Thread Tools
Old July 11, 2002, 00:57   #1
Juggler_Bob
Chieftain
 
Local Time: 04:07
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Grand Junction, CO U.S.A.
Posts: 55
The one thing I would really like to see in the next patch... (Not the typical rant)
Something that (with my lack of programming knowledge) I think would be really simple to add:

A note pad function. I know this can (and is often) done on paper, but it would be so much easier if I could make notes in the actual context of the map screen. I would love to be able to "tag" a unit, city, or area of terrain with a connection to a notepad.exe (or similar) file that I could jot down my intentions.
  • Wouldn't it be great if you could mark a spot that you had previously explored as the optimal site for your new city?
  • Imagine "tagging" a unit (or group of units) with intstructions for when they reached their "goto" destination...
  • While the "build queue" function is useful, it is limited by the production abilities of your current tech level.... What if you could state your long term intentions for a city's deveolpement unrestricted by your current technological advancement?
  • What if you have noticed increased enemy/barbarian activity along your outermost (northern, western, southern, eastern) frontier, a problem that should be addressed as soon as possible....
  • What if you are attempting to pursue a general strategy (social/economic/political/religious/diplomatic) for your civilization that you wish to continue to pursue, uninterrupted by mundane interruptions that plague all of us from time to time...

My point is this:

While some of us play Civilization III in marathon sessions in which the intention behind every move, every build selection, every enemy/barb sighting is clearly remembered and acted upon, I believe that a majority of us play our games over several days/weeks/months....
Every time we reload, we have to re-ascertain our intentions towards almost every unit, the prodution choices of every city, and the dispostion of every terrain square previously explored, but not yet under our direct control...

I think it would be great if I could leave myself some notes, some ideas towards my intentions when I last left the Realms of Civ III.

How hard could it be to incorporate some kind of function where we could add notes to units, cities, various general terrain locations, as well as a "universal" game log file????

Just my $.02,

-Bob
Juggler_Bob is offline  
Old July 11, 2002, 03:07   #2
The Pioneer
Prince
 
The Pioneer's Avatar
 
Local Time: 05:07
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Germany
Posts: 720
Very i nteresting indeed
__________________
Excellence can be attained if you Care more than other think is wise, Risk more than others think is safe, Dream more than others think is practical and Expect more than others think is possible.
Ask a Question and you're a fool for 3 minutes; don't ask a question and you're a fool for the rest of your life! Chinese Proverb
Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. Warren Buffet
The Pioneer is offline  
Old July 11, 2002, 06:42   #3
albiedamned
Rise of Nations Multiplayer
Prince
 
Local Time: 23:07
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Posts: 513
This is actually an excellent idea. I doubt you will see it in a patch however, since this would be entirely new functionality. Patches are generally only to tweak or fix existing functionality. I know exactly what you're talking about, though. Sometimes I come back to the game the next day, and I forget what I was thinking with some units or cities from the day before.

This is probably off-topic for strategy. Is there a Civ 4 suggestions forum yet?!
__________________
Firaxis - please make an updated version of Colonization! That game was the best, even if it was a little un-PC.
albiedamned is offline  
Old July 11, 2002, 07:27   #4
Solver
lifer
Civilization IV CreatorsAge of Nations TeamApolytoners Hall of FamePolyCast TeamBtS Tri-LeagueThe Courts of Candle'BreC4WDG Team Apolyton
Deity
 
Solver's Avatar
 
Local Time: 07:07
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Latvia, Riga
Posts: 18,355
While it's a very strong idea, you state "every time we reload". Many players here consider reloading to be a form of cheating, myself included. If I made a stupid thing, OK. I don't want to reload, not only it's a cheat, it's a cheat that only the human can do.

Of course, the best Civ 3 players clearly know what are they building - every unit, every decision is well motivated. And I have the damn goal of becoming a very good Civ 3 player!
__________________
Solver, WePlayCiv Co-Administrator
Contact: solver-at-weplayciv-dot-com
I can kill you whenever I please... but not today. - The Cigarette Smoking Man
Solver is offline  
Old July 11, 2002, 07:43   #5
albiedamned
Rise of Nations Multiplayer
Prince
 
Local Time: 23:07
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Ellicott City, MD
Posts: 513
I took "every time we reload" to mean coming back the next day and loading the game up again, not to mean a form of cheating. It's not cheating to sleep instead of playing all night, is it?!
__________________
Firaxis - please make an updated version of Colonization! That game was the best, even if it was a little un-PC.
albiedamned is offline  
Old July 11, 2002, 07:53   #6
The Pioneer
Prince
 
The Pioneer's Avatar
 
Local Time: 05:07
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Germany
Posts: 720
No it's not cheating if you go and sleep. This is probably not the right forum to discuss this but I do not believe that reloading is necessarily cheating. Especially with this flipping thing, I'll be darned to let my cities flip. Not without a warning, I wouldn't mind if I had a warning the turn before it happened in order to take measures if possible. I do not see the point of hundreds of production shields going pooof without a fight. So call me a cheater but I will reload. In any case as the flipping functions now there should be a possibility to switch it off before you start the game. If Firaxis tweaks it some, maybe then it should stay as permanent game feature. Oh, and believe me when I say that I agree with the concept of cultural flipping it makes the game more interesting and of course more challenging but I can't stand to lose all these boys without me doing anything about it what would my people say .
__________________
Excellence can be attained if you Care more than other think is wise, Risk more than others think is safe, Dream more than others think is practical and Expect more than others think is possible.
Ask a Question and you're a fool for 3 minutes; don't ask a question and you're a fool for the rest of your life! Chinese Proverb
Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. Warren Buffet
The Pioneer is offline  
Old July 11, 2002, 08:13   #7
DrFell
Civilization II Multiplayer
King
 
Local Time: 05:07
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,131
Re: The one thing I would really like to see in the next patch... (Not the typical rant)
Quote:
Originally posted by Juggler_Bob
  • Wouldn't it be great if you could mark a spot that you had previously explored as the optimal site for your new city?
  • What if you have noticed increased enemy/barbarian activity along your outermost (northern, western, southern, eastern) frontier, a problem that should be addressed as soon as possible....
Map coordinates might help this a lot. I never understood why they had a coordinates system in civ2 but not in civ3. It was very convenient if you wanted to pick out a particular point on the map. Now you have to describe it by the area, and getting the exact square may be impossible to describe (eg 'build a city on the northern island hill six squares north-east of the mountain' vs '21,34,2'). I know which system I prefer!
DrFell is offline  
Old July 11, 2002, 13:30   #8
jshelr
Civilization III PBEMIron CiversC3CDG Ankh-Morpork
Emperor
 
jshelr's Avatar
 
Local Time: 00:07
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: pittsburgh
Posts: 4,132
From the representative of the Alzheimer's age group, this idea is a definite must-have. In fact, I was happier when I didn't know I wanted it. Good thing it will be easy to forget. Anyway, right on!
jshelr is offline  
Old July 13, 2002, 00:43   #9
Juggler_Bob
Chieftain
 
Local Time: 04:07
Local Date: November 1, 2010
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Grand Junction, CO U.S.A.
Posts: 55
Of course, I didn't mean to imply a cheat function...

I doubt if anyone would forget ***why*** they chose to reload 30 seconds ago... Damned barbarians!!!

I envision a more overall game functionality...

How many times have you, during early game exploration, said to yourself, "This would make a great city site, and if I built one city *right* here, I could build another *right there*, and the third right between those two *just so*, and I would completely maximize this particular patch of terrain..." Later, by the time your Settlers arrive at the region, you vaguely remember that you had it all worked out, but in your (*now*) drunken haze, you plop the first Settler down smack in the middle of everything, and only later realize that you've just turned an excellent 2-4 city opportunity into a OCW (One-City-Waste)....

Or, later in the game, upon reloading after a day or two, have you ever wondered, "What were my plans for this city?" or. "why is that group of workers moving over there?" or, on an even larger level, "Who was it that was building *which???* Wonder that I desperately wanted" or, "why am I at war with X?" or, "why am I still at peace with Y?" or, "Should I really trade techs with Z?"

Again, with my limited programming experience, I don't see this as a particularly challenging coding problem, assuming you have access to the source code. Obviously, such a modification would have limited use in a MP game, but in the regular game, I think it would be an invaluable aid to strategy (my own, at least...)

I have no illusions that the Firaxis team will ever even consider this as a potential addition to the next patch, especially with their new (*and welcome*) emphasis on the MP game...

It doesn't hurt to dream, though, and perhaps someone else might be inspired to hack together a kludge along these lines... I remember several (*un-official*) modifications that were available for CIV II...


Again, just my $.02...

Bob
Juggler_Bob is offline  
Old July 13, 2002, 20:10   #10
Coracle
Prince
 
Coracle's Avatar
 
Local Time: 23:07
Local Date: October 31, 2010
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 915
Quote:
While the "build queue" function is useful, it is limited by the production abilities of your current tech level.... What if you could state your long term intentions for a city's deveolpement unrestricted by your current technological advancement?
I thought of that many times. Changes in tech status make the queue function another Civ 3 bust.

Don't hold your breath waiting for Firaxis to do the WORK of fixing this. Not if PTW sells.
Coracle is offline  
 

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 00:07.


Design by Vjacheslav Trushkin, color scheme by ColorizeIt!.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Apolyton Civilization Site | Copyright © The Apolyton Team