New Information -- Finally! (June 3, 2007)

[mjs0]

Another interview with Alex Mantzaris, dated June 3rd, is a available here: New Interview

I haven't finished reading all of it yet but it looks like it answers many questions.

Some highlights:

Warlords Content: "stuff that impacts game functionality" is in..."assets and codes for the scenarios" is not.

Corporations: Not much new. Clarifies that they turn resources into food, production, commerce or other resources.

Resources: No new resources.

Advisor Screens: Foreign advisor overhauled

Espionage: (Again, some new, some known) Provides visibility into cities, access to demographics, access to power graphs (maybe this means you don't get graphs for free anymore), knowledge of research target.

New wonders, units, buildings etc.:

The final date is still 2050 AD, although we did add considerable content to the modern era. For example, there are new buildings to support your espionage strategy, like the Security Bureau that makes it harder for foreign spies to perform missions in your cities, or the Intelligence Agency that enhances your espionage spending. Other buildings include Public Transportation, Industrial Parks, and Levees. There are new modern technologies like Laser, Superconductor, and Stealth. New modern units include the Mobile SAM, Mobile Artillery, Tactical Nuke, Attack Submarine, Missile Cruiser, and Stealth Destroyer. Finally, the Cristo Redentor Wonder allows you to switch civics without Anarchy.

AI Changes: "Plays like an experienced human player", fewer bonuses needed to compete, better at: military operations including naval invasions, managing economy, and is aware of all new features.

Space Race: Espionage essential to watch progress of opponents spaceship and for sabotaging its construction.

Alpha Centauri II: Firaxis simply does not own the rights

Events: Some simple, some intricate, seem to be mostly for flavour

The effects on gameplay are not dramatic, but the effects on replayability, historical flavor, and therefore, immersion are significant.

Scenarios: Not much new, but much kudos to fan participation.

Startup options: Use of any leader-civ combination, Trade away tech only when you research it yourself, choose which religion you get when discovering a technology (I wonder if the AIs have been updated to choose historically accurate religions. Are you listening Isabella?).

Graphics: More polished, no use of DX10 (thank goodness).

Edit: Finished reading and added list of highlights.

 

[Vael]

Your link is broken, you might want to fix that...

Aside from that, thanks.

 

[Duuk]

Cristo Redenter wonder FTW!

 

[mjs0]

Your link is broken, you might want to fix that...

Aside from that, thanks.

Fixed!
Sorry about that.

 

[Duuk]

Will there be any new options when players start a game, from new world-types to terrain balancing?

Yes, there will be new world-types, but even more importantly there will be some new game options. For example, you will have the option to play as any leader-civilization combination, therefore allowing you to explore some intriguing "what-if" possibilities. Many players will appreciate the option to trade away a technology only if you have researched it yourself. Also, there is an option to actually choose the religion you found when you discover a technology, so that you don't always have the same dominant religions in every game.

And the proper link is http://play.tm/story/10816

 

[Virulent]

Hey they finally answered the Warlords question, it sounds like after BtS comes out Warlords will only be good for the scenarios.

Also Cristo Redenter sounds interesting, useless if you're a Spiritual leader but pretty cool if you're not.

 

[Methos]

Thanks!!!!

 

[GeoModder]

Ah, an option to only trade techs which a civ researched.
And three new naval units (modern): the Attack Submarine, Missile Cruiser, and Stealth Destroyer.

 

[Onagan]

Hey they finally answered the Warlords question, it sounds like after BtS comes out Warlords will only be good for the scenarios.

As I read it, it means no Warlords leaders either, so no Brennus, Ragnar & Wang Kon.

 

[Thedrin]

Alex Mantzaris:
The foreign advisor screen, which is where all foreign trades and possible deals are listed, is indeed getting an overhaul.

Glad to here this.

The final date is still 2050 AD, although we did add considerable content to the modern era. For example, there are new buildings to support your espionage strategy, like the Security Bureau that makes it harder for foreign spies to perform missions in your cities, or the Intelligence Agency that enhances your espionage spending. Other buildings include Public Transportation, Industrial Parks, and Levees. There are new modern technologies like Laser, Superconductor, and Stealth. New modern units include the Mobile SAM, Mobile Artillery, Tactical Nuke, Attack Submarine, Missile Cruiser, and Stealth Destroyer. Finally, the Cristo Redentor Wonder allows you to switch civics without Anarchy.

Intelligence Agency sounds like a new national wonder which works in a similar manner to Oxford University and Wall St.

Public transportation, industrial parks (seperating industry from residential areas) and levees (reducing fllod plain affects) all sound like they reduce unhealthiness.

Christo Redentor sounds good. Late game (it was completed in the 1930s) so that it isn't too powerful but very useful for non-spiritual civs.

The changes are too numerous to list, but the result is that the AI plays more like an experienced human player would play, and therefore needs fewer bonuses in order to compete at a higher difficulty level. The AI has gotten considerably better at its previous major weakness, which was conducting military operations, especially naval invasions. It is even stronger at managing its economy, and of course, it also knows how to use all the new features we are adding.

*phew*

 

[Thedrin]

Onagan:
As I read it, it means no Warlords leaders either, so no Brennus, Ragnar & Wang Kon.

He only specified that the scenarios won't be included.

 

[Onagan]

Beyond the Sword will include some of the code from Warlords - specifically the stuff that impacts the core game functionality. The assets and code from the scenarios in Warlords will not be included.

I don't think that Leaderheads impacts th core game functionality.

 

[sneaky]

Christo Redentor seems very powerful. It's basically an additional leader trait. And a useful one at it.

 

[Thedrin]

I don't think that Leaderheads impacts th core game functionality.

I assumed that that meant that any gameplay features* in Warlords which are exclusive to scenarios - such as the barbarian scenarios purchase units screen or the Genghis Khan scenario camp unit- won't be included. It would seem a bit odd if the Koreans and Vikings weren't included and that they went to the bother of giving the 1-leader Celts entirely new leaders instead of just passing Brennus on.

*I don't classify leaderheads as features.

 

[SkippyT]

Are they serious about the Christo Redentor? No anarchy? Then they must change the spiritual trait, don't they?

 

[Thedrin]

No, they don't have to change it. The earliest that Christo Redentor should appear is in the industrial age. By that time most civics are available so that - while it will be powerful, - it won't be anywhere near as powerful as the no anarchy offered through spiritual which has been active for the entire game. And only one non-spiritual civ (at most) can build it in any one game.

 

[Virulent]

Are they serious about the Christo Redentor? No anarchy? Then they must change the spiritual trait, don't they?

I'm pretty sure Christo Redentor will be available fairly late in the game so Spiritual will still be quite relevant. Also Spiritual still gets the cheap temples which is useful in the early part of the game. There are still going to be plenty good reasons to play as a Spiritual leader.

Heck a Spiritual leader might want to build Christo Redentor just to deny it to the non-Spiritual leaders.

 

[Danielos]

Im disappointed that the future stuff would not be included in the main game. Also, it pisses me that the pirates from Civ 1-2 are still missing. Bring them back!!

Otherwise, it seems very promising...

 

[Thunderfall]

He only specified that the scenarios won't be included.

That's correct. Only the scenario stuff from Warlords are not included.

I'm afraid that none of this will happen any time soon. Firaxis does not own the rights to Alpha Centauri.

I suppose if Firaxis really wants to make a sequel to Alpha Centauri, they can just call it something else, just like the recently released Supreme Commander. People consider it the sequel to Total Annihilation even though the name is different.

 

[Paideia]

Ah, an option to only trade techs which a civ researched.

I couldn't agree more. No sudden spread of new techs to all my opponents, but rather based on the diplomatic situation of whoever researched it.. This and the effect of Christo Redentor are to me the best things revealed in that interview.