21-09-2001 20:49									#1
	Interface Change? Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Whoa? Did I miss something, or has the interface changed on these views of the continents? Up in the top left corner, on the borders of the small map in the bottom left, and the unit info on the bottom right, the buttons are different? What are they? Are there different views of the gameplay screens?

	21-09-2001 21:00									#2
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The earlier buttons were placement art. The buttons at the top are the Prefs, Civilopedia, and Advisors buttons, respectively.

As far as the status panel in the lower right, the previous interface had icons for diplomacy and espionage, but we wanted to add the histograph/score screen, the palace screen, and the spaceship screen to those, so that's what you have now.


Dan

	21-09-2001 21:03									#3
	Remove this text

The new look mush better for the Firaxis artists.
(Dan, make sure they get it)

Oh, and Mark didn't make a news item of the promised screens.

	21-09-2001 21:12									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Wow, thanks, it looks great.

So.... the D,E,P,H on the lower right is diplomacy, espionage, ? and histograph? What about the G on the map window in the lower left?

...oh, and what do you mean by Prefs?



Thanks again.

	21-09-2001 21:14									#5
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The P is for palace, and I think that an S for spaceship will appear under those.

	21-09-2001 21:19									#6
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quote: Originally posted by wotan321 Wow, thanks, it looks great. So.... the D,E,P,H on the lower right is diplomacy, espionage, ? and histograph? What about the G on the map window in the lower left? ...oh, and what do you mean by Prefs? Thanks again.

The "G" toggles the minimap between showing geography or territory. Prefs = preferences: quit game, audio settings, etc.


Dan

	21-09-2001 21:40									#7
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You didn't say no to the espionage. Is espionage a new large game concept? Has espionage been removed from the unit level of diplomat/spy units and placed onto advisor level? Is espionage controlled at more of a macro level now?

	21-09-2001 21:56									#8
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Thanks Dan.

The game is looking great, as is the website.

okay, since I'm here, I'll ask.... are the maps we recently received large, small, or what..... comparitively speaking.....?

Thanks again for the info you provide.

	21-09-2001 22:32									#9
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quote: Originally posted by wotan321 Thanks Dan. The game is looking great, as is the website. okay, since I'm here, I'll ask.... are the maps we recently received large, small, or what..... comparitively speaking.....? Thanks again for the info you provide.

Those were on a large map (140 x 140), standard is 100 x 100, and you can go up to 256 x 256.


Dan

	21-09-2001 22:35									#10
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS Those were on a large map (140 x 140), standard is 100 x 100, and you can go up to 256 x 256. Dan

How big will a 256 x 256-mapfile be and how mush may it be compressed using zip?

	21-09-2001 22:35									#11
	Remove this text

256 x 256 ?!?!? Boy, if someone would design a world map at that scale, you would have alot of civs REALLY growing in isolation (or there would have to be alot of ocean tiles).

	21-09-2001 22:38									#12
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quote: Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS Those were on a large map (140 x 140), standard is 100 x 100, and you can go up to 256 x 256. Dan

I´m sure this is going to be a news item soon.

	21-09-2001 22:42									#13
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Come on Dan, just say yes or no to whether the E stands for espionage. Beyond that, I'll wait till the next Ask-the-Team or Development update for more info.

	21-09-2001 23:04									#14
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quote: Originally posted by SerapisIV Come on Dan, just say yes or no to whether the E stands for espionage. Beyond that, I'll wait till the next Ask-the-Team or Development update for more info.

Sorry, I thought that was clear in my earlier response, the "E" does indeed stand for espionage. And you might as well know that Diplomats and Spies have gone the way of the caravan as well; this is all abstracted to advisor screens and game interfaces.

Dan

	21-09-2001 23:05									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Gramphos How big will a 256 x 256-mapfile be and how mush may it be compressed using zip?

When you make a map of that size in the editor, it saves out at about 940Kb, but a lot of that is uncompressed "air" from blank data structures. On maximum zip I compressed it down to about 63Kb.


Dan

	21-09-2001 23:05									#16
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quote: Come on Dan, just say yes or no to whether the E stands for espionage. Beyond that, I'll wait till the next Ask-the-Team or Development update for more info.

Maybe you should read his 1st post:

quote: Originally posted by Dan As far as the status panel in the lower right, the previous interface had icons for diplomacy and espionage, but we wanted to add the histograph/score screen, the palace screen, and the spaceship screen to those, so that's what you have now.

	21-09-2001 23:10									#17
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS When you make a map of that size in the editor, it saves out at about 940Kb, but a lot of that is uncompressed "air" from blank data structures. On maximum zip I compressed it down to about 63Kb. Dan

Good, that way they aren't as rooming as many map files I know, and they can be attached to Apolyton if they are zipped. That was exactly what I wanted to know

	21-09-2001 23:14									#18
	Continents Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

I noticed that the shown maps display some real continents, with lot of ocean around it. Quite more realistic than in earlier versions

	22-09-2001 00:06									#19
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: Originally posted by Kyller Maybe you should read his 1st post:

I worded it poorly, I was trying to figure out if the espionage was with spy units or espionage like the infiltrated datalinks of SMAC.

	22-09-2001 00:09									#20
	Re: Continents Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Tventano I noticed that the shown maps display some real continents, with lot of ocean around it. Quite more realistic than in earlier versions

I agree - it seems they have really improved the map generation algorithm from Civ 2, where you would always get scattered and squiggly continents and islands all over the map with no large oceans between.

As for the interface, while it seems very simple, I think it might take a moment to find all the options that in Civ 2 were available in the various menus now that there is no central location for all the items... I take it right-click menus are implemented, though? But still, I believe the interface will be better than Alpha Centauri, which had an overwhelming amount of menu commands.

	22-09-2001 02:16									#21
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Great info Dan, thanks.
It's just getting better and better. And sooner too.

	22-09-2001 02:19									#22
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quote: Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS Sorry, I thought that was clear in my earlier response, the "E" does indeed stand for espionage. And you might as well know that Diplomats and Spies have gone the way of the caravan as well; this is all abstracted to advisor screens and game interfaces. Dan

hahahah told you esp. would be a kingdom wide menu

	22-09-2001 03:17									#23
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So no more spys running around planting nukes in city's with SDI's?
Damn im gonna miss that.
Of course it was awefully cheap but then again i am cheap.

	22-09-2001 05:12									#24
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Hopefully they'll be a lot more espionage options now as well. I'm guessing there will be.

	22-09-2001 11:27									#25
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The irrigations still look like swamps.

	22-09-2001 13:19									#26
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quote: Originally posted by Dan Magaha FIRAXIS And you might as well know that Diplomats and Spies have gone the way of the caravan as well; this is all abstracted to advisor screens and game interfaces.

You guys have learned your CTP-lessons. Great!

Instead of tie too many important civ-functions to a growing number of CTP-style civil warfare-units (and by that, be constricted by AI unit-navigation limitations), you instead put it away in appropriate advisor-screens.

	22-09-2001 18:38									#27
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again, i just got a used copy of CTP a few days ago for $5 and the first thing i thought was "ew, those damn hebrews are converting my damn cities".

	29-09-2001 07:26									#28
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I'm gonna miss that diplomat.. He was a classic icon along with the wagon settler and the caravan..

Hope we don't lose that "hands on" feeling Sid has been talking about. I always thought that using diplomats in combination with military units was a supreme strategy. I was never any good at it, but it was very effective against me! I guess those two things are separated now?

	29-09-2001 07:54									#29
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What screenshots is everybody talking about? Could someone give me a link?

	29-09-2001 10:02									#30
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quote: Originally posted by JellyDonut What screenshots is everybody talking about? Could someone give me a link?

Check out the map-screenshot: http://www.civ3.com/gallery.cfm?startimg=19. 3 buttons in the upper left corner of the main screen and several tiny letter-buttons on the 2 mini-screens, bottom left and bottom right.