PolyCast Episode 265: "Speaking Of"

[DanQ]

[img=right]http://civcomm.civfanatics.com/polycast/images/polycast_logo.jpg[/img] Now with purpose. The two-hundred-and-sixty-fifth episode of PolyCast, "Speaking Of", features regular co-hosts Daniel "DanQ" Quick, Stephanie "Makahlua", Philip "TheMeInTeam" Bellew and "MadDjinn" with returning guest co-hosts Tony "GarretSidzaka" Kiehl and Derek "Kael" Paxton. It carries a runtime of 59m59s.

The summary of topics is as follows:

- 02m21s | News
The not-necessarily-well-named Firaxis Games Megapanel held earlier this month at PAX West 2016 is reviewed, leading to the first of the next wave of Civilization VI reveals: "First Look" Kongo garners attention (12m59s), as does fellow civilization newcomer Norway (22m34s); then, a Religion livestream reveals more on diplomacy (30m41s) and a third civ "First Look" for Greece answers some questions and raises others (44m47s).

- Intro/Outro | Miscellaneous
Guest titles, maturity gauge and guest billing.

PolyCast is a bi-weekly audio production recording live every other Saturday throughout the year, in an ongoing effort to give the Civilization community an interactive voice; sibling show ModCast focuses on Civ modding, TurnCast on Civ multiplay.

 

[rastak]

Oh wow, you Kael on. Look forward to listening.

 

[DanQ]

Oh wow, you Kael on.

Yes -- this was his fifth appearance on PolyCast to date, and GarretSidzaka's fourth.

Look forward to listening.

 

[Morningcalm]

Kongo wasn't per se the most requested civ in Civ V ever, but numerous polls (in Civfanatics and the 2K forums) showed Kongo was near the top as far as the most popular suggested civs.

 

[DanQ]

Kongo wasn't per se the most requested civ in Civ V ever, but numerous polls (in Civfanatics and the 2K forums) showed Kongo was near the top as far as the most popular suggested civs.

That's strong anecdotal evidence to support the claim, but as you too say doesn't meet "most" -- I would still like to know the methodology as well as the sources of Firaxis' behind this. There many be not only factors that we would weigh too heavily, or possibly include that they do not, but more likely factors that we haven't -- and generally couldn't (e.g. emails to them) -- include or weigh heavily.

 

[Morningcalm]

That's strong anecdotal evidence to support the claim, but as you too say doesn't meet "most" -- I would still like to know the methodology as well as the sources of Firaxis' behind this. There many be not only factors that we would weigh too heavily, or possibly include that they do not, but more likely factors that we haven't -- and generally couldn't (e.g. emails to them) -- include or weigh heavily.

You should try searching through the 2K and Civfanatics forums. I found the links a while ago and posted them in another thread but I've since lost them. Kongo was a straight up vote with many other civs not-in-the-game that fans had requested.

Just to give you an idea, Huns, Carthage and some other civs were also among the popular civs in the polls.

 

[DefiantMars]

Perhaps they meant most requested, non-Zulu African civ?

When the announcement video was initially released for Greece, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about their bonuses. As a general rule, I usually prefer game design for classes/civs/etc. that incorporate two different mindsets and marries them somehow. Because Greece on the surface just gets Culture bonuses, I didn’t care for it. But hearing you talk through their abilities has changed my perspective. It is more nuanced than I had initially considered.

 

[DanQ]

Perhaps they meant most requested, non-Zulu African civ?

Quite possibly. If that's the case or otherwise, hopefully clarification will be forthcoming.

When the announcement video was initially released for Greece, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about their bonuses. As a general rule, I usually prefer game design for classes/civs/etc. that incorporate two different mindsets and marries them somehow. Because Greece on the surface just gets Culture bonuses, I didn’t care for it. But hearing you talk through their abilities has changed my perspective. It is more nuanced than I had initially considered.

 

[Abraxis]

I liked your guy's analysis of Norway. I hadn't put a whole lot of thought into them, even realizing they were more than just the simple bully civ they seem on the surface. You guys are right about their playstyle being very outwardly looking, but very inwardly concentrated. They are effectively the first warmonger civ for tall builder... turtle oriented players.

War is fun and all, but who wants to deal with the mess of cleaning up and taking care of your ugly cities... keep those, I'll just take all the yields. -seems like a fun new playstyle.

One of you was looking for ways to abuse the casus belli system, realizing there was nothing to gain from it... Norway actually can benefit. They will just be looking for any excuse to start a free war to cash in on. Found a garbage city near an enemy and let them have it. Now you have a blank cheque to spam reconquest wars as cover to raid their lands for centuries to come at no warmonger cost!

 

[DanQ]

I liked your guy's analysis of Norway.

They are effectively the first warmonger civ for tall builder... turtle oriented players.

It's certainly looking that way.

War is fun and all, but who wants to deal with the mess of cleaning up and taking care of your ugly cities... keep those, I'll just take all the yields. -seems like a fun new playstyle.

; well, after all that pillaging it would certainly make for much unattractiveness. Definitely "playing with your food" here.

One of you was looking for ways to abuse the casus belli system

That was me.

realizing there was nothing to gain from it...

Not nothing necessarily: it depends what safeguards are built into these options to minimize abuse for, ah, extended warring purposes.

Norway actually can benefit. They will just be looking for any excuse to start a free war to cash in on. Found a garbage city near an enemy and let them have it. Now you have a blank cheque to spam reconquest wars as cover to raid their lands for centuries to come at no warmonger cost!

Well, if our Builders can repair improvements in cities in enemy hands -- regardless of how temporary those hands are in control -- one might be better off having one long, ongoing reconquest war with a given civ than successive ones.