Humankind Game by Amplitude

[SeelingCat]

Buddhist temple? Looks very similar to architecture at Angkor Wat

Looks like a cultural district

My guess is that these might be some Emblematic Quarters: a Baray for the Khmer and an Acropolis for the Greeks perhaps?

 

[pokiehl]

It's being used here with the symbol for a German Medieval/Renaissance Faction, it's a European Medieval 'symbol'. IF it were being used for an Egyptian, Asiatic, African Faction, you'd have a point. IF it turns out to be a generic background for everybody, I agree with you completely.

It's generic for everybody unfortunately. See below with Egypt:

 

[Giskler]

Nubian city center and Nubian Pyramids emblematic quarter

Barracks/military quarter

Hwacha

Roman Legion

War Elephant

Possible Japanese city center

Kremlin under construction

Terracotta Army wonder?

Greek Phalanx

Medieval city center ?

Castle district? Wonder?

Kremlin

Natural wonder?

Umayyad Caliphate city center

This is actually a Roman city center

Greek city center

Amphitheater emblematic quarter?

 

[Kmart_Elvis]

Natural wonder?

Looks like it could be Yellowstone.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

It's generic for everybody unfortunately. See below with Egypt:

My apologies, then.
What is really irksome is that even just sticking to Shield Outlines, there are distinctive shapes for many of the Factions they've announced so far, and no need to use a 'generic', European, and Era-specific style.

 

[AntSou]

Looks like it could be Yellowstone.

Danakil Depression perhaps.

Or maybe Sulfur Pools are just a thing in the game.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Danakil Depression perhaps.

Or maybe Sulfur Pools are just a thing in the game.

Danakli Depression before Yellowstone - Yellowstone's signature feature is hot water and steam spraying into the air.
Also, we've already seen some kind of 'hot spring' or 'mineral spring' graphic on some tiles that were so common they almost have to be a 'normal tile feature', so I'd be surprised if there is a second, similar type of tile unless it is Special: representing a Natural Wonder, Resource Deposit (for which Sulphur would be an interesting choice) or other terrain 'peculiarity'

 

[pokiehl]

My apologies, then.
What is really irksome is that even just sticking to Shield Outlines, there are distinctive shapes for many of the Factions they've announced so far, and no need to use a 'generic', European, and Era-specific style.

Thinking more about it, I wonder if the shield indicates something about the city. Like perhaps it means the city is in "defense mode" or is building a unit?

I guess that would be better because I can't see a reason for sticking a generic European shield around every culture icon.

 

[ehecatzin]

Since we've seen a few other separate and distinct 'city centers' it makes me wonder if every Faction in the game has a distinctive architectural construction marking their city centers instead of 'just' a Palace in the capital as in Civ. To me, that would be a heckofalot better use of graphics resources, constantly on the map, than an ephemeral animated 'Civ Leader' cartoon.

I certainly hope so, It's one of the design freedoms that comes in integrating many civs from many periods has opposed to just 1. And yes, making the whole city center feel unique to that civ as opposed to just the palace. (I think what they did for the suguba buildings should be standard for every district and cultural group)

Now, some palace graphics are really nice in civ, but some other are so lacking, speaking of mesoamericans, It annoys me so much the "palace" is a temple....and we got no mesoamerican religious building to boot, specially when we know exactly what they looked like, (kudos for Amplitude on the Palenque palace)

for Example, what an Aztec palace should look like:

Spoiler :

Honestly, Amplitude's city graphics have got me amazed so far, I can't wait to see how they tackle more civs.

 

[Catoninetales_Amplitude]

Firstly let me say that we are very happy to see how eagerly you are disecting this new footage.
Secondly I want to urge you to keep in mind that these dev diaries all use work in progress footage, and some of it not even recent. For example, the shot of the battle near Munich is from the GamesCom booth video last August. So don't expect everything to be exactly as shown here in the final product.

We can probably assume the ones on the makeshift tech tree are placeholder.

Yes, many icons on the techtree are placeholders. Even icons in the game are potentially just placeholders.

Now that brings up a couple of questions:
1. Is it a symbol for a City Center for any German City?
OR
Is it the 'Palace' or capital symbol, which would make more sense, and therefore does that mean you can change your capital city, since München has never been associated with a the capital of a German nation, only a German state (and if Bavaria is a Faction for Humankind, the Teutonic Cross is no longer appropriate as a symbol for it)

I suspect the latter, because by using the abstraction 'Fame' as, apparently, the primary Victory condition, conquering all capitals or even maintaining your own original capital becomes, potentially, much less significant for a game win.

It (the Reichstag building) is also in a city that's no longer owned by the Germans, so that either suggests that the Icelandic/Norse civ uses the same palace (unlikely IMO) or that the buildings won't change artstyle when conquered, which would be nice

Since we've seen a few other separate and distinct 'city centers' it makes me wonder if every Faction in the game has a distinctive architectural construction marking their city centers instead of 'just' a Palace in the capital as in Civ. To me, that would be a heckofalot better use of graphics resources, constantly on the map, than an ephemeral animated 'Civ Leader' cartoon.

Yes, cultures have unique graphics for their city centers, which they retain as you change culture or if the city is conquered, so we can reflect some of the history of each city on the map. As far as I know, the German city center is indeed modeled on the Reichstag, and other cultures may similarly use well-known buildings to create something recognizable.

My apologies, then.
What is really irksome is that even just sticking to Shield Outlines, there are distinctive shapes for many of the Factions they've announced so far, and no need to use a 'generic', European, and Era-specific style.

As far as I recall, that "shield" is used as a generic background. I'll take your feedback to the team, though I don't know if there are any plans to "culturally adapt" this part of the UI.

Danakil Depression perhaps.

It is the Danakil Depression indeed.


@Giskler Thank you for noticing the Samurai. Some people at the office were worried that it was not obvious enough with them not wielding a katana.



Now, keep the speculation coming, while I go and try to catch up to that tech tree thread.

 

[AntSou]

As far as I recall, that "shield" is used as a generic background. I'll take your feedback to the team, though I don't know if there are any plans to "culturally adapt" this part of the UI.

I don't think it matters. The UI should be the same regardless of which culture one is playing as. I guess it could be made a circle like in Civ if it really bothers people. Meh...

I mean, going down that road, does that mean we'd also need different types of crowns for each capital? Or a single crown that's culturally neutral to the point nobody can decipher it's a crown?

It's just an icon.

 

[pokiehl]

As far as I recall, that "shield" is used as a generic background. I'll take your feedback to the team, though I don't know if there are any plans to "culturally adapt" this part of the UI.

To clarify, my original point in bringing it up wasn't to suggest that the shield be culturally relevant for everyone - it was to simply remove the shield (or replace with a circle or something else neutral). Let the designer's individual faction icons shine

Because to me the shield has 2 problems:

1. It culturally clashes with non-Western factions (I'm never going to get used to seeing the Eye of Horus surrounded by a European shield)
2. It incorrectly implies something militaristic about the city

Anyway, thanks for always reading these posts and engaging with us. We appreciate it.

I don't think it matters. The UI should be the same regardless of which culture one is playing as. I guess it could be made a circle like in Civ if it really bothers people. Meh...

I mean, going down that road, does that mean we'd also need different types of crowns for each capital? Or a single crown that's culturally neutral to the point nobody can decipher it's a crown?

It's just an icon.

Icons matter. I and others I have spoken with have mistaken the shield icon to imply something defensive about the city.

Moreover, for many players, these games are an extremely aesthetic experience. That's why it's important to us that, as Catoninetails confirmed above, cities retain their original cultural graphics and other nice additions.

 

[JFD]

Have to agree with pokiehl, immediately assumed it denoted something like a garrison, defensive, or otherwise fortified status for the city - not sure what its purpose actually is if anything, and if nothing, then it'd avoid such confusion if it were changed to a more neutral shape (star?) or removed altogether imo.

 

[AntSou]

immediately assumed it denoted something like a garrison, defensive, or otherwise fortified status for the city

Agree that can be an issue, but they were mainly discussing the cultural origin of the shield, i.e., too Western.

European looking Shields have been used as icons in games long enough that anyone will be able to instinctively interpret what they mean, European or not.

It could cause some confusion if it actually has no "defensive/garrisoned" meaning at all.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Here's the Zhou

https://twitter.com/humankindgame/status/1227268600693739520?s=19

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Emblematic Unit: Zhanche

Emblematic Quarter: Confucian School

Classification: Aesthete

 

[Catoninetales_Amplitude]

I agree with pokiehl and JFD: Icons matter, and if the shield icon evoked a certain assumption about gameplay for you, that is valuable feedback.
Now, whether it will stay as it is, will be changed for something neutral, adapt to culture, or maybe even has a meaning that I'm forgetting about, I don't know, so I'll just be the messenger.

 

[Jkchart]

Emblematic Unit: Zhanche

Emblematic Quarter: Confucian School

Classification: Aesthete

I called the chariot! Woo!

 

[AntSou]

Aesthete?

Interesting.

 

[FinalDoomsday]

Another Chariot that emphasises its role as a platform for a commander, could they be a support unit with some combat ability?