What should the next Xpack be titled:

[Dearmad]

You can select more than one option, so VOTE away!

GUNS & STEEL: focuses on livening up the modern age... boooring right now.

GERMS & EXPLORERS: focuses on the enlightenment/rennaisance age stuff...

REVOLUTIONS & GUILLETINES: Title should say it all...

BOMBS & GUERRILLAS: Only because I lack the balls to title it: TERRORIST & CAVES or... MODERN IMPERIALISM vs. WORLD INTOLERANCE (which is more evil?) or LIBERALISM & RELIGIOUS FAITH...

THE ADVENTURES of LORD NELSON because the navy stuff could stand some improvment, and I like wooden ships and iron men... well, iron ladies... well, nevermind...

BUTTER & DOPE because the domestic/economic, and trading resources could stand a lot of improvement. Wouldn't it be cool to have ILLICIT resources you could choose to force export to nations to rake in the $$ and set up your own Banana Republic. Also, the city management is too easy and could stand some challenges.

something YOU list below in this thread

 

[RameNoodle]

Civ IV: Diplomats. Make diplomacy a little more difficult than it is now.

 

[marioflag]

1.Civ4: Modern Times, if centered on modern times
2. Civ4:Age of Sail, if centered on navy improvements
3. Civ4:Clash of Great Powers if centered on 18th-19th century

 

[Carewolf]

Civ4: Now it works

 

[Red Door]

Civ4: Give Firaxis $30 for something any modder can do.

 

[JohnBCorn]

Civ IV: "Every Idea anyone from the CFF ever had, dreamed of, or mentioned, every fix anyone ever complained about, 10000000 new units , every civilization ever known to man from the planet earth " a version for every country on earth.........and it's only $5.00 plus .50 cents for shipping, and we will through in a new Pentium 98 with 50000000 gigs of memory.

And I bet someone would say......50 Cents for shipping?!!

 

[Norseman2]

Civ 4: Modder's tools

A GUI for XML editing, a slightly dumbed down GUI for a trigger-based python editor (which could then have the simple code from that modified by direct python editing if you need it), a skinning and modeling program, maybe something for the SDK, and some debugging tools, plus lots and lots of documentation and tutorials, and the ability to mod the tools as well.

I would easily pay another $40-$50 for that.

 

[Dearmad]

Civ4: Give Firaxis $30 for something any modder can do.

You know I gotta respond to this line of thinking. I'm seeing it far to often for me to let it go unchallenged.

THINK about it. They provided us with tools enough that we rival Firaxis. Easily. Would you rather they held the deck of cards all on their own and dealt you only a joker or two? I wouldn't. I'm glad they let us have the WHOLE DAMNED DECK. Whining about the fact that Firaxis, doing their best, can only come up with stuff equal to our best is like kicking your best friend because he let you HAVE his favorite toy. Sheesh.

 

[Craterus22]

You know I gotta respond to this line of thinking. I'm seeing it far to often for me to let it go unchallenged.

THINK about it. They provided us with tools enough that we rival Firaxis. Easily. Would you rather they held the deck of cards all on their own and dealt you only a joker or two? I wouldn't. I'm glad they let us have the WHOLE DAMNED DECK. Whining about the fact that Firaxis, doing their best, can only come up with stuff equal to our best is like kicking your best friend because he let you HAVE his favorite toy. Sheesh.

I give them great respect for providing the tools... respect in general is lower because of what they do with other things.

 

[T.A JONES]

Le click! Le Click!

 

[AfterShafter]

I give them great respect for providing the tools... respect in general is lower because of what they do with other things.

Well, perhaps they'll learn their lesson for next game - make it unmoddable so that people will stop *****ing about their expansion packs.

 

[SoCalian]

I'd like to see something that make a peaceful game more exciting.

 

[AfterShafter]

I'd like to see something that make a peaceful game more exciting.

I enjoy playing a heavy religious game and being the worldwide puppetmaster. Idea is keep yourself at peace but everyone else killing each other...

 

[Dale]

Civ4: Give Firaxis $30 for something any modder can do.

Have you looked through the credits of both games and then matched up how many of the people in the credits are producing the best fan mods? You'll be surprised. That's why the fan mods are as good as Firaxis's ones.

Civ 4: Modder's tools

A GUI for XML editing, a slightly dumbed down GUI for a trigger-based python editor (which could then have the simple code from that modified by direct python editing if you need it), a skinning and modeling program, maybe something for the SDK, and some debugging tools, plus lots and lots of documentation and tutorials, and the ability to mod the tools as well.

I would easily pay another $40-$50 for that.

I've said it a million times, but I'll repeat myself AGAIN. THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN!

XML can be edited by ANYTHING! Notepad, word, excel, DOSEDIT!!!! They will not re-invent the wheel. A GUI for Python? There is one, it's called IDLE. So the same applies here. AND you want a GUI for the SDK??????

So what you're asking, is for Firaxis to program their own versions of XMLSpy, IDLE and Microsoft Visual Studio .Net............ AND ONLY CHARGE YOU $50????????????????????

Tool.

 

[Dearmad]

XML editor?

XML spy.

 

[Norseman2]

XML can be edited by ANYTHING! Notepad, word, excel, DOSEDIT!!!!

Yes, and the saved maps can be edited by anthing as well. That doesn't mean worldbuilder isn't a better and more user-friendly tool for doing it. For example, see the Starcraft unit editor. Things can be changed quickly and with little to no training. Combined, that means a lot more mods coming out a lot faster.

A GUI for Python? There is one, it's called IDLE.

Yes, IDLE is a Python GUI. That's not what I meant by a dumbed down trigger-based GUI which could then be edited in IDLE if something really obscure needs to be done. For basic quick-edits and mods, a dumbed down interface can be much quicker and easier to work with, and could get new people started almost immediately instead of having to spend a couple of weeks learning Python. For example, the Warcraft III world editor. People can start working with it in minutes, without any tutorials.

AND you want a GUI for the SDK??????

For example, something like the Hammer editor in Half-life 2.

So what you're asking, is for Firaxis to program their own versions of XMLSpy, IDLE and Microsoft Visual Studio .Net............ AND ONLY CHARGE YOU $50????????????????????

There are games that have made such editors and included them with the game for less than that cost. Yes, I think it would make a good expansion.

Tool.

Dude, if you get that worked up over a suggestion, you need to calm the **** down and relax.

"Oh no! A suggestion I disagree with! Quick, I must berate the user before I even take the time to understand what they were saying!"

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

Damn, you beat me to it on BOTH counts Dearmad . Altova XMLSpy is dead easy to use-it is practically 'idiot proof' (until nature comes up with better idiots ) I use it for all of my modding.
Also, I too don't feel there is anything wrong with getting us to pay money for what modders provide. Why? Well because, as Dale rightly said, the best mods are done by most of the same people who help Firaxis with the expansions and, second, because have you ever tried to get a bunch of people to agree on a mod (or set of mods) for their MP games? Good luck with that. Thus, the expansions allow Firaxis to take the very best of the fan-created material and convert it into official game rules-something I am more than happy to pay $30 US dollars for.

Aussie_Lurker.

 

[leftisthominid]

It should focus on putting more into religion
Inquistion
having two religions
Greco-Roman Religion
Native American and African religions

It should by no means be about war

 

[NobleArc]

Civilization IV: Conquests on the High Seas

Add pirates as a civ! PIRATES! It's gold, baby, gold!

 

[Dale]

"Oh no! A suggestion I disagree with! Quick, I must berate the user before I even take the time to understand what they were saying!"

I understand perfectly what you're suggesting. I'd rather Firaxis spend it's time making good concepts/scenarios for the next XP than making applications to mod the game with. Any such applications would really only benefit 10% of the potential buyers (not worth the extended time or money that means, unless YOU want to write to Take2 and explain why THEY should fund that project) and there are still good mods coming out without these tools (demand is not high this equates to). I'm not meaning to sound elitist saying this next comment (but sure as hell some idiot will take it that way) but Firaxis has said all along the modding abilities are at a high level to encourage QUALITY over QUANTITY, and I agree with that method. As such, these applications will not be made, not mentioning that such applications already exist! As for other games having these available, they were developed by level designers during pre-production to assist them in making the levels. For Civ4 we used the WorldBuilder, notepad, IDLE and Visual Studio.

Thus, that makes you a Tool.

Dale