Civilization 4

[Azrael Strife]

With over 6 million units sold and unprecedented critical acclaim from fans and press around the world, Sid Meier's Civilization is recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all-time. Now, Sid Meier and Firaxis Games take this incredibly fun and addictive game to new heights by adding new ways to play and win, new tools to manage and expand your civilization, all-new easy to use mod capabilities and intense multiplayer modes and options. Civilization IV comes to life like never before in a beautifully detailed, living 3D world that elevates the gameplay experience to a whole new level. Whether playing multiplayer or single player, team play offers a new way of setting locked alliances that result in shared wonder effects, visibility, unit trading and shared territory that delivers a plethora of new strategic and tactical options.

I can't wait! even though I found Civ III irritating at some points, it's still a great game! check out the screenshots, graphically it's awesome, hopefully the gameplay will keep up

[Matri]

Yeah. Civ4 uses the game engine developed for the Pirates! remake. Gonna be awesome!

[DoomMunky]

I'm stoked, too, though when will we have time? Hammer and Sickle is coming, as is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion...can we handle more?

 

I didn't play much Civ III because it was so different from Civ II, which I am totally familar and comfortable with...did you guys like the third one?

[ShadowBlade]

Check out the trailer, it's friggin' hilarious!

 

https://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=6302&type=mov

 

You'll see.

[Bomb Bloke]

I've cleared all three Civ games thus far, and I've even stopped playing on chieftain level.

 

I picked up a second-hand copy of an expansion pack for Civ III, but I'm a bit shy about trying the 'Sid' difficulty level.

 

But, come on, we all know the gameplay in Civ IV will outshine the graphics by far. No one cares what they do with the graphics engine. What everyone's hanging out for is more things to produce, build, and research.

 

And some people just like being able to start up a nuclear holucoust, but I tend to go for a pacifist approach.

[Matri]

I'd like see the spearman try to take out a tank this time!

[Azrael Strife]

Surely the game will outshine the graphics, but I'm sure many of us enjoy a good shiny interface and some nice graphics (not that that matters to me that much anyway, but it's certainly enjoyable for the eye)

[Bomb Bloke]

I don't like nice shiny graphics. Do you know what those do to my framerate?

[Azrael Strife]

Then I guess you won't be playing Aftershock?

After seeing the minimum requirements, I don't know if I'll be able to *kicks Altar*

[Bomb Bloke]

I don't know what I'm going to do about Aftershock. My system groans at Aftermath in some parts.

 

Not sure I'll even be able to get Aftershock if I don't hurry up and get a credit card so I can order online. Getting Aftermath was an epic tale in it's own right.

 

That trailer is pathetic as far as showing off the new game is concerned... It's brilliant at tempting me to buy a copy, though.

[Kernel]

I knew about Civ4 a while ago.

 

I have all 3 Civs so far. I stoped playing Civ3 when I became anoyed at the cheating AI at anything above cheaftan level. I mean... how is it at all possible that a regular spearman can destroy 4 veterain tanks? And that's not just happened once!

I was also disapointed with the way the AI acted with diplomacy... they either loved you and accepted all your demands and you could never annoy them, or they commited war aginst you for no reason at all despite the previous 1000 years of peace.

 

In a Q&A session on Gamespot the developers pretty much admitted the AI cheats in Civ 3. They say the AIs going to be be better in Civ 4... I hope that means no more cheating.

 

https://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civili...ew_6131541.html

[Bomb Bloke]

The higher difficulties also give the other nations production bonuses, as well as the more obvious combat bonuses.

 

The diplomacy system usually made sense to me. Those nations who were combat-like would remain peaceful until such time as they thought their armies were ready. Then they'd declare war, and get all the other nations to declare war on me as well...

 

Regaining world peace would always take ages. Then I hit upon the idea of turning all the other nations against my foe, thus preventing him turning them against me. World peace still took an age to regain, but at least everyone soon had a peace treaty with me!

 

As a result, it took him so long to get things under control and another army ready, that the game was over before he could declare war on me again.

 

Of course, pillaging all their cities works too. But I try to avoid that sort of thing. :angel:

[Kernel]

And did you know that anything above cheaftain level the AI knows the location of all your units and what you are producing in your cities?

 

That's just not right. Firaxis need to hire a decent AI programmer who won't have to resort to cheats to make the AI "harder" to beat.

[Bomb Bloke]

I had a hunch they could spot my units. Didn't know about city production though, but I doubt that matters much.

 

One thing they aren't bright enough to do is work out that if you've got rails all over your entire empire, that means it doesn't matter where your units are. Thus you can fake them out and get them to do something stupid.

 

But AI is well known for cheating. Take the whole StarCraft issue - the Zerg AI immediately starts off by spending more resources then it should have access to. In Dungeon Keeper, later maps allow enemy keepers to pay all their creatures without a decrease of funds. UFO/TFTD allows enemies to keep tabs on your units without visual contact.

 

The TimeSplitters games are an interesting exception, and rather take it to the opposite extreme. If you shoot an AI controlled character, they have to recover from it. If you time your shots right, they are unable to shoot back at all! Human players don't have to put up with this.

[Matri]

The original Z by Bitmap Brothers had a rather innovative and sneaky AI. They can actually adapt strategies based on what units you have and what territories you control.

 

I remember that battle. They sent a group of units to capture a vehicle factory. Not much of a threat, but I had to pull units off from a nearby "safe" territory. Beat them back without much too much losses. Next thing I know, my radar went out!

 

The worse part is that even though it only sent one unit to the radar, I couldn't recapture it. It started an assault and I needed all my units.

 

 

I've heard of other games' AIs being advanced. I've yet to see one that comes close to this sneakiness without resorting to cheating.

[Kernel]

One thing they aren't bright enough to do is work out that if you've got rails all over your entire empire, that means it doesn't matter where your units are. Thus you can fake them out and get them to do something stupid.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hehe, rails in Civ 4 have an upkeep cost... to stop people putting rails everywhere.

 

But AI is well known for cheating. Take the whole StarCraft issue - the Zerg AI immediately starts off by spending more resources then it should have access to. In Dungeon Keeper, later maps allow enemy keepers to pay all their creatures without a decrease of funds. UFO/TFTD allows enemies to keep tabs on your units without visual contact.

 

The TimeSplitters games are an interesting exception, and rather take it to the opposite extreme. If you shoot an AI controlled character, they have to recover from it. If you time your shots right, they are unable to shoot back at all! Human players don't have to put up with this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I know there are lots of games out there where the AI cheats or has an "advantage" over the player. I remember the original railroad tycoon where the AI could build track coming out of stations in any direction they wanted but the player had to build track in the same direction the track entered the station. The AI (being computer controled) could also build track WAY faster than you ever could so it would often beat you in laying track to a city.