What Were Your Expectations?

[hurdygurdy]

What were your expectatation of Civ III? I get the impression that you expected the game to be exactly like Civ II or SMAC (depending on the camp) except with better graphics and "bug" fixes.

I'm actually a bit disappointed that there weren't *more* changes, particularly in the area of Future Techs and units. Hopefully they will make modding easier than cracking .bic formats.

Thoughts welcome, but please keep them to what your expectations were.

/hg

[Grundel]

I kinda expected a cross between Civ 2 with CTP2, with better graphics and a diplomacy engine like that of SMAC. I also expected teh editor to be more like cCiv2. the game itslef I like, for the most part. However the editor left me wanting.

[Baloo]

My expectations were high for this game. I thought it will squish CTP 2 , AC, and Civ 2 without any second thought. But now the reality speaks otherwise, simply because the release product is bereft of innovative features. It's not that I don't appreciate the inclusion of culture and simplified trading system (they're excellent, BTW).

My problem is that Civ III plays a bit too similar with Civ II even though Civvers have repeatedly exclaimed they want to see a more revolutionary game. Some of the better Civ II features are even slashed out from Civ III such as different gov't types, "realistic but unforgiving" firepower concept and several micromanagement layers for deliberate game simplification purposes. And I hate too much simplification in a game.

It still a good and addictive game, though. I think the winning morsel comes in the genetic of any Civ game. But it's not the 92% game that Gamespot has touted. Yeah, it seems that Sid Meier has gone complacent over the years and he won't care if TBS game will be ultimately trodden down by the RTS onslaught.

Sid, this is not the early 90's anymore. Wake Up!

[Kc7mxo]

I expected to hate all of Sid's new ideas. But I've turned out to like most of them.

I expected improved graphics. They're here. The worker graphics and movement graphics are kinda neat. The mountains are a bit repetitive. But they're allright.

But I also expected a polished and finished game. What I've got now is anything but. How much testing did they do of this game?

I expected that all the wonderful improvements over the orignial civ that were in civ2 to be back. (Firepower is foremost in my mind just now). Sid's taken one step forward, and two steps back with this game.

But most of all I expect that Firaxis will listen to the public and fix the most glaring bugs, and perhaps change some of the things we complain most about. But as this hasn't happened yet. . . . I don't know.

[Monoriu]

My expectation was that this will be the best game ever (until SMAC 2 or Civ 4).

I was not disappointed. The game retains most of what makes the series great, yet at the same time introduced a lot of new ideas and fixed a lot of the more irratating parts of civ and civ 2.

I love the improved graphics, borders, new maintanence system for units, resources and trade, diplomacy, much better AI, culture, civ specific units and traits, improved ability to edit game rules, reduced usefulness of spies (I hate them), bombardment, armies and leaders, the way research works (I can now research all techs I can research), small wonders, barbarian camps, and a lot more.

I don't like the changes made to terraforming (essentially they removed it) and the way great wonders are built (essentially no more rush build). But I understand these are done for play balance and actually make the game more challenging.

I really don't like how corruption is done in this game. Corruption was too weak in civ 2. There should be more penalties for building a vast empire, that I agree. But its simply way overdone here.

I can't intercept enemy bombers with fighters, that's another major problem. But I'm sure it'll be fixed in patch.

There are a few things more. Like a better scenario editor, more options for us, like the ability to make custom civs in game, make civil disorders a pop up warning, the option to continuously build military units until told otherwise, single click access to screens, etc. But these are fixable and are minor.

It can be a little more polished. But its a solid game and I am not disappointed

[TheDarkside]

I expected too much maybe, because I am kinda disappointed. Most of my disappointment though is not in the development team, but the marketing goons who rushed this product out the door without substantial play testing and balancing. It's a trend that's getting way too common in the gmaing industry and us gamers are only encouraging it by continually buying these "public beta releases" and barely voicing any objection or returning them. Well at least it's not happening in the automobile industry... Just imagine buying your new car and you realize the hard way that no one tested the brakes as you head down a hill towards a crowd of people.

[Setsuna]

SMAC on crack. Or something like that.

Basically I was thinking, "Hey, it's made by Sid 'Jesus Christ' Meier. It's a sure thing!"

>_<