Just read the latest 'Ask Sid'

[Sherlock]

I don't mind if they don't tell us what they're working on. But I wish they could have LITTLE more enthusiasm for PC games. 'We'll do one if people let us know they want one' is not terribly encouraging.

So I wrote to 'Ask Sid' and said, 'I WANT ANOTHER PC GAME'!

They asked for input from PC gamers, so I gave it to them. I wish all of you would do the same!

http://www.firaxis.com/community/asksid.php


"Sid: We have a very large and loyal Civ PC community and have always said that we’ll keep delivering new Civ games to the community if they keep asking for them. So all you Civ PC fans out there need to make some noise!"

Here's where to make the noise: send an email to webmaster@firaxis.com

 

[Jarlaxle13]

Sounds like stalling to me. It doesn't take a genius programmer to log onto this site and see hundreds of people discussing a game that is at least 4 years old. Most platform programmers wish they had the loyalty that Civ has.

 

[Willem]

Those are such bogus comments. A new Civ game will be released when Take 2 and/or Firaxis starts running out of money. The way he's expressed it is nothing more than a PR job. He doesn't even have a choice in the issue, Take 2 owns Civilization. If they say produce, Firaxis produces.

 

[Sherlock]

Civ IV and it's add-on's covered the historical so well and have so much gameplay I'd like to see something different next. Maybe a turn-based pc game with a science fiction or mythological flavor?

You can only build the Hanging Gardens so many times. Of course this doesn't mean I wouldn't be all over Civ 5 like bronze on a doorknob.

 

[phungus420]

Civilization 5 is going to be tough to design. First off BtS by itself is a great game, with one of the most robust AIs, and viable strategy variability available. Add to that the insane amount of content added and expanded into the game through a very active modding community, and it is a very hard thing to top. I'm sure Civ5 will be released, I'm not so sure it can beat or even match it's predessesor.

 

[V. Soma]

I think a lot new could be put into Civ 5, it could be anew:

society issues, quantified resource, supply for armies, new way of economy, new diplo ways... etc

 

[Redcoat Captain]

I for one am very dissapointed by those responses.

"We have a very large and loyal Civ PC community". Yes you do, and we would be pleased to hear a less vague response!

 

[Willem]

Add to that the insane amount of content added and expanded into the game through a very active modding community, and it is a very hard thing to top. I'm sure Civ5 will be released, I'm not so sure it can beat or even match it's predessesor.

Keep in mind that alot of people don't use anything other than the default game itself. If some of the custom content became part of the default game, it would be a huge improvement for the general player. It's not really accurate to compare a modded Civ 4 with what comes out of the box.

 

[Sherlock]

Keep in mind that alot of people don't use anything other than the default game itself. If some of the custom content became part of the default game, it would be a huge improvement for the general player. It's not really accurate to compare a modded Civ 4 with what comes out of the box.

I'm kind of new to Civ 4. I played for awhile a year or so ago and never got that good. I'm getting back into it and this time I'm taking my time and trying to learn the basics.

I use bluemarble to make the fonts larger (thank God). What other mods do you recommend?

 

[V. Soma]

hm, Better BTS AI is a good addition mod to BTS

 

[Willem]

What other mods do you recommend?

If you have BtS, you definitely want the BUG mod. It doesn't make any changes to the gameplay, it just adds a lot more information to your UI. I wouldn't want to play the game without it anymore. Many other mods are adding it into their design so it's becoming something of a standard. If there is a Civ 5, it will no doubt include many of the things it adds to the game.

 

[war ensemble]

If you have BtS, you definitely want the BUG mod. It doesn't make any changes to the gameplay, it just adds a lot more information to your UI. I wouldn't want to play the game without it anymore. Many other mods are adding it into their design so it's becoming something of a standard. If there is a Civ 5, it will no doubt include many of the things it adds to the game.

I seem to be in the majority here, but I actually don't like the BUG mod. It just shows too much (even when unchecking a lot in the options) and it slows down my computer way too much for it to be useful. I guess that's what happens when you have an onboard graphics card. Doh. The game isn't very responsive at 4000BC with BUG.

 

[Willem]

I guess that's what happens when you have an onboard graphics card. Doh.

Yes, that would do it. I play with a GeForce 8800GT and I don't notice any lag at all. The only time I have issues is when I have a huge stack active on the screen. And I mean huge, 100+ units. A game I played awhile ago I ended up with a stack of 390+ units and my game was crawling whenever it was active. I put in a recommendation for them to use chevrons on the plot list, hopefully they'll consider it for the next version. That would solve that problem.

 

[phungus420]

I haven't checked out the mods available, anyone have any recommendations?

Try BUG, lol?

BUG is good for sure, in fact I consider it a necessity. But why recommend it to someone asking for community content? BUG only improves the interface, it adds no content. Same with Better AI, it improves the AI, and includes essential bug fixes, but it doesn't add anything novel. You're not going to notice you're using BetterAI, except for the fact the game just got harder (because the AI is smarter).

I don't understand why when people ask for mod recommendations you see them geting directed toward unaltered gameplay mods. Please wake up people! Firstly the community created content has gone well beyond Unaltered Gameplay, there is alot of great stuff out there. If someone is asking about added content, direct them toward added content please. They don't need someone saying try BUG or BetterAI. These get plugged regularly (you can't see a Succession Game, or check out the Strategy forum without seeing BUG), and they don't add any novel concepts.

As far as recommendations, it really depends on what you are looking for. Overall, I strongly recommend browsing through the modpacks forum:
Civ4 - Modpacks Forum

The most close to the base game mod everyone should try is:
RevolutionDCM
This mod is the core of many great mods. Mainly because it adds such great concepts like Influence Driven War (the best mod component period, I don't understand how people play without it to be honest), Revolutions, and barbarian Civ.

For a mod that is concise and plays like an expansion pack, ie it expands the game as much as BtS did from vanilla Civ4, check out:
Legends of Revolution
This is the mod I work on. It's concise and uses RevolutionDCM as it's core, while adding some important missing things like Steamship Navies, a couple new wonders, and Legend Units.

For a popular Sci Fi Mod check out:
Planetfall
Or for a Final Frontier Space based mod try:
Star Trek Mod

The most popular Mod available is of course:
Fall From Heaven2
This mod you should definatly try, it adds some interesting concepts and is for all practical purposes, an entirely different game. Radically different, it can be described as Civ4 in a fantasy setting, but it is so much more. This mod has a full staff of modders that have worked on it, so it's had litterally thousands of man hours, multiple programmers and such invest time into it, etc. This really shows.

Another highly popular mod for those interested in content for contents sake is:
Rise of Mankind 2
If you want dozens of new civs, hundreds of new techs and units, dozens of added resources, this is the mod for you.

 

[Willem]

But why recommend it to someone asking for community content? BUG only improves the interface, it adds no content. Same with Better AI, it improves the AI, and includes essential bug fixes, but it doesn't add anything novel. You're not going to notice you're using BetterAI, except for the fact the game just got harder (because the AI is smarter).

I don't understand why when people ask for mod recommendations you see them geting directed toward unaltered gameplay mods. Please wake up people!

The poster didn't specify what kind of mods he/she was looking for. And since both of those are modifications (mods) to the game, they're perfectly valid packages to point him/her to. Maybe you have a different concept as to what constitutes a mod, but that doesn't make those two options invalid. There are many people who don't even want something that alters the original gameplay.