Beautiful Terrain

[UKScud]

I've just looked at some more terrain screenshots over at AtomicGamer, and I have to say that I am very impressed. Even with the hexes overlaid it's just fantastic..almost photorealistic.

As I scrolled around the picture I just got to thinking that some of the resource icons now look kind of clumsy on this photorealistic terrain. The cattle on one of the AtomicGamer pictures, and the elephants on one of the Gamekult pictures just seem out of place.

I wondered if anyone else felt the same way?

It seems to me that it calls for something new, a way of accessing the information about resources without it being so intrusive on the screen. Perhaps an overlay with simpler icons. Any thoughts?

 

[Auncien]

I agree that the terrain looks very, very nice. I'm glad they are giving the world, which is a central character in the civ game experience, more attention. Really nice job, art people!

Some things I'd like to see:

1) day and night cycles (think "Sim City 4" style) since we seem to have a genuine light source and shadows now.
2) thicker border color gradients similar to that found in Civ IV. It seems like it might be somewhat more difficult to glance at the political situation in any given region.
3) slightly more realistic rivers, as many have mentioned in other threads.
4) this is asking a WHOLE lot I know... but seasons? (please don't slap me :O )
5) different ocean colors depending on latitude.
6) weather.

Just throwing out ideas in case they're looking for them. I know all of that stuff would be pretty labor intensive and the game is getting pretty near launch. Even as-is it looks amazing.

 

[Rexflex]

I do think the terrain looks pretty good. The only thing that I think really needs work are the rivers, as others have pointed out. They don't look right. They're not ugly or cartoony or anything, but they don't have natural river contours and so look odd.

1) day and night cycles (think "Sim City 4" style) since we seem to have a genuine light source and shadows now.
4) this is asking a WHOLE lot I know... but seasons? (please don't slap me :O )
6) weather.

I think these would be great... and no urge to slap you. The only problem is that the Civ games have traditionally had single turns covering at least a whole year, which makes these ideas unworkable.

 

[Decimatus]

I do think the terrain looks pretty good. The only thing that I think really needs work are the rivers, as others have pointed out. They don't look right. They're not ugly or cartoony or anything, but they don't have natural river contours and so look odd.



I think these would be great... and no urge to slap you. The only problem is that the Civ games have traditionally had single turns covering at least a whole year, which makes these ideas unworkable.

That wouldn't make it unworkable.

Just because your turn is 40 years, doesn't mean you always have to start in the summer. Maybe 1 turn would be spring, the next turn would be summer, nex fall, next winter, etc.

But really, the true problem here is the graphical load. Having to reshade the known world every turn in addition to all the unit movements would kill anything short of a super computer every turn.

Perhaps Civ 6 could see this a reality, or Civ 7. In 10 years running any kind of graphic you want is probably going to be easy for the computer.

 

[BlackSpy]

Different indigenous animals on different contients.

It would be cool to zoom in on your recently discovered islands and see huge flightless birds or whatever strolling around.

 

[Ahriman]

huge flightless birds

The idea of some poor scout unit being pecked to death by a Moa is just hilarious.....

 

[bite]

Honestly the only thing I don;t like at the moment is the rivers, everything else has really been improved

 

[GoodSarmatian]

The idea of some poor scout unit being pecked to death by a Moa is just hilarious.....

Oh my god, I want to see that !
That ought to be one of the top priorities for modders.

 

[cephalo]

Since I have alot of fun with map generation, I would really like to see rivers be able to flow together. I've seen many screenshots and so far there are no rivers with tributaries. After learning some good ways to generate river networks in Civ4. I would sure like to be able to do the same with Civ5. I think the maps would look alot better.

 

[Ahriman]

I think rivers need some more work. I'd really like to see some rapids or tiny waterfalls or something too for rivers passing through hill or mountain tiles. And rivers with tributaries that merge would be cool too (and should look much more natural with 120o hexes rather than meeting at 90o angles from square tiles).

 

[Thormodr]

The idea of some poor scout unit being pecked to death by a Moa is just hilarious.....

I hope Firaxis is listening and implements this.

 

[Thormodr]

Since I have alot of fun with map generation, I would really like to see rivers be able to flow together. I've seen many screenshots and so far there are no rivers with tributaries. After learning some good ways to generate river networks in Civ4. I would sure like to be able to do the same with Civ5. I think the maps would look alot better.

I was looking for that and in the batch of new screen shots you can see a few tributary rivers actually. They are usually not that big but I was quite pleased to see that.

For example, this screenshot:

http://ve3d.ign.com/images/fullsize/68778/PC/Sid-Meiers-Civilization-V/Screenshots/March-12th-Screenshot

Or this one. Top upper left corner:

http://ve3d.ign.com/images/fullsize/68783/PC/Sid-Meiers-Civilization-V/Screenshots/March-12th-Screenshot

Finally, this one. The tributary is very small though:

http://ve3d.ign.com/images/fullsize/68788/PC/Sid-Meiers-Civilization-V/Screenshots/March-12th-Screenshot

 

[UKScud]

Since I have alot of fun with map generation, I would really like to see rivers be able to flow together. I've seen many screenshots and so far there are no rivers with tributaries. After learning some good ways to generate river networks in Civ4. I would sure like to be able to do the same with Civ5. I think the maps would look alot better.

Doesn't it all come down to whether the rivers are tiles in their own rights or an overlay that passes between tiles.

Didn't the first two versions of Civ have these? Can anyone remember why they were removed.

In any case, unless river tiles are miraculously reinstated at the last moment, I can't see the ugly river problem going away, alas.

@Decimatus: Totally agree. Computing technology is not quite there yet to give perfect photorealistic simulation of all seasons etc... but, yes, in ten years time it might be a different story.

 

[Gre_Magus]

I agree that the resources look a little odd - the "cotton" plants in particular. I wonder if some of them are just place holders.

 

[Fosse]

The biggest thing I'd like to see improved is the shape of the political borders. The way the borders follow the edges of the hexes makes them look a little silly. If they drew straight lines they'd look better. I'd also be happy to see the return of Civ IV's eye candy borders that follow the contours of rivers (which do appear to exist between tiles on the pictures that include the hex overlay), and extend that to the edges of other terrain features where it makes sense.

 

[White Elk]

I'm digging the terrain as well. All concerns of slow down aside, I would enjoy seeing this in game. May be the first time that I haven't gone searching for a terrain mod in the first week of play. I do rate graphics as least important to the game of Civ, but it is nice to gaze upon majestic scenary vs over yellowed blah'ness. My favorites are the Mountains and some of the Desert shots. Good stuff. Best I've seen in Civ thus far (mods included). Wish the Forests and Jungles had some grandfather trees poking through the canopy here and there.

 

[UKScud]

I'm digging the terrain as well. All concerns of slow down aside, I would enjoy seeing this in game. May be the first time that I haven't gone searching for a terrain mod in the first week of play. I do rate graphics as least important to the game of Civ, but it is nice to gaze upon majestic scenary vs over yellowed blah'ness. My favorites are the Mountains and some of the Desert shots. Good stuff. Best I've seen in Civ thus far (mods included). Wish the Forests and Jungles had some grandfather trees poking through the canopy here and there.

Have to agree...the beautiful terrain is fantastic but first and foremost is gameplay. The changes that seem to have been made are fairly radical. I have to wonder if the game is going to lose its Civ feel.

Still, with the supposedly brilliant modding tools people will have access to, I can't see any issues with gameplay being a problem for too long.

God, I love Civ! Best game ever.

 

[RebelYeller]

It would be great if in civ 5 you could see space satellites in world orbit when the camera is zoomed out. It seemed stupid in civ 3 to see the SDI satellite laying on the ground upon completion and it felt unfullfilling in Civ 4 to never see SDI upon completion.

 

[White Elk]

Civ4's Space Elevator was pretty cool. Was a surprise to actually see it rising to the heavens and then returning back to Earth. I'd like to see details like that. Watching the Space Shuttle launch would be awesome. Seeing storms would be cool to! But the Civ4 clouds sucked!! I hope they don't ruin a zoom with clouds again!