BLOG: 00102

So, Finally got around to checking out CIV:IV

Well, I feel was on the right track with my rantings, this is one to skip....

-the pros:

Runs rather smooth, even on dx7 hardware
Slick Interface
Ghandi's head is no longer in BigHeadMode (neat!)

and thats about it...

Horrid zoom functions, yep- its another step zoom rather than smooth (Not as bad as dungeon Seige 2 thankfully). Also, you have to deal with it being zoomed in VERY close. Should you choose to go right out you only see the city units. D'Oh!

Pointless rotation: YeeHaw! I can rotate the camera 45' around and loke at tings at an angle! It even snaps back into place once you release the keys required to do this.

Blooby look-alike units. I could barley tell the difference, dispite the size of the things they all look pretty much identical. Its made worse when they are over more detailed terrain. Ugh!

Its pretty much Forced religion. Yeah, you can have a free-state, but it takes a while to get there and other civs will have a huge bonus for spreading their beliefs over to others. Why can't I play a state of Rationalism or Athiesm that keeps its views primarly to itself though welcomes others to take them up at thier own choosing. Sheese, no wonder they are all at war.

But its a war game you say ?? Last night I played a game of Civ-3 without playing part in a single battle. And there was only a minor scrape when the Aztec's were forced out of existance by the Incan people (most if it cultural). Thats it! The rest of the time was 6 races focusing on commerce and technology!
Now I have to say, TOTALLY AWSOME! Not felt like this since playing the first level of Deus-ex and not harming a soul :}

Underused 3d. Hey, you've got a 3d ENGINE! use the bloody thing in a good way. Basically they've kept the sprite like terrain but they show 3d representations of mountains, hills etc... Take a look at SMAC(AC) There! 1999 tech and a terrain with varying heights! Now I know from experience its not that hard to include a bloody height map for terrain.

All glittery and shiney. Oi! this is a TBS not a glammor made FPS. Now I know it dosent have to be the solid and plain lines (whice work very effectivly, non-distractive and can be made to look slick themselves), but do we need all that clutter ?!?

And lastly..... You can use the LMB! but not the RMB! What is this a BLOODY ******* MAC! No Its a 4 button mouse, and I at least want to use its RMB!
Actually this is what i feel is the most annoying aspect, GRAH!

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So, Now I wait for TES4, which my pc will never run at the moment and Wright's upcomming Spore.

The comcept of spore is one i think many people have thought something of at some point, and i'm VERY interested in how its turning out to be :}

The future is dark.... Or mabey i'm just to 0ldsk00l :P