Rambuchan
The Funky President
This has been very interesting to read through. Both as a little potted history of the scene (I was off enjoying real life during civ2 and early civ3) and as an insight into civ4 develop.
But I'd like to offer you guys another view of this user friendliness you speak of and the importance of modding development in games such as civ. It's clear many of you have intimate knowledge of all the nuts and bolts that go into modding any version. And you speak of the user friendly factor being low. Well spare a thought for those of us who have no knowledge whatsoever for these things. There are vast swathes of die hard civ fanatics, who love their history and love their strategy and love their civ. Luceafarul and I often lament our inbuilt technical deficiencies for starters but there are many many more out there not even aware of CFC and we are left largely speechless infront of a pediaicons file..
So with this in mind, I'd like to say that without CFC and all of your efforts, people like us would not even have the first clue where to start. And of course, that's NO thanks to Firaxis and BIG thanks to all here. The help just isn't there in terms we understand from the franchise and it seems they've done it again with civ4. To be frank I see it as development on the cheap.
But cynicism aside, this presents a major offering and challenge to the franchise wrt modding. If they can up the user friendly factor and take modding development more seriously so that us computer halfwits can actually use these things, then three great things will happen: a) The existing, in the know, modders will fly even higher and even faster. b) The nitwits who have never played around with such nuts and bolts matters will enlarge the offerings in C&C forums. c) They will offer something that is actually a user friendly editor and is not entwined with all kinds of mysteries, for all levels of modders.
EDIT: I'd like to see the day!
But I'd like to offer you guys another view of this user friendliness you speak of and the importance of modding development in games such as civ. It's clear many of you have intimate knowledge of all the nuts and bolts that go into modding any version. And you speak of the user friendly factor being low. Well spare a thought for those of us who have no knowledge whatsoever for these things. There are vast swathes of die hard civ fanatics, who love their history and love their strategy and love their civ. Luceafarul and I often lament our inbuilt technical deficiencies for starters but there are many many more out there not even aware of CFC and we are left largely speechless infront of a pediaicons file..
So with this in mind, I'd like to say that without CFC and all of your efforts, people like us would not even have the first clue where to start. And of course, that's NO thanks to Firaxis and BIG thanks to all here. The help just isn't there in terms we understand from the franchise and it seems they've done it again with civ4. To be frank I see it as development on the cheap.
But cynicism aside, this presents a major offering and challenge to the franchise wrt modding. If they can up the user friendly factor and take modding development more seriously so that us computer halfwits can actually use these things, then three great things will happen: a) The existing, in the know, modders will fly even higher and even faster. b) The nitwits who have never played around with such nuts and bolts matters will enlarge the offerings in C&C forums. c) They will offer something that is actually a user friendly editor and is not entwined with all kinds of mysteries, for all levels of modders.
EDIT: I'd like to see the day!
I have Civ IV and think that as it is now I'll probably rather go to the dentist than play a full game of it again 
