Tree types

[tranx]

While browsing the well of souls terrain section, I realized that, putting aside rainforest/jungle, there seems to be only one type of forest in the game, the conifer forest.

Is it graphists' laziness, or could it be that there will be seasonal changes as well as night and day shift, therefore complicating - for said graphists - the case for the inclusion of deciduous trees (which leaves are supposed to fall in the autumn/winter period)?

Or maybe we will get some new forest terrain in a series of DLCs... I can foresee Oak Trees DLC and Elm Trees DLC. What a sound marketing idea!

 

[stealth_nsk]

Most likely we'll have different forests (and other terrain) for different continents to visually distinguish them easier. But it's the type of work which could be done in the later stages of the game development.

 

[Xen]

It could pave the way for "Sacred Oak Grove" (based on Dodonna) for our destined Epirus civ DLC!

/Sarcasm.

Though actually a sacred grove tile improvement would be awesome...

 

[Deggial]

... Is it graphists' laziness, or could it be that there will be seasonal changes as well as night and day shift, therefore complicating - for said graphists - the case for the inclusion of deciduous trees (which leaves are supposed to fall in the autumn/winter period)? ...P

Yes, I am pretty sure it is graphists' laziness. They very much prefer to drink coffee and play table tennis!

On a more serious note, I am afraid this is another visual variation that was sacrificed on the altar of 'readability'.
I doubt we'll see regional variation in forest models - as much as I would love it, as I always prefered the lush leave trees over conifers in Civ5.
And I highly doubt there will be a related DLC, let alone seasonal changes in addition to night/day cycle!

What might happen, though, is some modder has mercy and creates a mod...

 

[Gamling80]

I much appreciate the different nature styles for the different continents in Civ V with both leaf and pine forests. It would be very disappointing if all forest and continents of Civ VI looks precisely the same.

I think I read somewhere that every large continent will be named in the game. They should make the more differentiated nature styles for the continents or the continent names will just feel superficial.

And I would love the options to have for example Asian luxurious resources and civilization be found on the same "Asian continent" (or continent group), and European resources and civs be found on a "European continent" but possibly with random continent names in random maps. This would be in line with the cultural art styles. I recall that in Civ 3 or 4 you could chose to have the civs of the same culture group spawn together. For me these features would greatly improve the exploration feeling.

 

[Seek]

I very much hope for deciduous forests, but I think it was a stylistic choice- the company's name is FIRaxis, after all!

 

[plasmacannon]

It also shows marshland with no trees.
I live in Florida and there are Cypress trees all over the marshlands. Here is a picture of some.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...fcd8980707932666417a773a50669705o0&ajaxhist=0

They are mostly just the light brown wood color. So they would be easily distinguished from the Conifers on the Forest tiles. I hope Civ6 will at least show snow on the trees at colder latitudes.

 

[tranx]

Yes, I am pretty sure it is graphists' laziness. They very much prefer to drink coffee and play table tennis!

On a more serious note, I am afraid this is another visual variation that was sacrificed on the altar of 'readability'.
I doubt we'll see regional variation in forest models - as much as I would love it, as I always prefered the lush leave trees over conifers in Civ5.
And I highly doubt there will be a related DLC, let alone seasonal changes in addition to night/day cycle!

What might happen, though, is some modder has mercy and creates a mod...

Of course I'm not really thinking they're just being lazy, it's just that I failed to come up with a satisfactory explanation after I noticed this situation. The DLC thing is obviously a joke as well.

Limiting the trees to one or two types per continent to make it easier for the player to distinguish between them is an interesting and elegant idea, but is it really what they are doing? After all, we've seen America, China, Egypt, England and a few others, all located on different continents in the real world, but we've seen the same trees all the way. Also, they can't realistically limit the trees to only one type per continent. Each continent having various climates, it would seem a bit odd to see the same kind of tree in the cold regions as well as in the hot regions.

In the end, I think sadly you are right when saying that this is another visual variation that has been sacrificed on the altar of 'readability'.

Just for the sake of it, what tree would characterize each continent best in your opinion? I'd say the oak tree for Europe, some kind of baobab for Africa... what else?

 

[Deggial]

Just for the sake of it, what tree would characterize each continent best in your opinion? I'd say the oak tree for Europe, some kind of baobab for Africa... what else?

Personally, I would have limited my hopes to just conifers and leave trees.

But you pose an interesting question!

North America and Europe won't be so different (on the level we could discriminate in Civ6). Maybe just different shades of green?
Africa with baobabs is a nice idea! Very recognizable.
Obviously, we'll need jungle for African, South American and Asian rain forests - but we have those already.
For Asia, bamboo forests might be an interesting and visually very distinct alternative.
(If there ever would be a fifth continent type, eucalyptus is typical for Australia - but again, maybe not so different on a Civ6 detail level.)

 

[Haig]

Could be more tree models in the release product on October, or they could come via patch if Firaxis thinks it's important enough.

Fun facts:
Did you know that forest and jungle graphics were changed in Civ 5? It was during BNW era.
Also rivers were redone after complaints in launch.

Oh, and also trading posts got new graphics along the way.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Weren't Conifers also the only type of forests in Civ 4?

But yeah, so far, there's infact ZERO evidence that they took the unique tilesets loooks from Civ 5, which is kinda sad cuz they were cool to look at.

 

[Uberfrog]

It'd be good if they have different looking trees, and if continents have slightly different graphics.

The argument of "readability" is pretty flimsy here. It's possible to make different styles of tree that are still clearly trees. It's important to note that we already have ethnic variation of city art and units, so there's no reason we can't have variation of tree species too

 

[tranx]

Personally, I would have limited my hopes to just conifers and leave trees.

Yes! I can't believe it would be that hard to read the map with two types of trees, conifers and leave trees (plus the jungle).


On a sidenote, I really like the bamboo idea.

Weren't Conifers also the only type of forests in Civ 4?

No there were three types: conifers, leave trees and jungle trees.

 

[Schuesseled]

It'd be good if they have different looking trees, and if continents have slightly different graphics.

The argument of "readability" is pretty flimsy here. It's possible to make different styles of tree that are still clearly trees. It's important to note that we already have ethnic variation of city art and units, so there's no reason we can't have variation of tree species too

But it isn't flimsy at all. In Civ 5 you couldn't tell what type of terrain our features were hidden beneath forests and jungle. Add that on top of needING to display districts and wonders and etc and you have a lot of clutter.

Simple tree models help a lot. Probably too simple though.

 

[Gamling80]

When I think of it, they could have a small difference in appeal bonus between the pine and leaf forests. People have ofc different opinions but I grew up in an area with both oak and pine forests and I would argue that most people would any day chose to walk a fully grown open oak forest over a thick pine forest (If you are not looking for blueberries that is).

Leaf forest (oak) - Maybe +2 appeal bonus

Pine forest - Maybe +1 appeal bonus

 

[stealth_nsk]

When I think of it, they could have a small difference in appeal bonus between the pine and leaf forests. People have ofc different opinions but I grew up in an area with both oak and pine forests and I would argue that most people would any day chose to walk a fully grown open oak forest over a pine forest.

Leaf forest (oak) - Maybe +2 appeal bonus

Spoiler :

Pine forest - Maybe +1 appeal bonus

Spoiler :

I don't thin we need a difference:

Spoiler :

 

[Matthew.]

My biggest criticism towards the art style.

The city tile improvements more or less look pretty good.

I don't overly mind the cartoonish leader screens.

However, the actual land tiles are lacking. Some sparse pine trees making up a "forest", mountains having too sharp edges, plain green tiles for grass, etc.

I really hope the entire environment gets another pass before release.

 

[kaspergm]

My biggest criticism towards the art style.

The city tile improvements more or less look pretty good.

I don't overly mind the cartoonish leader screens.

However, the actual land tiles are lacking. Some sparse pine trees making up a "forest", mountains having too sharp edges, plain green tiles for grass, etc.

I really hope the entire environment gets another pass before release.

Absolutely agree on this.

The forest and jungle tiles generally look horrible. "Forests" are a selection of toy plastic pine trees spread over an otherwise open terrain, and "Jungle" is marginally better, with some palms spread among some undergrowth and with plenty of bare ground showing through still.

Most of the other graphic aspects don't displease me as much. The grasslands look a bit bland, but I can live with that. But the forests and jungles are real eye-sores.

 

[Thormodr]

Hoping they'll have greater variety in regards to trees and especially on different continents.

 

[Haig]

Yeah the trees are more sparse but this time they are animated, same with map improvements.

I was bummed after Civ 4 when the trees and map in Civ 5 was so static.

I love how we see watermills moving next to rivers and steam rising from industrial districts.

A good trade-off for those trees. (I love the jungle look of Civ 6 but the "normal" forests could be more dense agreed)