Beta Testers Wanted!

[attackdrone]

Alpha Centauri II for me has always been my greatest hope for a sequel. Pity that EA has its grubby hands on it.

 

[Darsnan]

Since they posted their advertisement for Beta Testers in a TBS forum, then its probably of the same genre. And since its not going to be SMAC, then my moneys on Colonization.

 

[Kwibus]

This is what Sid Meier said about the possible future.

As for the future, Meier can only drop this hint: “I’m very interested in MMOGs (massively multiplayer online games) and have been thinking about how to bring the Civ experience to that arena. We’ll keep you posted.”
from
http://www.apple.com/games/articles/2008/05/sidmeier/

 

[AngryGorilla]

Hello!

First post on the forum! However, I have lurched here for a long time. Signed up for the beta last week and got a reply the very same day, woooo!

However, they require me to fax in a signature on the agreement. I dont have access to a fax at the moment :/

 

[Maniac]

You can also postal mail a signed copy to them. At least back in the days you could.

 

[Nordfeldt]

Is this paid?

 

[Zelig]

However, they require me to fax in a signature on the agreement. I dont have access to a fax at the moment :/

Or scan a copy and email it.

Is this paid?

No.

 

[RedRalph]

Since they posted their advertisement for Beta Testers in a TBS forum, then its probably of the same genre. And since its not going to be SMAC, then my moneys on Colonization.

Wouldnt it be sort of unusual to ressurect a game that was last released 14 years ago when a new Civ would be a sure fire money spinner?

 

[Darsnan]

Wouldnt it be sort of unusual to ressurect a game that was last released 14 years ago when a new Civ would be a sure fire money spinner?

2 words: Railroad Tycoon. This title came out in between C4 and BtS. It was never going to be a sure-fire money winner, and they knew it. However it gave them a nice break from the Civ grind (always working on the same project, even if it is Civ, must wear on even the most avid of people after a while). Colonizatyon I think would fit nicely into this same category, with the one plus is that while Railroad Tycoon had others of its genre out there to compete against (and therefore deflating sales), there would be no competition for a Colonization remake.

 

[RedRalph]

2 words: Railroad Tycoon. This title came out in between C4 and BtS. It was never going to be a sure-fire money winner, and they knew it. However it gave them a nice break from the Civ grind (always working on the same project, even if it is Civ, must wear on even the most avid of people after a while). Colonizatyon I think would fit nicely into this same category, with the one plus is that while Railroad Tycoon had others of its genre out there to compete against (and therefore deflating sales), there would be no competition for a Colonization remake.

I take your point, but surely cold hard cash cow of civ would be more likely even if developing it would get on the nerves? I know next to nothing about the industry so you may be right, but to me it seems a sure-fire unit shifter is more likely, especially seeing as PC sales in general are suffering

 

[man-erg]

Colonization was a great builder/strategy game, kinda like turning up the focus and zooming in on one region of a Civ game.

I always assumed Col would be perfect for a new version. However, I read somewhere that the big problem is to do with how the native tribes were treated in the original. Basically, in the game they were just exploited and then wiped out. Somebody connected with the game, designers or whatever, later felt very uncomfortable about this and that is why Col has since had a low profile and has never been redone.

Don't know how a revamped game could handle this, as the Europeans were (still are in some cases) genuinely despicable in the attitude to the native peoples. If there was a balancing payback (e.g. serious health problems caused by tobocco and cocaine use), it didn't happen in the timeframe of the game.

 

[Darsnan]

Colonization was a great builder/strategy game, kinda like turning up the focus and zooming in on one region of a Civ game.

I always assumed Col would be perfect for a new version. However, I read somewhere that the big problem is to do with how the native tribes were treated in the original. Basically, in the game they were just exploited and then wiped out. Somebody connected with the game, designers or whatever, later felt very uncomfortable about this and that is why Col has since had a low profile and has never been redone.

Don't know how a revamped game could handle this, as the Europeans were (still are in some cases) genuinely despicable in the attitude to the native peoples. If there was a balancing payback (e.g. serious health problems caused by tobocco and cocaine use), it didn't happen in the timeframe of the game.

Ghengis Khan exterminated everyone in huge swaths of the regions he conquered (even says so in Civ4), Stalin exterminated millions of his own people via forced collectivization and forced labor camps, and of course there was the human sacrifice the Aztecs practiced: yet these civs are in the games we play. Is it because you don't actually need to make these atrocities part of your gaming strategy (like you would in Col) when you play these civs?

I take your point, but surely cold hard cash cow of civ would be more likely even if developing it would get on the nerves? I know next to nothing about the industry so you may be right, but to me it seems a sure-fire unit shifter is more likely, especially seeing as PC sales in general are suffering .

But we still haven’t seen Civ4 Complete (to include Mods, Scenarios etc. from the contest last winter as well as the final patch). This would be a cash cow in itself as there would be very little development (dedicated upfront monetary/ resources) necessary in order to pump this out, and could easily go in parallel to a smaller project such as Colonization that would require less capital and resources (they already have the original source code, theme, and development notes), as well as providing that much needed breather from the Civ Grind.

 

[RedRalph]

But we still haven’t seen Civ4 Complete (to include Mods, Scenarios etc. from the contest last winter as well as the final patch). This would be a cash cow in itself as there would be very little development (dedicated upfront monetary/ resources) necessary in order to pump this out, and could easily go in parallel to a smaller project such as Colonization that would require less capital and resources (they already have the original source code, theme, and development notes), as well as providing that much needed breather from the Civ Grind.

Yeah but they hardly need beta testers for that, what function would the questionairre serve? Also Civ 4 complete is already out

 

[Joe Harker]

Also Civ 4 complete is already out

Civ 4 Gold is, i don't know whether that counts

 

[RedRalph]

Civ 4 Gold is, i don't know whether that counts

thats what I meant, thats has everything in it dosent it?

 

[Joe Harker]

Yes, i think so, i don't much about it, i just seen it in game shops

 

[Darsnan]

Yeah but they hardly need beta testers for that, what function would the questionairre serve? Also Civ 4 complete is already out

In post #22 I stated my opinion that the Beta testers are for Col2. Sorry if this was confusing on my part. ! And yes, you would need no Beta Testers for a Civ4 Complete - just throw everything onto a CD-ROM and ship. Good profit margin there!

As far as Civ4 complete is concerned, I don't think there is a version which includes BtS yet, is there? And as I mentioned earlier there was also the contest they held last winter - have they ever released any results from that? If not then I think it would be logical that sometime before they finally wrap up production on Civ4 they include the best of the items garnered from the contest, which if there isn't a Civ4 Complete yet, then this would be an appropriate place/ time for it, yes?

 

[RedRalph]

Civ4 gold has BtS in it. What contest are you referring to?

Have to say, I never played colonisation, but having looked up the extensive wiki entry on it, it looks good. an updated version might be nice... hopefully it wouldnt just focus on US/Western Europe

 

[Darsnan]

Civ4 gold has BtS in it.

Really!?! I would've thought they'd want to maximize sales of standalone BtS before bundling it. Mea Culpa there.

What contest are you referring to?

Firaxis had a contest last winter "What does your Civ stand for" where they were looking for scenarios, mods, artwork from the Civ community. The contest was strictly limited to a few of the U.S. states, so wasn't widely publicized.

Have to say, I never played colonisation, but having looked up the extensive wiki entry on it, it looks good. an updated version might be nice...

Yah, I'm in the same boat (never played the original), but it sounds kinda like a nice change of pace game - could do well!

 

[Peachrocks]

Colonization was a great builder/strategy game, kinda like turning up the focus and zooming in on one region of a Civ game.

I always assumed Col would be perfect for a new version. However, I read somewhere that the big problem is to do with how the native tribes were treated in the original. Basically, in the game they were just exploited and then wiped out. Somebody connected with the game, designers or whatever, later felt very uncomfortable about this and that is why Col has since had a low profile and has never been redone.

Don't know how a revamped game could handle this, as the Europeans were (still are in some cases) genuinely despicable in the attitude to the native peoples. If there was a balancing payback (e.g. serious health problems caused by tobocco and cocaine use), it didn't happen in the timeframe of the game.

Well if you look at age of empires III, they made a new world game work, rather than wipe out native tribes you could ally with them and they would help you with their unique technology and armies. It's expansion pack (War chiefs) allowed you to play as the native american civs and perhaps that was what was missing in colonisation.

My thing about colonisation is it played too closely to how it actually was in history, I find fun in these games in writing history completely differently.