Civ 3 news at gamespot!

Mahdimael · August 3, 2001, 15:47

Looks like some interesting info

"Though players can in fact win a game of Civ III by taking control of 75 percent or more of the world's landmass, they can also achieve victory through two new means: either through diplomacy, by building the United Nations and garnering enough support from neighboring countries to be voted into power, or through culture, by encouraging their country's own culture to flourish by improving education and encouraging the arts."

check it outhttp://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories...801449,00.html

Eli · August 3, 2001, 15:53

75% of the landmass... Interesting.
I just hope they dont force us to win, so if I take 75% I wont have to win and my points will still count till I win as I want, for example the diplomatic victory.

Mahdimael · August 3, 2001, 16:13

Something like civ2 where you can keep playing would be nice, though with score calculated, I think

I like the fact you can prevent your people from emigrating by stationing soldiers..hehe

Imran Siddiqui · August 3, 2001, 16:40

News item based on this link posted. Thank you Mahdimael, for the tip.

Provost Harrison · August 3, 2001, 16:45

Hey cool, looking at the new screenshots as well. Note how the borders tuck in neatly behind hills and rivers. These seems like a far more recent screenshot on the first one, but on the last screenshot, they are simple overlays. I think the issue we have is that some of these screenshots are not the same age as the others; some are far later and advanced than the others...

Interesting article, some interesting tidbits of information. What is this about the aqueduct allowing certain types of tile improvement?

It also suggests different gradations of experience for units as well, which is a good thing (mention of veteran and elite). I hope it is a sliding scale model.

There are kinda hints here that there is a lot more to this game than we are expecting, and that Firaxis are just keeping their mouths shut. I hope the pessimists look really stupid after release!

java4me · August 3, 2001, 17:05

Out of curiousity, what do the T's mean on the advancement chart?

Adagio · August 3, 2001, 17:14

Hey, what is that Pyramid building trick? Is that a the thing about being able to buy the wonders so they can be built in one single turn, or what does it mean?

Quote:

The game itself is now in QA

What does that mean???

MarkG · August 3, 2001, 17:16

QA=Quality Assurance

Adagio · August 3, 2001, 17:20

thx

Steve Clark · August 3, 2001, 17:51

Actually, I'm wondering about the one-turn wonder building statement as well. Does that mean that there is no way to disband a unit and have count towards the cost of building? Since there are no caravans, it makes sense that you can't apply them towards Wonders. But to prevent building a wonder (or any other unit/improvement) in one turn, you have to disable disbanding altogether (unless disbanding returns no costs).

Eli · August 3, 2001, 17:53

What Pyramid Building trick are they talking about???

d_dudy · August 3, 2001, 17:54

i bet those T's are place holders (this has been discussed before!)

this game is going to be so damn cool. i hope it runs on my G3 iMac

Inverse Icarus · August 3, 2001, 17:55

whats the "pyramid building" trick he is speaking of?

surely it is not just BUYING them.

Eli · August 3, 2001, 17:59

The mountains are a bit better now, but they still didnt fix the "UV" font problem.

Steve Clark · August 3, 2001, 17:59

That's right. If you have the cash, you should be able to buy any wonder (or unit or improvement) in one turn. They didn't take that feature away did they?

lockstep · August 3, 2001, 18:03

Just speculating about the morale/experience levels ...

There are basically three levels: normal, veteran and elite. A city with barracks will create veteran units. When a unit wins a battle, there´s a chance that it gets promoted, thus eventually becoming elite. Furthermore, elite units winning a battle may sometimes "spawn" a great leader.

The morale levels seem to have different numbers of hitpoints: 3 for the normal level, 4 for veteran and probably 5 for elite. Look at this (older) screenshot (http://www.civfanatics.com/cgi-bin/a...19-19-2225.jpg) and notice the coloured dots associated with the units: Either a single red dot (seriously damaged units) or two yellow dots (damaged units), but there are as well units with three as units with four green dots.

Things are starting to fall in place.

java4me · August 3, 2001, 18:05

[QUOTE] Originally posted by d_dudy
i bet those T's are place holders (this has been discussed before!)[QUOTE]

HUH?

What are place Holders?

down th' pub · August 3, 2001, 18:27

The building trick...

Rush buy Warrior, change build to archer - rush buy, change build to temple - rush buy, change to granary then library, colliseum, each time a small step up in cost, finally Pyramids all in one turn. Much cheaper than rush buying Pyramids off the bat. Cost is related to percentage complete. Needs fixing.

Oh and Java, the 'T's are there as a filler until the detail is finalized. (Holding the place so the spacing looks right).

TechWins · August 3, 2001, 18:36

Quote:

What are place Holders?

I believe place holders are something that is put in place for some type of art for the time being. Example: Look at the Iron Working tech. There is a unit and a place holder. I think they just haven't implemented the art into that spot yet so they put a place holder there instead to show that something is supposed to be there. I'm not positive but I think that's the way they work. Correct me if I'm wrong?[

QUOTE] The building trick... [/QUOTE]

If you do what you suggested in a higher level you will lose 50% production switching from unit to city improvement and 50% production loss switching from city improvement to wonder. So that really doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. If you do know how to do that you will be playing at a higher level so usually the lower level players won't know those kind of tricks. Which evens everything out.

TechWins · August 3, 2001, 19:11

lockstep,

The 3 hit points for a normal unit is probably for the ancient and unarmed units. While a normal, firearms unit would get 4 hit points. A normal, steel armor unit would get 5 hit points. A normal battleship might receive 6 hit points. I sure hope it is this way.

The diplomat · August 3, 2001, 19:41

Well, the screenshots look fine to me. The new info about culture sounds really cool, that a civ can draw people away from another civ with high enough culture. Furthermore, the ability to use a military unit to prevent immigration sounds really intriguing.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: the interface looks really amazing. I love how well organized the domestic advisor screen and the diplo screen are.

Did anyone notice at the end of the preview the reference to space satellites ala SMAC?

Adagio · August 3, 2001, 19:47

Quote:

Originally posted by The diplomat
Did anyone notice at the end of the preview the reference to space satellites ala SMAC?

Yes I noticed it, but what is it...I have no idea since I never got longer than inventing 2 inventions in the game

java4me · August 3, 2001, 20:03

Quote:

Originally posted by down th' pub
Oh and Java, the 'T's are there as a filler until the detail is finalized. (Holding the place so the spacing looks right).

Thanks, that clears it up!

Zanzin · August 4, 2001, 00:08

hmm....new info is interesting. Maybe the game won't be so bad after all.

Sabre2th · August 4, 2001, 00:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Zanzin
hmm....new info is interesting. Maybe the game won't be so bad after all.

It's about time SOMEBODY admitted that. All this pessimism has been ANNOYING.

d_dudy · August 4, 2001, 00:55

usually i laugh at people speculating about things they don't know jack about but i think lockstep has something with the units in that screenshot.
some of the units have more dots or whatever on their bars.

the mark twain qoutes are great. a Missouri legend

splangy · August 4, 2001, 01:31

guys, i doubt thoss "T's" are place holders. i think they = tech (t=tech, it makes sense!).

the game looks very nice, and war is obviously gonna be harder becouse now all we need is 75% of the world. this is all speculation though, but maybe the will be "the greatest empire building experience ever!"

Mike Breitkreutz FIRAXIS · August 4, 2001, 02:16

Quote:

Originally posted by splangy
guys, i doubt thoss "T's" are place holders. i think they = tech (t=tech, it makes sense!).

Actually, you're both correct. The T's are placeholders for Techs.
We like to call it "programmer art" and you'll notice a few more examples of our handiwork in the screen shots...

Urban Ranger · August 4, 2001, 03:11

It's coming along quite nicely. The graphics aren't bad, either, although I don't like the irrigation ditches they way they are now.

Also there's this tantalising bit about using the aquaduct for irrigation. I am also wondering if a city needs to be adjacent to a water source (lake or river) to build the aquaduct.

I wonder if the experience model applies to non-combatants (e.g. workers) as well.

TechWins · August 4, 2001, 04:17

Hey thanks for the post Mike.

I too am curious about the aqueduct. I wonder if it will serve the same purpose as it did in Civ2 as well. Does your city have to be connected to water somehow in order to build the aqueduct, is a good question.

I wonder what these satellites do. What did they do in SMAC, I don't remember them?

Since a catapult has to be maned now, I wonder if aritillery and cannons will also have to be maned.