"Thanks" for making a grown man cry!

[Antiphon]

First let me say the following rage rant is not based on any gameplay. I did just start up this game for the first time right now. I have yet to finish turn 1. It's rather the technology, especially graphics engine.

I'm an old civ veteran, who also played Alpha Centauri a lot. Recently, I had been addicted to Civ5 plus AddOns. Naturally, when I heard they wanted to make a new Space Game I was exited. I was blind. I did not want to read previews in order not to spoil anything. I trusted Firaxis so much I preordered the game blindly cause it was a CIV game. Now, not having finished a single round, I am pretty damn close to crying already.

I couldn't wait to set foot in Civ5 graphics (which are from 2010 but still good) set in space. 1080p and whoopass 3D-Graphics, that let you think you are looking at a table-top strategy game rather than a computer game.

Then the menu popped up, and I immediately recognized the setup menu from Civ4, plus no option for 1080p (900p max? wtf???). My heart began pounding like crazy and I was thinking "could they, really?", hoping they did NOT go back to the engine from 2004 (10 years! T-E-N years!!!). I started the first game and - bang, I saw a very civ4 like, flat landscape (pushed into the background, like in civ4) and a crash. Second time again, only switching off 3D-Vision would let me play the game, and that's where I broke inside and went to these forums after months of deliberately reading no magazines, no gaming websites out of fear of spoiling my fun.

And now I am stuck with a game which has graphics that are almost literally T-E-N years old (taking into account only 900p, it's actually worse). I mean it's a strategy game, it doesn't need to have the newest graphics, and Alpha Centauri graphics were pretty for their time too. BUT THEN....

...WHY THE heck WERE FIRAXIS NOT SIMPLY USING THE CIV5 ENGINE which is 6 years younger and looks like a ten-thousand times better???? Why not going back even further and using civ1 engine? Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Firaxy, Why

Moderator Action: Please watch your language, do not try to fool the autocensor. Word removed and replaced.
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[rocktone]

Are you a troll, or just stupid?

Moderator Action: Do not flame other members.
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[Teproc]

What ?

 

[Lucius_]

I believe you may be confused or you are having a technical issue or a bug. Try asking for help instead of ranting.

Graphically, the game is glorious and works fine in full HD.

 

[tesb]

The civ IV engine is Gamebryo, which is a totally different engine than civ V or civ:BE. a simple look at the data structure/art assets reveals this. That the opening screens are a bit similar is artistic choice and has nothing to do with the engine.

as for your problems: did you make sure to update your graphics drivers? you should probably switch over to the technical help forum and post you dx diag, if you want help.

 

[Quineloe]

Are you a troll, or just stupid?

It's kinda hard to believe anyone would mistake BE for the Civ 4 engine - so the former.

Moderator Action: The text you quoted is flaming, and you are responsible for anything you quote. Your own comment is trolling. Please refrain from both in the future.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[graspee]

My game works fine in 1080 but I have heard a number of people claim it doesn't. What's up with that?

 

[gunnergoz]

2K and Steam forums have some complaints about people having problems with displaying BE when they are outputting to TV's. Don't know if that is what the OP is reporting or not, though he does mention he's been playing Civ V so not sure why BE would display as described. This should go in tech or bug forum tho.

 

[Jimbo30]

There's some weird stuff going on with the resolutions. It all stems from Firaxis's seeming inability to make the magic of "borderless window" work. Actually I think whoever is dealing with their resolutions needs to go back to school.

BE brought a new one for me - I actually have to move my windows taskbar to my 2nd monitor so that I can get a pseudo-1080p resolution to work properly in a window. If I go to full screen my 1080p "stretches" to fit my whole monitor (1920x1200) even though I'm in 1080p format. Utterly bizzare.

 

[Kanasuke]

I lol'd.
The op literally came to a conclusion within 5 seconds of a game starting and fled to these boards.

If you maybe just play for 15 more seconds and you will see, it is Civ5 engine?

 

[Andra Bullar]

It works fine in 1440p @ 110Hz for me

 

[Karmah]

I lol'd.
The op literally came to a conclusion within 5 seconds of a game starting and fled to these boards.

If you maybe just play for 15 more seconds and you will see, it is Civ5 engine?

Yeah , I know the custom is to respect each others post but with this one ... It just made think ' gimme a ounce of whatever this guy is smoking'

 

[Antiphon]

Move this to Bug forum

I'm neither a troll nor stupid (according to an IQ test made at an psychiatrist 3 years ago, logged at 143). And I have played some rounds at least (in 900p and 2D) in hope of finding a magic button.
I'm a very disappointed civfan, who STILL can't select anything higher than 900p for 16:9 format. I hope it's not necessary sending screens.

The game still freezes immediately after starting or loading a game with 3D-Vision enabled.

The 3D-Graphics are very flat (from analyzing the freeze screen), with maps and units very much in the background and interface on surface, no comparison to civ5, but very much like civ4.

So, all you wise-guys, has ANYONE, who called me stupid or said it's just an individual bug, actually been able to play this game with 3D-Vision enabled?

Has anyone of you wise-guys been playing the game with the same 3D-Graphics Quality as Civ5?

If no, then STFU!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[beyondmiasma]

I thought this thread would be about crying over the stiring opening movie, or having a game very similar to SMAC?
Really can you play civ 5 in 3D? What? Is it like Titanic in 3D? You live and learn......

 

[Browd]

Moderator Action: Moved to Tech Support.

 

[forty2j]

I play at 1440p on Ultra settings and have absolutely no issues whatsoever. OP, if you wish for some help, you might start by describing your hardware.

I'm also curious what the benefits are to having a full 3D effect (I assume you mean you're using 3D glasses / goggles) on a top-down strategy game.

 

[Antiphon]

I play at 1440p on Ultra settings and have absolutely no issues whatsoever. OP, if you wish for some help, you might start by describing your hardware.

I'm also curious what the benefits are to having a full 3D effect (I assume you mean you're using 3D glasses / goggles) on a top-down strategy game.

OK, first part is the resolution. For the sake of clarity, I understand that you are talking of a 2550x1440 resolution. I still cannot find anything higher in 16:9 than 1600x900 as of now. I do have a TV hooked up via HDMI, but whenever I start CivBE, I do have it checked in the NVidiaControl Panel. As of now, I never had any problems with resolution to be honest.

IF it turns out to be possible after just pulling the plug of HDMI, then it would be a simple stupid bug. Also my cables are not readily accessible, making it a bi++h plugging and unplugging my TV. I'll have to check this evening.

Then my hardware specs are phenom xII 965@3,4, 4gig ram, Nvidia 6600Ti card. Note do not have any performance issues, it's just the resolution and the game freezing with 3D-Vision enabled.

Then, I'm also curious what the benefits are to having a full 3D effect (I assume you mean you're using 3D glasses / goggles) on a top-down strategy game



In short, the benefits are immense and the result is fantastic. As many friends I have shown this have agreed, it looks as if you were able to put your hand an the screen and pick up your units, it's that plastic, more like having a real board game in front of you, with units moving and being animated.

Note that Colonization the original (to be honest, my very first "civ" game) was the very last game to be truly top-down, later games always had a perspective, and therefore are, in theory, be able to profit from 3D (stereoscopy to be very exact).

Usually most games, even when they don't intend on having a stereoscopic support, can be adapted with some work to look great in 3D. Having seen Skyrim in 3D is having the game play with different eyes. There is no going back.

BUT there is also in issue on how "far away" and plastic units are "internally". In case of the still screens from Civ5, which I can see after playing in 2D and then loading the savegame with 3D enabled, it is very badly done, very much like I remember for Civ4 (which can be excused, since Elsas glasses were phasing out and TFTs were too slow for acceptable 3Dvision), but nothing like the fantastic result for civ5.

Anyone curious about how the effect is looking and an nvidia graphics card can try out with red-cyan 3D-glasses (those kind you may find in comic books) and enabling stereoscopy in the NVidia driver panel (labeled discover mode). It should get you a pretty decent preview of how real your game might look, though in false colors and some ghosting, depending on how true the color display of the screen is and wether the glasses have a wear.

Note that only a few games look great out of the box, my recommendations: Civ5 goodjob, Tomb Raider, Street Fighter IV 2012 edition). But many others can be made great with only a little tuning.
But from my experience, you won't get a good image from CivBE very much like you couldn't from Civ4, because of how the dimensions are internally computed

Understand me, you don't want to go back to Boudicca after you've had four years with Catherine!

 

[Lord Tirian]

People are reacting hostile because you're... yelling very loudly with something that's patently untrue (Civ4 engine - it's very clearly the Civ5 engine).

Now, your issues with the resolution are definite tech problems, so that goes under "bug reports".

For the 3D issue (resolution aside), try to disable the field of depth effect, it's possible that messes with the 3D effect since it uses the "distance" as well.

 

[Antiphon]

Update: I tried removing the HDMI cable to the TV, leaving the double-DVI from the monitor as the only output, I installed the latest NVidia drivers (3.44.48) and rebooted of course, but nothing has changed, I am stuck with 1600x900 at 119Hz.

As for the 3D, I did not bother yet, because the difference between 1920x1080 and 1600x900 is BIG when you are sitting pretty close to a 27" screen like I do, and I am tired right now, going to bed and dreaming of waking up when the magical fix for all my problems has been found and posted in this thread.

Call me sleeping beauty !

 

[grimdoctor]

Maxed out settings here on temperamental overclocked gear, 101 hours of gameply and not a single issue...check your drivers me thinks.