At least there will be something VERY distracting come November
May 11, 2016 8:29 AM Subscribe
As if strategy gamers didn't have enough devouring their free time between Stellaris and XCOM 2, Firaxis have just announced Civilization 6.
Bullet Points:
-Coming in October.
-Lots of systems from Civ 5 coming to the new game, including DLC systems.
-Brand new AI
-Much more mod friendly
-Cities now spread to multiple tiles
Bullet Points:
-Coming in October.
-Lots of systems from Civ 5 coming to the new game, including DLC systems.
-Brand new AI
-Much more mod friendly
-Cities now spread to multiple tiles
I want a real sequel to Alpha Centauri, damn it. Everything I saw about Beyond Earth left me wanting.
posted by SansPoint at 8:34 AM on May 11, 2016 [21 favorites]
posted by SansPoint at 8:34 AM on May 11, 2016 [21 favorites]
It's nice to have five months' notice to get my affairs in order.
posted by Etrigan at 8:34 AM on May 11, 2016 [65 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 8:34 AM on May 11, 2016 [65 favorites]
Cities now spread to multiple tiles
Exciting! I wonder if this is inspired by Endless Legend, where you can create sprawling suburbs to house your sadist pain-sorcerers and their willing masochist supplicants.
posted by fight or flight at 8:38 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Exciting! I wonder if this is inspired by Endless Legend, where you can create sprawling suburbs to house your sadist pain-sorcerers and their willing masochist supplicants.
posted by fight or flight at 8:38 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Just one more turn.
posted by Fizz at 8:42 AM on May 11, 2016 [19 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 8:42 AM on May 11, 2016 [19 favorites]
Cities now spread to multiple tiles
Looking forward to building BAMA.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:47 AM on May 11, 2016 [11 favorites]
Looking forward to building BAMA.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:47 AM on May 11, 2016 [11 favorites]
Yeah I haven't played ANY civ game as much as SMAC. I think Civ:BE is actually in my steam library, but have I played it? Once. Maybe.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 8:48 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 8:48 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Goddammit, Firaxis, I'm going to be starting grad school!
posted by Jeanne at 8:49 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Jeanne at 8:49 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
Cities now spread to multiple tiles
Looking forward to building BAMA.
You mean as a suburb of Mega-City One?
posted by Etrigan at 8:49 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Looking forward to building BAMA.
You mean as a suburb of Mega-City One?
posted by Etrigan at 8:49 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
SansPoint - Stellaris is being praised for having the best writing since SMAC, and for having the same flair for elevating what could be throwaway flavor text to story. I don't have the time to play it but I'm definitely interested. (And of course I'll be sucked into Civ 6 just like all its predecessors.)
posted by Wretch729 at 8:54 AM on May 11, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Wretch729 at 8:54 AM on May 11, 2016 [7 favorites]
*screeching intensifies*
posted by Mayor West at 8:55 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Mayor West at 8:55 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
No, I have things to do.
posted by octothorpe at 8:56 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by octothorpe at 8:56 AM on May 11, 2016
God, no, I'm still in the grips of Invisible, Inc.
posted by praemunire at 8:56 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 8:56 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Looking forward to building BAMA.
I am now sad I'll never get to hear Leonard Nimoy announce "zaibatsu" or "Chiba black clinic."
posted by griphus at 8:56 AM on May 11, 2016 [9 favorites]
I am now sad I'll never get to hear Leonard Nimoy announce "zaibatsu" or "Chiba black clinic."
posted by griphus at 8:56 AM on May 11, 2016 [9 favorites]
Yeah I haven't played ANY civ game as much as SMAC.
It was the stories of the eight leaders (7 factions + Planet) that made it really. It wasn't just Civ in space, or even just Civ with custom unit building, it was the story and the way the story changes Civ. You weren't just competing with the other players, you were mostly up against Planet, even if you didn't know it at first.
The only thing that ever came close in play time with SMAC for me was the Fall from Heaven Civ 4 mod.
posted by bonehead at 8:57 AM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
It was the stories of the eight leaders (7 factions + Planet) that made it really. It wasn't just Civ in space, or even just Civ with custom unit building, it was the story and the way the story changes Civ. You weren't just competing with the other players, you were mostly up against Planet, even if you didn't know it at first.
The only thing that ever came close in play time with SMAC for me was the Fall from Heaven Civ 4 mod.
posted by bonehead at 8:57 AM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
for having the same flair for elevating what could be throwaway flavor text to story
I haven't played SMAC in ages, but I can still quote many of the technology videos. (And do! As my wife who got to hear about Deidre's network node while I was making dinner the other night can tell you)
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:58 AM on May 11, 2016 [12 favorites]
I haven't played SMAC in ages, but I can still quote many of the technology videos. (And do! As my wife who got to hear about Deidre's network node while I was making dinner the other night can tell you)
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:58 AM on May 11, 2016 [12 favorites]
I still name my faction Morgan Industries in every new 4X game I play, with all its subsidiary factory cities/planets.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 9:01 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 9:01 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
Bulgarooktonos: I plan to live forever. If not, at least a thousand year. Even a few hundred would be nice.
CEO Nwandabuke Morgan, Datalinks
posted by SansPoint at 9:03 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
CEO Nwandabuke Morgan, Datalinks
posted by SansPoint at 9:03 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
On the bright side, Civ 6 should nicely supplant my current pointless object of frustration and addiction, my OKCupid account. Sure, I'll still be alone, but I won't notice.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:03 AM on May 11, 2016 [41 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:03 AM on May 11, 2016 [41 favorites]
They haven't said anything about multiple units occupying one tile. You can have my stack of death when you pry it from my cold, dead, betrayed-by-Ghandi hands.
posted by Mayor West at 9:03 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Mayor West at 9:03 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
I still want Civ III with the Civ II tech tree, dammit.
posted by biscotti at 9:04 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by biscotti at 9:04 AM on May 11, 2016
from the Steam page:
Expanding on the “one unit per tile” design, support units can now be embedded with other units, like anti-tank support with infantry, or a warrior with settlers. Similar units can also be combined to form powerful “Corps” units.
posted by the bricabrac man at 9:05 AM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
Expanding on the “one unit per tile” design, support units can now be embedded with other units, like anti-tank support with infantry, or a warrior with settlers. Similar units can also be combined to form powerful “Corps” units.
posted by the bricabrac man at 9:05 AM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
They're announcing Civ 6, while CPU Bach gets no further love.
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:07 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:07 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
I really want a new Railroads which doesn't crash like a motherfucker too while we're on wish lists.
posted by Talez at 9:15 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Talez at 9:15 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
November will be the perfect time to replace this crazy "Presidential Election" game which I'm spending all my time on.
posted by msalt at 9:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by msalt at 9:21 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
They haven't said anything about multiple units occupying one tile.
From comments in other places, it appears that you can create a sort of super unit by "embedding" one unit into another. What that means I can't say. But still nominally one unit per tile as in Civ V.
posted by bonehead at 9:28 AM on May 11, 2016
From comments in other places, it appears that you can create a sort of super unit by "embedding" one unit into another. What that means I can't say. But still nominally one unit per tile as in Civ V.
posted by bonehead at 9:28 AM on May 11, 2016
-Brand new AI
Will this one know how to use naval units? Ranged units?
posted by davros42 at 9:43 AM on May 11, 2016 [7 favorites]
Will this one know how to use naval units? Ranged units?
posted by davros42 at 9:43 AM on May 11, 2016 [7 favorites]
GODDAMMIT, I have a job and responsibilities, people!
Bring back killer stacks.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:05 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Bring back killer stacks.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 10:05 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
[starts researching bronze working]
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 10:07 AM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 10:07 AM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
I'm excited! Lead designer is Ed Beach who was also lead designer for the Civ V expansions.
More info in Game Informer and Rock Paper Shotgun. I agree with fight or flight that it looks like they borrowed some ideas from Endless Legend. Not just sprawling cities and districts, but also a sort of quest-like system that ties tech research to specific spots on the map. The extended quests are one of my favorite things about Endless Legend.
The RPS article has more info on unit stacks. I liked one-unit-per-tile myself, if they can make the AI good at the resulting chess-like game it will be fun. The combined arms thing sounds like a way to add buffs to a unit. There's also something about "formations" of multiple units, which I am imagining sprawl across multiple hexes.
Stellaris is pretty good, btw, at least after the first few hours. Advice over on MeFightClub is that it's best to play your first game on a Small map; the normal map is so big that the game advances fairly slowly for a first look.
posted by Nelson at 10:12 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
More info in Game Informer and Rock Paper Shotgun. I agree with fight or flight that it looks like they borrowed some ideas from Endless Legend. Not just sprawling cities and districts, but also a sort of quest-like system that ties tech research to specific spots on the map. The extended quests are one of my favorite things about Endless Legend.
The RPS article has more info on unit stacks. I liked one-unit-per-tile myself, if they can make the AI good at the resulting chess-like game it will be fun. The combined arms thing sounds like a way to add buffs to a unit. There's also something about "formations" of multiple units, which I am imagining sprawl across multiple hexes.
Stellaris is pretty good, btw, at least after the first few hours. Advice over on MeFightClub is that it's best to play your first game on a Small map; the normal map is so big that the game advances fairly slowly for a first look.
posted by Nelson at 10:12 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
I really want a new Railroads which doesn't crash like a motherfucker too while we're on wish lists.
Offworld Trading Company.
Everyone play Offworld Trading Company.
posted by michaelh at 10:16 AM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
Offworld Trading Company.
Everyone play Offworld Trading Company.
posted by michaelh at 10:16 AM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
I've played a lot of Civ: Beyond Earth (a couple hundred hours), and while it took a while to wrap my head around strategizing for the game, I have to say I really like it. The tech web approach is neat, and adds a layer of complexity to planning how to win; the aliens are much more difficult to defeat in the early game, so it's more challenging instead of essentially coasting up to the Industrial Era; the random placement of stations throughout the game shakes things up a bit, although I get annoyed by how they invariably land right where I want to build a city. (But if you wait long enough and don't establish trade with them, they become defunct and you can build there again.) I think there's a lot to like about Beyond Earth, mainly that you have to do some real thinking about your overall game strategy as early as possible, because that's where you get outmaneuvered by other civilizations.
So if some of that got integrated into 6, I'd be quite cool with that.
posted by Autumnheart at 10:17 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
So if some of that got integrated into 6, I'd be quite cool with that.
posted by Autumnheart at 10:17 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
I have heard there will never be a SMAC2 because Firaxis doesn't have enough control over the IP. It probably wouldn't be that good anyway.
posted by michaelh at 10:17 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by michaelh at 10:17 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I haven't played SMAC in ages, but I can still quote many of the technology videos. (And do! As my wife who got to hear about Deidre's network node while I was making dinner the other night can tell you)
Yesterday I went on Google and typed "it is every" and the damn thing somehow knew to fill in "citizen's final duty" (to go into the tanks, which, yes, was what I was actually searching for).
I still keep my eye out for copies of Lady Deirdre's Big Book of Recycling Tanks Humor.
posted by grobstein at 10:22 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
Yesterday I went on Google and typed "it is every" and the damn thing somehow knew to fill in "citizen's final duty" (to go into the tanks, which, yes, was what I was actually searching for).
I still keep my eye out for copies of Lady Deirdre's Big Book of Recycling Tanks Humor.
posted by grobstein at 10:22 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
They better include strategic view. One unit per tile and the strategic view were Civ Vs big advances, but I don't think Firaxis realizes what a step forward the strategic map view really was. I spend so much time playing with it on!
posted by Justinian at 10:24 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 10:24 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yeah, strategic view is what let me play the game on my relatively underpowered laptops. The full map is nice to look at and conveys a lot of information really well but the game is so much faster in strategic view.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:30 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:30 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
i still really like iv
posted by the phlegmatic king at 10:32 AM on May 11, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by the phlegmatic king at 10:32 AM on May 11, 2016 [8 favorites]
i still really like iv
I honestly don't understand why we don't just have Civ IV with V's religion system and SMAC's unit customization.
posted by Etrigan at 10:33 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
I honestly don't understand why we don't just have Civ IV with V's religion system and SMAC's unit customization.
posted by Etrigan at 10:33 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
Is no-one else still grinding out the ultimate gameplay optimizations for the Civ-II-like Freeciv?
Just me?
okay
posted by clawsoon at 10:34 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Just me?
okay
posted by clawsoon at 10:34 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
i still really like iv
Civ IV + expansions + Fall From Heaven 2 mod + various modmods (notably Orbis) = possibly the game I put the most hours into in 30+ years of gaming. I'd guess something around 1000 hours?
posted by Justinian at 10:36 AM on May 11, 2016 [9 favorites]
Civ IV + expansions + Fall From Heaven 2 mod + various modmods (notably Orbis) = possibly the game I put the most hours into in 30+ years of gaming. I'd guess something around 1000 hours?
posted by Justinian at 10:36 AM on May 11, 2016 [9 favorites]
Also please stop releasing games for a while. I just last night finished The Banner Saga 2. I've barely scratched the surface of Dark Souls 3. Stellaris is installed but I haven't even touched it yet. Total Warhammer comes out soon. Endless Space 2 a bit later. STAHP. Please!
posted by Justinian at 10:38 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 10:38 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
Seriously, things are not supposed to be this bananas in May. I guess the holiday release cycle truly is dead. I was thinking about what to play for the next two weeks since the Overwatch beta ended, and I gave up because there were too many options!
Also if anyone liked Civ 4 and Offworld Trading Company, Soren Johnson (the designer of those games) did an interview on the Designer Notes podcast this week (where he is usually the interviewER) and I thought it was very interesting in terms of how you make decisions about gameplay design while a game is in development.
posted by selfnoise at 10:42 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
Also if anyone liked Civ 4 and Offworld Trading Company, Soren Johnson (the designer of those games) did an interview on the Designer Notes podcast this week (where he is usually the interviewER) and I thought it was very interesting in terms of how you make decisions about gameplay design while a game is in development.
posted by selfnoise at 10:42 AM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
(and by "gave up" I mean I launched Rocket League)
posted by selfnoise at 10:43 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by selfnoise at 10:43 AM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm still trying to get the last set of artifacts in Stardew Valley!
Maybe I'll be finished in October. Being an Adult who can only play after bedtime makes just one more turn/day/cycle a bit difficult.
posted by bonehead at 10:43 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Maybe I'll be finished in October. Being an Adult who can only play after bedtime makes just one more turn/day/cycle a bit difficult.
posted by bonehead at 10:43 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I am locked in, mind and soul, to Civ IV, but its modding community is slowly dying, which is beginning to cramp my style. Now I can hope that IV will become cool and retro now that it's two (or three if you count BE) editions back! HEY, I CAN HOPE.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 10:46 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 10:46 AM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Is no-one else still grinding out the ultimate gameplay optimizations for the Civ-II-like Freeciv?
I've always wondered if it's possible to extend Freeciv to create FreeSMAC.
posted by Apocryphon at 10:48 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've always wondered if it's possible to extend Freeciv to create FreeSMAC.
posted by Apocryphon at 10:48 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Such glorious news! I will buy every Civ game. Always hoping to recapture the magic of the teenaged fever dreams of Civ 2. (Civ V was great, and I put a lot of hours in it, but it never consumed me the way Civ 2 did.)
posted by DigDoug at 10:51 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by DigDoug at 10:51 AM on May 11, 2016
It's nice to have five months' notice to get my affairs in order.
You can add another two months for the load screen!
posted by srboisvert at 11:13 AM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
You can add another two months for the load screen!
posted by srboisvert at 11:13 AM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
I've always wondered if it's possible to extend Freeciv to create FreeSMAC.
Someone tried. They gave up in 2003.
posted by clawsoon at 11:15 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Someone tried. They gave up in 2003.
posted by clawsoon at 11:15 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
This is interesting. I recently started playing Civ Beyond Earth and while there are some really cool things about it, it was also frustrating due to the typically dumb AI and all of the lost potential that brings with it. A genuinely superior AI would be reason enough for me to get on board with this.
After not having played a game in a year plus I've also been playing Stellaris. Maybe I'm just getting used to Paradox games but it's way more approachable than I expected. My heart's not quite in it yet tho, since I'm waiting for Hearts of Iron 4 next month. If it's similarly approachable, they could really be on to something there.
posted by feloniousmonk at 11:15 AM on May 11, 2016
After not having played a game in a year plus I've also been playing Stellaris. Maybe I'm just getting used to Paradox games but it's way more approachable than I expected. My heart's not quite in it yet tho, since I'm waiting for Hearts of Iron 4 next month. If it's similarly approachable, they could really be on to something there.
posted by feloniousmonk at 11:15 AM on May 11, 2016
They were good about getting the Mac release out at the same time as the PC release during Civ V. Hope that trend ends up continuing.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:16 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by Navelgazer at 11:16 AM on May 11, 2016
Everyone play Offworld Trading Company.
Not as long as it puts money in the pockets of Brad Wardell.
posted by Pendragon at 11:23 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
Not as long as it puts money in the pockets of Brad Wardell.
posted by Pendragon at 11:23 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
I quite literally started shaking with excitement and anxiety when I read this.
Goal: finish all of the new August WoW content by October.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:29 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Goal: finish all of the new August WoW content by October.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:29 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's about time. I have started playing Civ V again lately just because I have gotten tired of waiting for something new. I played the first couple of iterations of Beyond Earth and wasn't super excited by it for most of the reasons stated above, and was starting to fear that it was going to be the only successor fo Civ V.
Now I just hope it will run on my laptop. As long as I set the video options pretty low, Civ V has played acceptably on the curren tone and its predecessor.
posted by briank at 11:30 AM on May 11, 2016
Now I just hope it will run on my laptop. As long as I set the video options pretty low, Civ V has played acceptably on the curren tone and its predecessor.
posted by briank at 11:30 AM on May 11, 2016
I have heard there will never be a SMAC2 because Firaxis doesn't have enough control over the IP. It probably wouldn't be that good anyway.
Other than improving graphics and maybe a few things more from more recent Civs, SMAC doesn't need a sequel because it went out to do exactly what it was aiming for, and it still holds on pretty well, in part because they built a solid, well contained universe.
On the other hand, Civ is more of an ongoing process where they try to find what's relevant in terms of civilization itself that could be applied in gameplay terms, such as culture and religion.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:36 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Other than improving graphics and maybe a few things more from more recent Civs, SMAC doesn't need a sequel because it went out to do exactly what it was aiming for, and it still holds on pretty well, in part because they built a solid, well contained universe.
On the other hand, Civ is more of an ongoing process where they try to find what's relevant in terms of civilization itself that could be applied in gameplay terms, such as culture and religion.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:36 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Only Civ II for me, and here's why.
In Civ I/II, you could create a Good State. Democracy, Women's Suffrage, Cure for Cancer, other great stuff. Your people, like Scandinavians in the real world, were just better off by any metric. Happier, more productive.
Then you would war on the collection of dictatorships and despotisms that every other poor human had to suffer (because they would attack you, of course). And when you fought back and took their cities, the people in them would look at the better State you offered, and immediately become full members of it, indistinguishable from the founder members, with all the happiness and well-being.
You were the Culture. Or Napoleon. Or Liberal Democracy. Or Socialism. Or whatever Western Utopian fantasy you like. All people were equal in your state.
From Civ III, suddenly we were back to 19th-century European racist notions of identity.
You could conquer France, but the people were would never really be Culture citizens. They would always be French first, bitter, angry, sad. You could provide them with a better life, but they would resent it.
So the best thing to do from Civ III was not to liberate and improve, but to kill everyone not of your race, and move in your own volk to the resulting lebensraum. Um, what?
You can argue that this was historically more accurate, sure (but check the company you'll be keeping!).
But if I'm playing a game called "Civilization" then I want to pretend that it's about being one.
Waits for someone to tell me there is a checkbox to turn off this mode, I just haven't looked for it.
posted by alasdair at 11:36 AM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
In Civ I/II, you could create a Good State. Democracy, Women's Suffrage, Cure for Cancer, other great stuff. Your people, like Scandinavians in the real world, were just better off by any metric. Happier, more productive.
Then you would war on the collection of dictatorships and despotisms that every other poor human had to suffer (because they would attack you, of course). And when you fought back and took their cities, the people in them would look at the better State you offered, and immediately become full members of it, indistinguishable from the founder members, with all the happiness and well-being.
You were the Culture. Or Napoleon. Or Liberal Democracy. Or Socialism. Or whatever Western Utopian fantasy you like. All people were equal in your state.
From Civ III, suddenly we were back to 19th-century European racist notions of identity.
You could conquer France, but the people were would never really be Culture citizens. They would always be French first, bitter, angry, sad. You could provide them with a better life, but they would resent it.
So the best thing to do from Civ III was not to liberate and improve, but to kill everyone not of your race, and move in your own volk to the resulting lebensraum. Um, what?
You can argue that this was historically more accurate, sure (but check the company you'll be keeping!).
But if I'm playing a game called "Civilization" then I want to pretend that it's about being one.
Waits for someone to tell me there is a checkbox to turn off this mode, I just haven't looked for it.
posted by alasdair at 11:36 AM on May 11, 2016 [14 favorites]
alasdair: I think Civ V: Brave New World has you pretty well covered.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:45 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by Navelgazer at 11:45 AM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
Other than improving graphics and maybe a few things more from more recent Civs, SMAC doesn't need a sequel because it went out to do exactly what it was aiming for, and it still holds on pretty well, in part because they built a solid, well contained universe.
I agree with that. The GOG releases make them playable on modern computers. I would like a remastered version, but it's not necessary.
Also if anyone liked Civ 4 and Offworld Trading Company, Soren Johnson (the designer of those games) did an interview on the Designer Notes podcast this week (where he is usually the interviewER) and I thought it was very interesting in terms of how you make decisions about gameplay design while a game is in development.
That was an interesting episode. I always enjoy Bruce as well (enjoying his Wild Weasel interviews.) I only started listening to Designer Notes in the last year and went through the archives, and I thought that Soren's design philosophy and experiences came out even more strongly in his questions for and discussions with the other designers. Of course, that took much more time than one hour focused on Offworld.
posted by michaelh at 11:58 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I agree with that. The GOG releases make them playable on modern computers. I would like a remastered version, but it's not necessary.
Also if anyone liked Civ 4 and Offworld Trading Company, Soren Johnson (the designer of those games) did an interview on the Designer Notes podcast this week (where he is usually the interviewER) and I thought it was very interesting in terms of how you make decisions about gameplay design while a game is in development.
That was an interesting episode. I always enjoy Bruce as well (enjoying his Wild Weasel interviews.) I only started listening to Designer Notes in the last year and went through the archives, and I thought that Soren's design philosophy and experiences came out even more strongly in his questions for and discussions with the other designers. Of course, that took much more time than one hour focused on Offworld.
posted by michaelh at 11:58 AM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Love me them SMAC quotes.
If I ever have the free time/resources I'd love to mock up all the fake books they reference and put them on a shelf in the library I'd have in this hypothetical.
posted by Wretch729 at 12:14 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
If I ever have the free time/resources I'd love to mock up all the fake books they reference and put them on a shelf in the library I'd have in this hypothetical.
posted by Wretch729 at 12:14 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
alasdair: I think Civ V: Brave New World has you pretty well covered.
Yes, the revamped Tourism was awesome. You didn't even have to conquer anybody to integrate them into your empire, you'd just start revolutions in the other nations through the sheer force of your Blue Jeans And Rock & Roll.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:22 PM on May 11, 2016 [7 favorites]
Yes, the revamped Tourism was awesome. You didn't even have to conquer anybody to integrate them into your empire, you'd just start revolutions in the other nations through the sheer force of your Blue Jeans And Rock & Roll.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:22 PM on May 11, 2016 [7 favorites]
>through the sheer force of your Blue Jeans And Rock & Roll.
Sending Duke Ellington out on tour as a means of cultural domination == priceless. Trying to manipulate the art works in your museums to improve score == ugh more spreadsheet slogging.
posted by PandaMomentum at 12:25 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
Sending Duke Ellington out on tour as a means of cultural domination == priceless. Trying to manipulate the art works in your museums to improve score == ugh more spreadsheet slogging.
posted by PandaMomentum at 12:25 PM on May 11, 2016 [4 favorites]
Other than improving graphics and maybe a few things more from more recent Civs, SMAC doesn't need a sequel
Neither did the Star Wars OT, but I loved TFA anyway.
SMAC was delightful. I've sworn off video games, but I'd come back for SMAC II.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 12:34 PM on May 11, 2016
Neither did the Star Wars OT, but I loved TFA anyway.
SMAC was delightful. I've sworn off video games, but I'd come back for SMAC II.
posted by steady-state strawberry at 12:34 PM on May 11, 2016
October: Civilization VI
January 21: Civilization Over
posted by adept256 at 12:41 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
January 21: Civilization Over
posted by adept256 at 12:41 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
You could conquer France, but the people were would never really be Culture citizens. They would always be French first, bitter, angry, sad. You could provide them with a better life, but they would resent it.
In Civ IV, Culture can do this work for you. I never tire of the delight I feel when an aggressive civ plops a city wayyyyy too close to my borders and, in five hundred years or so, they revolt en masse in favor of my awesomeness. This happens more when you play for the cultural victory, but still often enough when you're going for space.
posted by praemunire at 12:47 PM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
In Civ IV, Culture can do this work for you. I never tire of the delight I feel when an aggressive civ plops a city wayyyyy too close to my borders and, in five hundred years or so, they revolt en masse in favor of my awesomeness. This happens more when you play for the cultural victory, but still often enough when you're going for space.
posted by praemunire at 12:47 PM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
My favorite part of Civ threads is the SMAC talk :)
posted by curious nu at 12:57 PM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by curious nu at 12:57 PM on May 11, 2016 [10 favorites]
tobascodagama: "alasdair: I think Civ V: Brave New World has you pretty well covered.
Yes, the revamped Tourism was awesome. You didn't even have to conquer anybody to integrate them into your empire, you'd just start revolutions in the other nations through the sheer force of your Blue Jeans And Rock & Roll."
I could never really wrap my head around the Tourism stuff and mostly ignore it. I should probably look up a tutorial.
posted by octothorpe at 1:05 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yes, the revamped Tourism was awesome. You didn't even have to conquer anybody to integrate them into your empire, you'd just start revolutions in the other nations through the sheer force of your Blue Jeans And Rock & Roll."
I could never really wrap my head around the Tourism stuff and mostly ignore it. I should probably look up a tutorial.
posted by octothorpe at 1:05 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah, Offworld Trading Company is tearing me up inside. On the one hand, it is created by game-design heart-throb Soren Johnson, the designer of the best Civ game, and someone who never expresses less than perfect thoughts on his podcasts. On the other hand, Offworld is published by Brad Wardell, who is a completely loathsome individual.
I feel like the entire situation is some abstruse and perfectly balanced trolley problem. I've added and removed Offworld from my Steam wishlist like 4 times now.
posted by Balna Watya at 1:29 PM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
I feel like the entire situation is some abstruse and perfectly balanced trolley problem. I've added and removed Offworld from my Steam wishlist like 4 times now.
posted by Balna Watya at 1:29 PM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
I mean, those games are produced by teams of people. Some of them are probably assholes, some are probably not. The chance of your money not touching an asshole's hands during a Steam transaction are likely remote.
(random trivia tidbit: Mohawk apparently works in some kind of company coworking space with Oxide Games and some Stardock internal team)
posted by selfnoise at 1:44 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
(random trivia tidbit: Mohawk apparently works in some kind of company coworking space with Oxide Games and some Stardock internal team)
posted by selfnoise at 1:44 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Can you imagine the kinds of on-the-dl assholes who rake in big bucks as Ubisoft execs?
Not that we shouldn't remind people that the Stardock guy is a major douche, but there's no ethical consumption under capitalism and all that.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:00 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Not that we shouldn't remind people that the Stardock guy is a major douche, but there's no ethical consumption under capitalism and all that.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:00 PM on May 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Ok, so there is a month between when my SO returns from a year outside of the country and the launch of Civ 6. This is a good thing. I can jam in as much quality time as possible before becoming a jackass who ignores everything for the computer.
Although I'm realizing that Stellaris is out now, so there goes the next month.
posted by Hactar at 3:00 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Although I'm realizing that Stellaris is out now, so there goes the next month.
posted by Hactar at 3:00 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, on actually refreshing after posting with 66 comments pending, why oh why did no one tell me the Stardock guy was such an asshole? I already bought half their stuff (admittedly, on sale) and have played just enough that I can't return it on Steam.
posted by Hactar at 3:02 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by Hactar at 3:02 PM on May 11, 2016
IF VENICE ISN'T INCLUDED I WILL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED.
Also, I don't know how they'd work it in to fit with anything before the modern era, but something like BE's satellite layer would be awesome.
posted by clorox at 3:15 PM on May 11, 2016
Also, I don't know how they'd work it in to fit with anything before the modern era, but something like BE's satellite layer would be awesome.
posted by clorox at 3:15 PM on May 11, 2016
Civ IV was it, my 80s grognard soul cannot accept one unit per hex. Shame to see they are not turning back, even with the corps mechanic it is chess, not war.
posted by Meatbomb at 3:15 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Meatbomb at 3:15 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
That's why I want it in Civ 6! I prefer tall to wide, and Venice is the tallest.
posted by clorox at 3:25 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by clorox at 3:25 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Slight derail: I've only ever played Civ V. and I've put in several hundred hours into that game, an unhealthy amount. How does Beyond Earth compare? Is it worth investing in? I had heard some very mixed reviews when it was initially released and so I've held back because too many people have told me that I was better off enjoying Civ V.
posted by Fizz at 3:35 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by Fizz at 3:35 PM on May 11, 2016
Seems short-sighted to punish Soren for making a game he couldn't get done at EA or Zynga. Games as well designed as Offworld need to be bought, with money, or we aren't going to get many more of them. And I doubt his former employers were full of great people.
(Also, Brad Wardell claims he doesn't get money from sales.)
posted by michaelh at 3:45 PM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
(Also, Brad Wardell claims he doesn't get money from sales.)
posted by michaelh at 3:45 PM on May 11, 2016 [6 favorites]
How does Beyond Earth compare?
Unfavorably. It's not awful, and it does have a few good points, but just doesn't compare to other 4X games out there.
posted by clorox at 4:04 PM on May 11, 2016
Unfavorably. It's not awful, and it does have a few good points, but just doesn't compare to other 4X games out there.
posted by clorox at 4:04 PM on May 11, 2016
Slight derail: I've only ever played Civ V. and I've put in several hundred hours into that game, an unhealthy amount. How does Beyond Earth compare? Is it worth investing in? I had heard some very mixed reviews when it was initially released and so I've held back because too many people have told me that I was better off enjoying Civ V.
Beyond Earth with the Rising Tide expansion is a good game with just enough fresh ideas to be worth playing, although without the historical hooks (what if Gandhi nuked Julius Caesar?) that make the main Civ series such an easy sell.
I paid full price for both and didn't regret a dime, but if you're on the fence at all you should definitely wait for a sale. Or just skip it and wait for someone to make a Beyond Earth total conversion for Civ VI.
posted by tobascodagama at 4:32 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Beyond Earth with the Rising Tide expansion is a good game with just enough fresh ideas to be worth playing, although without the historical hooks (what if Gandhi nuked Julius Caesar?) that make the main Civ series such an easy sell.
I paid full price for both and didn't regret a dime, but if you're on the fence at all you should definitely wait for a sale. Or just skip it and wait for someone to make a Beyond Earth total conversion for Civ VI.
posted by tobascodagama at 4:32 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've only played about three hours of Stellaris, compared with 91 of Beyond Earth, so my thoughts are still relatively unformed.
For the most part, though, I agree with Rowan Kaiser's review. Design-wise, it's a brilliant game that has a very refreshing take on what a space 4X can be, but in the execution it feels a little empty and a little rough. I haven't hit any of the mid-late game management issues that others had, but a lot of other people have complained about, for instance, the way the game handles fleet construction when you've got multiple sectors under your control. There's some other "flatness" to it, like the way that planets are relatively balanced in their resource production, or can be depending on what you build on them, so there's not much incentive to invade other empires for land grabs.
All that said, the writing is utterly unimpeachable, and I can't quite stop playing it, despite its flaws.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:08 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
For the most part, though, I agree with Rowan Kaiser's review. Design-wise, it's a brilliant game that has a very refreshing take on what a space 4X can be, but in the execution it feels a little empty and a little rough. I haven't hit any of the mid-late game management issues that others had, but a lot of other people have complained about, for instance, the way the game handles fleet construction when you've got multiple sectors under your control. There's some other "flatness" to it, like the way that planets are relatively balanced in their resource production, or can be depending on what you build on them, so there's not much incentive to invade other empires for land grabs.
All that said, the writing is utterly unimpeachable, and I can't quite stop playing it, despite its flaws.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:08 PM on May 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
IF VENICE ISN'T INCLUDED I WILL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED.
I think it's unlikely in Vanilla, but fairly likely in DLC or an expansion. And I also love playing as Enrico Dandolo (or Ricky Dandy, if I'm feeling saucy.)
My guess is that we'll get 20-25 civs/leaders in Vanilla. These will certainly include:
America
England
France
China
Japan
Rome
Greece
Egypt
Germany
Aztecs
Russia
India
Persia
Arabia
Leaving 6-11 Civs/Leaders up for grabs.
posted by Navelgazer at 5:09 PM on May 11, 2016
I think it's unlikely in Vanilla, but fairly likely in DLC or an expansion. And I also love playing as Enrico Dandolo (or Ricky Dandy, if I'm feeling saucy.)
My guess is that we'll get 20-25 civs/leaders in Vanilla. These will certainly include:
America
England
France
China
Japan
Rome
Greece
Egypt
Germany
Aztecs
Russia
India
Persia
Arabia
Leaving 6-11 Civs/Leaders up for grabs.
posted by Navelgazer at 5:09 PM on May 11, 2016
no. please sid no. I can not i got a job and shit no.
posted by vrakatar at 6:41 PM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by vrakatar at 6:41 PM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]
Everyone play Offworld Trading Company.
I've been watching Let's Plays of Offworld lately, but I'm a bit bummed out about it not supporting Linux. Supposedly Stellaris does though! And it looks like Civ 6 will support Linux.
On a related note, I'm okay with Civ franchise as a single player experience, but as a multiplayer affair, I really liked the Civ Revolution series. Anyone tried Civ Rev 2 on Android, enough to compare it with the original console versions?
posted by pwnguin at 6:55 PM on May 11, 2016
I've been watching Let's Plays of Offworld lately, but I'm a bit bummed out about it not supporting Linux. Supposedly Stellaris does though! And it looks like Civ 6 will support Linux.
On a related note, I'm okay with Civ franchise as a single player experience, but as a multiplayer affair, I really liked the Civ Revolution series. Anyone tried Civ Rev 2 on Android, enough to compare it with the original console versions?
posted by pwnguin at 6:55 PM on May 11, 2016
I've been a Civ nerd since Civ 3. I've been an armchair Scientology watcher since, well, about six months ago.
What I'm trying to say is: (a) I'll keep buying these games as long as they keep making them; and (b) someone please make a Civ 6 mod that adds Scientology as a civilization. The leader, of course, is L. Ron Hubbard (I'll accept Miscavige in a pinch). The capital city is Gold Base. Special units: Operating Thetan (replaces the missionary; spreads religion while simultaneously draining the target city of gold), and Sea Org (modern naval unit; can capture one enemy unit at a time and confine them in The Hole for ten turns). Unique wonder: Dianetics (allows Radio Towers and TV Stations to be assigned to broadcast infomercials which generate Gold instead of Culture; must research E-meters first).
posted by escape from the potato planet at 8:03 PM on May 11, 2016 [8 favorites]
What I'm trying to say is: (a) I'll keep buying these games as long as they keep making them; and (b) someone please make a Civ 6 mod that adds Scientology as a civilization. The leader, of course, is L. Ron Hubbard (I'll accept Miscavige in a pinch). The capital city is Gold Base. Special units: Operating Thetan (replaces the missionary; spreads religion while simultaneously draining the target city of gold), and Sea Org (modern naval unit; can capture one enemy unit at a time and confine them in The Hole for ten turns). Unique wonder: Dianetics (allows Radio Towers and TV Stations to be assigned to broadcast infomercials which generate Gold instead of Culture; must research E-meters first).
posted by escape from the potato planet at 8:03 PM on May 11, 2016 [8 favorites]
Offworld Trading Company is real time, isn't it? Me no likey real time?
posted by Justinian at 8:54 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by Justinian at 8:54 PM on May 11, 2016
Offworld Trading Company is real time, isn't it?
At least on the lets plays I've watched there's not a lot of APM going on; they deliberately add cooldowns to a lot of actions like buying out a competitor. I don't get the impression they're trying to displace starcraft. Multiplayer games have a fundamental tradeoff to make between the fairness of taking turns with the expediency of simultaneous action. And within that tradeoff, I think OTC is favoring a game design that plays in 20 minutes, rather than 20 minutes per player.
The single player mode does allow for pausing as you consider your options against AI opponents. But if your preferred leisure style is to watch netflix on one screen and game on the other, it's still true that any real time design is going to require your undivided attention.
posted by pwnguin at 9:12 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
At least on the lets plays I've watched there's not a lot of APM going on; they deliberately add cooldowns to a lot of actions like buying out a competitor. I don't get the impression they're trying to displace starcraft. Multiplayer games have a fundamental tradeoff to make between the fairness of taking turns with the expediency of simultaneous action. And within that tradeoff, I think OTC is favoring a game design that plays in 20 minutes, rather than 20 minutes per player.
The single player mode does allow for pausing as you consider your options against AI opponents. But if your preferred leisure style is to watch netflix on one screen and game on the other, it's still true that any real time design is going to require your undivided attention.
posted by pwnguin at 9:12 PM on May 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm looking forward to the first Civ-type game for GearVR/Oculus or similar. Maybe Civ 7? really get to feel a flying God mode. Could even hope for a retro Populous VR version!
posted by meehawl at 9:14 PM on May 11, 2016
posted by meehawl at 9:14 PM on May 11, 2016
it's still true that any real time design is going to require your undivided attention
That's possibly going to be a prob... ohhh shiny.
posted by Justinian at 1:33 AM on May 12, 2016
That's possibly going to be a prob... ohhh shiny.
posted by Justinian at 1:33 AM on May 12, 2016
At least on the lets plays I've watched there's not a lot of APM going on; they deliberately add cooldowns to a lot of actions like buying out a competitor.
That's correct. It's deliberately designed to be a low-APM game. Being able to click on a lot of stuff really fast gives you basically no advantage. It rewards careful attention to the map and the markets more than the ability to queue up actions quickly.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:25 AM on May 12, 2016
That's correct. It's deliberately designed to be a low-APM game. Being able to click on a lot of stuff really fast gives you basically no advantage. It rewards careful attention to the map and the markets more than the ability to queue up actions quickly.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:25 AM on May 12, 2016
There's some other "flatness" to it, like the way that planets are relatively balanced in their resource production, or can be depending on what you build on them, so there's not much incentive to invade other empires for land grabs.
Now I get why Stellaris feels so empty in the mid game and I lose interest. I have everything. Every civ in the galaxy is basically Juche.
posted by Talez at 8:41 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Now I get why Stellaris feels so empty in the mid game and I lose interest. I have everything. Every civ in the galaxy is basically Juche.
posted by Talez at 8:41 AM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Every civ in the galaxy is basically Juche.
I could have sworn somebody made a DPRK empire for Stellaris, but I can't find it now.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:16 AM on May 12, 2016
I could have sworn somebody made a DPRK empire for Stellaris, but I can't find it now.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:16 AM on May 12, 2016
Ugh, and there I was waiting to play Stellaris . That review was actually good and it was on IGN - did I miss episodes?
posted by ersatz at 9:22 AM on May 12, 2016
posted by ersatz at 9:22 AM on May 12, 2016
IGN's reviewers are all freelancers, as far as I know, which explains why their reviews are such a crapshoot.
Most of the other reviews are pretty glowing, but looking over what people are saying about it on Reddit, it seems like Rowan really pegged the whole thing. Great ideas, flawed execution, and the AI is just weirdly passive unless you go out of your way to stir things up.
But, listen, I keep firing it up as soon as I get home from work, so it definitely did something right.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:35 AM on May 12, 2016
Most of the other reviews are pretty glowing, but looking over what people are saying about it on Reddit, it seems like Rowan really pegged the whole thing. Great ideas, flawed execution, and the AI is just weirdly passive unless you go out of your way to stir things up.
But, listen, I keep firing it up as soon as I get home from work, so it definitely did something right.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:35 AM on May 12, 2016
Ascendancy, the game where you won if you just hit "end turn" over and over without ever doing anything else!
posted by Justinian at 1:30 PM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Justinian at 1:30 PM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Most of the other reviews are pretty glowing, but looking over what people are saying about it on Reddit, it seems like Rowan really pegged the whole thing. Great ideas, flawed execution, and the AI is just weirdly passive unless you go out of your way to stir things up.
I basically agree with everything Rowan says, and I hope patches / DLC will address his points.
But I still really like Stellaris -- I like it a lot. Some of the things it's doing are amazing already and I expect it to shine like the stars eventually. It has a lot of great ideas for stuff that has never been attempted before.
On the particular complaint of flat AI: I've seen reports that this is mostly a problem with the "Normal" difficulty setting (actually the easiest setting), and that if you turn it up to "Hard" it gets more interesting. I'll have to try that on a new game.
posted by grobstein at 6:18 PM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I basically agree with everything Rowan says, and I hope patches / DLC will address his points.
But I still really like Stellaris -- I like it a lot. Some of the things it's doing are amazing already and I expect it to shine like the stars eventually. It has a lot of great ideas for stuff that has never been attempted before.
On the particular complaint of flat AI: I've seen reports that this is mostly a problem with the "Normal" difficulty setting (actually the easiest setting), and that if you turn it up to "Hard" it gets more interesting. I'll have to try that on a new game.
posted by grobstein at 6:18 PM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
The support Paradox gives to its games is rivaled only by CD Projeckt Red. It's hard to say which is better given the drastically different game types but they're both superb.
posted by Justinian at 7:22 PM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Justinian at 7:22 PM on May 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I don't think Civ II has been surpassed. I've just started playing it again, it's still consuming.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:49 AM on May 13, 2016
posted by Chrysostom at 8:49 AM on May 13, 2016
Stellaris made me see the sun from the wrong direction last night. Why, Stellaris? I don't need my schedule being this messed up right now.
posted by Justinian at 4:08 PM on May 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 4:08 PM on May 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
« Older A video feed from your house you'd never want to... | Hilariously Giant Goalie Pads Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by blahblahblah at 8:31 AM on May 11, 2016 [5 favorites]