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[siege]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/660/660495p1.html

Presentation
The most approachable game in the history of the series. Stays true to the original without feeling like a sequel.
8.0 Graphics
Beyond the standard we expect from the 4x genre. Great animations and personality and a (mostly) elegant interface.
8.5 Sound
The sound effects are pretty good. The music and Leonard Nimoy's voiceover work are amazing.
9.5 Gameplay
Complex but not complicated. Streamlines the exhausting elements of the prior games without sacrificing detail.
10 Lasting Appeal
There's a nearly endless variety in the single player game. Multiplayer is as convenient and enjoyable as ever.
9.4 OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

 

[ronito]

Sorry advisor I don't have time to buy this game right now. When I bought Civ III, I was a zombie for 3 months straight. Don't be so sad. Some day, I promise!

 

[Fafalada]

Does the AI still take 15minutes per turn in final stages of the game?

 

[Wollan]

Oh yeah. Getting this.

 

[DEO3]

A wealth of fantastic music highlights the entire experience with a pitch-perfect voiceover assist from Leonard Nimoy

 

[Kuro Madoushi]

Hope wars will be easier to do...

When you're outnumbered 8 to 1 with no wall defenses YOU FUCKING DIE! YOU DON'T SURVIVE AGAINST ALL OF THEM

 

[Mashing]

^^^Man, that shit was annoying. Broke CIV 3 for me.

 

[ronito]

Hope wars will be easier to do...

When you're outnumbered 8 to 1 with no wall defenses YOU FUCKING DIE! YOU DON'T SURVIVE AGAINST ALL OF THEM

QFT!!!
Man that was also what finally broke me of Civ3. I had finally had enough when one spear guy took out 4 modern armor.

 

[mrkgoo]

Kinda off topic, but I have never played the civ games (not really having a PC when growing up takes care of that). I did however play some Alpha Centauri, which I thought was fantastic. I kind of like the Science fiction feel with that exploration touch. Is Civ like that? Is it THAT much better? Better enough to like it over the flavour of sci-fi?

 

[DEO3]

Kinda off topic, but I have never played the civ games (not really having a PC when growing up takes care of that). I did however play some Alpha Centauri, which I thought was fantastic. I kind of like the Science fiction feel with that exploration touch. Is Civ like that? Is it THAT much better? Better enough to like it over the flavour of sci-fi?

Well, Alpha Centari is basicly Civilization in space, the gameplay is nearly identical.

 

[DEO3]

Man that was also what finally broke me of Civ3. I had finally had enough when one spear guy took out 4 modern armor.

In IGN's video review of Civ 4 (see link above), they show a scene where a Knight takes down a Cobra helicopter.

 

[bummyhead]

QFT!!!
Man that was also what finally broke me of Civ3. I had finally had enough when one spear guy took out 4 modern armor.

I never found it hard to wage war. What was annoying was how easily my own cities could be captured. In the later stages of the game I would watch helplessly as my well protected cities were captured in the blink of an eye. It was as if the game was trying to force me to be diplomatic.

I wanted to wipe the fucking germans off the face of the earth god dammit. then the chinese, then the americans. I managed to murder all the russians at least.

 

[teepo]

In IGN's video review of Civ 4 (see link above), they show a scene where a Knight takes down a Cobra helicopter.

uff! wtf!!!

oh well... some things will never change.

 

[StoOgE]

Yeah, I prefer Alpha Centari because when one robot beats up another robot I dont get as mad as when a guy with a club takes out a tank.

 

[ronito]

In IGN's video review of Civ 4 (see link above), they show a scene where a Knight takes down a Cobra helicopter.

NOOOO!!!!

That was the biggest flaw of the last game. I mean seriously, you get a helicopter and a guy on a horse with lance, there's NO way the guy with the horse is going to win. Sid I shake my fists angrily at you! Angrily I say!!

 

[Deku]

NOOOO!!!!

That was the biggest flaw of the last game. I mean seriously, you get a helicopter and a guy on a horse with lance, there's NO way the guy with the horse is going to win. Sid I shake my fists angrily at you! Angrily I say!!

It's not a flaw. It's just how the RNG works. I can understand how people don't like tank loses to spearman outcomes, but I thought it emulated some level of realism.

It can be argued for example that while the stats for a spearman in the modern era is exactly the same as that of a tank in CivIII, they are not completely outclassed because modern era spearmen don't use spears, but more advanced weapons like guns, so they can actually do some damage and defend themselves.

 

[StoOgE]

It's not a flaw. It's just how the RNG works. I can understand how people don't like tank loses to spearman outcomes, but I thought it emulated some level of realism.

It can be argued for example that while the stats for a spearman in the modern era is exactly the same as that of a tank in CivIII, they are not completely outclassed because modern era spearmen don't use spears, but more advanced weapons like guns, so they can actually do some damage and defend themselves.

Except if they are using a spearman its a spearman not a guy with a gun. There isnt anything "modern day" about it. The premise of the game is my society could have all the best tech while some lowly empire is still stuck 300 years in the past.

 

[Ghost]

Maybe the spearmen had steep stairs...then the armour would be fucked.

 

[StoOgE]

Maybe the spearmen had steep stairs...then the armour would be fucked.

well, he could allways put the pilots eye out. then they would be fucked, NO DEPTH PERCEPTION!

 

[Deku]

Except if they are using a spearman its a spearman not a guy with a gun. There isnt anything "modern day" about it. The premise of the game is my society could have all the best tech while some lowly empire is still stuck 300 years in the past.

It's just an abstraction to reality. Civ is an abstraction of global geopolitiks and human history and I was just trying to be creative about it.

I'm fine with the new battle system, I just think Civ III's problems wasn't the battle system, but the insane ease with which human players can cheat and use the game system and rules to their advantage once they become pros.

 

[Keio]

Perhaps the spearmen ambush the tank crews/helicopters while they are resting and quietly stab them all to death.

It's all down to imagination. The turns are what - one year? - so there is enough time for anything to happen.

For me it's pretty easy to imagine scenarios where a hi-tech heli crew gets done by a bunch of gyus with spears and a great knowledge of local terrain.

I'm really looking forward to Civilization IV. The series has always had this great "what-if" feeling to it.

 

[Deku]

Perhaps the spearmen ambush the tank crews/helicopters while they are resting and quietly stab them all to death.

It's all down to imagination. The turns are what - one year? - so there is enough time for anything to happen.

For me it's pretty easy to imagine scenarios where a hi-tech heli crew gets done by a bunch of gyus with spears and a great knowledge of local terrain.

I'm really looking forward to Civilization IV. The series has always had this great "what-if" feeling to it.

About the what if's, you're absolutely right. I used to spend my nights during my Civ addiction periods reading after game reports or psuedo-historical ramblings at civfanatics and apolyton from people who write up their games as if its world history and they'd throw in power struggles, world wars, back stabbing and humanizing the game AI and reading personality into random AI actions. Some of the stories had maps with overlays of where the armies are, battle movements and extensive documentaiton. People put a lot of work into them.

 

[siege]

The developers have said it's still possible for low tech units to defeat higher tech, although very infrequently.

 

[mrkgoo]

Is it in 3D now? I really liked this type of game in 2D...fast, simple, symbolic. Of course, I'm still speaking of Alpha Centauri. A friend introduced me to it, and by large, I've forgotten how it plays - the only thing that lingers is the memory of enjoying myself a lot...

Oh yeah...no version for Mac...me am cry :_(

 

[FunkyTaco]

Makes me want to Bad Touch

 

[Rayven]

the game's a lot of fun, but take the review score with a grain of salt. Firaxis always goes to steve butts at ign for the first review because he always reviews sid games favorably...he gave pirates pc a 9.2 FFS.

 

[siege]

the game's a lot of fun, but take the review score with a grain of salt. Firaxis always goes to steve butts at ign for the first review because he always reviews sid games favorably...he gave pirates pc a 9.2 FFS.

Gamespot gave it a 9.2 as well.

 

[Rayven]

i gotta stop being so bitter.

 

[Bigfonzie]

CIV: 4 FUCK YEAH!



also, why dont we have a civ 4 sticky yet???

 

[acklame]

CIV 4: FUCK YEAH!
GRADES: FUCK NO!

 

[Deku]

the game's a lot of fun, but take the review score with a grain of salt. Firaxis always goes to steve butts at ign for the first review because he always reviews sid games favorably...he gave pirates pc a 9.2 FFS.

To be honest there's really no way Civ4 can be bad. The actual numerical score is irrelevant. The question is whether it will be like previous Civ games and be as addictive. There will be bones to pick about certain features, unit combinations and AI issues, but those kind of complaitns have always been part of the franchise especially when the target audience are very discriminating about such things. All I can say is, it is good and Firaxis has kept their mantra of keeping 60% of the old stuff and adding in 30% new stuff, while at the same time, throwing out things that didn't wok to avoid clutter.