01-02-2000 02:53									#1
	Diaries with real info: 16 bit graphics! Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Finally Sid and Mike E. put real info into the last Sid's diary: they are making the graphic engine of Dino working with 16 bit graphic deep (that's 65.536 colours, if you are wondering), matching single game elements (apparently everything from Dinos to Plants) filled with 8 bit deep palette (256 colours).

And Sid announced a kind of graphic demo for a -very near- future!

Finally some meat for our theet



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Adm.Naismith AKA mcostant

	01-02-2000 03:50									#2
	Suffering from ads?

My impression was that the graphics demo was not for the public but just for EA, to show them the look. Am I wrong? I hope so.

Now the real question is, what about some info on civ3, maybe for E3?

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No permanent enemies, no permanent friends.

	01-02-2000 05:24									#3
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The graphic demo wasn't for public, it was for EA, to work on a marketing plan, etc. .

and what the hell was up with them devoting 3 pages of the diary to "who wants to be a millionare?" that was stupid. .

	01-02-2000 05:39									#4
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I guess they wanted to fill up the pages.

I think it's great they're using 16bit colours. There aren't many strategy games that use that many colours. I'm trying to think of one...

oh.. CtP did, eh. Well thats one, any others?

	01-02-2000 14:04									#5
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Reply to all:

quote: The graphic demo wasn't for public, it was for EA, to work on a marketing plan, etc. .

Oh, well, right.
I was sleeping last night and miss the "internal only" statement (or may be they add it after my announce &@%#! ).

Probably they will show it - at least some screenshot - to the public (i.e. The Press) only during a major game show. What a pity!

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Adm.Naismith AKA mcostant

	01-02-2000 16:22									#6
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Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is a bad lottery masquerading as a game show. Easy Questions for Imbecils.

The guys at FIRAXIS should have a go at You Don't Know Jack instead.

Interesting thing to note is that they're talking about a Real-time/Turn-based hybrid...
[This message has been edited by Hugo Rune (edited February 01, 2000).]

	01-02-2000 19:01									#7
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I'm personally disappointed with the 4th Diary. It wasn't as well-written as others and wasted three times on a TV show that I can't watch in my country.

But it brang two shiney news: the game pallete (that makes use of two palletes) and as Hugo Rune said, they're possibly going for a TBS/RTS hybrid, which may work very fine.

	01-02-2000 20:05									#8
	Remove this text

where exactly did you get that thing about tbs/rts hybrid?

	01-02-2000 20:45									#9
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Taken from the last page:
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In order to get to the hot seat, several contestants (along with the viewers at home, once again) must put a series of answers in the correct order faster than any of the other contestants. Although some would consider this "fast fingers" round a multiplayer click-fest, in a way it makes Millionaire a true real-time/turn-based hybrid.
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	01-02-2000 21:02									#10
	Got spare money?

I was guessing that meant that part....

what exactly does Millionaire have to do with Dinosaurs????

	02-02-2000 01:15									#11
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There are some peoples that when reading the diaries are only interested in the Dinausors Game while others are interested in the Game as well as in Game Design in general.

The peoples like myself who are into game design (even if it's only a hobby) do find the last 3 pages interesting.

	02-02-2000 01:29									#12
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you didnt understand me.
I was saying that just because the mentioned Millionaire as an rts/tbs hybrid, it doesnt mean that Dino will be one as well

	02-02-2000 02:59									#13
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

You're right Markos, it's only speculations but now we do know that they can like the tbs/rts hybrid format. Of course for all we know it might end up a first person shooter.

	02-02-2000 03:33									#14
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Hmmm... first person shooter... But what weapons will the dinos use?

	02-02-2000 14:06									#15
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To Nark:
Stones? Woods? Balls of mud? Snowballs during that nasty ice age

BTW, using stones hidden into snowballs will be considered Committing Atrocities


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Adm.Naismith AKA mcostant

	02-02-2000 18:04									#16
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Why would the Millionaire show be mentioned. I think it's an obvious hint to what we can expect from the game. I can't see why they should otherwise have wasted three pages of the diary to a television quiz.

	03-02-2000 08:38									#17
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The problem isn't with the diary. It's with the monkeys who read the diary. You people seem to consider the things that don't interest you to be a "waste". It's a designer diary. Firaxis is taking us through the creative process. The creative process is not always filled with "eye-catching" screenshots, or "important" design decisions. The "Millionaire" part of the diary didn't interest me much either. But at least I wasnt ignorant enough to call it a complete waste.

	03-02-2000 09:28									#18
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I completely agree with RenderDrone, it's a designer diary, those peoples are game designers and surprise they talk about game design even if it's a TV show.

Judging by the 455 some pages of the Civ III wishlist and all the talk on this forum about game design I am very surprise to see those criticism about the last 3 pages.

	03-02-2000 15:21									#19
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

RenderDrone, I didn't complain about "Millionaire" part, but I want to point out I'm an european monkey, not an american one

So I don't know the TV show they are speaking about and I miss a lot of the point you find so interesting.

Sometimes I wonder if we really are into the "global internet world" or in the "USA internet yard"

I mean, I have nothing against USA people, only I think they need to remember they are not alone. We can write more or less in english, we can share CIV and SMAC knowledge, but here and there we fall into the holes that differentiate our cultures (and the TV show ).

Are Firaxian wrong because they speak about what they know? Of course not!
Should Firaxian put more attention to non-USA player (a good piece of their customer, I must add)?

A resounding YES is the only way to go, IMO.

By example with straigther e faster translation of game patches (yes that probably is a distibutor's fault, but I didn't care of their supply chain, I buy the Firaxis/Sid brand and a Firaxis product, they must take care of the whole process) and with better attention to globalize their games background and their communication effort.

Again, nothing to kill Firaxis for, but if I can politely suggest... "Millionaire example" is NOT the best way to go.

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Adm.Naismith AKA mcostant

[This message has been edited by Adm.Naismith (edited February 03, 2000).]

	04-02-2000 10:26									#20
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Good point Adam.

As I said on the previous post, the whole diary disappointed me, it was not as well-written or interesting as the others. It seemed to me that they didn't had much to say and they just kept those three pages to fill space. They were very boring. To make things worse, I never watched that show (it isn't broadcasted here in Brazil).

About the discussion about TBS/RTS hybrid, they've showed us that a TBS/RTS hybrid like the Millionaire Show can work very well on a game, that's why they think a TBS/RTS can work very well on Dinos.

Ah, the last thing, if you're going to get things as personal as monkeys warn me first.

NoviceMONKEY

	04-02-2000 02:14									#21
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At least the Millionaire part was separated from the "real" diary.

It seemed to me they were trying to present an idea for the actual game through all that drivel about the gameshow. Maybe the evolution system will be loosely based on how the questions are tiered on Who..Millionaire .

Then again maybe I need to lay off the cactus.

	04-02-2000 10:45									#23
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Quote from the recent diaries: "Wouldn't my spouse look so great in the audience, rooting me on?"

I'm sorry, but the images this statement creates in my mind is far from what poor American chump intended. It is an international audience checking out these diaries, not American alone.

Bkeela.

	04-02-2000 20:35									#24
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Adm.: The Only problem with your argument is that "Who want's to be a Millionaire" is a British Game Show Concept that was exported to the US.

And it's also gone to a lot of European countries. The diary is Not America-Specific.

	06-02-2000 04:17									#26
	Put an end to popups!

Good for you all , great ideas, keep up the "good" work

	06-02-2000 05:12									#27
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Ok Hugo, that's really a info I miss. Here in Italy we have so much TV show (mainly format bought from other country, as the Netherland) I probably never come across that "Millionaire" clone... or we haven't bought it after all I must add I spent really few time watching TV (news and movie apart), because reading book and playing game is more than enough to fill the best part of my free time (two young sons and my wife fill almost every available space, you know ).

My part into this thread, about this subject, ends here, because I understand is really going out of control and - raised from a small complain - is now missing the main target.

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Adm.Naismith AKA mcostant