Summary of the IGN Preview

[GuangRong]

Are there new Special Resources ? The new UUs and thier "less special resources required "seems to implied it..

Many New UUs seems like out right better version of exisiting ones,though I think some info are not clear and may be misintereption :


-Carthiginians: Commercial/Industrius, UU is Numidian Infantry, spearman with increased attack/defense and no special resources

=Does this means it has both increase attack AND defence? or does it means it will have either increased attack OR defence
If both that makes it atleast a 2-3 Unit!! and what's with the no special resources ? spearman don't require any !! Unless they plan to introduce "bronze" as a strategic resource..

-Koreans: Commercial/Scientific, UU is Hwacha, cannon with increased bombard and requires less special resources

=I think this probably means it don't required Iron.. ,you can't take salpeter out..

-Mongols: Militaristic/Expansionist, UU is Keshik, cheaper Knight that requires less special resources

= again, I think this don't required Iron.you defenitely can't take the horse out of this... Since it's cheap, expect to see the Mongols build hordes of this UU..

-Vikings: Militaristic/Expansionist, UU is Berserker, Longbowman with increased attack, defense, AND amphibious attack

=Seems too powerful for the typical Pikeman. I guess that's why they added the generic medieval Swordsman as other Civ's answer to it


-Spanish: Religious/Commercial, UU is Conquistador, weak, cheap, requires almost no special resources, treat all terrain as roads, and doesn't replace anything

=Could be useful for fighing in those jungles

-Celts: Religious/Militaristic, UU is Gallic Swordsman, swordsman with faster movement

=If it can retreat, that put it almost on par with the Persian's Immortals

-Arabs: Expansionist/Religious, UU is Ansar Warrior, replaces Knights, and are faster and cheaper

=Makes the chinese rider redundant ,exactly the same but cheaper..

-Turks: Industrial/Scientific, UU is Siphai, a better attacking Cavalry

= increased attack strength ? You don't really stand a good chance against this unless you have rifleman

 

[Lab Monkey]

The Indian UU is made even more redundant with the arrival of the Keshik, also. These new UUs seem way too powerful.

 

[Ribannah]

Originally posted by Jeff Yu
-Capture the Princess: Princess starts in capitol and can't move, attack, or defend, enemies must capture, and move back to own palace for points, once they do, new princess respawns in palace, if enemy has no palace left, respawns in new city, and player gets big bonus

What could I do with a captured princess, huh?
Give me a prince, or at least a frog!

 

[dannyevilcat]

I agree-- the vikings, carthaginians and arabs sound really scary compared to most other civ UU's.

 

[thestonesfan]

Oh well...new unit graphics are new unit graphics. It's not like it's too tough to change anything.

They really should have given the War Elephant to Carthage. It's pretty much their only claim to fame. If they would have called them the Phoenicians they could have given them a naval unit.

 

[thestonesfan]

Give the Americans an Abrams Tank, or make the F-15 a real butt-kicker.

Give the English some Colonial Infantry or even a better Longbowman.

 

[seanman42]

It must have been a tough decision for Firaxis as to what to make the Spanish, as they were definitely religious (fervently Catholic, the Inquisition proves it), definitely commercial,(as they were the richest civiliztion in the world during the 1500's, as gold from their New World colonies poured in before Philip II and Charles V wasted all the money on wars) and they were definitely expansionist, as they were basically the first to spread to the Americas, and they had colonies in North and South America, Mexico, Cuba etc.)
I agree that some these new civs may be way too powerful, and double strength UU's may upset the balance.

 

[jpowers]

The Arabs should be scientific and religious. For 600 years, they were the most advanced civilization on the planet.

 

[thestonesfan]

Why are the Turks Industrious? The country still isn't even industrialized! And scientific? I can't think of any Turkish innovations.

They need some new civ traits. Maybe agricultural, disciplined, fanatical...

 

[cgannon64]

The Evil IGN is now going to shut us down for spreading secret information!

 

[joycem10]

im really looking forward to the new units. but as someone else said, im already afraid of the beserker. i dont ever want to be playing an achipelago map with the vikings.

the american and english UUs look like crap compared to these new units. i really wish they would change them.

I agree with all who would like to see the longbowmen for the english, although i wonder if the existing stats are sufficient for a UU? Maybe jack up one defense point.

I would like to see the americans get a cheaper version of the tank for thier UU. my historic reason is to simulate the mass production of the Sherman tank in WWII. Not the best tank but it was produced in mass numbers. From a game standpoint it would have the american getting thier golden age in the late industrial age.

 

[Lt. 'Killer' M.]

Originally posted by thestonesfan
Why are the Turks Industrious? The country still isn't even industrialized! And scientific? I can't think of any Turkish innovations.

They need some new civ traits. Maybe agricultural, disciplined, fanatical...

I don't get it either. All the medical, metallurgical, chemical inventions in middle Ages came from Arab nations......

science and commercial or so for Arabs, militaristic (think Greece and Balkan!!!) and maybe commercial for Turks... I'll do that in the editor for sure.

 

[Raven1er]

Spain should be Expansionist and Militaristic (OR) Commercial (OR) Religious

Arabs should be Religious and Militaristic (OR) Expansionist (not kidding, look at all the islamic nations)

 

[Amadan]

Originally posted by Jeff Yu
Ok, here's some info from the IGN preview.

New City Improvements
-Internet counts as Research Lab on each city in continent, and provides Golden Age if civ hasn't already had it

Unless I'm completely mistaken, doesn't SETI already to this?

 

[joycem10]

Amadan: In civ2 SETI did give you a research lab in all cities. In civ3 it just boost science (dont know the numbers) in the city in which it is built.

 

[seanman42]

No SETI just doubles scientific research output for a city. The Internet wonder seems good and all, but probably, like alot of things, comes too late to be of any great value. However, it may allow you to spend less on science, and more on income or happiness...

 

[Panda]

This looks like a cool expansion - I'll be anxious for it to come out. Thanks for the info

Yes, the new UU look powerful, but let's not get overexcited until we know all changes that are made to the game In Alpha Centauri's Alien Crossfire the new fractions also appeared to be more powerful but turned out to be pretty much on par with the original ones.

The only lamentable thing is that the forum will be flooded with "Why is Civ X not this/that instead of ..." threads...

Oh well, you can't have everything...

 

[thestonesfan]

SETI did that in Civ2, but in Civ3, it raises the science in it's home city by 50%.

Weakened wonders kind of annoy me, but really, what on earth has SETI done for us anyway?

I did some research to get a better idea of Carthage's UU. I planned on giving them India's War Elephant and finding another one for India, but I decided against that. In actuality, by the time of Hannibal's greatest hour at Cannae, all of his elephants were dead. Outnumbered two to one, the deciding factor in the battle was his Numidian Infantry. At the onset of the fighting, the Numidians threw down their spears and shields as if deserting, and left the battlefield. After engaging Hannibal's forces, the Romans were quickly attacked from the rear by, you guessed it, the Numidians, who had carried concealed swords under their clothing. This was the decisive point in Hannibal's greatest victory, and there was not an elephant to be found.

Conversely, Indian War Elephants were quite common on the battlefield.

I take more of an issue with the Keshik. The greatest weapon of the Mongols was their extraordinary bowmen, and it appears the Keshik only has spears. The Horse Archers of the Mongols routinely defeated the more advanced western cavalry on the Russian steppes.

And what the heck is up with the Siphai?? They absolutely should not be a better attacking cavalry. The "golden age" of the Ottoman Empire would be about 1300-1500, well before any firearm cavalry was fielded. European arms and tactics eclipsed the Turks after the Renaissance.

 

[God]

There should have been a dragoon's like unit, and Ottomans should have had a more advanced version of that.

By the time firearms were widespread, the Ottomans began to decline. The cavalry in Civ3 probably appeared IRL somewhere in the early 1800's. By then the Ottomans were almost finished.

 

[Serg]

I think Celts Gallic Swordsmen with 3-2-2 will be leading in the Ancient Times.