Greatest...suggestion... EVAR! Notes!!!

[Hellfire]

With my luck someone suggested this already, but hey.

How about a supremely simple note taking system in Civ4? The notes would be saved with the game. Hit the note icon and write something out. It could start as an unlimited 1 sheet pad where you can put as much detail in but it just runs on like one document, or enhance it a little by allowing multiple notes with titles.

I despise writing things down on paper and some of my most favorite RPGs had a note taking system to record things. Why not Civ4? I can't tell you how many times I second guessed myself about 20 turns passing (did that war weariness wear off?), and since I don't like paper I try to remember rather than write it down.

And from there in Civ5 we can expand it even further to allow notes to be attached to units or cities or what not and create note actions to remind us of things!

Please tell me this is a brand new suggestion. I know Civ4 is late in development... but maybe for the expansion...

 

[mastertyguy]

It would be nice, and I would be very happy if there would be one, but very unlikely. You already have one on your computer, so...

 

[Mewtarthio]

Oh, so THAT's what Notepad is for...

 

[mastertyguy]

Indeed. Even more advanced: Microsoft words makes the job too! Really!

 

[Hellfire]

Good points. Duh. However there is one point I'd like to make. The notes don't travel with the game save file specifically, and again it opens up the option to make "contextual notes" in the game.

I would also like to point out that annoyingly, since I have a Mac version, it's hard to switch out of games because mac gamers notoriously don't code in something to be able to alt-tab (or in the mac case command-tab) out of the game. I found a workaround, but having the notes in the game is a nice convenience. Note many turn based roleplaying games which offer a similar feature as a simple convenience.

 

[Pacifist]

I'm also an RPG fan and an avid note-taker. My desk is littered with paper scraps with scribbled notes dating way, way, way back. Something so simple as a custom journal editor makes all the difference in my gaming

• it opens up the option to make "contextual notes" in the game
• having the notes in the game is a nice convenience
  -Hellfire

These statements sum up my feelings for the usefulness of an integrated notepad system for any turn-based game.

Notepad, word and other such text editing programs are quite useful tools in themselves but they make for a very poor substitute when it comes to note-taking during play time

While this may be too late for the upcoming title, it would surely be a useful add-on for any future plans.

-Pacifist-
"Notes remind us that we forget things"

 

[mastertyguy]

OK, fine, so I agree, but I won't fight up to Firaxis HQ to get this one

 

[Trade-peror]

Well, I would say that this idea has a much better chance of actually getting into Civ4 than most of the things we are still discussing in this forum...

 

[SonicX]

I don't think anything has a chance of getting into Civ 4 at this point

 

[Rod]

hello,

most RPGs even havew an automated note system, like I remember in Baldur's Gate the journal was one the important feature, just for keeping track of everything that was going around you.

So something like an automated chronicle, where all the Events around you are noted, would be a nice added feature to Civ. I would be even greater if you get some charts in this way, like e.g. who of your opponents is in war and alliance with whom actually.

If you play with 31 Civs the actual Foreign Affairs Screen is somwhat useless.

 

[Corn Shucker]

I wonder if it would be possible for someone to code this once the game is out? I mean if they are saying that the game is as moddable as they are claiming it is

 

[MusicLaunch]

I don't know how moddable civ 4 will be (maybe they won't let you mod the game itself? Not sure), but that would be great. If you played Sid Meier's Pirates, and you looked at the map, it automatically records everything that you've done to the city. (ie: Santiago, 1755: Raided by the notorious Jack the Pirate, governor removed and replaced with a French seigneur. 1760: Captured by a Spanish invasion army. 1763: New governor arrives, the economy flourishes... etc)

I know there's only a few months left until it's released (I can't wait!) but I don't think it would be that hard for Firaxis to just add a Notepad button and an in-game notepad/journal so that you can type stuff in, which reminds me: I like leaving myself notes about games because I sometimes leave them for a while and start a new one, and when I come back; I can't find the note. Then, I would be scratching my head, thinking, "So... who's my dead enemy? Was I being peaceful or aggressive? Who was my next target?"