Hopes for graphical fixes

[Lutefisk Mafia]

I really like the look of the screenshots that have been released so far, but I sure hope that the devs fix a few things before releasing the game.

For example, take a look at this screenshot:

http://www.civfanatics.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=2824&original=1&c=36

In my opinion, the square chunks of farm field sticking out into the ocean look like stool. The big section of field sticking into the marsh doesn't look great either.

I hope that they get blended out or reduced or something -- it just doesn't seem to fit with the nice finished look of the rest of the map.

Anyway, that is my quibble with otherwise great graphics. What do the rest of you think about the graphics? Anything that you would like to see changed before the game is released?

 

[Ahriman]

Its a pre-alpha. There are all kinds of graphical errors and placeholders in the art we've seen.

I would assume that they'll be fixed before the final game.

This is exactly the kind of stuff that gets worked on in the last 6 months of development, once the engine is stabilized.

 

[Willem]

Yes, you're being nit-picky. Graphics are going to be the very last things to get touched up in the final stages. Wait until you see them in the actual game before passing judgement. Alot can happen to them in 6 months.

 

[oddeyes]

I 've taken notice of that gaps, but don't worry about. In addition, graphic of resources seem to be a bit strange (cotton like sheep). They would fix it.

 

[quintus5]

I agree with Ahriman

 

[Seidrik_The_Gray]

I don't think the OP is up in arms about this, I think he's just saying that he hopes those items get fixed. I'd throw in the river graphics to his list too.

I also agree with the general feeling of optimism that these graphics issues will be fixed.

I do also see areas where the graphics are well-blended together already. I'm fairly certain then that this will be something they work on closer to release.

I'm dieing to know more about the way trade, research, production, and combat are really going to work though...

 

[Minor Annoyance]

I haven't liked the way borders look. They're round making boarders look... bubbly.

I think I've seen others with straight line borders but I can't remember where. I don't think there are ever non-straight borders drawn unless they follow some natural feature like a river.
Hexes do make the terrain look more natural because nature rarely has straight lines or right angles, but the borders are drawn by people so they should be straight. This would require some corner cutting to make straight lines. I've drew up the oddly shaped boarders in the screenshot the way I'd make them. I think the one on the right looks better, although with this configuration or owned tiles it's still a weird shape.
Of course this might not need saying at all, as how the game draws the boarders is a low priority at this point so they'll likely make it better sometime in the future.

 

[civ_king]

I haven't liked the way borders look. They're round making boarders look... bubbly.

I think I've seen others with straight line borders but I can't remember where. I don't think there are ever non-straight borders drawn unless they follow some natural feature like a river.
Hexes do make the terrain look more natural because nature rarely has straight lines or right angles, but the borders are drawn by people so they should be straight. This would require some corner cutting to make straight lines. I've drew up the oddly shaped boarders in the screenshot the way I'd make them. I think the one on the right looks better, although with this configuration or owned tiles it's still a weird shape.
Of course this might not need saying at all, as how the game draws the boarders is a low priority at this point so they'll likely make it better sometime in the future.

*cough* Europe *cough*

you do realize most places follow the contours of the land right?

 

[Theon]

The main thing that bothers me right now is the bland look of cities. I hope they add more models for different cultural regions(mediterranean etc.) and better textures for the generic city buildings, since cities are probably going to be the main thing we'll be focussing our eyes on while playing civ 5.

 

[Ahriman]

The cities in the screenshots are clearly placeholders with no textures.

 

[CTH]

Very few borders between countries is straight lines,
look here http://www.unicist.net/partners-news/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/political-world-map-2007.gif
How many straight borders do you see? Canada and some african countries, all that is relativly modern drawn borders. I dont think that the new borders look great, a bit bubbly as you said but in some ways they are more realistic than straight borders. It would be cool if a border could go in the middle of a hex (at a river) when two civs have aprox the same culture on it.

 

[Minor Annoyance]

*cough* Europe *cough*

you do realize most places follow the contours of the land right?

*cough* that's a whole continent with many countries including dozens of cities and entire borders hundreds of miles long. I'm talking about close up on the ground. I doubt borders change direction erratically every mile without specific features dictating it and people generally don't draw borders with a compass and calculate it using pi. If you zoomed out to maximum distance borders would look like they were drawn by someone with arthritis, but close up drawing a border separating two cities they would likely pick landmarks and draw a line between them, not pick a point and draw a line at a specific distance from the point forming a perfect circle. It's impractical. Also having perfect circles is not "following the contours of the land" because that is not likely be a perfect circle, drawn with a compass, calculable with pi either. *cough*

You do realise you quoted and bolded the exact part of my post where I say borders do follow natural features and then asked if I realise borders follow natural features right?

 

[Seidrik_The_Gray]

Right then, so I'd also like to see some more unit textures soon. The wish list for future screen shots would be better rivers, better cities, better units, and *wishing* a battle demo or city building demo...

 

[SmokedSalmon]

Forts not being for ships aswell.

You can create a wall of forts and the ships can pass right through the land.

I created such a wall for defence and my ship went right through the land instead of around.

 

[krille]

Forts not being for ships aswell.

You can create a wall of forts and the ships can pass right through the land.

I created such a wall for defence and my ship went right through the land instead of around.

It's nice being able to dig canals though.

 

[civ_king]

*cough* that's a whole continent with many countries including dozens of cities and entire borders hundreds of miles long. I'm talking about close up on the ground. I doubt borders change direction erratically every mile without specific features dictating it and people generally don't draw borders with a compass and calculate it using pi. If you zoomed out to maximum distance borders would look like they were drawn by someone with arthritis, but close up drawing a border separating two cities they would likely pick landmarks and draw a line between them, not pick a point and draw a line at a specific distance from the point forming a perfect circle. It's impractical. Also having perfect circles is not "following the contours of the land" because that is not likely be a perfect circle, drawn with a compass, calculable with pi either. *cough*

You do realise you quoted and bolded the exact part of my post where I say borders do follow natural features and then asked if I realise borders follow natural features right?

I highly doubt a tile represents anything less than 100 sq. km, where are you getting a circle from? IIRC some tiles are easier to control than others

Forts not being for ships aswell.

You can create a wall of forts and the ships can pass right through the land.

I created such a wall for defence and my ship went right through the land instead of around.

I thought it is only usable as a canal if there is a water tile next to it?

 

[SmokedSalmon]

I thought it is only usable as a canal if there is a water tile next to it?

Yes, I built a wall from east to west England to stop the Picts I had in the game.

Building a canal would be good if it looked like a canal, you could only build it when you have the right technologies and it took longer to build than a row of forts.

 

[PieceOfMind]

I highly doubt a tile represents anything less than 100 sq. km, where are you getting a circle from? IIRC some tiles are easier to control than others

If you look at the picture, you'll notice that the borders around tiles basically look like circles.

I have my doubts the border graphics will remain that way but I agree with MA that at the moment they look sort of bubbly and particularly unusual. In that screenshot for example, they could have at least made the borders hug the coast when they go along it and the borders that extend out into the sea needn't be so wavy.

 

[civ_king]

If you look at the picture, you'll notice that the borders around tiles basically look like circles.

I have my doubts the border graphics will remain that way but I agree with MA that at the moment they look sort of bubbly and particularly unusual. In that screenshot for example, they could have at least made the borders hug the coast when they go along it and the borders that extend out into the sea needn't be so wavy.

I concur now that I know what you are talking about

 

[Ahriman]

I agree that they need to smooth those borders a bit more, cutting across the tile in between them, to make it a bit more even.
Still, better than all the straight lines and right angles in Civ4.