some new screens

[Vael]

Hate to douse your enthusiasm guys, but given that the civ with the white flag seems to be Egypt, I don't think this is a sign that civil war is in the game. It just seems like they have coincidentally similar flags. Thats how I read it, at any rate.

I find it somewhat funny that some people are still holding out for civil wars being in the game. In some interviews questions have been asked about it and not answered. I think it's fairly obvious that we're not going to see them in Civ 4, at least, not until possibly an expansion pack.

 

[wotan321]

As screenshots are released it seems to be moving through the tech tree. In one screenshop we see a rifleman (?) unit in the foreground.

There still seem to be roads everywhere? I thought the economic bonus for roads was eliminated, to decrease the urge to paint the map with them. I guess you still need roads to utilize resources.

 

[gunsnroses]

No, I don't think so.
The city is adjacent to a river so I could grow to size 12 anyway, but I presume it's building an aqueduct just to improve health instead of removing the 6pop limit.

oh yeah I forgot about health, too much civ 3 influence I guess

 

[Leprechaune]

And to move freely... Wouldn't you still rather have a movement advantage over your enemy when they're within your borders?

 

[nicae]

No, I think those really are two of the same flag, just in different colors. They are completely identical. Besides I think I've seen the Egyptian flag as yellow with the symbol for Ra on it.

Why one mongol faction has Memphis though I don't know.

mongol conquors memphis, leaves it badly guarded and its cultural difference makes it leave its owner.. perhaps. notice the mediocre borders it has now and how it is isolated in comparison to mongolia.
it wont become barbarian - wouldnt make sense. either become a seperate nation or go back to egyptian.. maybe egypt is too far? maybe it was eliminated?

 

[Melendwyr]

No, I don't think so.
The city is adjacent to a river so I could grow to size 12 anyway, but I presume it's building an aqueduct just to improve health instead of removing the 6pop limit.

That's very strange: aqueducts transport fresh water over large distances, which wouldn't be necessary if the city is right next to a river. Getting a health bonus for building an aqueduct in a river city seems odd... unless the aqueducts are used to bring in potable water and the river is used as a sewer.

 

[Mr. Hyperbole]

Anyone notice Stonehenge on the hilltop?

 

[oldStatesman]

...Units can gain experience points in several ways. Successful combat is the primary means (note: you get more points from attacking than you do from defending)...

Does this imply that defenders who successfully fight off multiple attackers in the same turn will not necessarily get the automatic promotion they do now in Civ3?

If so, I'm not sure I like the strategic implications for the 'builder' style player...it will make it much harder to defend and make an aggressive style of play (i.e. warmonger) much more attractive. I thought that they were trying to make other strategies more attractive in this release...

I guess I still don't understand the new combat system well enough, here's hoping they will let one of the beta testers or a member of the team really explain how the system works before the release date....but overall it sounds much improved from earlier releases...

I am also salivating over wanting to hear more about Air and Sea combat...Drydocks sound very intriguing...

 

[sir_schwick]

Does this imply that defenders who successfully fight off multiple attackers in the same turn will not necessarily get the automatic promotion they do now in Civ3?

Builders can still have an offensive defense plan. This just keeps some schlepp sitting in a fortress from becoming elite 'because he was there'. It also encourages pre-emptive strikes and more interesting defense plans. Imagine putting the invading army on the defensive to prevent it from getting flanked, etc.

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Stonehendge looks pretty tiny compared to the 500 foot legion standing a couple miles away(about three steps for the Legion).

 

[joethreeblah]

I think maybe the two are on the same team?

The white flag has a couple of dudes hanging out in the brown area... and it looks like by the little white bubbles on top of the flag that they are weak or not very many in a stack and would obviously not be there attacking.

It also doesnt seem like it would be a split off from the same country, because looking at the roads, it looks like they were developed seperately.

 

[Kayak]

I think maybe the two are on the same team?

Ahh. That is the best explanation yet IMHO. Or maybe they are a client state?

 

[wotan321]

Sir_schwick makes a good point (Nice towel, btw)

I betcha in playtesting they found that since there are fewer units, and fewer defensive units, the defensive units got into more battles (on average) and if they received the same ration of XP per confrontation, they would soon bulk up to be invincible after a few wars. Think of your own Civ games, you have a much larger amount offense units than defense units in your military.

 

[Zurai]

Does this imply that defenders who successfully fight off multiple attackers in the same turn will not necessarily get the automatic promotion they do now in Civ3?

Automatic promotions? Probably not. But all the quote specifically says is that defenders get less xp than attackers. That makes sense, especially before attackers get Blitz or its equivalent. Attackers can, for the most part, attack only once a turn. Defenders can potentially defend hundreds of times in a turn. If the same unit defends several times from an assault, they will almost certainly have gained more experience than any of their attackers.

 

[Civrules]

GameSpot has the same screenshots on their site as well (no previews though).

Their screenies are a little cleaner since there are no logos on them.
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civilizationiv/screenindex.html

 

[Yuri2356]

Stonehendge looks pretty tiny compared to the 500 foot legion standing a couple miles away(about three steps for the Legion).

Civ units have always been the size of cities, this is just the first time they've been given height. And note that all the screenshots that you complain about are zomed in to the point where the screen shows an area of less than 6x6 squares. Things are supposed to look bigger when magnified, that's the idea!

 

[Polietileno]

Anyone notice Stonehenge on the hilltop?

I did, and that brings me the idea of now maybe not only you have coast only wonders, but jungle alone or hills alone wonders (city bordering or in a hill)

 

[JavalTigar]

I think the difference in flag colors might have something to do with status.

The white ones have already been used, so that visually you can tell what units are avalible. Kind goes with their whole WYSIWYG concept. Just my humble opinion.

 

[joethreeblah]

I think the difference in flag colors might have something to do with status.

The white ones have already been used, so that visually you can tell what units are avalible. Kind goes with their whole WYSIWYG concept. Just my humble opinion.

I don't think so.

The city is also white, and the border color is also white.

 

[sir_schwick]

Civ units have always been the size of cities, this is just the first time they've been given height. And note that all the screenshots that you complain about are zomed in to the point where the screen shows an area of less than 6x6 squares. Things are supposed to look bigger when magnified, that's the idea!

And I never liked the mammoth units in Civ3, preferring the smaller multi units used in some mods. Also, visually it would look better if the units shrank and increased in size so they were about the same size on the screen. As you go down, the units would shrink(which would look cool) and as you go out they would fill out the square

 

[Urederra]

I think the difference in flag colors might have something to do with status.

The white ones have already been used, so that visually you can tell what units are avalible. Kind goes with their whole WYSIWYG concept. Just my humble opinion.

That's a good idea, but I think you are not right. The color of the circle at the left of the city's name is also white whereas the color of that circle in the other cities is still brown.

Edit: Joe, we had the same idea, but you post it first.

I also want to remind you guys that cities don't flip due to culture any more. (I recall reading a post saying that could be a city fliped back to the egyptians).

My guess is that conquered cities stay revolted for some time and don't produce fully functional units. (maybe there is some penalty if the unit is produced in a city which the mayority of the population is from other country). I know that it is not a very smart guess. I am running out of ideas.