HOLD ON EVERYONE! Great Graphics Idea.

Shecky · August 14, 2000, 11:36

Hey Everyone

I urge the people that read this message to check out the game Railroad Tycoon 2. It has some great graphics engines that could very well be used. The editor in the game is fantastic.

Please check this out and tell some people you know or some people at Firaxis. This is a very usable engine, runs well over the internet with multi-play and all you need is is Pentium 166.

CHECK IT OUT!

THIS COULD VERY WELL SOLVE THE GRAPHICS DILEMMA.

DarkCloud · August 14, 2000, 11:42

Railroad Tycoon II's graphics would probably be better for a Real-Time strategy Civ, however the idea behind their graphics; taking pictures of models; is a good idea for civ.

P.S.

their Scenario editor is Great! A little complicated but it is one of the best.

Steve Clark · August 15, 2000, 00:07

This has been brought up several times before. I even posted a link to several appropriate screen shots. Most of the scale of RRT2 is way too limited for a large Civ world but for some regional scenarios, it would be appropriate.

DarkCloud · August 15, 2000, 00:14

Well of course it is too limited. I only mean they could take pictures of soldier models or city models to make the cities, the rest of the game could be crafted as normal.

Settler - 25 Posts
Chieftan- 100 Posts
Warlord - ??? Posts

I am now a Warlord
[This message has been edited by DarkCloud (edited August 14, 2000).]

Talon438 · August 16, 2000, 18:22

come on we need a whole new engine. I mean computers are getting better the graphics should too. In 2002 the best grapics now will be old and dull. They need great eye candy to get new peolpe if it came out with rrt2 grapics people would not buy it only the die hard fans would get it and we would get it if came in a plain brown cardboard box with civolixasion iii writen in crayon across the front. No civ3's graphics need to be as cutting edge as the rest of the game.

Evil Capitalist · August 17, 2000, 03:00

quote:

Originally posted by Talon438 on 08-16-2000 06:22 PM
In 2002 the best grapics now will be old and dull.

I disagree- there's a game out in November called republic the revolution. That will be impressive for some time (detail down to the screws on the doors of phone boxes for a country of 1 million people).

DarkCloud · August 17, 2000, 18:15

Well Talon you are right Railroad Tycoon's graphics were dated when they came out, however do you have to admit that they look good.

Also, the development team of RR Tycoon 2 are using the same methods for Tropico, a really good looking game you must admit.

They take pictures of models and then texture them into the game. It makes for a great game.

The city graphics could be done that way. It should not be hard for us to customize units however, is that agreed upon? and this texturing is not necessarily hard to do. You could also just work in paintshop and attempt to achieve the same work (albeit less glossy)
[This message has been edited by DarkCloud (edited August 17, 2000).]

Talon438 · August 17, 2000, 22:04

You'll be surprised just how quickly republic's graphics will be out of date people see it add to it and soon theres something better, even though republics graphics are awesome. RRT2 graphics would be a great step forward but it just doesn't seem ground breaking enough for CIV III!

Adm.Naismith · August 18, 2000, 06:23

Nice, realistic graphics is OK, but please do not forget in CIV game the map can't be eye-candy only: it must be informative, because I must use the map to understand the kind of terrain (for movement, defense and production reasons), to spot the special resources, to clearly see (by colours contrast) all units and cities, borders and so on.

I'm not for the old "flags on a grid" boardgame method, simply I want a compromise between gorgeous graphics (system resources expensive, too) and game situation awareness. I'm supposed to be a leader and a great general, not a painter

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Admiral Naismith AKA mcostant

Wazell · August 18, 2000, 08:11

Exactly. We don't need awesome graphics and we don't need 3D engine for Civ3. They'd have to call it Civ3D if they do that. What we need is improving graphics like they were improved from civ1 to civ2, not really more. Rrt2 graphics engine seems to be good enough, especially for altitudes, though the scale isn't right and firaxis can't use that anyway. But they should look what has done in other games recently, for exmple Age of Wonders has very good graphics, and they work perfectly in P166. It also gives enough room for informative things like farms, mines, towers and special places, and units are nicely animated. Do something similar, and the graphics won't scare anyone away.

UltraSonix · August 18, 2000, 22:02

We've had bitter arguments before on whether Civ3 should go 3d. For the newbies, click here and here to see all the arguments etc.

But I was just thinking that while most of us here probably would prefer good gameplay to a 3d-engine, gamecenter's recent articles on dying game-genres has prompted me to think whether Civ3 would sell if it doesn't look absolutely brilliant.

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No, in Australia we don't live with kangaroos and koalas in our backyards...
[This message has been edited by UltraSonix (edited August 18, 2000).]

DarkCloud · August 19, 2000, 17:36

Short Answer Questions Answered:

I would hate civ to go 3D.

Age of Wonders graphics seem too cartoonish Something more along the lines of Anno 1602 would work better (not that I am saying it would work best)

I would rather have civ 2's graphics, easy to customize, easy to look at. However they should use Alpha Centauri's which worked well, and lighten them up a bit.

Adm.Naismith · August 21, 2000, 08:55

DarkCloud, Firaxis already told to us that first thing they did, starting Civ III, was throwing away the SMAC graphic engine.

Apparently it has been a nightmare durning debugging, so slow and difficult to customize.

Oh well, I'll leave this graphic engine on developers hands: I'm not sure my opinion will help here, so just for a change, this time I shut up!

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Admiral Naismith AKA mcostant

UltraSonix · August 23, 2000, 05:33

I'll like to reiterate - even though we wouldn't mind a 2d or semi-2d Civ3, I seriously don't think the game will sell without a awesome 3d engine. Everyone is counting on Firaxis to resurrect the TBS genre, and I think the only for them to do that, rather unfortunately, is to do the game in complete 3d.

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No, in Australia we don't live with kangaroos and koalas in our backyards...

August 23, 2000, 08:05

Whee!!! RRT2!!!!!

Check out my Map Again post..

The engine would be perfect for Civ3.. Here's why:-

Cities not restricted to one tile
No tiles at all, for a matter of fact
Continuous resource areas (again, not just one tile)
Realistic mountains.. Different movement point expenditure depending on gradient..

I don't think the scale is too large.. We could have such a scale but just compensate for it by increasing movement rates..

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