Civ4 Preview at Next Level Gaming

[Thunderfall]

A few days ago Next Level Gaming posted a preview of Civilization IV based on what they saw at last month's E3. Here is a summary of the new info:

• You can adjust the amount of information that is displayed on the map, including things such as city names and sizes; or go for a minimalist approach and take it down to just units, cities and roads with no names.
• Units are now able to only attack units that they could reach (ex. a pikemen would not be able to attack an F15)
• Catapults can hit all units in one tile.
• Units can be upgraded with Gold, like in Civ3.
• Some of the automation option for workers include set up trade routes, improve specific cities, or let them improve everything in sight.
• City Flipping: This time around there is no cultural dominates. What will happen, however, is as your nation expands, other nations will have trouble keeping the citizens happy near your borders, as they look with green envy at all that your nation has to offer. The rival nation will eventually be spending so much cash on the city to just keep the people happy that it will no longer be worth it for them to keep the city, so they may wind up seeding it to you through diplomatic terms.
• Out of the box, the game will support 12 players at the same time in multiplayer.

http://www.nlgaming.com/nl/asp/id_350/nl/previewDisp.htm

 

[SewerStarFish]

[*]City Flipping: This time around there is no cultural dominates. What will happen, however, is as your nation expands, other nations will have trouble keeping the citizens happy near your borders, as they look with green envy at all that your nation has to offer. The rival nation will eventually be spending so much cash on the city to just keep the people happy that it will no longer be worth it for them to keep the city, so they may wind up seeding it to you through diplomatic terms.

[/list]

http://www.nlgaming.com/nl/asp/id_350/nl/previewDisp.htm

This is a great way to keep the cultural flip. I hated the Civ III way and the Civ II way wasn't really pretty either. This way I can keep a key strategic city that might (would) be lost in Civ III.

PS Territory is ceeded not seeded

 

[Arvedui]

Man, I wish these sites and mags would keep in mind the fact that the people most interested in Civ IV facts already know things about the 3D overhaul and religion, and thus would ask Firaxis questions that have not been asked before...

 

[Steve2000]

Man, that guy is a horrible writer. Interesting stuff though - I am excited about the 12 player multiplayer.

 

[toh6wy]

Units are now able to only attack units that they could reach (ex. a pikemen would not be able to attack an F15)

But... what's to prevent a pikeman from attacking an F-15 if the F-15 is on the ground? Perhaps it can be attacked if it hasn't performed a mission that turn... or whatever other way they want to implement flying vs. grounded.

 

[Louis XXIV]

When I heard about the change of happiness, I tried to find a historical example to fit, and I can easily think of historical examples where a civilization become disillusioned with the government. The talk of culture affecting this fits perfectly. So, even though I was worried at first, the change in the effect of happiness is something I'm looking forward to as well.

 

[Civrules]

12 players online is going to be great.

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

What I don't understand is that-in Civ3-Pikemen already can't attack F-15's, because they fly their mission and return to base all in the same turn!!
In fact, the only time Pikemen could ever attack planes was in Civ1-and the complaints which this caused at the time were palpable. So, really nothing new in that statement at all!!!!

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[Louis XXIV]

I noticed that, but figured either it made a difference because of the change in combat system, or it was just useless information. They have to stick a few bits of non-information, so you have to work for the real info (keeps us busy)

 

[Colonel]

Like what I hear, not to say I havent heard alot of before, but that guy couldnt write.
" if you like the information I have shared with you hear make sure"

 

[Evie]

[*]City Flipping: This time around there is no cultural dominates. What will happen, however, is as your nation expands, other nations will have trouble keeping the citizens happy near your borders, as they look with green envy at all that your nation has to offer. The rival nation will eventually be spending so much cash on the city to just keep the people happy that it will no longer be worth it for them to keep the city, so they may wind up seeding it to you through diplomatic terms. [/list]

If the AI plays in on this - awesome news.

 

[Stephan Hoyer]

I just hope there's some sort of major incentive to ceeding a city to the civ the citizens envy. Otherwise, human players will simply abandon a city before they give it to the AI.

 

[JavalTigar]

"At the start of the game you can use roads and rivers to connect your cities, once sailing is discovered coastlines are used to connect cities, astronomy opens the seas to you."

Coastlines now act like a connection. Is this different from C3C?

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

In C3C you need a harbor to connect cities.

 

[minger]

the preview must have been in another language originally... probably a european language?

 

[scloopy]

Is Civ IV actually to be a release or is it still a pipe dream?????

 

[Ivan the Kulak]

Well, it sounds like we will be stuck spending large amounts of time ordering workers around again. Public Works! Public Works!

There's no point in complaining about air vs ground units until we know exactly how air will be implemented. I think that if an air unit has NOT flown on the turn a city is captured, there should be a chance it can evacuate to a neighboring city. Small chance of capture by invaders, otherwise it burns on the ground.

 

[Notech]

Public Works! Public Works!

No!! Public works is one of the three main reasons I stopped playing CTP. It's a terrible game feature, much more micro management, remembering to improve the terrain around each city, with no in-game system to remind or assist you.

Ordering workers around is much better, and with advanced worker task scripts, in the shipped game or modded in, it'll be a pleasure....

 

[Philips beard]

Agree with Notech!

 

[bathsheba666]

This is a great way to keep the cultural flip. I hated the Civ III way and the Civ II way wasn't really pretty either. This way I can keep a key strategic city that might (would) be lost in Civ III.

PS Territory is ceeded not seeded

Actually it's ceded not ceeded