Civ 4

[Lambiorix_be]

Does anyone know if there are plans for CIV4? (or a CTP 3 for that matter?)

[Willem]

Civ III has just barely come out! You can't just churn out a game like you're doing laundry. It will take a couple of years just to plan it, and that won't start to happen until it's obvious that they aren't going to make any more money from it. Expect several more years before there 'll be a Civ IV. There's bound to be at least one more XP first before that happens.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Lambiorix_be
(or a CTP 3 for that matter?)

Ain't happening.

Willem, I think another XP for Civ3 won't happen either (although it is more likely than CTP3). I would bet that Firaxis is entering its "Let's Do Something Revolutionary" phase. You know, the one where Sid decides he wants to top Civ as his life's achievement. This inevitably leads to some stinker like SimGolf, and the Firaxis will do either Civ4 or SMAC2 toraise capital - starting the cycle again.

Or at least that's my theory.

[Willem]

My prediction is an XP just before the Christmas season 2004, followed shortly afterwards with the initial planning of Civ 4, announced or otherwise. Release of the game will follow two years after that, so Christmas season 2006, maybe 2007.

[Spiffor]

I think there will be a future expansion, since PtW is rumored to have reached its sale objective (25% of original Civ3). Besides, I'd think it's strange that the Firaxians would continue to follow their product (a patch is in the making as we speak) if it had no future.

However, I don't think Civ4 is in the making for now. I suppose Firaxis and Atari know they can milk some more from the Civ3 licence before moving on. I'm sure Firaxis will try to make an impressive job of Civ4 out of the box, so I'd expect some judicial battle with the license before Civ4 begins

[gunkulator]

Originally posted by The Templar

I would bet that Firaxis is entering its "Let's Do Something Revolutionary" phase. You know, the one where Sid decides he wants to top Civ as his life's achievement. This inevitably leads to some stinker like SimGolf, and the Firaxis will do either Civ4 or SMAC2 toraise capital - starting the cycle again.

How about "Sid Meier's Dinosaurs" - oh wait. Already been hyped before.

[TheArsenal]

Originally posted by Lambiorix_be
(or a CTP 3 for that matter?)

The company that made the game tossed it to the public half baked then abandoned it. If you head over to the CTP2 forums here though, you will find some excellent mods which have radically changed/improved the game, added units, concepts, etc.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by gunkulator
How about "Sid Meier's Dinosaurs" - oh wait. Already been hyped before.

The only dinosaurs we'll ever see are in a graphics file buried in PTW.

Spiffor, I didn't know there was another patch in the making. In that case, it looks like Civ3 will get milked one more time - and as Willam said then - before X-mas.

Still, I don't know what's left to put in a patch other than a scripting language (other than more buildings and units that is )

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by The Templar
Still, I don't know what's left to put in a patch other than a scripting language (other than more buildings and units that is )

Unit trading
More seriously, many features from SMAC could be implemented, such as the long demanded unit-trading and request for peace between two other Civs, for example.

And don't understate the greatness of a powerful scenario editor : scenarios have made Civ2 keep its fanbase for as long as it did. If Civ3 ever becomes as moddable as Civ2, it will spark much creativity fro the fan community, and it will make the game much better than it is now.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Unit trading
More seriously, many features from SMAC could be implemented, such as the long demanded unit-trading and request for peace between two other Civs, for example.

I don't know. I'm always suspicious when I see more diplomacy options added. Often the AI doesn't cope well (SMAC is a good case in point). Then again, unit trading works well in GalCiv so I'm agnostic on the matter.

And don't understate the greatness of a powerful scenario editor : scenarios have made Civ2 keep its fanbase for as long as it did. If Civ3 ever becomes as moddable as Civ2, it will spark much creativity fro the fan community, and it will make the game much better than it is now.

I was yawning at the thought of more buildings and units. More buildings just becomes tedious at some point, and for me PTW reached that point - any more buildings will cross it. A scripting laguage would be fun, but aside from adding the ability to set diplomatic states, I think the editor in PTW 1.21 is really good. (Download my mod and see). I'm not sure that there is much left to add.

[Spiffor]

Well, it is currently completely impossible to write somehow elaborate scenarios, such as war scenarios for example. Real scenario-editing tools (along with some professional scenarios being shipped) would be enough of an expansion IMHO. Of course, if the expansion includes unit-trading as well

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Well, it is currently completely impossible to write somehow elaborate scenarios, such as war scenarios for example. Real scenario-editing tools (along with some professional scenarios being shipped) would be enough of an expansion IMHO. Of course, if the expansion includes unit-trading as well

Like I was saying, some sort of scripting language like SLIC for CTP or the less elaborate scripts for Civ2 Fantastic Worlds (or whatever it was called). That would be cool (I was demanding it back before Civ3 was released), but I don't want to get my hopes up.

[The diplomat]

I would only buy civ4, if it offered something really new and different.

If Firaxis is interested in the TBS empire-building genre, I would suggest they start from scratch, forget the civ name, and just build a new TBS empire building game completely from the ground up.

[altF18]

i agree we need to see something different,
(keep the civ name!!! )
as civ 3 doesn't seem to offer much more than it ever did. (oh right, i don't need to physically conquer that city, and now i have a reason to throw roads up all over...)
that's what discussion threads are about... afterall, coders aren't paid to think up new concepts, and if we want it, we ought to suggest it. but after lengthy debate and defining until a good resolute final draft of the idea is made.
this could be done in the already active civ 4 suggestion thread, or, where supposed to... the Civ general/future discussion forum. (though it's quite slow there)
so, if you want something new, please suggest what it or they are, as i would love to see completely new concepts in a new civ game.
that could lead to elaboration, defining, agreement, and a final draft (after lenghty discussion, as i've said)
this is the best way to go, IMO.