Wonderless Wonders

Wolfshanze · November 12, 2001, 11:24

Okay... this is just a general meaningless rant... but hey, if you don't like it, go someplace else!

WONDERS...

What's up with the wonders?

You work on something for hundreds of years, and what's the big payoff? A simple screen shot of what it is... no info, no jubilation, no movies of how wonderful it is... just a still shot...

Okay... nothing to see here... move along!

I'm sure some people didn't care for the Civ2 wonder movies, but heck, I loved them every time they came up... the music, the video, everything just made me think... wow, that was worth it!

Now, you get nadda... nothing... zero... zilch... just a picture... not even any info (now I know about the info patch by a fellow gamer, which is GREAT, but I'm talking about what Sid & co. schlocked out the door).

I miss the Civ2 videos and music... Johan Bach's cathedral and the "music video"... all that cool stuff just gone like sands in the hourglass... Civ3's wonders are rather wonderless!!!

challenge · November 12, 2001, 11:26

I agree. It was rather disapointing to see how much was chinced out of the product.

Malthis · November 12, 2001, 12:30

Couldn't agree more. One of the reasons I worked so hard to get all the wonders was to see the movies over and over, it was like a a minor win. It was a big dissapointmenmt when I finished my first wonder and I got a general message with a weak picture. Maybe one of the genius editors out there can find a way for civ 3 to reference the civ 2 movies wonce a wonder is built.

Cyclotron · November 12, 2001, 12:34

Keep in mind that a lot of people thought the wonder movies were useless. I keep them on because I like them, but you can't be catered to all the time. Firaxis needs to focus on other issues right now.

August Borms · November 12, 2001, 12:35

I didn't really care about the Civ2 wonder movies, but I must agree that these simple screenshots feel rather cheap...

Pandir · November 12, 2001, 12:39

I miss the movies to.

d_dudy · November 12, 2001, 12:44

i always thought the general feeling was that after the first time, not many people care for the movies. that's how i feel.

and they take up alot of space

RickBlaine · November 12, 2001, 13:03

I miss the wonder movies greatly and for me (though, obviously, many disagree) their absence is a real loss to the charm of Civ. I rarely hit esc on the movies in Civ2 even when seeing them for the umpteenth time--they were wonderfully put together, and the best of them inspired a true sense of awe. The static shots in the game now really leave me unsatisfied--sort of like coitus interruptus.

sachmo71 · November 12, 2001, 13:12

Quote:

Originally posted by RickBlaine
I miss the wonder movies greatly and for me (though, obviously, many disagree) their absence is a real loss to the charm of Civ. I rarely hit esc on the movies in Civ2 even when seeing them for the umpteenth time--they were wonderfully put together, and the best of them inspired a true sense of awe. The static shots in the game now really leave me unsatisfied--sort of like coitus interruptus.

I wouldn't know about that.

Boney · November 13, 2001, 21:06

I must admit i was pretty disappointed after building my first wonder. I was really looking forward to some awesome new wonder videos. Unlike many others I never turned off my wonder videos, seeing that video gave you some sense of achievement. What do we get now?

Kc7mxo · November 13, 2001, 21:10

Bah. Good riddance to worthless effort. I turned them off after seeing maybe a third.

TheDarkside · November 13, 2001, 21:11

The wonder movies were awesome, I think Leonardo's workshop was my fav... I don't really mind the omittion too much since you gotta wonder if we'd be playing civ3 right now if they had to make mvoies for all the wonders...

PMLF · November 13, 2001, 22:02

The movies were great. I hope to see them in the new patch.

bondetamp · November 13, 2001, 23:17

The civ2 wonder movies were nice, even if SMAC's Secret Project movies had them beat easily.

I want them back.

Pyrodrew · November 13, 2001, 23:24

I sorely miss the Wonder Movies too. They served not only as a entertaining reward, but as a good break sometimes as well! Playing on a LAN with others made it *excellent* as your competitors would suffer hearing the music to your Great Library you just made or the money of Adam Smith's Stock Exchange ringing for you!

Suggestion: Even IF they don't make new Civ3 Wonder Movies at the very least they could allow us to import Civ2 (or other movies for the wonders) if we wanted to. I don't necessarily need new wonder movies, the old ones were EXCELLENT! Just anything is better than the 25cent postcard images we see now.

dexters · November 13, 2001, 23:39

The wonder movies added a historical flavour to Civ 2. I would have liked to see it, but unlike the other posters, i believe using pre-rendered art kept the look/feel of the game. The wonder movies brought me out of it.

RickBlaine · November 14, 2001, 13:38

Well, nothing could really be more subjective than this question. For me, the wonder movies were an integral part of the Civ experience--it is the new static shots that bring me out of the flow of the game, since every time I see one I feel stopped short, waiting for something that is missing. (Of course, anyone new to Civ would not have this feeling). I really doubt that the omission of the movies was a game flow decision, whatever Firaxis might say. They obviously made the decision (and were probably not incorrect) that the movies were not worth the expense of production since many people could not care less and newcomers would not miss them. And most people who really lament their absence (like me) are playing the game anyway.

Mister Hand · November 14, 2001, 13:53

I'm glad they took them out. If I wanted to watch a movie, I'd rent a DVD.

Cyclotron · November 14, 2001, 15:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Mister Hand
I'm glad they took them out. If I wanted to watch a movie, I'd rent a DVD.

And if I wanted to hear snappy smart-ass comebacks, I wouldn't be at this forum.

RichM · November 14, 2001, 15:28

The game definately lacks historical flavor compared to the previous games. It's a better game as far as game mechanics goes, but it lacks atmosphere.

November 14, 2001, 17:52

Quote:

Originally posted by TheDarkside
The wonder movies were awesome, I think Leonardo's workshop was my fav... I don't really mind the omittion too much since you gotta wonder if we'd be playing civ3 right now if they had to make mvoies for all the wonders...

Exactly!

Firaxis didn't leave them out because no one cared for them; it was just too much work to do new ones for Civ 3. It's a testament to how lazy the son's of motherless dogs are; just look at how many bugs are in the BETA version they gave us!

Oerdin · November 14, 2001, 20:00

I loved the movies and I see the lack of wonder movies in Civ3 (and MP, and more then four govs, and uncontrolable corruption) as evidience that corners were cut.

dexters · November 14, 2001, 20:10

For starters, Civ 3 comes on one disc. So yes, its obvious they were skimping.

But the upside here is that I don't have to juggle with 2 discs.

Comrade Tribune · November 14, 2001, 20:31

I find it also somewhat uncool, that we don´t get anything for inventing a tech/conquering a city. Not even the sound of marching troops. (or some Ah´s and Oh´s)

Zardose · November 14, 2001, 20:40

At first the movies in Civ II were a nice diversion, but shortly there after the thrill was gone, (I do miss Leonardo's movie). In Civ III, the first wonder I built was a disappointment without the movie, but when the technologies started rolling in...well, I wasn't too upset. To combat the disappointment I utillize the little eyeball button that comes up with that whimpy little wonder picture and view a little piece of the world I've been building.

All in all.. I think the improvements made in Civ III over Civ II out wiegh the shortcomings

Zardose..

PS. I will be D/L that wondersinfo mod