Strategy Informer Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword preview

[Uberfrog]

In one of the screenshots, Chitzen Itza is a city (a Mayan one I guess). Did they rename the wonder, or are we going to have to accept weird situations?

To be accurate, Chichen Itza is the city. The wonder you build is El Castillo, or the Temple of Kukulcan (Quetzalcoatl). Although that's a tad long, and a little unsuitable for, say, a Jewish, Hindu (or any religious) civilisation.

 

[Moon Pine]

Wait, there's nothing about the Stealth Destroyer's invisibility in the screenshot!!!
Seems the Stealth Destroyer is just a countermeasure for Stealth Bomber as it's only got a 20% more air interception rate than Original Destroyer (30%).

 

[thenooblet22]

To be accurate, Chichen Itza is the city. The wonder you build is El Castillo, or the Temple of Kukulcan (Quetzalcoatl). Although that's a tad long, and a little unsuitable for, say, a Jewish, Hindu (or any religious) civilisation.

Then I say the Statue of Zeus is inappropriate for most civilizations as well (sarcasm)

 

[Roland Johansen]

And I didn't know the Apostolic Palace only 'covered' the continent on which it is built.

My guess is that the writer is just mistaken. He thinks that it only works for civilizations on his continent while the real rule is that it only works for civilizations that have a city with the religion of the Apostolic Palace. Those civilizations will usually be on the same continent as the founder of the Apostolic Palace because of the way religion spreads in this game. This person has probably played the game once or twice, so you can't expect him to get all the details right.

Of course, I could also easily be mistaken as I haven't played the game at all, but I wouldn't accept anything in a preview as the absolute truth. Especially when it sounds illogical.

 

[sneaky]

Of course, I could also easily be mistaken as I haven't played the game at all, but I wouldn't accept anything in a preview as the absolute truth. Especially when it sounds illogical.

And especially if the reviewer isn't even playing the latest preview version.

 

[Uberfrog]

Then I say the Statue of Zeus is inappropriate for most civilizations as well (sarcasm)

Come to think of it, following my earlier logic then only Christian civs can build Notre Dame, the AP, the Sistine Chapel or Hagia Sofia; only Islamic civs the Spiral Minaret and only Pagan civs the Parthenon, Pyramids, Oracle, Statue of Zues, Chichen Itza, Stonehenge and the Temple of Artemis.

Better keep it as it is...

 

[El Koeno]

To be accurate, Chichen Itza is the city. The wonder you build is El Castillo, or the Temple of Kukulcan (Quetzalcoatl). Although that's a tad long, and a little unsuitable for, say, a Jewish, Hindu (or any religious) civilisation.

Temple of Kukulcan sound awesome! I might even find the motivation one day to find out which XML-file to change and re-name it myself.

 

[Gaius Octavius]

Anyways I'm sure somebody will make a 'real corporations' mod shortly after BtS is released.

Already have it going...

I noticed in this screenshot: http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/civilizationivbeyondthesword/screenshot-viewer.html?id=158136
that there is an espionage option called "ferment unhappiness"! I thought fermentation usually led to increased happiness...

 

[Gaius Octavius]

FYI, this is the cryptic ending to the article:

There are two more “open secret” additions to Beyond the Sword but officially I’m not allowed to go into any real detail. In any case they certainly add a different perspective to the traditional styling of a Civ game. One concentrates more on the units themselves as it unfolds a story, and the other goes ‘Beyond the Planet’ – apparently these scenarios are already available as fan created material that has been now officially adopted by Firaxis.

One of them sounds like the "Afterworld" or possible "Defense" scenario, and the other appears to be Final Frontier or maybe Fall from Heaven. However, these are far from secrets, having been known to the community for some time. What gives?

One other weird point: they're supposed to be available already as fan material? The only ones I know of that fit that bill are Rhye's mod and Kael's mod. But RFC certainly has nothing to do with "beyond the planet" and it does not concentrate on the units. Something is wrong with this information.

 

[bonafide11]

Perhaps the author of the article isn't too familiar with Civilization. He said a few things that really made no sense. There is nothing "secretive" about the scenarios that he seemed to hint at. But what is an "open secret" anyway? Isn't it an oxymoron? Firaxis probably asked him not to go into detail about the scenarios, but we know more about them than he even hinted at...

 

[LordGek]

And maybe its just me but I sure as heck am not getting the first few options here:
http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/civilizationivbeyondthesword/screenshot-viewer.html?id=158138

Is there some difference I'm missing between option #1, option #2, and option #3?

 

[Gaius Octavius]

What in the world? I'm beginning to think this guy had a buggy earlier version.

BTW, I just noticed from the logo in that screenshot that one of the corporations was McCormick. Perhaps this is why:

In 1989, McCormick moved from downtown Baltimore to the suburb of Hunt Valley, Maryland.

 

[bonafide11]

No, you're right... In fact, the first three options are all exactly the same... Looks like we'll have a lot of bugs to deal with when BTS first arrives.

 

[thenooblet22]

Come to think of it, following my earlier logic then only Christian civs can build Notre Dame, the AP, the Sistine Chapel or Hagia Sofia; only Islamic civs the Spiral Minaret and only Pagan civs the Parthenon, Pyramids, Oracle, Statue of Zues, Chichen Itza, Stonehenge and the Temple of Artemis.

Better keep it as it is...

I'm not exactly sure what you were trying to say. I was just trying to point out that your earlier comment about renaming the Chichen Itza to Temple of Kukulcan wouldn't be such a bad idea. (you said it might be innappropriate for other religious civilization since the name references an Aztec pagan god, but I just merely said that's not a problem since they're already adding a Statue of Zeus)

 

[Gaius Octavius]

Temple of Kukulcan sound awesome! I might even find the motivation one day to find out which XML-file to change and re-name it myself.

Two ways to do it...


CIV4BuildingInfos.XML, and you want to replace

<Description>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_CHICHEN_ITZA</Description>

with

<Description>Temple of Kukulcan</Description>


OR


CIV4GameTextInfos_Objects.XML, and you want to replace

<English>Chichen Itza</English>

with

<English>Temple of Kukulcan</English>



It's that easy. I prefer the latter way, personally.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

No, you're right... In fact, the first three options are all exactly the same... Looks like we'll have a lot of bugs to deal with when BTS first arrives.

This is an artefact of an earlier version, I'm sure.

 

[El Koeno]

Two ways to do it...


CIV4BuildingInfos.XML, and you want to replace

<Description>TXT_KEY_BUILDING_CHICHEN_ITZA</Description>

with

<Description>Temple of Kukulcan</Description>


OR


CIV4GameTextInfos_Objects.XML, and you want to replace

<English>Chichen Itza</English>

with

<English>Temple of Kukulcan</English>



It's that easy. I prefer the latter way, personally.

Now I'll only need the motivation to do some typing! Thanks!

(Obviously I am way too lazy to even such a small thing)

 

[Gaius Octavius]

Anybody else notice in that screenshot that it says 100&#37; British instead of 100% English? Of course, the leader is also Winstone Churchill, so it could just be his custom name...

 

[Uberfrog]

I'm not exactly sure what you were trying to say. I was just trying to point out that your earlier comment about renaming the Chichen Itza to Temple of Kukulcan wouldn't be such a bad idea. (you said it might be innappropriate for other religious civilization since the name references an Aztec pagan god, but I just merely said that's not a problem since they're already adding a Statue of Zeus)

I know, and my post wasn't very clear- by keep it as it is, I really meant the game as a whole- I was merely pointing out that if you could only build wonders of your civ's religion it would be a poor game indeed.

Temple of Kukulcan would indeed be a better name for Chichen Itza, and would avoid confusion with the city. There should also be no problem, as you say as there is a Statue of Zeus, and also a Temple of Artemis wonder. There were other temples of Kukulcan, but assumedly there were also other temples to Artemis, so there's no problem.

 

[vsipinen]

Hurricanes can wipe out a city. I like that.

In my opinion that sounds little alarming. If that ever happens to a city, where I have religious shrine or where I have built one or more world wonders, I probably switch off the random events.