Sid Meier's next game! YARRRR! - Page 3

Urban Ranger · May 14, 2003, 23:06

Colonization is kinda cheesy. I much prefer Seven Cities of Gold.

Mahdimael · May 15, 2003, 02:33

Gamespot has confirmed that the game is an update to Pirates!

Kropotkin · May 15, 2003, 02:53

So that's that then. Ship o'hoj, captain! Sail on the horizont...

Spiffor · May 15, 2003, 05:50

From Gamespot :

Quote:

At an E3 press conference today, Atari and Firaxis announced that the developer will create a new game: Sid Meier's Pirates! Firaxis' decision to revisit the classic game was inspired by, as Meier put it, "the many requests we've gotten from game players." According to Meier, Firaxis has received more requests to revisit Pirates! than for any of his other previous games in the more than 15 years since the original game's release.

According to Meier, Pirates! helped players feel as though they were undertaking buccaneering as "a career"--many players wrote in and explained how they enjoyed the classic game's unique combination of action, role-playing, and strategy elements. "We're at a point where it makes sense to reimagine the game for the 21st century," said Meier, who suggested parallels between the open-ended exploration of games like Grand Theft Auto III and the original Pirates!, since the original game encouraged players to explore the high seas in search of adventure. However, according to Firaxis president Jeff Briggs, the new game may put more emphasis on role-playing elements. Specifically, players will be able to truly decide to be noble sea captains in service to the king, or dastardly, scurvy pirates in search of innocent vessels to plunder.

Sid Meier's Pirates! will be released next year. According to Meier and Briggs, the game will be made available to members of the press "sometime before the game is released next year." We'll have more information on the game as soon as we can possibly get it.

By Andrew Park, GameSpot [POSTED: 05/14/03 07:05 PM]

Spiffor · May 15, 2003, 05:54

From IGN :

Quote:

May 14, 2003 - "Pirates! is really a game that crosses a lot of genres," says Sid Meier. It's no surprise then that he's finally decided to try his hand at recreating the magic that made the game so popular. The first game's open-ended adventures and combination of sea battles, town assaults and shipboard sword fighting filled the hours between trading, searching for treasure and the endless search for a wife.

The new game will adhere to the open model of the first game, letting the player make their own story and seek their own content. But this time around Pirates! will feature a full 3D engine. The game is being designed as a single player game. As far as multiplayer options go, Jeff Briggs explains, "We think Pirates! is essentially a single player game." The team's not completely ruling out multiplayer entirely, but it won't be a part of the upcoming release, at least off the shelf.

"The main reason we decided to bring pirates back to life was because of the game players," Sid explains. "Every time we talked to gamers over 25 years of age, they asked when are we going to do another Pirates!" While the new game isn't due out until next year, you can bet we'll beg, steal and yes, even ask for more details on this game.
-- Steve Butts

Jamski · May 15, 2003, 06:08

Better break out the grog then. I imagine we'll soon be seeing a Pirates 2 forum on 'poly....

-Jam

Kropotkin · May 15, 2003, 06:32

Quote:

...the new game may put more emphasis on role-playing elements. Specifically, players will be able to truly decide to be noble sea captains in service to the king, or dastardly, scurvy pirates in search of innocent vessels to plunder.

And you couldn't do that before? Seems like the idea of some kind of incorporated decision in the game that will hamper the freedom of the player. That's a bad thing.

Of cource, it might be an idea that the captain in service woun't be able to keep all the money in the same way as the pirate does. Some sort of income tax. That might be a good thing to make the decision more vital for the development of the career.

Steve Clark · May 15, 2003, 09:18

As long as they keep it open-ended instead of forcing the gamer into a linear gameplay (like Civ3 and SeaDogs).

Kropotkin · May 15, 2003, 09:22

Maybe we'll get more micro-management. Like making decisions over what parts of the ship to repair first, what your seamen should or shouldn't do when in harbour and decorate your own cabin in the latest 1640's fashion.

FrostyBoy · May 15, 2003, 09:37

Is Atari making a come-back or has Atari always been alive and kicking?

Buck Birdseed · May 15, 2003, 09:46

Nah, Infogrames just rebranded themselves "Atari" because (a) they own the rights to the classic, recognisable name (after buying Hasbro Interactive, who had it before, who bought it off Warner, who...) and (b) everyone always thought they were called "Infogames".

Cruddy · May 15, 2003, 09:48

I'm fairly certain Atari died as a hardware manufacturer back in the 90s. Since then it's been a handy badge to stick on a box to raise sales.

Carolus Rex · May 15, 2003, 09:56

Sorry to be the one to break the bad news, but here it is...

You're all going to be screaming of disappointment in a year's time... The special Pirates II forum, that no doubt will be created as part of the hype, will be a flaming pit...

Do Call to Power I and II, Test of Time, Civ 3 ring a bell? And from what I have gathered from reading the fora, can you spell MOO3?

The anticipation, the hype, the anticlimax, the disappointment? The vows never to spend another nickel on these franchises?

I'll be the first to dig this thread out of the archives a year and a half from now, to show you all where you read it first...

Sorry, but I couldn't resist this one...

Carolus

Kropotkin · May 15, 2003, 10:09

You're such an optimist Kalle, it woun't be out in one year. People will get their hopes up for two years before the fall into complete disappointment.

Arrian · May 15, 2003, 10:36

Quote:

Colonization is kinda cheesy. I much prefer Seven Cities of Gold.

Another game I had on my old C64. But I was so young I don't think I really played that one right. I'd love to find a copy of it so I could play it now.

As for Pirates!, well, cool.

I hope it's good. I'm sure there will be the usual hype and resulting flaming after release. I remember the CivIII general forum.

-Arrian

Lemmy · May 15, 2003, 11:16

/me agrees with Carolus, another Moo3-fiasco in the making

Harry Seldon · May 15, 2003, 11:24

Is there a timetable on this, or is this a "making the best game we can" open-ender a la MOO3?

Grumbold · May 15, 2003, 11:25

As long as Meier himself is involved properly in the design its bound to be entertaining, but it will probably err too far on the side of simplicity for my tastes like SimGolf.

Cruddy · May 15, 2003, 11:56

I can see one argument why Colonization 2 isn't a priority - it could be viewed as "politically incorrect" at the current time. Some people just take games FAR too seriously.

Also, the original Col got hammered for being too much like Civ - as I never played it I can't really comment on that.

On the other hand, a game where you murder, pillage and burn your way to the top is probably OK. It's a funny old world.

Urban Ranger · May 15, 2003, 12:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Carolus Rex
Do Call to Power I and II, Test of Time, Civ 3 ring a bell? And from what I have gathered from reading the fora, can you spell MOO3?

You don't even know what you are talking.

The first time I saw the decription of MoO 3, I know it'd be horrible. I couldn't recall seeing you there on my side.

Mahdimael · May 15, 2003, 12:19

A 3d engine? I'm interested to see how they'll pull it off.

Hopefully the game will have more of the random events and open-ended goals that made the first so great.

Carolus Rex · May 15, 2003, 12:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

You don't even know what you are talking.

That wouldn't be the first time. Ok, I was a bit harsh but the post was (what I thought obviously) provocative. I'll take TOT out of that bunch. After all, it's Civ 2 in a different costume...

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

The first time I saw the decription of MoO 3, I know it'd be horrible. I couldn't recall seeing you there on my side.

Read my lips. I haven't played MOO3, that's why I wrote "...from what I have gathered from reading the fora..." Seems that a lot of people who enjoyed MOO and MOO2 turn their back on the third installement of the franchise (including my aunt's husband who still plays MOO, but found MOO3 not addictive at all).

But people's taste differs... A guy at my department got completely hooked on CtP, which was the first civ-type game he played... I tried to get him into Civ 2 so we could play MP, but he just couldn't get over what he called the "lousy" graphics...

Carolus

Alex · May 15, 2003, 14:00

oh boy, i feel so stupid now... and there I was at the Civ3-General forum, complaining that the big announcement was "merely" an expansion pack for Civ3. I didn't know that they have announced they would be making another Pirates...

Anyway, it will probably suck big time.

(Just to follow this recent trend)

Steve Clark · May 15, 2003, 14:13

Carolus: Maybe we can gather the old Civ3-General gang back together (along with yin) and send Firaxis 41-pages of unworkable and unrealistic ideas so we can trash it before and after release?

Grumbold, my old friend. That thought never crossed my mind (SimGolf and Pirates) but I really don't think it will go that route. I don't want it to go the route they took from Civ2 to Civ3 either, so why not just keep it the same?

Cruddy · May 15, 2003, 14:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve Clark
... I don't want it to go the route they took from Civ2 to Civ3 either, so why not just keep it the same?

Why would anyone buy a new game that is the same as an old game? Especially one that is widely available for download? Sorry if I missed your meaning here = as they've committed to 3D anyway it's not an issue I guess.

Kropotkin · May 15, 2003, 14:58

Surely, the developers ought to concentrate on changing the parts of the concept that was a bit weak before and not mess to much with the parts that already works.

One such issue that might be improved is the storming of forts. The strategic bit when you try to race to the fort by fooling the enemy units could be entertaining but that's a small fraction of the game that could be greatly improved today.

Kropotkin · May 15, 2003, 14:59

(You see Steve, I'm already at it. First part of the first page already finished...)

Steve Clark · May 15, 2003, 18:11

Lol, Krop. You're right, I know land battles were the weakest part of the game.

Cruddy, I was no clear. I was strictly talking about from a gameplay design perspective that was and still is a good model. I fully expect and want them to update the graphics and provide a more robust engine but not to change the basic premise. But I may already be dissappointed when they talking about adding more of a "RPG" element to the game. Imo, they do not need to add anything to emphasize the hybrid that made it worked so well. If they start going the route of SeaDogs, I will commit suicide.

That was page 2, Krop.

Skanky Burns · May 15, 2003, 19:19

But then, I enjoyed land battles. Sometime I had 3 groups of men, got my two biggest groups hiding in forests and my smallest group in the open further away. The enemy would charge and get cut down by both groups, retreat, and then try again! Fun times had by all.

Lord Zalzabad · May 15, 2003, 19:24

Hmm, Pirates in full 3d? This looks like trouble. It will be hard for them to make it as fun as the original. Name me one game that made the transition from 2d to 3d sucsessfully? You could proberly name about ten or twenty, but compare that with the amount of games that made the transition without becoming crap.

But still, in a year or so's time, you will see me down at EB with my $100 ready to buy the game, crappy or not. I have not lost faith in Sid yet. If he screws this up, I will go on a shooting rampage at Firax