city graphics packs

[MaisseArsouye]

One of the most frustating problem with CivIII are cultural groups. Only five groupes is clearly not enough to describe cultural diversity in the world. And these groups can't be renamed. The only thing users can do is change the graphics linked to these groups, especially cities.

But I have an idea. We could create "city graphics packs"

As an example, if you play on a map of Asia. You don't need the american cultural group. So, you can use it in another way. In the editor, you assign "american" to Japan and you replace the american pcx's by new ones with japanese flavour. So, japanese cities will have a japanese look, different from the others asian cities.

If we follow this idea to the end, we can compile an "asian packs" ! In that pack, european cities would have a russian flavour. The mediterranean group would be used for indian cities while mediterranean civs ( not important on a asian map ) would get middle east or "russian" graphics. With this pack, there would be a txt file looking like this :

Asian graphics pack
Roman -> Indian ( RedAlert )
Euro -> Russian ( Maisse Arsouye )
Amer -> Japanese ( RedAlert )
Asian - > Asian
Mideast -> MidEast

One of these packs should be "Firaxis graphics packs" as a backup, of course.

We could design such packs for America, Europe "et al", Europe "only", Africa, the Mediterranean,.. and even our own world pack with improved graphics

Some people are working on cities and I think it's a good moment to start this . What do you think about this idea ?

 

[Mr. Hyperbole]

I like the idea...it also has the benefit of opening up a staggering number of possible city configurations.

But I already know what some will say..."I don't care what the cities look like...I just wanna play!"

I personally(and quite a few others judging from the all the different styles & downloads)play the game for both the style and art. They account for the majority of my downloads!

 

[ocedius]

One would get way more support for an idea like this if we had multiple city grphics available along with a utility that'd alow the user to quickly switch between 'em.

 

[MaisseArsouye]

One would get way more support for an idea like this if we had multiple city grphics available along with a utility that'd alow the user to quickly switch between 'em.

You're right ! But...

In the last three days, some users ( including RedAlert and me ) started to work on new city graphics. We already had some ( egyptian, venitian,... ). So I think we could compile an african and an asian pack soon.

It would be very easy to use these packs. Actually, it would be easier than adding units !!! All people have to do is :
- copy all the pcx files in the pack directory
- paste it in the city directory
- assign the "good" cultural group to civs

 

[RedAlert]

A great idea, Maisse Arsouye. I'd help for sure.
Maybe you could get skam0073 (who's done some good work with specific city styles) in on this too.

These city packs would definately be useful in mods, I can think of a few right now that could use them.

Two other packs that I think would be popular would be Americas and Europe. I'm not sure how you could divide europe up but here's an idea for the americas:

North American
Native North American
Native Mesoamerican
Native South American
Latin American

 

[mrtn]

More cities are always good.
I made some Mid East (aka Oriental) cities, link in sig...

 

[Sword_Of_Geddon]

A great idea, Maisse Arsouye. I'd help for sure.
Maybe you could get skam0073 (who's done some good work with specific city styles) in on this too.

These city packs would definately be useful in mods, I can think of a few right now that could use them.

Two other packs that I think would be popular would be Americas and Europe. I'm not sure how you could divide europe up but here's an idea for the americas:

North American
Native North American
Native Mesoamerican
Native South American
Latin American

There are Latin American Cities already actually. They start out Mesoamerican in the Ancient Age.

The South American Ancient Age is already done as well(Incan Cities),

 

[MaisseArsouye]

Here are my first ideas about those packs :

Asia
China ( Firaxis )
India and Indochina ( redAlert )
Japan
Mideast ( Firaxis )
Russia

Africa
Mali-west ( my set )
Zimbabwe-south ( my set )
Zanzibar-esat ( Arne's )
Ethiopia ( Im working on )
Mediterranean ( redAlert's Euromed ) OR Mideast ( Firaxis )

Europe
Russia
Scandinavia
Western Europe ( my set )
Mediterranean ( redAlert's Euromed )
Greece

America I agree with RedAlert
North American "settlers"
Native North American
Native Mesoamerican
Native South American
Latin American "settlers"

Mediterranean
Greece ( complete skam0073's work )
Roman ( Firaxis )
Mideast ( Firaxis or mesopotamian )
Egyptian ( done )
Southern Europe ( RedAlert's Euromed )

World 1continent = 1 city
Europe ( RedAlert's Euromed )
Africa ( Arne's african city or my Mali set )
Asia ( Firaxis )
America ( based on mesoamerican native )
Oceania

I think city deisgners should concentrate to complete these packs. After, we'll may work on more precise packs ( France, Great Britain, Mesoamerica, Middleast, Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia ). If we take a look, only 4 cities are missing : Russia, Japan, Oceania, Scandinavia. Most of others are done or can be completed easily.

We designers shoudlk work together, share or graphics,.... And it would be nice if Skam0073 could join in

 

[RedAlert]

Those sound like great ideas to me, MaisseArsouye. I myself would be willing to work on Japanese or North American (native or settler) graphics first. (That is, once I finish up my other projects ) You and any other city graphics makers could pick which ones you would want to do first as well, and this would turn into a project (Although it could take a while).

 

[bombshoo]

I forget if I mentioned this elsewhere, but I was thinking Euro-Asian, and Euro-African cities would be useful. It would work great for imperialism era cities, like the european influences in China, and colonies in Africa..Espeically like in a WWII Asia scenario, or Boer War.

 

[MaisseArsouye]

@ RedAlert : I'll start a thread with the first packs when two of them are complete. And complete doesn't mean finished. We can still improve city graphics or replace some by better ones. I'd like to complete my african pack and then work on an european pack so that I could start the new thread soon. Would you like being responsible of the asian and american packs ? You seem to be interested and I'm not an expert in those civs.

@ Bombshoo : You mean colonial style cities ? It seems to be a good idea.

 

[skam0073]

I just saw the threat with the city icons packs and I think it's a very good idea.Right now I am working on some Indian tipies and some Minoan city graphics but I am willing to help anyway I can.Also I think for some ancient mediteranian mods we need some Rome and Sparta graphics which I am willing to make if we all agree.Just tell me how I can help.

 

[MaisseArsouye]

Minoan cities ?? GREAT ! I went to Crete. I visited Knossos and Phaestos as well as Gortyne. If you need some tips or pictures, just ask

I dont think we should include Sparta in a mediterranean pack because there's not enough room for such precision. I think we just need one generic greek city. But it would be great to make a greek pack with different cities based on Athens, Sparta, Troy,... There is a project for a mythological greek scenario.

I think the best you can help, for now, if to make a complete greek city, maybe based on your acropolis, wich is really amazing. I'd like to see middle age greek cities looking like those white and blue villages of the cyclades. Do you know what I mean ? And I think the acropolis, the middle-age church and some old-looking houses should cross times to modern era, like in modern Athens Plaka.

And it's great the have such a good city designer in our project. And any idea is welcome

 

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have made some city pack, http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=92303

I'm making swiss cities and I have in mind to do russian pack

 

[MaisseArsouye]

This is some nice stuff, Rufus. I like the city with the Eiffel Tower

A russian city would be perfect for the asian and the european pack.
And I think a swiss city would fit to some european scenarios.

I think I should make a thread with
- a library with every cities, sorted by continent
- continental packs
That way, people who want to mod find it in a single thread. I know there's allready a general graphic library. But if we have anough cities, we should do a City Graphic Thread.

 

[MaisseArsouye]

I have another idea for city designers ! We could share our work.

I don't know how other deisgned work, but I have pcx files called x_mali, x_europe. In these files, I design buildings before to put them together to make a city. If other people agree, we could share these "work pcx" in a library. I have no problem with people using my buildings in their cities.