What are the chances of a modified graphics system?

[zwei833]

Why everyone is arguing about the OP's opinion to the graphic, rather than answer OP's question deirectly?

 

[zwei833]

As a modder, I can answer you directly.
Even the game is highly moddable, changing the general art style of the game is nearly impossible, if not totally impossible.

 

[Toulouse]

I suspect the graphics direction Firaxis chose for Civ 6 has everything to do with clarity. There is a lot of information on the screen in a Civ game, especially in the later game.

It's too cartoonishly stylized for this to be the case. There's plenty of other art styles that could be extremely clear for gameplay.

 

[stealth_nsk]

It's too cartoonishly stylized for this to be the case. There's plenty of other art styles that could be extremely clear for gameplay.

Cartoony graphics have huge advantage of being able to emphasis distinctive elements. If it's warrior, the club is so huge - you may see it even on zoon where the warrior takes only several pixels.

Also, significant part of the clarity is the thing what we're looking at units from the top. If you played Civ4 with high zoom, it became absolutely vertical and foot soldiers mostly looked the same. Even though we have some angle in Civ6, the top view still minimize difference between foot units (horizontal units like horsemen, chariots and tanks are better), so emphasis on visible elements like weapons or shoulder pads is very important. You could refer to Blizzard as the ultimate incarnation of this art style.

No "realistic" art could achieve that.

 

[zwei833]

Cartoony graphics have huge advantage of being able to emphasis distinctive elements. If it's warrior, the club is so huge - you may see it even on zoon where the warrior takes only several pixels.

Also, significant part of the clarity is the thing what we're looking at units from the top. If you played Civ4 with high zoom, it became absolutely vertical and foot soldiers mostly looked the same. Even though we have some angle in Civ6, the top view still minimize difference between foot units (horizontal units like horsemen, chariots and tanks are better), so emphasis on visible elements like weapons or shoulder pads is very important. You could refer to Blizzard as the ultimate incarnation of this art style.

No "realistic" art could achieve that.

But is that important?

 

[labellavienna]

You guys are right, and thanks for the sensible comments. I can understand that the people in charge want a more clear picture of the map. But I can't help being bummed out, well i guess I can just put on goggles and force myself to find it attractive. I will find ways to justify it.

Heres hoping the gameplay makes up for it!

 

[stealth_nsk]

But is that important?

Yes, it is. Ability to read the map without zooming in or mouse over for tooltips gives much smoother game experience. The whole "unstacking" thing is part of this concept.

 

[DJ_Tanner]

Highest quality graphics of the series. Pretending they aren't is getting old.

 

[Staler87]

Realistically civ V is kinda the odd man out (pun intended). The Graphics do remind me of civ IV...especially the caricatured leader heads with big personalities and I never minded the graphics in civ IV so I doubt I will mind them in civ VI.

 

[Haig]

I don't think it's possible to make a complete overhaul.

I love the graphics, actually reminds me of Civ 4 updated to modern standards.

About realism, Civ 5 has archers shooting over the english channel and giant death robots so who cares?

 

[stealth_nsk]

About realism, Civ 5 has archers shooting over the english channel and giant death robots so who cares?

Yes, archers shooting over giant death robots are really scary.

 

[joncnunn]

Moderator Action: Moved to Creation & Customization

 

[Battlehelm043]

You guys are right, and thanks for the sensible comments. I can understand that the people in charge want a more clear picture of the map. But I can't help being bummed out, well i guess I can just put on goggles and force myself to find it attractive. I will find ways to justify it.

Heres hoping the gameplay makes up for it!

I feel you, as I was originally very disappointed with the art direction that they took for this project. I personally felt they were too cartoony, which would make the game appear too light hearted in comparison with Europa, Crusader Kings, and the like. While the new style has grown on me and they did shrink Teddy's face to normal proportions as of late; I feared and still do fear that this game might be watered down some or at least be very similar to Civ Rev. Now don't get me wrong, I liked Civ Rev for the Xbox 360, but that was good for 2008-2009. I just would hope they don't over simplify the eras of the game as Civ Rev did. So far it would appear only the units are oversimplified but time will tell.

 

[Battlehelm043]

Yes, it is. Ability to read the map without zooming in or mouse over for tooltips gives much smoother game experience. The whole "unstacking" thing is part of this concept.

Although the reading of the map is still rough, even Marbozir stated he was missing goodie huts because they would blend in. I still find the map can be easy to miss-read since everything is so bright. Don't get me wrong the style has grown on me, but to say it is extremely easy to read is still up for debate in my opinion. Hopefully as the game approaches launch these little issues are ironed out.

 

[Ryoga]

I'm going to answer this question assuming that Civ VI will have more or less the same degree of moddability of Civ V\Civ BE.

If such premises will be true then changing the textures will be possible, but it won't be easy so it might take a few weeks for people just to realize how to do it.

There will probably be mods that will change terrain and terrain features by altering the existing textures. Something of this extent was already done in civ BE.

Mods that will completely replace the textures with something else will require more work and it will be less likely to happen unless somehow the Civ V textures will be usable for that purpose. To a certain extent this was done in Civ V.

Replacing Unit models will probably be possible, however it will require a huge amount of work. Perhaps Civ V models could be used for the purpose but it would still be a lot of work and it would raise some copyright issues.
Given the success of "ethnic units" in Civ V, the chances of something similar being created for Civ VI are actually not that bad, but some time will have to pass and it might be just a partial work, which then will have to be frequently updated.

Replacing terrain models (buildings, features) will be a much harder undertaking, to this day, as far as I know, animated terrain models in Civ V (such as the foxes or the horsers) haven't been successfully modded. However limiting the modding to edit their textures could be a lot easier.


Replacing leaders with more realistic and less caricatured models will remain with most certainty just a dream. In spite of their cartoony proportions the leader of Civ VI have extremely complex and elaborated animations, to match that quality will be probably impossible for any modder and that's assuming a way to mod them will be possible at all.

In Civ V the best that people could do was replacing textures and reassembling various existing elements and animations.

That being said replacing leader 3D models with static images (such as with almost every custom Civ that has been created for Civ V) will be very likely an incredibly trivial thing to do.

Custom Civs will most likely all be like that anyway.

 

[Thormodr]

While I do quite like the graphics in Civ VI, (they remind me of cIV) I can understand how some people might not like them. Civilization 5 is quite different so the new graphics are jarring for some.

One thing to keep in mind is that the graphics are changing all the time so things are subject to change. For example, I find the river deltas quite poor and hope they will be significantly improved.

Civ VI is promoted as the most moddable Civ yet. We'll see how that goes but we have to keep in mind that the same promise was made for Civilization 5 and that promise was hollow.

So, while the artistic direction may not be able to be changed drastically, hopefully the modders will be able to change significant portions of it to satisfy everyone.

 

[Toulouse]

Realistically civ V is kinda the odd man out (pun intended). The Graphics do remind me of civ IV...especially the caricatured leader heads with big personalities and I never minded the graphics in civ IV so I doubt I will mind them in civ VI.

The cartoony graphics of VI are far more extreme and therefore far more Civ Rev than Civ IV. It goes down to all the models of buildings, trees, saturated colors everything. First look at Pedro II reminded me of "How to Train Your Dragon"

 

[Ryika]

Yes, it is. Ability to read the map without zooming in or mouse over for tooltips gives much smoother game experience. The whole "unstacking" thing is part of this concept.

Yes, I remember this as a huge problem that people continuously brought up.

"I just can't see my units standing in the woods and have to look at the unit plate right above to actually see what is going on!"

and

"What the heck is this Improvement?! If only Academies were purple and Holy Sites were White then I'd not constantly mix them up."

were some of the biggest complaints that kept players from enjoying the game.

 

[wiggawuu]

As someone who has played crap load of games and all the Civs games, the graphics aren't anything to jump in joy about. I think do think they'll look at lot better once we get to experience the game on our own computer screen in full mode.

Honestly, the biggest issue for me is the way buildings lay on the map. They don't seem to blend very well with the landscapes. It just doesn't look natural. heh. I suppose it might take some getting used to.

Also, BLUE MARBLE please. That mode really helped civ3 or it might of been civ4. Couldn't remember.

 

[JimmyBanks]

I don't understand the complaints about graphics. From my perspective Civ has always been humorous. Some of the quotes in Civ VI that come up when you get a new tech/civic are great.

If they make the characters cartoonish or the trees are all conifers I really don't care.

I just want a fun game.

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