What is going on with those combat fx??

[isau]

I think the animations look fine. I mean this is a game that is like "LOL, mass murder." It has always had a comedy element to it, sort of a violent cynicism, and the particle effects reflect that. If anything I'd say the previous games' particle effects were dull.

It does make me wonder if for this iteration of civ we get an actual particle effect engine as opposed to pre-rendered effects. Age of Wonders 3 supplied the full engine so its not unheard of. Fingers crossed.

 

[kaspergm]

I don't care for them. I have become accustomed to the style of the graphics, but the combat animations are the real standout of being outright bad. Unfortunately, I don't expect them to change.

It's not game-breaking and only a minor irritant, but as someone who actual enjoys watching combat animations, it's a disappointment.

This, completely. Hopefully someone will make a mod to make the silly explosion/blood splatter disappear. Or better, we can turn it off in settings.

 

[King Jason]

I think they're indicative of critical/fatal blows. I don't think they will occur in every animation because if you look carefully there are plenty of cases across all of the videos where units hit each other and the big "pow!" animation doesn't happen.

Most of the time it does happen, it appears to be between a unit that outclasses another unit and/or is destroying the unit in one hit.