I doubt I'll buy this game if it won't run in a window

Alexander's Horse · July 17, 2001, 20:01

My attitude has hardened after a not very fun experience Hydey and I had trying to start a game of CTP II last night. CTP II is fullscreen and it uses a server. Of course whenever we opened the game we couldn't use icq anymore and then since we couldn't see each other on any of the servers we kept having to back out of the game completely to send icq messages to each other. After about an hour, we gave up.

Single player is pretty much a waste of time for any players with a decent level of skill. We all know the AI will suck, we're just waiting to find out by how much.

So if Civ III won't run in a window, that will trash multiplayer and I rpobably won't be buying it. If they put it on a server I probably won't buy it either.

When will game makers realise that internet multiplayer is the future of these games and we are a powerful group of consumers? It was actually unhappy multiplayers mostly who bad mouthed CTP II so much that it failed.

Inverse Icarus · July 17, 2001, 20:21

im sure firaxis cares deeply about you purchasing the game

.

but IMHO, the windowed version is better. if u get civ 3 and its fullscreen (as it appears), try alt+tab. if that doesn't work, KILL IT.

Juggernaut · July 17, 2001, 20:46

Quote:

Of course whenever we opened the game we couldn't use icq anymore
(...) we kept having to back out of the game completely to send icq messages to each other.

ever tried CTRL + ALT + ESC?

TechWins · July 17, 2001, 20:46

I hate not having a windowed game. I'm not too worried about the game not being a windowed game because I know Firaxis cares about their customers so much

Alexander's Horse · July 17, 2001, 20:59

Actually I partly posted this thread to get those codes to close a fullscreen game

I'm sure Firaxis couldn't give a rat's arse whether I personally bught the game or not - but the underlying point remains - its a very dumb commercial move to gyp the multiplaying community.

That's a big change since civ 2 came out when they could get away with an SP version and then MP as another edition you had to play for. The multiplayers are still a minority but a growing and very vocal and articulate group of consumers, particularly on the net. I'm amazed at how quickly unhappy multiplayers were able to trash CTP II, and Activision with it.

Inverse Icarus · July 17, 2001, 21:02

gyp: ethnic slur against the gypsy people.

so now i use the term "jew", it's the same basic premise, and they're used to being made fun of.

(i kid, i kid, im dating a beautiful jewish girl)

TechWins · July 17, 2001, 21:11

Quote:

(i kid, i kid, im dating a beautiful jewish girl)

You do know that blowup dolls don't count, right? No, I'm just messing with you.

Inverse Icarus · July 17, 2001, 21:16

you leave her out of this

smellymummy · July 17, 2001, 21:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
When will game makers realise that internet multiplayer is the future of these games and we are a powerful group of consumers? It was actually unhappy multiplayers mostly who bad mouthed CTP II so much that it failed.

i won't disagree that there is a large group of gamers who prefer MP vs SP, and provide a market for the game industry (we only need to look at the trend the gaming industry has taken the past few years) but to say that CTP2 failed because of badmouthing from the MP community?? I enjoyed the many new features in CTP2, but was dissapointed by it's other flaws, and I've been reading these boards for quite some time now... well never has the MP badmouthing community affected my view on CTP2, nor has it ever seemed to get any special attention...

Mention badmouthing from bugs (and lots of those...), terrible AI, etc, -> leads CTP2 to not being a hit, then OK. But to say that a civ game clone failed because of the MP community is just nuts. The MP community is large, but it doesnt rest on the TBS genre (time required > time available), it's mainly in RTS, MMORPGs, FPS (time required < time available) and others.

Father Beast · July 17, 2001, 21:36

Windowed mode isn't just for MP. I use it regularly to shrink my civ game while my wife prints something real quick. sometimes I can play a few civ truns while waiting for apolyton pages to load.
not allowing shrinking suggests a large ability to crash, to me.

Alexander's Horse · July 18, 2001, 00:12

Yes, one good thing about a windowed game is you can do other stuff on the comp between turns. One great thing about civ 2 was it popped up when it was your turn.

Smelly, the multiplayers have long since left the CTP II boards but in the early days it was viscious. Sure there were other glaring faults but the MP crowd really knew how to put the slipper in.

One good way to hurt Activision's bottom line was to buy the game and then return your copy. I'm sure I wasn't the only multiplayer who did that - on the basis that the MP interface didn't work I was entitled to a full refund- that's $90 a throw off their profit!

God we are evil

TechWins · July 18, 2001, 04:02

Quote:

Windowed mode isn't just for MP. I use it regularly to shrink my civ game

Yeah, I use it to change my music that I'm listening to on Napster, look at something online, e-mail somebody, etc... Having a game in windowed mode is such a convience and not having a game in windowed mode can be so frustrating trying to do something else besides playing the game. Civ3 has to be in windowed mode because if it isn't I think they may have two customers that won't buy the game, Me and Horsy. Maybe if everybody here at Apolyton said they would boycott the game if it's not in windowed mode Firaxis might just make it in windowed mode

OneFootInTheGrave · July 18, 2001, 05:10

Yes windowed mode i smuch better, I wish they make the game in windowed mode...

Well CTPII MP is totally screwed anyway, but SP is now much better with Med Mod II and I am sure now with the Apolyton pack... AI started to work, plus other improvements.

Alexander's Horse · July 18, 2001, 18:45

Care to comment Firaxis?

Provost Harrison · July 18, 2001, 18:54

Well it certainly doesn't look like it is going to run in a window, which can be a pain. However nor did SMAC but you could still Alt-Tab to ICQ windows and the like so it never posed a problem. You could also have the hovering names in ICQ so you would still know what is going on...

TechWins · July 18, 2001, 19:05

Quote:

Care to comment Firaxis?

You're dreaming if you actually think they're going to post something. Remember their lame excuse of "right now we're working on two projects" (not an exact quote).

War4ever · July 18, 2001, 19:14

a windowed game is by far the right way to go....... makes MP that much easier.... i hate servers

Immortal Wombat · July 19, 2001, 10:33

Plenty of games have really succesful servers even with full-screen games. I regularly play Age of Kings while conversing with the other players via instant messenger. Just ALT-TAB out. I can't decide whether in single-player windows is a good thing. It would certainly help switch between things, and be very useful for modding purposes, but I never get the feeling that I'm in the game if its windowed. If it takes up the whole screen there is just a feeling of being really inside the game.

OneFootInTheGrave · July 19, 2001, 10:41

I feel that I am in the game regardless, windowed mode just gives a lot more flexibility.

P.S. Please include an option to extend the game on two monitors!

campmajor! · July 19, 2001, 10:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Immortal Wombat
Plenty of games have really succesful servers even with full-screen games. I regularly play Age of Kings while conversing with the other players via instant messenger. Just ALT-TAB out. I can't decide whether in single-player windows is a good thing. It would certainly help switch between things, and be very useful for modding purposes, but I never get the feeling that I'm in the game if its windowed. If it takes up the whole screen there is just a feeling of being really inside the game.

Well if you maximize the window you'll get the same result.
But it will be still in a window!

tniem · July 19, 2001, 13:59

Quote:

Originally posted by campmajor!
Well if you maximize the window you'll get the same result.
But it will be still in a window!

And make sure to hide the task bar.

Adagio · July 20, 2001, 11:00

I don't like games in windows mode, it looks damn cheap and it doesn't give me the feeling it's a game, more like a feeling of a program

And what I hate most of all is, when saving the game the "save file as..." window pops up

This really gives me the feeling they don't know how to save a file

Grumbold · July 20, 2001, 11:31

Quote:

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
I'm amazed at how quickly unhappy multiplayers were able to trash CTP II, and Activision with it.

There were shedloads of dissatisfied 1PG players so don't steal all the credit

Had the darn thing managed to be entertaining in 1player or stable in multiplayer it might have stood a chance. Since it wasn't very good at either it sank like a stone when Activision refused to patch it. Serves them right.

The ability to Alt-Tab is useful and I hope it will be available. Anything else is an added bonus.

death_head · July 20, 2001, 11:45

A lot of Windows games have the ability to switch between windowed and full-screen with the F4 key...maybe another key would have to be used, but it would elminate the problem

I will have my cake and eat it too!

Alex 14 · July 22, 2001, 02:42

Looking at the screenshots, it looks like it wont be windowed.

Rasputin · July 22, 2001, 03:10

windowed or non windowed isnt an issue , alt tab should still work so no problem there,,,,

Alex 14 · July 24, 2001, 03:25

It would be good if they answered this in the next site update

.

TechWins · July 24, 2001, 04:18

Quote:

windowed or non windowed isnt an issue , alt tab should still work so no problem there,,,,

If you want to resort back to your desktop. I know you can use the Windows key to open up anything you want to but that is too much of a hassle. Rasputin, you make me mad, you go with the flow too much. Be more critical. JK.

Quote:

It would be good if they answered this in the next site update

Then we would only find out in about another 6-7 months. So I say somebody from Firaxis spends a whole day here tomorrow on this site just answering any questions we have about the game. Who's with me on this one?

Rasputin · July 24, 2001, 07:40

Quote:

Originally posted by TechWins
If you want to resort back to your desktop. I know you can use the Windows key to open up anything you want to but that is too much of a hassle. Rasputin, you make me mad, you go with the flow too much. Be more critical. JK

Only if you have a windows key, not all Keyboards do... so i am very critical of your suggestion !!!

Sabre2th · July 24, 2001, 08:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Rasputin

Only if you have a windows key, not all Keyboards do... so i am very critical of your suggestion !!!

If your keyboard doesn't have a windows key, use ctrl-esc. (It does the same thing)

Testing new smiley: :banned: :banned: :banned: