Breaking up the long, looong game

[hr_oskar]

I've been thinking about for a while what it is that actually annoys me the most about Civ: while I never seem to get tired of the game itself, each game I play ultimately gets very very tedious.

I think we all know how boring it can be to complete those games where you achieve dominance early on and then get bogged down in managing your super-empire (die, you orange blobs! ). But still I usually can't bring myself to simply quit them and start a new game... then I would have to suffer the AI players gloating at me and making sniding remarks, and subsequently see another "Lost" added to the high-score list.

This is nothing peculiar with Civ3, I've known this problem since Civ1. Firaxis did make some effort to refresh the end-game and make victory conditions more easily achievable (e.g. Domination and Cultural victories), but not nearly enough.

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What if I could play only until end of the Middle Ages and then be assessed for victory/defeat? I would like that. Sure, maybe offer me to play on, to go for a later victory, but wow I'd really like it if I could just play half-a-game and still be rewarded with some kind of "victory".

Actually I have a lot more to say on this, many more ideas, but I'll leave it for now. Wondering how many fellow civers are annoyed by this.

 

[Mullet Crusader]

Yeah, its jsut that an individual game itself is so long that by 1800 it can get very tedious its kind of a bummer really.

 

[BCLG100]

what i end up doing is just declaring war on everyone as i get bored

 

[Gastric ReFlux]

Originally posted by BCLG100
what i end up doing is just declaring war on everyone as i get bored

In recently uncovered secret diaries of Napoleon Bonaparte, scholars found this amazing entry:

"I am bored today. Time to invade Russia."

 

[The Last Conformist]

Can you edit the mandatory retirement turn in the editor? If so, you could change it to around 1200AD or whatever you prefer.

 

[GI Josh]

Originally posted by Gastric ReFlux


In recently uncovered secret diaries of Napoleon Bonaparte, scholars found this amazing entry:

"I am bored today. Time to invade Russia."

it's a good thing i'm not in charge or with my boredom level, it would be ww3.

a good point was made. i think the end game is tedious for 2 reasons:

(i) RRs are overpowered. take RRs + arty and human is almost invulnerable against the ai on defense - you wait for tanks and kill the ai on offense. ai doesn't use arty and RR effectively (i'm not blaming firaxis, i'm sure it would be difficult to program, simply have to wait for mp for late-game close battles).

(ii) even if the game wasn't effectively over, late game is tedious to manage bcs so many units. firaxis is starting to address the interface issues with such things as the wake all/fortify all commands, but the interface could still be much more elegant and easy to use large numbers of troops. apparently mp will allow you to group units together - hopefully you can just give one command for the whole group. either you need to be able to organize like units into cohesive groups to which you give one command (e.g. a "regiment" of 7 rifleman - it doesn't have the advantages of a real army, but after producing and grouping the 7 rifleman, you only have to give one command, whether it's move, fortify, or attack), or, there needs to be a limit on the number of units late game. right now it just simply becomes a carpal tunnel click fest for modern times.

 

[stwils]

Maybe I have Attention Deficit Disorder. But I hate long games.

I love exploring and building. But only for a few hours.

Do some of you have any short game goals/strategies or ways you play within 2 hours?

I can't handle tons of cities and 10 hours.

Help!

stwils

 

[SirJethro]

Originally posted by The Last Conformist
Can you edit the mandatory retirement turn in the editor? If so, you could change it to around 1200AD or whatever you prefer.

Good idea. It would also be a good idea for a mini-tournament or something for people who don't want to participate in a tournament of full length games. Anyone know if this is possible?

 

[Zachriel]

One way to end late-game tedium would be to substantially increase the cost and effectiveness of modern units. That way one would tend to have fewer units.

 

[Yzman]

I don't think it gets tidious at the end. I think of it more, in your face at the end becuase the world can be traveled so easy. Actually I like when my empire is more grouped like in the late ages. And maybe its just me but I finish a game everyday or every 2 days. I play for like 7 hours some times. Yes I have no life, I know.

 

[Baleog]

Even to have an option to have a medieval game or industrial or ancient or modern game would be interesting, where the end game is early on and you start researching future techs at the end of the specified era.

 

[GI Josh]

Originally posted by Zachriel
One way to end late-game tedium would be to substantially increase the cost and effectiveness of modern units. That way one would tend to have fewer units.

I agree. I'm playing with increasing the shield reqs for later units, and also making later units (esp. post sanitation) req. 1 pop. Personally, I'd like to see a limitation based on total population/cities/some other variables.