We Need to Set Starting Locations!

[Stuka]

I've played another round of CIVIII most of the weekend with the new patch. I enjoy not having to wake up my workers and have them do every little body function.

The big beef I have is STILL I cannot choose the starting location of the Civs. It's so basic, so elementary, and SO IMPORTANT that we be allowed to do this! It MAKES the game for so many of us! How could Firaxis ignore this one crucial feature? It can't be hard to put it in, can it?

 

[roalan]

Marlas map has them on an actual world map.

 

[Stuka]

I'll check it out. Thanks

 

[thamis]

Hey!

First of all there is Gramphos' Civ Placement Tool that places CIVs. Now virtually every map includes one placement file. You can use that until Firaxis has created a patch that allows starting positions.

The 1.21f editor now features a ComboBox in the properties menu of the starting positions that lets you choose which civ should start here. BUT:

IT IS DEACTIVATED!!!

Why the hell did you Firaxians deactivate it?!?!!?

The 1.21f patch makes the game almost perfect, but could just please add this feature??? ARGH!

 

[warpstorm]

It's probably deactivated because Mike B didn't write that code yet.

 

[sealman]

Can someone explain why this is such a hugh issue? To be perfectly frank, I can not see why anyone would want this, or to play on world map (no offense meant to Marla Singer and the map which is very good). To me one of the best aspects of the game is discovering what you are near, if you know the terrain or how far everyone is near you then what is the point?

edit: I can see how this would be useful in senario creation but in regular game play, I am lost.

 

[Stuka]

Originally posted by sealman
Can someone explain why this is such a hugh issue? To be perfectly frank, I can not see why anyone would want this, or to play on world map (no offense meant to Marla Singer and the map which is very good). To me one of the best aspects of the game is discovering what you are near, if you know the terrain or how far everyone is near you then what is the point?

edit: I can see how this would be useful in senario creation but in regular game play, I am lost.

It's a huge issue to US who like to make our scenarios, and have them play out the best they can be played out. When you make a world map, (the one of THIS world) you want to have the Americans in America, the Persians in Persia, the Germans in Germany, the Brits in England, and the Zulus in south Africa. Players such as myself want Mongols, Arabs, Carthage, Israel, and even some Vikings too. It should be NOTHING to make them. Also, it should be VERY simple to be able to allow us our starting positions AND allow us to put units on the map like in CivII.

The improvement that Firaxis has made with CivIII are very good, but they're not fantastic. They take a game like CivII Gold, and give us something less functional with better graphics to start. I LIKE the diplomacy and trade, but I do NOT like the LACK of features that exist on the version BEFORE this one! In some respects, (most respects, actually) their editor is MUCH more full-featured, but to ignore the ability to set our starting positions is GROSSLY NEGLIGENT!

I ALWAYS like playing on earth maps, and I *LOVE* scenarios. I'm sure they're going to make a Civ3 Gold, but why should I have to spend another $50.00 on a game I love which just has more improvements on it? I'll tell you why...

Because Firaxis knows I will...

 

[sealman]

Stuka:

I agree that having true starting locations is a must when creating scenarios and I do feel that Firaxis made a huge mistake by giving us an option for scenarios but not the ability to place units or to fix starting locations. It would seem that if some Modders have been able to fix locations, than Firaxis should be as well. If it is not hard, they should do it.

But there are other aspects of the game that I think Firaxis must tackle before this such as the ability to add units and improvements with out the risk of constant crashes.

I also agree with you that I would love to have the Mongols, Aras, Isreal, etc.. Again, I think that having these civilizations in the game is more important than fixed locations, but that is just my opinon.

In the end, we (as fans and players) should (better) have most of what we want, and this includes your fixed starting location. But the lack or inclussion of this feature will not change my feelings for the game as a whole.

 

[JustListenen]

The Americans didn't start in America, thus starting the Americans in North America is wrong .. unless your scenario starts about 1770 or so.

After 1605 (Jamestown) you could have British Colonists (or French, Dutch, Swedish, etc colonials) .. which morph into the American Civ circa 1770 or so - defintely by 1788

The Iriquois should be the CIV that starts out in Northeast North America!

Just my 2¢ worth!

 

[Stuka]

Originally posted by JustListenen
The Americans didn't start in America, thus starting the Americans in North America is wrong .. unless your scenario starts about 1770 or so.

After 1605 (Jamestown) you could have British Colonists (or French, Dutch, Swedish, etc colonials) .. which morph into the American Civ circa 1770 or so - defintely by 1788

The Iriquois should be the CIV that starts out in Northeast North America!

Just my 2¢ worth!

It's not "WRONG" per-se, just not accurate. The fact is, though, that some of us want to play America, and we want to start on that area of the map. You're talking about circa 1770 in a game where by 40BC one might be able to have gunpowder? Every game is a fantasy, BUT...

Many of us like geographic locations that we're familiar with. (The best example being the British in Britain, the Russians in Eastern Europe, Germany in Central Europe, France in Western Europe, England on the british Isle(s)... What if we want to make a scenario? We really CAN'T do that yet, and you KNOW Firaxis is going to make a Gold Edition that we'll all pay $50.00 for.

It's apples and oranges at this point with regard to "It's WRONG" it's just not historic. I don't think a single Civ game EVER played was really historic, But I can tell you that the British didn't start in Africa, the Russians didn't start in South America, and the Aztecs didn't start in Asia. Every civilization has it's rise and fall, and no doubt America will do the same. It's all a part of that great history book...

Just my dime's worth.