Mercule said:
I don't understand this. You aren't the first person I've heard express disdain for Civ3, either.
Why?
My biggest complaint about CivIII is just the the combat was ridiculously random to the extent that it didn't even seem worth bothering to buy anything but your current cheapest unit, because it had about the same chances of success as everything else. I got really, really frustrated when I'd play a game and be way ahead of the other guys in tech, like, I have guns, and they still have copper swords, and then still manage to find myself on the losing side of a conflict because the combat system was effectively just flipping a coin.
I'd also second the comment that it just feels kinda dull and lifeless by comparison to the other games. Maybe it's just the graphics, with all those flat expanses of yellow tiles.
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Beyond the Sword however, is pretty damn cool. They added a fair deal more depth to the game, with the rather detailed new espionage systems, and the Apostolic Palace, which actually makes religion a Big Deal. The corporations I'm not so hot on just yet, they seem to require some real care, and it's easy to wind up having them just bleeding your country dry, but then again they're probably more realistic that way, right down to encouraging moving offices overseas . . .
They've also made some more fundamental tweaks, like an overhauled AI which now actually behaves a bit more pro-actively. The AI players actually seem to interact amongst themselves, with shifting diplomatic relations, and even wars. They just seem a lot more alive than previous versions of the game.
They also seem to have improved game performance a little bit. It still slows down the bigger the map gets and the later in the game, but the difference is still noticable. I was able to load up my old alt history Earth1000AD map and actually play quite a few turns without getting quite so agitated at the delay between turns.
The movies still have playback problems though. I haven't actually seen any of the new wonder videos, ot the intro, because they skip to the point of being unwatchable.
Some of the mods are pretty cool, some of them aren't. Of the ones I've tried:
1) Next War is a nice addition, adding more to the Future era, though not so much so as to be a game in itself. It adds some limited production uber units, specifically a giant mech thing, and an ubertank that more resembles some kind of battleship on treads. Also, adds a few new building options, like big arcology domes, and cloning technology, which is used both for an improved worker unit, and some cheap infantry units. It could use more stuff, you still wind up using modern armor and mechanized infantry well into the endgame as always, just with the added supportof the mechs and ubertank. Still, a welcome addition, and the main thing I'd been looking for from BtS. Overall, this is something you could literally just run all the time, in place of base BtS, and I suspect that the only reason it wasn't just integrated directly into the main game is to appease some of the more hardcore fans who would flip at the very idea of sci-fi elementsi ntheir Civ4.
2) Final Frontier. This one is pretty much an entirely new game all it's own. they did a really incredible job if it, and it's just about exactly the "Civ4 in space" I've ben wishing for for sometime. It's a bit slower in feel than normal Civ4, with a more leisurely, explorative pace to the game. It's also a bit more micromanage-y on the city level, as the way the system works, you colonize a whole system, rather than individual planets, and then the population spreads itself between them automatically. Thing is, each planet in a system is effectively a mini-city, and can have it's own set of buildings. So if you're a builder, this one gives you a lot more to build effectively, as most buidling effects are cumulative. It also means the most lucrative systems are usually the ones with the most planets, though some remain uninhabitable. My only realy complaints are just that some times the pace is too slow and too leisurely, and combat can be a tricky prospect, basically requiring a combined arms approach, something that doesn't always work well with Civ4's tendency to be irritatingly random in how it decides which units defend in a given fight. The civic options are also a little weak, with a number of them seemingly not really worth the net cost.
3) Afterworld. A neat demonstration of just how far you can stretch the game engine, but honestly more than a bit shallow. It's also a bit on the slow side to me.
4) FfH: Age of Ice. Unspeakably dull. Really, just boring as all hell. THe timescale is painfully slow, you're entirely shoehorned into a very linear, pre-designed scenario, and the map is largely awful. Whether you're a fan of the original Fall From Heaven, or just looking forward to some Fantasy Civ4, prepare for disappointment. They should've opened it up like they did Next War, and allowed a normal open game, just with the nifty fantasy stuff.
5) Charlemagne. Neat little scenario about the uniting of France. Most notable for the use of a couple nifty game mechanics, the first of which is the Advanced Start, which allows for a scenario to let you start out with some cities and units already on the map, but letting you customize exactly where they go. It also uses a nifty little custom political/relgious system, in which you try and curry favor with Rome in hopes of being awarded the title of Holy Roman Emperor.
6) Broken Star. I didn't really get to far into this one. It's about a fictional Russian civil war, with you as one of several factions trying to reunite the nation while rushing to take over abandoned nuke silos. Seemed nifty enough if you're into the scenario type stuff, but I didn't paly more than a few turns.
7) Rhye's and Fall. Pretty much just a minor update of the long running fanmod to include the BtS stuff. Kind of nifty for the alt history potential, but painfully slow, so not for the impatient. It's locked into one of the longer timescales, plus the huge map makes performance lag substantially. I was also rather disappointed that they did not utilize the new advanced start system, instead sticking with the previous versions' method of just dumping you in the middle of nowhere with a big stack of units.
8) World War II. Big. Damn big. The maps are huge, the number of starting units generous, and the potential possibilities endless. Honestly I felt a bit too overwhelmed to get far. This mod was clearly aimed at the harcore grognard, right down to the use of NATO symbols for the unit icons. If you're a hardcore wargamer, you'll probably love the hell out of it. I mostly just felt lost.
I have yet to try Crossroads of the World or Old Gods, so I cant' really speak to them. If anyone has any more specific questions, feel free to ask.
Overall though, if you're a Civ fan, you want this. The additional depth added, and the tweaks to the gameplay, combined with some pretty damn nifty mods, make it a must have to me. Couldn't be happier with it.
EDIT: It is also worth noting for those of you who didn't bother to grab Warlords, that all the gameplay additions from that expansion are included in BtS. The only things not included from Warlords are the scenarios which, frankly, weren't all that good, so you aren't really missing anything by skipping them. Something to consider before you plunk down unnecessarily for that Civ4 Gold pack or the Steam package.
