[GS] Future Update?

[Elhoim]

I really like how leaders would change their appearance and background depending on their era in Civ3. Not that I think it would be something they'd add in another xp for Civ6, but perhaps they'll return the feature in Civ7, regarding the "33/33/33" rule.

I liked it too. Humankind seems to have a nice way of handling it. Civ, with the immortal leaders and the focus on making them so detailed it's something that will never go back to.

 

[acluewithout]

X-box sale ends today. Maybe that means we might get something this week, although I’m not holding my breath.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

X-box sale ends today. Maybe that means we might get something this week, although I’m not holding my breath.

It means we get a sale on X-Boxery, nothing else.
Feel free to inhale and exhale as usual.

 

[acluewithout]

It means we get a sale on X-Boxery, nothing else.
Feel free to inhale and exhale as usual.

You’re probably right.

I’ve gone from excitement that we would get a 3XP, to disappointment we might get little beyond a few Civs, to frustration at the lack of news. I have now probably landed on quietly hopeful we might get a pleasant surprise re more content even if it’s DLC / update but indifferent about timing.

I tried playing a few games over the past week, and while I’m actually reasonably happy with the current state of the game, it’s also hard to maintain interest when I don’t know what’s on the horizon. Perhaps when we get an announcement on what’s coming, FXS might give us some sort of idea what’s the plan going forward and or rest of the year, even if it’s just “if you guys keep buying them, we’ll keep releasing dlc roughly every 6-12 months”.

 

[Duuk]

I hated the changing outfits and backdrops. If it has to come back outside of mods, please give us the option to turn it off!

I'm also in the group that liked it and thought it added to the immersion that Stone Age Lincoln dressed like he was in the Stone Age.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

How much work (for arguably very little return) would it be to make seven+ different leader animations per leader . . .

 

[ehecatzin]

How much work (for arguably very little return) would it be to make seven+ different leader animations per leader . . .

You probably wouldn't need to do 7, I think you could cut it down to 2, pre modern and modern. so for example, Monty would get a modern one, and Teddy a pre-modern one. That said, those are resources better spent on new leaders honestly.

 

[SammyKhalifa]

You probably wouldn't need to do 7, I think you could cut it down to 2, pre modern and modern. so for example, Monty would get a modern one, and Teddy a pre-modern one. That said, those are resources better spent on new leaders honestly.

If they brought back any of these kinds of little things that don't add to actual gameplay, I'd prefer to see a return of the Throne Room/Palace.

 

[Gedemon]

How much work (for arguably very little return) would it be to make seven+ different leader animations per leader . . .

Why change the animations ?

Use the same attachement system than units, and you just need to change a set of cloth/equipment and the background picture.

Easier to mod on top of that.

But if I had to chose, I'd much prefer to have evolving pictures of dignitaries/diplomats over animated but unique immortal leaders on the diplomacy screen anyway.

edit: with the throne room/palace visible in the background of course !

 

[Leucarum]

Maybe crusader kings 3 would be a good place to look for ideas of character appearances changing/being sponteneously generated. Though you wouldn't get the depth of personality/uniqueness you do with the current system.

Personally I think it would be pretty cool if leader clothing changed not based on era but based on government type. Togas in a classical republic, millitary uniform under fascism, decked out with bling for a merchant republic, etc... And who wouldn't want to see the various civ leaders dressed like the pope for a theocracy?

 

[Duuk]

Maybe crusader kings 3 would be a good place to look for ideas of character appearances changing/being sponteneously generated. Though you wouldn't get the depth of personality/uniqueness you do with the current system.

Personally I think it would be pretty cool if leader clothing changed not based on era but based on government type. Togas in a classical republic, millitary uniform under fascism, decked out with bling for a merchant republic, etc... And who wouldn't want to see the various civ leaders dressed like the pope for a theocracy?

I've changed my mind. Sign me up for government themed outfits.

 

[Jeppetto]

Maybe crusader kings 3 would be a good place to look for ideas of character appearances changing/being sponteneously generated. Though you wouldn't get the depth of personality/uniqueness you do with the current system.

Personally I think it would be pretty cool if leader clothing changed not based on era but based on government type. Togas in a classical republic, millitary uniform under fascism, decked out with bling for a merchant republic, etc... And who wouldn't want to see the various civ leaders dressed like the pope for a theocracy?

Everybody gangsta 'til Pope Wilhelmina begins dropping the Polderism Teachings.

 

[Josephias]

Personally I think it would be pretty cool if leader clothing changed not based on era but based on government type. Togas in a classical republic, millitary uniform under fascism, decked out with bling for a merchant republic, etc... And who wouldn't want to see the various civ leaders dressed like the pope for a theocracy?

I've changed my mind. Sign me up for government themed outfits.

That's ol' Civ I back, how can't we not agree. Plus, It's been demonstrated there is not that high need for extra animations.Beyond Earth also featured some sort of that (altough quite limited, to be honest).

 

[Elhoim]

That's ol' Civ I back, how can't we not agree. Plus, It's been demonstrated there is not that high need for extra animations.Beyond Earth also featured some sort of that (altough quite limited, to be honest).

Yeah, animations don't need to be adjusted if the outfits are done in way that they are similar in key points.

 

[Leucarum]

That's ol' Civ I back, how can't we not agree. Plus, It's been demonstrated there is not that high need for extra animations.Beyond Earth also featured some sort of that (altough quite limited, to be honest).

I'd forgotten that was how Civ 1 worked. Admittedly I haven't played it since my early teens...

 

[ehecatzin]

Personally I think it would be pretty cool if leader clothing changed not based on era but based on government type. Togas in a classical republic, millitary uniform under fascism, decked out with bling for a merchant republic, etc... And who wouldn't want to see the various civ leaders dressed like the pope for a theocracy?

That would certainly be interesting, I mean, obviusly they'd give them cultural apropiate clothing, maybe Monty will finally get an actual crown if you are on Monarchy?

With every iteration of civ they always boast about how they go 1/3 new 1/3 old 1/3 improved....but the've never touched the leaders, I think I'm ready now to see the leaders in civ go away, or at least the idea of a single monolithic leader, I don't see why you shouln't be able to unlock different leaders per era, or golden/dark age, or wonders.

So maybe you have a neighboor France under Louis XIV, but then you get a new diplomat...they have Napoleon now, well I better prepare for war, it could make games much more dinamic.

 

[acluewithout]

...seriously!?! How is there still no news? We’re more than half way through February??

I’m really scratching my head about what’s going on?

Let’s see.

• Leaker references missing Civs and Third Expansion.
• Key Civs still missing from game (Portugal and Maya) and very suggestive gaps in HOF.
  Lots of chat about “where not done” late last year, after FXS had already released for free a lot of the last gasp stuff you’d expect for some final dlcs (eg maps, scenarios).
• Lots of stuff from various videos still missing (trebuchet, earthquakes).
  Lots of usual wonders, units, and buildings still missing (Zesus, UN Building, Composite Bowman, Trebuchet, Courts, Hospitals, Police Stations).
• Lots of mechanics from Civ 5 missing (Spies being deployed as Ambassadors, Ideological Pressure, arguable Ideologies) while the game seems to have deliberate gaps left to accommodate these mechanics.
  
• Obvious gaps for other mechanics (eg Future Units and more use for Future Techs).
• Some pretty big bugs that still haven’t been addressed.
• Carl on TheGameMechanic Twitch suggesting Religion would get another look.
• Big push to get a bunch of stuff out the door late last year, which suggests they were clearing the deck to work on something else.
  
• Platinum Edition (not Complete Edition) and lots of heavy discounts on base game and expansions.
• Rolling out game on multiple, multiple platforms.
• Survey about DLCs / free content.
• Achievements added to Steam.
• Every FXS or Civ marketing tweet is getting a whack of replies asking what’s going on? Third Expansion? DLC?
  
• Very odd posts by @FXS_MisterKevin (oh no, I’m not speculating, no no no, not me) and very strategic likes by Ed.

Honestly. This is increasingly seeming like a strategy for reverse hype?

Still seems like there was a 3XP contemplated and then it’s got flipped into multiple DLC. The 10 achievements sounds to me like we’re getting a two leader / wonders DLC. Possible with mechanics / units etc included with the dlc and or with a patch. Either the leaders etc will require Platinum Edition / Gathering Storm, or will have to have alt mechanics for the base game (like England does).

But what I don’t get is just the confounding silence, particularly once all the sales were done.

I can see myself getting quietly hopeful that something might get announced in February, which is almost certainly then going to prove wrong.

I’m not saying FXS have any obligation to say what’s going on, or indeed any obligation to provide more content period. But it is genuinely confounding and frustrating / irritating trying to work out what on earth is going on.

Honestly FXS. If you’re planning something, just get on with it. You’re like a band dragging out the encore, and by the time you come back out everyone has gone home.

 

[Deliverator]

2: A pacth, DLC, or Expansion was in the works but some internal restructuring or event has put the brakes on the process or has changed the trajectory of CIV 6.

I think this is the most likely explanation now. The timely of the survey last August was strange considering that a third expansion would have been well underway by then if it was happening. If they only started working on something or went back to the drawing board once the results of that survey were in then we shouldn't expect anything big to be released before Summer 2020.

It feels like there have been at least one, possibly more than one shift, in the commercial strategy and direction of Civ VI since Gathering Storm was released. It's hard not to interpret the situation as a deprioritizing of PC as a platform and also modding (which is largely a PC thing) as a priority. There may be many thing that Firaxis genuinely intended or would still love to do that have gone out the window as the direction has changed. Firaxis' hands are heavily tied by 2K policy.

I still think XP3 is likely but we'll have to wait until it is ready to go on all platforms and the commercial planets align.

 

[AntSou]

I have been firmly in the "it will come when it does" camp for about three weeks now.

It's quite and peaceful over here.

Also, I've been murdering aliens in Xcom to manage stress levels. Lots of aliens. God, so many aliens.

 

[acluewithout]

It's hard not to interpret the situation as a deprioritizing of PC as a platform and also modding (which is largely a PC thing) as a priority. There may be many thing that Firaxis genuinely intended or would still love to do that have gone out the window as the direction has changed. Firaxis' hands are heavily tied by 2K policy.

I still think XP3 is likely but we'll have to wait until it is ready to go on all platforms and the commercial planets align.

I’d be sad if your statement proves correct. But. Yeah, it seems like something has changed gears.

It would be very disappointing if FXS didn’t fill out some of the mechanics for the game. My concern though is that the survey really only referenced Civs, districts, buildings etc. There was no suggestion of mechanics. Quite frustrating, because the game does really feel like there are some deliberate gaps were some mechanics were meant to fit (including quite a few from Civ V). It would be a shame if the game was left half built, particularly the late game which is still not great. Honestly, it feels like it’s taken two expansions just to get the game to last until the early Renaissance satisfactorily.

If they’ve been cryptic about current plans for the game, they’ve been inscrutable about modding. A general “we’d like to end up in the same place” , and lots of work with world builder or scenarios to show what can be done and making art assets available, but nothing on the .dll or opening up more elements to modding (or whatever is the correct way to say that).

I don’t think moving from a full expansion to dlc is a big disappointment, provided the dlc do still develop and fill out the game. But if we’re heading down the path of just leaders, Civs and fluff then that’s a bit rubbish, and I think FXS might have done better at managing audience expectations (although, perhaps it was only me that ever had the expectations of more).

12+ months I was really quite annoyed about RnF and nerfs to England. Well. As annoyed as I could get a out a video game. I’m certainly not as worked up as I was then (which is a low bar). I’m also one for cutting FXS slack on the updates / communications front. But I really thing this has got quite silly now, and the length and tone of this thread and snipping on Twitter are evidence of that.

Whatever.