monitor173
Chieftain
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2005
- Messages
- 26
The Condor said:Also, you got it backwards Teshuvah Civ3 was way more complex (and delightful) than Civ4 will probably ever be.
I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you here. Civ3 was ostensibly more complex because it presented its mechanics at a superficial level. In addition, there was not as much of an attempt to streamline the player interface to make the game seem less daunting for new players. With the new design considerations in mind, Civ4 is fundamentally a much more involving, thoughtful and varied ("multifaceted") experience than Civ3.
To cite some examples:
- Combat: variety in unit types + monounit zergs versus variety in intrinsic unit properties + tactical considerations in combat.
- Empire building: linear expansionism/ICS strategy versus strategic/economic considerations in empire expansion + focus on city specialisation.
I think another poster (whose name I can't remember) hit the nail on the head by describing Civ4 as a bilayered experience. It can be played as a simple game for those who are new to the game or looking for a quick evening's entertainment. For those willing to look beyond the packaging, the gaming experience is altogether very different.
I'll state here that some people are just "quantitatively-minded" by nature, and revel in the superficial complexity in the acquisition of numbers related to all things. There is nothing wrong with that. However, I begin to wonder if they are missing out on something crucial.
