and what about the music...

[Juggernaut]

one thing that really annoyed me in civ II was the music. not the music it self, but the fact that when you in AD 2020, just launching your first space shuttle, suddenly could hear the "congo drum-track", effectively destroying all the sci-fi vibes or whatsoever.

in fact, there were hardly a n y moments where the music really fitted to your current scenario.

my idea:

let the tracks randomly played depend on which age you´re in. if your in the modern age, let the style of the tracks playing be ie. synth and IDM. if you´re in the ancient era, let the tracks be harp tones and mystical hornes. industrial times: nationalistic march music. and so on...

i know this will make you hear tracks more often in a certain age, but is there an option?

when even the graphics change when reaching a new age, o f c o u r s e the music should.

[Juggernaut]

if you haven´t heard the song "slip" by autechre, go download it! they really should be making the music for the modern age...

[Ralf]

Originally posted by uncle_funk
Let the tracks randomly played depend on which age you´re in. if your in the modern age, let the style of the tracks playing be ie. synth and IDM. if you´re in the ancient era, let the tracks be harp tones and mystical hornes. industrial times: nationalistic march music. and so on...

I think this one is a good idea! It can easily be optional also.

If its possible in terms of copyright, they should also include an updated version of the old Amiga Civ-1 intro tune/ map-generator tune (not the PC-version). I really liked that one.

One of the best examples how much music can add to the play-experience, comes from the first version of the adventure-game Little Big Adventure. Both the original version and the follow-up is available for free download (not demo - full games) at above link. Just a tip!

[KrazyHorse]

The only problem is that this would require at least three (perhaps four) different sets of music, each with at least six songs. Civ II's original soundtrack only had nine or so pieces; wouldn't this just take up more space in a game which is already going to be difficult to compress onto one CD?

[Juggernaut]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
The only problem is that this would require at least three (perhaps four) different sets of music, each with at least six songs. Civ II's original soundtrack only had nine or so pieces; wouldn't this just take up more space in a game which is already going to be difficult to compress onto one CD?

well, yeah, as i mentioned, the given tracks of an age would circulate rather frequently. thus probably making the player more eager to advance to next age

one simple solution would be to include an extra music cd, simply letting you copy the tracks to your hard drive and playing them as mp3 .

and who knows, maybe they release an "civilization: prehistoric rythms" or "tones of a civlization" music cd box, if people get tired of the songs.

i just think it would be a great improvement to the gameplay if the music changes drastically through time.

[Ralf]

Originally posted by uncle_funk
well, yeah, as i mentioned, the given tracks of an age would circulate rather frequently. thus probably making the player more eager to advance to next age.

If Civ-3 proves itself to be the great success most of us believe its going to be, they are likely to come up with follow-up Alien Crossfire-style expansion-packs as well. Then they can add many, many more tunes that enrich the orginal era-specific tunes.

Until then - well, it IS an free option. Nobody is forced to suffle the tunes era-wise, you know.

[KrazyHorse]

No expansion packs! I hate expansion packs!

[Juggernaut]

Nobody is forced to suffle the tunes era-wise, you know.

ofcourse they aint. it should be optional, no doubt. but if the tracks really turns out era-stylished, with drastic changes in sound and instruments from song to song, i doubt anyone want to hear them completely randomized...would sound quite weird wouldn´t it...

they should have an conservative, classical civ-soundtrack on the game cd. but the box should also include an audio cd with these "era tracks". that would be optimally.

[Ralf]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
No expansion packs! I hate expansion packs!

If they added one to SMAC you can be pretty much 100% sure they gonna add (at least) one, to Civ-3, as well. Its only a question of, if the initial Civ-3 release really sells as expected.
I really hope they gonna continue the recent Crossfire/ AOK trend, with more meaty substantial expansion-packs, instead of the old shallow Civ-2 scenario-packs only. If its cost a little more (upto half full-price), I gladly pay that.

Just of curiosity: Is there any particular reason why you dont like a follow-up Civ-3 expansion-pack?

[DarkCloud]

For each age there should be certain songs... as has already been mentioned... but, for each civ there should be a special song

Example:

Ancient Age
-
congo#1
song#2
aztek#3 (Aztec song)
inka#4 (Inca song)
mambo#5
Grek#6 (Greek song)

Iron Age
-
Romaine#1 (Roman song)
etc.

But, for example, if you are the Aztec, your Aztec song would be your 'national' song and play in each age, along with all the other songs assigned to the age.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ralf

Just of curiosity: Is there any particular reason why you dont like a follow-up Civ-3 expansion-pack?

I'm just thinking that the expansion pack "attitude" is the only thing about Civ II that really bothered me. They didn't release MP as an upgrade because they could just sell an expansion pack. They didn't include powerful scenario editing because they could just release it as an expansion pack. This left me (unwilling to rebuy the same game) out in the dark. If the expansion pack just includes nonessestials like music or extra civs, etc. then it's fine with me. If not, then I'll be a little bit PO'd.

[Sabre2th]

double post

[Sabre2th]

I didn't mind the civ2 music. I think they should include music as mp3s on the CD and give players the option to play their own mp3s with the game's internal player. This way, players can have the usual civ music OR can seamlessly add the music of their choice.

[Alex 14]

Yeah, i think if they made mp3's then civ 3 could be played of your pc without the disc, since there are no movies. Maybee thats what Firaxis are planing.

[Sabre2th]

what? No movies?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Alex 14
Yeah, i think if they made mp3's then civ 3 could be played of your pc without the disc, since there are no movies. Maybee thats what Firaxis are planing.

Where the heck did you hear this? I'm pretty sure you're wrong; this screenshot sure looks like it was taken from the Wonder movie for the Apollo Project.

[Sabre2th]

i think alex might be confused

[TechWins]

I'm not sure if this has already been said in this thread because I didn't read all the posts. I want to be able to play the music that I want to listen to. What I mean is if I want to listen to my songs on Napster (I download music now from Limewire) I don't want the game to get real glitchy. Also, if I want to put in one of my music cd's then I should be able to while playing the game. Meaning that I should be able to take the Civ cd out during a game and put in one of my music cd's. I know everything in Civ2 works out good. The music in Civ just sucks that is why I listen to my music.

[JellyDonut]

The music didn't work for me in Civ2, but oh well.

I think it would be neat to have civ-specific music, i.e. if you're German you listen to Bach or Wagner or Rammstein or something and if you're Russian you can listen to Mussorgsky or if you're French you listen to Chopin (tricked you, Chopin was Polish ). But just in case you want to listen to your own music, I found an interesting technique. I happen to have this machine, I don't know if you've heard of it. You can put these round shiny things in it and music comes out.

[Juggernaut]

i think a national theme for each civ would be awesome. and for each era, the theme gets upgraded, as everything else will. in the modern era, you listen to the drum´n´bass version of the British theme. If Americans, the theme will be something rock-isch. If French - filterhouse version, and so on. I like musical accuracy.

[TechWins]

But just in case you want to listen to your own music, I found an interesting technique. I happen to have this machine, I don't know if you've heard of it. You can put these round shiny things in it and music comes out.

Yeah, well it's kind of hard to listen to my downloaded music on a stereo. Not to mention I don't like to even use my cd's in my stereo because my stereo sucks. I don't see why there should be any reason why you can't take the game out of the cd rom (like you were able to in Civ2) so you can put a different cd in your cd rom.

No, there shouldn't be civ-specific music for one reason- lack of memory on the cd for the game.

[eNo]

One of the previews stated that the graphical style of CivIII would fit perfectly into a French Enlightenment scene. As such, I think the most appropriate music for the atmosphere would be classical. And since that stuff is public domain (isn't it?)....it shouldn't be too hard/expensive to get some to put into the game.

[Martinus]

Still it would be nice to listen to "Rule Britannia" while conquering the world with your longbowmen. I am always humming it while playing England (incurable Anglophile me .

[LaRusso]

how about this
during 25 hrs of gameplay, one actually gets his lazy behind to the cd player and occassionally changes a cd or two. be your own dj
civ 3 music is destined to be pathetic, as always, but then again - who cares about the music

[LaRusso]

Originally posted by uncle_funk
i think a national theme for each civ would be awesome. and for each era, the theme gets upgraded, as everything else will. in the modern era, you listen to the drum´n´bass version of the British theme. If Americans, the theme will be something rock-isch. If French - filterhouse version, and so on. I like musical accuracy.

eurovision-type singalong for swedish? ooops, i meant vikings

[Rasputin]

Originally posted by LaRusso
how about this
during 25 hrs of gameplay, one actually gets his lazy behind to the cd player and occassionally changes a cd or two. be your own dj
civ 3 music is destined to be pathetic, as always, but then again - who cares about the music

quite right, i never listne to the included music anyway.. i usually play a cd or some mp3s ..
i just wish htey would trun of the starting drums

[SerapisIV]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Where the heck did you hear this? I'm pretty sure you're wrong; this screenshot sure looks like it was taken from the Wonder movie for the Apollo Project.

I was wondering about that screenshot a while ago as well, because it was released after one of the early Firaxis interviews (february?) said that they were avoiding cutscenes and the like because although they are cool, after 2 or 3 times people just skip them. Kinda wasted effort for the playtime they get.



Also, while messing around with SMAC last night I realized that a lot of the quotes for tech and such are in mp3 format, so if SMAC already is using mp3 format, why can't there be an editable playlist of songs to be played in Civ3. The Civ3 music would have flags for say peacetime, and the peacetime playlist plays. Then you go to war and a group of war songs are played (lots of ACDC and GunsNRoses). This doesn't seem to be that much of a stretch from what Firaxis has already done in a past game, so any objections?

[Rasputin]

too much programming time for the little use of it ... lets hope they dont put any wonder movies in and shut like that... nor any stupid music that most people wil never play...

[Juggernaut]

Originally posted by LaRusso


eurovision-type singalong for swedish? ooops, i meant vikings

well i don´t know where you´re from so I can´t pick some silly music from you country. BUT, maybe it would be cool to conquer the world while listening to Abba´s "the winner takes it all"

[Rasputin]

Originally posted by uncle_funk
, maybe it would be cool to conquer the world while listening to Abba´s "the winner takes it all"

actualy abba is probably the most heard mp3 on my compute whilts palying civ 2