Anyone else think Civ4 graphics are kinda ugly?

[oldStatesman]

I have to say IN MY OPINION, the graphics are really really disappointing. These new screens posted here are really bad to me.


http://www.dailygame.net/news/archives/004515.php

Sorry, I hope the gameplay will be steller, but that screen of the soldiers in the city is just plain awful. Somehow I just can't imagine suspending reality enough to enjoy the experience spending hours and hours staring at such lame graphics. In previous Civs they were 1D or 2D, so it didn't matter as much. But now that they are 3D their impact on the overall experience will be big.

It's not quite a deal breaker for me yet, but it will strengthen my resolve to wait until I can read gameplay feedback from a lot of actual players before handing over my $50+. The gameplay will have to be very good to overcome the graphic handicap. And even then I will wait until I see some successful user graphic mods that improve things....

 

[ironduck]

Actually, looking at the screenshots where you are zoomed out at roughly the same level as you would be playing Civ3, the graphics look pretty good. It's only when you get too close that they seem to break down to me.

I think they look ok zoomed out to the classic distance. But like I mentioned in another thread, what's the point of having zoomable 3D if it looks like dung zoomed in? I'm really surprised at the low level of ambition for graphics in this large project - they are going 3D which is a great way to bring in new players, and then they ruin it with astoundingly poor modeling.

The buildings are particularly bad in my view. I don't remember seeing any game in years with that poor 3D modeling. There also seems to be a lot of issues with blending various terrain smoothly, but that could be fixable. It's more the apparent lack of ambition to make use of the 3D world in a new exciting way that puzzles me.

For the record, I like the look of Civ3, it's a nice balance and ironically the 3D modeling of many units there (that is then converted to 2D) seems lightyears ahead of the models in Civ4.

Did Firaxis fire their old graphics artists and get one of the programmers to cook up all the unfinished stuff mid-game?

 

[Bathory666]

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina I realized what's been bugging me about the oversized units: they unrealistically dominate the landscape. Sounds obvious, I suppose, but I think it's still worth emphasizing that terrain and resources (and climate) have had an ENORMOUS amount to do with the fate of nations, and if you underrepresent them you become guilty of hubris (excessive human pride). I've always loved the way Civ games are as much a battle against nature (or a co-operation with her) as simply against other tribes. Gaia is a living character! That being said, if the units' size is manipulable, as other forum participants have suggested, well, all this is a waste of bits and bytes!

 

[Belboz]

Relax. The graphics look pretty good to me, and anyway, if CIV 3 provides any lesson, it is that fans will quickly create and post alternative terrain and unit designs for the whole community