Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
I usually play with the grid off because it looks better. Did in Civ3 as well. In both games I'll turn it on if I need it for some reason, but I usually leave it off.
Is anyone actually playing with Grid OFF?!
- Thread starter LordRahl
- Start date
Huxley Hobbes
Anarcho-capitalist
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2005
- Messages
- 162
I am usually entirely unaware of the fact that the grid even exists. I don't recall ever using it. In fact, sometimes I have scrolled over the button to remind myself what it actually does 
Once in a while I'll turn it on for city placement, but all the rest of the time I play without the grid. It just looks much better without it. I still can't remember the hotkey for the grid in Civ4.
Angular
Chieftain
Now I play on an unenhanced map, but turn on select display options (grid, resources, etc.) when I want to take a careful look at something.
I used to do this automatically and all the time when I was just learning, but the lack of stickiness became a pain (I used to save and replay a lot). I gradually became more adept at reading the map without this assistance.
The option to make the various settings sticky would've been nice. In fact, lack of stickiness is one of the few flaws of this game, IMO, at least with regard to the interface.
I used to do this automatically and all the time when I was just learning, but the lack of stickiness became a pain (I used to save and replay a lot). I gradually became more adept at reading the map without this assistance.
The option to make the various settings sticky would've been nice. In fact, lack of stickiness is one of the few flaws of this game, IMO, at least with regard to the interface.
magicalsushi
Prince
Definitely agree about the stickiness. It's stupid that the user is assumed incapable of making their own decision about which settings they prefer.
I used to play with grid on, but the lack of stickiness meant I eventually got to used to playing without it (I guess that is the one advantage of the non-stickiness). However, I need the resource indicators switched on or I tend to miss stuff. I very nearly researched agriculture too early in my current game because the non-jungle sugar tiles in my capital's fat cross looked like corn to me. Fortunately, I realised my mistake when I got Bronze Working and turned on the resource indicators (to convince myself that no, there really wasn't any copper anywhere in sight) - otherwise, my next tech goal would have been agriculture, so I could farm the "corn".
Silk and sugar usually appear under forest or jungle, and when this happens, they're virtually invisible to me. I turn the resource indicators on whenever I'm thinking about founding or acquiring new cities, or when I've just reealed a new type of resource. I'd prefer to keep them switched on all the time, but Firaxis have deemed that unneccessary, and turn them off to punish me for my habit of reloading whenever I notice a city had allocated its tile use suboptimally in the previous turn...
I used to play with grid on, but the lack of stickiness meant I eventually got to used to playing without it (I guess that is the one advantage of the non-stickiness). However, I need the resource indicators switched on or I tend to miss stuff. I very nearly researched agriculture too early in my current game because the non-jungle sugar tiles in my capital's fat cross looked like corn to me. Fortunately, I realised my mistake when I got Bronze Working and turned on the resource indicators (to convince myself that no, there really wasn't any copper anywhere in sight) - otherwise, my next tech goal would have been agriculture, so I could farm the "corn".
Silk and sugar usually appear under forest or jungle, and when this happens, they're virtually invisible to me. I turn the resource indicators on whenever I'm thinking about founding or acquiring new cities, or when I've just reealed a new type of resource. I'd prefer to keep them switched on all the time, but Firaxis have deemed that unneccessary, and turn them off to punish me for my habit of reloading whenever I notice a city had allocated its tile use suboptimally in the previous turn...
sabo
My Ancestors were Vikings
I always play with the grid off, I've never turned it on. I don't like to be reminded that I'm playing with geographical error's like squares and not hex's 
eric_
Emperor
I will very occasionally turn the grid on when placing a city, but only if the layout of resources and terrain types allows me flexibility (I can get three plains hills and one dye or one plains hill and three dye, etc). In that case, I turn on the grid to more quickly work out how to minimize overlap. In other cases it's a no brainer (if I settle *here*, I get iron, elephants, horses, corn, and cattle), and the grid is extraneous. Also, I've gotten better at visually picking out without the grid where cities can go to eliminate overlap and unused tiles.
For yield, I never worry about that. I pretty much know based on terrain and modifiers (forest, fresh water, etc).
For resources, I'll turn on the pop ups when I discover a tech that enables me to work stuff that I've been able to see the whole time (meaning there's no alert that "you've discovered a source of _____"). This situation may be relegated to researching calendar. I'll often farm over calendar-opened resources until I can build the plantation, and that can make it tricky to spot them again. Also, if my workers run out of obvious work, I'll turn on the resource pop ups to try and find something for them.
And, while I prefer having a clean board (no t, r, or y), I'll often forget to turn off the indicators for many turns after I turn them on. This is especially true for resources.
For yield, I never worry about that. I pretty much know based on terrain and modifiers (forest, fresh water, etc).
For resources, I'll turn on the pop ups when I discover a tech that enables me to work stuff that I've been able to see the whole time (meaning there's no alert that "you've discovered a source of _____"). This situation may be relegated to researching calendar. I'll often farm over calendar-opened resources until I can build the plantation, and that can make it tricky to spot them again. Also, if my workers run out of obvious work, I'll turn on the resource pop ups to try and find something for them.
And, while I prefer having a clean board (no t, r, or y), I'll often forget to turn off the indicators for many turns after I turn them on. This is especially true for resources.
Rambuchan
The Funky President
Playing with the grid ON is for noobs.
ferenginar
Grand Nagus
Grid, what grid? 
Playing with the grid ON is for noobs.
I'd say it's the other way around - you'll notice most posters don't use grid, because they either don't know what it is, how to turn it on, or worse of all - because they think the game looks prettier without it...
Civ is a TBS not RTS - it should only be played with the grid, no need for handicaps. Playing Civ without the grid, is like playing chess on a board with only white squares, and no lines. While possible - it's just plain silly.
eric_
Emperor
What would be interesting is if people posted whether they play with grid, resources, and/or yield ON or OFF, and then at what level they can win:
I keep them all off almost all the time, and win on Prince semi-regularly.
I keep them all off almost all the time, and win on Prince semi-regularly.
Maybe that's your problem. Try turning it on.
eric_
Emperor
No, my problem is that I play maybe 1 game a month on average over the course of a year, but in fits and starts, with up to 6 months between binges.
Besides, I'm not really sure how it would help to turn on a visual representation of what I already know is there...it's like, would I breathe better if I saw the oxygen in the air around me?
Besides, I'm not really sure how it would help to turn on a visual representation of what I already know is there...it's like, would I breathe better if I saw the oxygen in the air around me?
Rambuchan
The Funky President
What are you talking about?
The grid in civ is nothing like the black and white squares in chess! The former is a crutch for the incompetent, whilst the latter is an essential demarcation which the whole game rest on.
Most people, it seems, don't use the grid because they don't need a baby sitter for their brain to work out which tiles are where and also because said baby sitter is ugly as sin as well. And who wants to play with an ugly baby sitter, baby??
What are you talking about?
The grid in civ is nothing like the black and white squares in chess! The former is a crutch for the incompetent, whilst the latter is an essential demarcation which the whole game rest on.
Most people, it seems, don't use the grid because they don't need a baby sitter for their brain to work out which tiles are where and also because said baby sitter is ugly as sin as well. And who wants to play with an ugly baby sitter, baby??
Despite what you may think, name calling hardly makes your argument stronger. If you want pretty games, I got a few friends with kids, and can ask them for some recommendations, or you can just check out this site:
http://home.disney.go.com/games/
I'll stick to my chess and civ with grid ON, played at 90 degree angle.
Oh yes I can, I only put it on sometimes when I'm deciding on where to settle. Otherwise they are just annoying. Clicking on them instead of on the tile for instance when moving units or trying to select a unit. I can usually see most resources anyways. Usually I scroll out to the globe view for example to find where the closest copper is, etc.
eric_
Emperor
LordRahl, I fail to understand why someone can't appreciate aesthetics while also enjoying the game for its conceptual depth. I, personally, love good graphics. But I also loved Civ II in all its pixelrific glory.
Rambuchan
The Funky President
Practice what you preach in the field of name calling dear fellow. And really, I couldn't give a hoot what you do with your grid. But I did want to point out that you were talking a fair amount of garbage.
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