with the design decision made for Civ V.

Then why didn't they do it in civ 4?

 

[Dr. D]

Hello!

Do you remember how leaders in Civ III would change their background and appearence when their nation advanced an era? They got rid of this feature in 4 and never returned it in Civ V, which is a shame in my opinion.
You greet Napoleon in brilliant uniform riding a barded horse 3500BC? Boudicca in rags still flails with her old sword in 2000AD? For me, that's highly immersion-breaking.
Come on, even Civ I had era-specific (and government-specific) backgrounds for leaderheads.

So i would very much like this to change, but then I though might be I was the only one? What's your opinion on this feature? Sure it's not for us to decide, but it's interesting to know.
Sorry if already posted, my search only brought forth an archive post in Civ IV forum, so here we go.
Also, maybe there's a mod for this?

I'd like to see Napoleon waltzing in on a dinosaur in the early game and flying in on a jetpack in the future but I may be the only one

 

[pilot00]

I miss it too. It would have been a very nice touch. Though all leaders in CiV3 were more or less leaning on the funny side regardless of era.

On a side note, I also miss the palace upgrade screens from the way older civs

 

[Cahillicus]

Though all leaders in CiV3 were more or less leaning on the funny side regardless of era.

The only explanation is that they are high. It's the only one.

 

[Putmalk]

the advisers screens change for era specific. they should change the leader screens too. this has been discussed extensively in the suggestions sub-forum.

2D images cost so much less than fully animated textures and models.

The cost for these can get up to the millions.

 

[Halcyan2]

I LOVED it!

It was great seeing leaders progress from barbarism to modernity. In fact, sometimes I'd keep civilizations around (i.e. not wipe them out) just to see their leaderheads progress.

Unfortunately, the implementation of Civ V leader screens means that it's just not viable to do different ones for each age. And at this point, any extra time the developers could spend on alternate leaderheads, could probably be better spent on new civs instead.

So I do miss it, but I understand why we can't have it any more....