Firaxis Flat Earthers

[Brianstorm]

Anyone else disappointed we haven't gone back to the globe of Civ IV? Nothing kills immersion like seeing a lame game board border at the ends of the earth (well looking at the tech tree might kill it as well). Is there any reason for this technically or is it just not caring/laziness on the devs? I mean it's clear at this point after 2 expansions, BE and now VI they're more "idea men" than actual game developers, but I don't want to be too harsh.

 

[Lord Tirian]

CivIV didn't have a globe either, it was a flat map that was just warped when you zoomed out. Additionally, CivVI embraces the "antique map" theme with the fog of war and on top of that, there's the much more complex lighting that's clearly made for a flat map.

I thin between art direction, the fancy fog of war and the lighting, it's very, very hard to produce a version that "warps" the same way Civ4 did it without looking like rubbish. So they probably went for "flat map that always looks legible and fits our theme" than "rounded map that looks terrible and doesn't match the rest of the game".

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Also, chances are that a globe map view would require even more work for something that makes absolutely zero gameplay changes and appeases a relatively small group of fans.

Truth be told the Globe View looked terrible in Civ 4,s ince every single city was shown on the globe view and it littered the game with it.

 

[bookman_]

I mean it's clear at this point after 2 expansions, BE and now VI they're more "idea men" than actual game developers, but I don't want to be too harsh.

There is no way to be harsher to them than by saying this.

 

[Gorbles]

"nothing kills immersion like" is a phrase I'm getting real tired of hearing.

It's an attempt at projecting personal opinion onto a more qualitative (well, qualitatively-sounding phrase). You dislike that there isn't a globe, cool. Mapping that onto some kind of catch-all indicator of historical accuracy ("immersion")? Less cool. You inferring things about developer competence because they haven't catered to you exclusively, even less cool.

 

[Ranbir]

I think the sad irony is that hexes would allow a more natural visual for a global view.

 

[Ryika]

I'm fine with flat maps. Globes have a certain "coolness"-factor, but they don't really add anything to gameplay.

 

[Kamenka]

I'm fine with flat maps. Globes have a certain "coolness"-factor, but they don't really add anything to gameplay.

I agree. I really do wish you could zoom out further though. Maybe that could be done with a mod.

 

[ExemplarVoss]

Anyone else disappointed we haven't gone back to the globe of Civ IV? Nothing kills immersion like seeing a lame game board border at the ends of the earth (well looking at the tech tree might kill it as well). Is there any reason for this technically or is it just not caring/laziness on the devs? I mean it's clear at this point after 2 expansions, BE and now VI they're more "idea men" than actual game developers, but I don't want to be too harsh.

Globes are a lot more work for extra inaccuracy. Modelling a functional globe is a lot more work than you give it credit for.

 

[TekJansen]

Globes are a lot more work for extra inaccuracy. Modelling a functional globe is a lot more work than you give it credit for.

Exactly! You also have to have in mind that you would also have to adjust the new day/night-cycle for that...

 

[dexters]

"nothing kills immersion like" is a phrase I'm getting real tired of hearing.

It's an attempt at projecting personal opinion onto a more qualitative (well, qualitatively-sounding phrase). You dislike that there isn't a globe, cool. Mapping that onto some kind of catch-all indicator of historical accuracy ("immersion")? Less cool. You inferring things about developer competence because they haven't catered to you exclusively, even less cool.

Yeah, I maybe used the globe feature 2-3% of the time I played Civ4. It would be a 'nice to have' thing especially if the theme of their next expansion deals with a global mechanic in some way where zooming out and looking at the world in a globe format makes sense. But it's hardly an issue that it's not in.

 

[Abraxis]

I thin between art direction, the fancy fog of war and the lighting, it's very, very hard to produce a version that "warps" the same way Civ4 did it without looking like rubbish.

Actually I think it could look much better than Civ 4

 

[Ranbir]

It would look better than 4, because we're using hexes now! Hexes are better for making round maps than squares.

 

[bc1]

IMHO they should focus resources on the incompetent AI flat is not much of an issue

 

[Haggbart]

#865 in the series "irrelevant stuff that seems to bother people".