Civ3 Praise !

[BlackTriad]

Most of us do much whining when it comes to problems with Civ3. While this is important to get the problems in the light so the designers can get a little extra help tweeking the game it is also important to voice what we like about what they've done....so they don't change it.

I'll start this off with a couple of my favorites.

1) We all despised the aggrivation in CIV1 and CIV2 while building the spaceship. Much un-needed micromanagement was caused because pieces already under construction or built and no longer needed could still be chosen for construction by the drop down menus. Excellent work ! This is no longer an issue in CIV3.
To go with this the same was done for obsolete units (Which are now automatically switched to the replacement unit.) and wonders under construction (Eliminates a well used cheat/workaround in CIV2).

2) Civilization was and with it's sequels has remained a genere defining title. CIV1 did it with it's basic design and gameflow-CIV2 with it's improvements to that design and the introduction of vast new playability. Civilization 3 continues this tradition with it's introduction of Culture/Boarders, Armies, vastly improved AI and much much more.

I'm no kiss*ss; read all my posts and you'll realize that. I do like to give credit where it is due however. Civilization 3 is THE game that will come to mind when we hear "turn based strategy" and will be in the minds of all turned based strategy designers to come. Sid Meier's skill and the hard work and skill of the CIV3 team as a whole have come through again.

Now...let's get to work on those fixes.

 

[Grotius]

Well said. My favorite thing about Civ 3 is the new resource system. The resources give shape to your plans for expansion, and they give you incentive to trade (or make war) with your enemies. I like that we don't see new resources until we attain a certain level of tech. It keeps us on our toes.

Sure, there are things I would change (e.g., pollution), but in general I think this is the easily the best Civ game yet. Gotta love resources, culture, trade, improved AI, and the challenge of the higher difficulty levels.

 

[Jimcat]

I hate to just say "me too", but I'll add a hearty note of praise for the resources system. This, plus the unique unit/golden age features, tend to make both human and AI players behave in a fashion that more accurately mirrors actual historical events.

Think about some key events in the real world:

* the Age of Exploration was driven by Europe's demand for spices

* France and Germany fought over Alsace-Lorraine and the Saar basin because of their coal deposits

* the Americans expanded westward becasue of gold

* Japan attacked the United States to secure dominance of the Pacific (and thus control of the resources of Indonesia and Southeast Asia)

* Iraq invaded Kuwait to take its oil wealth

Civ3 now sees wars for reasons similar to these, instead of the old "you're the most powerful country in the world so we hate you" nonsense of Civ2.