New CivIV Screenshot from E3

[Philips beard]

Think it looks good! I'm no fan of multi units, but they look much better now then in earlier screenshots! Placed tighter together I think!

 

[Arne]

Agreed, it's looking again better than last time. Anyone noticed that yellow/silver dots on the banners? What may they show? Some skills? Or simply some kind of unit status (f.e. veteran=silver, elite=gold).

 

[V. Soma]

That "bull" on the left banner could be "elephant", as well

 

[V. Soma]

I am just thinking... how would then a 4-piece group evolve to a 5-piece one?
Certainly not on the battlefield right away...

My guess is that after getting the "right" to evolve into a 5-piece one,
you have to go to a city/barrack and then you get the extra piece...

 

[Sullla]

Whee! Time to over-analyze these screenshots to death!

The look of the game certainly is different, but I think we need to wait a little longer before passing too much judgement here. I mean, not only is this game still months away from being completed, it's not like we have a clue how it would actually play out when the game is up and running. Maybe there's a reason for multi-unit graphics that we don't know about (?)

Trust in Soren, O ye of little faith.

 

[mastertyguy]

About multi-units, It may express the number of units in the stack, probably limited (graphic, not phisic). But I doubt. It is a ancient age pic, so probably they haven't build all those spears (or hoplites) and all those swords. About the color, it maybe be the civs' color, like the round circle + wearing in civ3 and the shield in civ2. I think the "logo" may show skills for the first def.

 

[Snoopy]

This is an interesting pic

Notice how the frontline of the units on the right move forward and the units at the back stay put.

 

[Twonky]

I think I read something about the plans to emphasize comined-arms action in civ IV. maybe this is what we´re seeing: a stack of different units going to battle together, making the army more than the sum of its parts. Kind of like in "Call to Power". This could mean we will be getting a seriously improved army-concept...

 

[Slax]

Hmmm, no flags on the munits in the foreground, only the backgroud ones.

 

[V. Soma]

I think the ones in the front are fighting - that is why there are no flags...

 

[rbis4rbb]

This is an interesting pic

Notice how the frontline of the units on the right move forward and the units at the back stay put.

mixed squads?

 

[Graadiapolistan]

To be honest I find this screenshot really dissapointing.
It doesn't look very different at all from the Civ3 I'm playing at the moment.

When I read about the 3D engine and ability to witness live battles, group different units together, etc, I was expecting a realistic ratio;ie - you could zoom riiiiiggght in from the globe and witness your armies marching through the hills, watch your horse contingents galloping through fields, etc. I didn't think it would just be the same 'grouped unit' animation that this Civ community developed years ago.

I was hoping they'd move away from the 'chess board' interface and more into an aesthetic, global, and realistic world you could partake in- or at least combine the two.

Civ is supposed to be a strategy game no? Personally I don't give a squabble about the graphics, I want improved gameplay

EonApocolypse, I fulfilled my battlefeild needs with rome total war, but it just doesn't fit in with civ and would take alot waoy from the gameplay if there was too much eye candy

 

[777]

More pics, great! Keep it coming What if those are kind of "healthbar" first attacks two units when they're dead two units more etc. 'till the fight is end.

What's that thingy above spearmen?

 

[mastertyguy]

@777 : The civ2 like warrior, with the little shield?

 

[RandomInsanity]

I dont mind seeing more than one unit, but the view looks horrendous.
I'd rather it be straight top down

 

[homeyg]

Seriously, which magazine are these pics from? And if they're from PC Gamer, which issue?

 

[EonApocalypse]

Civ is supposed to be a strategy game no? Personally I don't give a squabble about the graphics, I want improved gameplay

EonApocolypse, I fulfilled my battlefeild needs with rome total war, but it just doesn't fit in with civ and would take alot waoy from the gameplay if there was too much eye candy

Agreed - It is the strategy, the concepts behind the game which make it Civilization, and make it extremely fun. I would never want them to compromise gameplay for graphic, don't get me wrong. All I'm saying is that you could combine the two very well; when you're zoomed out it's the chessboard animation, when you zoom right in you can look at all the forests and villages and fields, etc.
I think I'm talking about Civ5, don't worry, I always get ahead of myself

 

[Graadiapolistan]

I just hope the screen doesn't get too cluttered and multiunits could be turned off

 

[Heffalump]

I think it will be great if we're allowed to combine individual units into multi-unit armies.

The tedium of moving around hundreds of individual units in the industrial and modern eras adds nothing to the game.

Fewer separate units in those eras also means fewer battles, which means each individual battle is of greater importance. And perhaps that helps add a little more drama to the late game.

 

[V. Soma]

I think it will be great if we're allowed to combine individual units into multi-unit armies.

The tedium of moving around hundreds of individual units in the industrial and modern eras adds nothing to the game.

Fewer separate units in those eras also means fewer battles, which means each individual battle is of greater importance. And perhaps that helps add a little more drama to the late game.

It would be really great... but lets's wait it out...