Really? This has just gotten sad...

[Lee Saxon]

lol

Somehow I suspect someone has missed how private companies work. When they sell several million units, it's not exactly feedback that something is wrong...

That attitude is exactly how companies go awry. You can't release one product in one style and take its successful sales as a wholesale endorsement of your design decisions. I could've told you Civ 6 was going to sell huge before we knew about the art style (or heck, before it was even announced). You have no way of knowing how many of those sales are to people who love the art style versus people who are buying in spite of it - or for that matter, how many *more* sales you might've gotten with a different art style.

That said, I'm firmly in the category of people who (a) love the art style, (b) would've bought in spite of an art style I'd hated, because Gameplay, (c) as an artist myself, appreciate it's not what art style they chose but how well they executed it, and (d) think these petition people are stupid.

 

[Zanteogo]

I think it's simply a case of "can't please everyone".

I can speak for myself in that I loved the design of the leaderscreens of civ5, however animation wise, they were very poor, and ended up being boring really fast, in the end I don't think they were worth all the effort that was put into them. The new ones focus on character animation, and very lively reactions (Victoria throwing a fit) that don't linger too much, I think they'll hold up much better than civ5's.

I don't mind the leaders now that they have fixed America. Teddy looked like he had the mumps before.

Victoria still looks like she came from Frozen however, though I can live with that.

 

[Xyriach]

That attitude is exactly how companies go awry. You can't release one product in one style and take its successful sales as a wholesale endorsement of your design decisions. I could've told you Civ 6 was going to sell huge before we knew about the art style (or heck, before it was even announced). You have no way of knowing how many of those sales are to people who love the art style versus people who are buying in spite of it - or for that matter, how many *more* sales you might've gotten with a different art style.

That attitude, is how capitalism works. If people are buying something they don't like, then the fault is at their end. If people buy your product, and continue buying it, then the safe conclusion is that people like your product. The vocal minority can therefore be dismissed. If there is a notable drop in sales against forecast then it may be revisited, but at present there is no reason to think that it's going to impact sales against the franchise.

A public consultation against every design choice would effectively mean that Civ6 would get released sometime around 2078.

 

[stealth_nsk]

A public consultation against every design choice would effectively mean that Civ6 would get released sometime around 2078.

Not to mention the result will be awful. Only the qualified minority are familiar with game design principles and this minority will not push their ideas because they know what actual game designs are made in playtesting, not in the heads. Even brightest heads produce ideas, most of which don't survive actual game tests.

I remember HoMM4 which was made based on players' voice. It was just the most terrible game in the series.

 

[qadams]

That attitude, is how capitalism works. If people are buying something they don't like, then the fault is at their end. If people buy your product, and continue buying it, then the safe conclusion is that people like your product. The vocal minority can therefore be dismissed. If there is a notable drop in sales against forecast then it may be revisited, but at present there is no reason to think that it's going to impact sales against the franchise.

A public consultation against every design choice would effectively mean that Civ6 would get released sometime around 2078.

Although I accept your overall point, I believe you are confusing capitalism with a free market system. The process you describe will work just as well under socialism as under capitalism.

EDIT: Or perhaps even better under socialism, due to the lack of monopolies.

 

[rreebb]

The new ones focus on character animation, and very lively reactions (Victoria throwing a fit) that don't linger too much, I think they'll hold up much better than civ5's.

It just seems that they skimped on the recorded dialogue. No trade agreements anymore?

 

[Nefelia]

Woo. Necro-post!

I think most vets don't really care.

I still vaguely recall the ugly mess that was the original Civilizations. Anything that has come out since has just been a different flavour of vastly-better-than-Civ-I.

I'd imagine younger gamers have different standards and expectations. As an older gamer, however, I still find myself greatly pleased by the quality of graphics compared to what I grew up with. My generation is much easier to please when it comes to graphics.

 

[Myth and Legend]

The graphics are nice. The only overly cartoony thing for me are the leaders who are obviously designed as disproportionate cartoons. Trajan looks like an Asterix&Obelix character. Cleopatra is a Pixar side character. The Chinese emperor is "generic cartoon merchant #4" "COOME, LOOK AT MY WARES"

Every time I see them they break my immersion, but it's mixed in with a love for their exaggerated expressions. As a person who has to read people on a daily basis i find it refreshing when they do the expressions so over the top it's basically satire.

BUT. I still preordered, so I can live with it even if it makes me slightly uncomfortable. I wasn't particularly loving all the leaders from Civ 5 either.

I really liked Monty, Catherine, Alexander, Songhai, Attila and Elizabeth, but I disliked sickly, pink eye Caeesar, bodybuilder Kamehameha and bland Bismark.

 

[Toulouse]

Played 'em all since Civ 3's release. The art direction is hideous for 6. Civ ain't a MOBA. Petition signed.

 

[God of Kings]

Woo. Necro-post!



I still vaguely recall the ugly mess that was the original Civilizations. Anything that has come out since has just been a different flavour of vastly-better-than-Civ-I.

I'd imagine younger gamers have different standards and expectations. As an older gamer, however, I still find myself greatly pleased by the quality of graphics compared to what I grew up with. My generation is much easier to please when it comes to graphics.

It also helps that those who enjoy playing Nintendo games are also less picky about the art style (and obviously excluding a certain subset of the Zelda fandom of course).

 

[Zaarin]

The Chinese emperor is "generic cartoon merchant #4" "COOME, LOOK AT MY WARES"

Nonsense. He's poor, persecuted Minister Sheng.

 

[DSveno]

I'd imagine younger gamers have different standards and expectations. As an older gamer, however, I still find myself greatly pleased by the quality of graphics compared to what I grew up with. My generation is much easier to please when it comes to graphics.

I believe it's just that you're already at the age where you don't care about "acting mature" with the game you play, as some people complain about the art style. To put it simply, you're already an adult.