"Explored Territory Not in Line of Sight" Art Style

[Civilopedian]

It's now August 2017 as I write this. In my opinion the art style is perfectly acceptable, with one significant exception. The explored territory no longer in line of sight (LoS). I absolutely hate it because I can't easily distinguish it from unexplored territory.

It's the same colour and I find myself constantly mousing over tiles to see what they are, or even exploring the tiles again, even though I have already explored them. Civ 5 had this part perfect. If the tiles weren't in unit or city LoS, they were darkened but you could see exactly what tile it was because it looked identical to explored tiles in line of sight, just darker.

Unfortunately the only fixes to this involve using a mod which doesn't do what I want it to, or using a console command which reveals the whole map, which I'm still not sure does it and even if it did it breaks the game because you have total visibility when the AI doesn't, and you can see things like goody huts on Turn 0.

For me this isn't a question of aesthetics. I agree that it looks wonderful. But it is impractical and objectively makes the game harder to observe and understand, and if there was anything they could change about the game to make it better, I wish it was this.

 

[Piruparka]

I, personnaly, think the style of explored tiles not in LoS looks beautiful. And I have gotten used to it fairly well. Meantime, I can even interpret the respective terrain type and if hills yes or no in the FoW.

I think, a new FoW-design would be something for a mod.

 

[Arianrhod]

I also wish that you could switch to the usual FoW as an option. Although the new implementation is very pretty and artistic and all that, it's not very clear or practical, and it makes exploring kinda dull when I can barely even tell where I've explored.

 

[Uberfrog]

This has been a complaint almost since the very first screenshots of the game were released, but I can honestly say I've never had any difficulty knowing where I have and have not explored.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

It's now August 2017 as I write this. In my opinion the art style is perfectly acceptable, with one significant exception. The explored territory no longer in line of sight (LoS). I absolutely hate it because I can't easily distinguish it from unexplored territory.

I agree 100%, it's a crazy design decision especially for those of us with a few more years under our belt. One thing I find helps is switching "show resource yields" on.

 

[sonicmyst]

Actually you may try the Improved Fog of War mod if you feel that the unexplored / explored but out of sight looks similar.

 

[Civilopedian]

Actually you may try the Improved Fog of War mod if you feel that the unexplored / explored but out of sight looks similar.

I tried that and unfortunately it hasn't made me any less frustrated.

For example here, FoW and UI mods installed, I have built my first settler and it's ready to be sent out. But I have no idea where to put it because I can't easily tell where anything is. It doesn't help that the hammers are now cogs.

Have I also been extremely unlucky with the terrain I've been dealt? I can't tell, because I can't see any of the yield icons properly and the terrain isn't the same colour as the terrain in my line of sight.

It's this weird beige colour that makes no sense at all.

 

[Lord Gruin]

It's now August 2017 as I write this. In my opinion the art style is perfectly acceptable, with one significant exception. The explored territory no longer in line of sight (LoS). I absolutely hate it because I can't easily distinguish it from unexplored territory.

I disagree. The explored territory shows terrain features; hills, mountains, resources, etc. The unexplored territory shows blank paper, that's all - blank paper.

 

[Uberfrog]

I disagree. The explored territory shows terrain features; hills, mountains, resources, etc. The unexplored territory shows blank paper, that's all - blank paper.

In addition, explored territory show the hex grid (if you have it turned on). Unexplored territory is completely blank, except for the odd dragon and square grid line effects.

As for the production symbols, I agree that cogs are less distinct than the old hammers would have been, but it's still clear enough to me... You can also infer what the yield is of a tile by looking at the terrain features (a hill obviously gives production, etc). Again, the terrain is clear enough to me, even looking at the screenshot above.

You have snow and tundra in the north, a band of grassland where Meroë is, desert to the south. All the land visible in the screenshot is explored, except for the two-tile patch between the forests to the east of the city. I know this is with the FoW mod installed, but I'm failing to see the problem. I guess it really is a very personal matter.

 

[Turrdy]

yep, for me it's very easy to distinguish between LoS/explored/unexplored, too. maybe there's a problem with your monitor, make it brighter for an instance or turn up the contrast.

 

[Siptah]

I've never had a problem with seeing what the terrain in explored but not LoS territory was.

What I do have a problem with is hills. 80% of the time it's fine, I can see what is a hill and what isn't. But some hills are just damn invisible unless I mouse over. The problem is even worse on wooded or rainforest hills. There I can basically never tell what is a flat forest and what is a hill forest, I spent the early game constantly mousing over my woods until I memorise where the hills are and are not. So stupid.

I know that, I had it too. But meanwhile, I'm quite good at reading the hills - even if obscured by terrain features. I never had problem with the explored/unexplored territory. Seems clear to me, but then again, I'm not colorblind or anything.

 

[Civilopedian]

Why can't the explored not be beige though? Why can't it just be the same colours as those in line of sight?

 

[MrRadar]

I tried that and unfortunately it hasn't made me any less frustrated.

For example here, FoW and UI mods installed, I have built my first settler and it's ready to be sent out. But I have no idea where to put it because I can't easily tell where anything is. It doesn't help that the hammers are now cogs.

Have I also been extremely unlucky with the terrain I've been dealt? I can't tell, because I can't see any of the yield icons properly and the terrain isn't the same colour as the terrain in my line of sight.

Turn on the resource icons, that way you'll instantly see noteworthy concentrations of strategic and bonus resources. That was very valid for Civ5 maps as well. On the other hand, I find it somewhat annoying when yield icons are on, no matter which Civ it is. I kinda know what tiles yields what or so I think, and those little icons just clutter the map for me. Although they can help you to spot natural wonders still in the unrevealed land.

As for the present art style, I have no big problems.

 

[Stilgar08]

No thx, I'm fine.

 

[PibbZ]

Actually you may try the Improved Fog of War mod if you feel that the unexplored / explored but out of sight looks similar.

This. Its an awesome mod

 

[mandamin]

Occasionally I'll have to look very closely to catch a very small patch of unexplored territory surrounded by grassland. Otherwise, I think it's very clear, and I have a hard time understanding how it's a problem for anyone, at least with the tile yields and hex grid on. The sepia-tone look was definitely a major part of the whole artistic concept of the game (which I think works beautifully). Give people an option or make a mod or whatever, but changing it would be silly, IMO.

 

[conorbebe]

I've never had a problem distinguishing the two. In that screenshot you posted, the blob of unexplored territory is very obvious. If you're having trouble, just hover over the area and see if you get a pop-up or not.

 

[Ryika]

I find it rather easy to distinguish the two.

Still don't like it though, makes most of the map feel "empty" and "distant". The feeling of being part of a living world just isn't there for me.

If that makes any sense.

 

[Gorbles]

I disagree. The explored territory shows terrain features; hills, mountains, resources, etc. The unexplored territory shows blank paper, that's all - blank paper.

I came here to say simply this, and predictably somebody's already said it better than I could.

 

[sonicmyst]

Using Kinetikam mod and Improved Fog of War mod (and some zooming) might help.

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