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Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 11:05:48 AM

JudgeDredd

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Should've been released in the States yesterday...anyone get it? I'd be interested to know what you think. It's released here on Friday hopefully.

I was looking forward to it....that and Hells Highway which is due out the beginning of next month

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 11:41:31 AM

Grell

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I am so out of the loop on computer games it's not funny. I though it was coming out in 6 months.

Regards,

Greg

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 11:55:25 AM

Krasny

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According to Play, it's been released.

Amazon says 26.9.08.

< Message edited by Krasny -- 9/23/2008 11:56:59 AM >

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 11:57:50 AM

JudgeDredd

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US = 22/09/2008
EUR = 26/09/2008

AFAIK

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 12:01:59 PM

Greybriar

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I phoned the closest Circuit City store to me yesterday and they informed me it would be in stock tomorrow (Wednesday, September 24th).

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 2:09:12 PM

sol_invictus

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I plan to run down the street to BestBuy early this afternoon and grab it.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 2:25:13 PM

Phatguy

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Since I cant go traipsing off to stores till my doc gives me an ok to drive, I have to wait for a weekend or order online.... did the online thingie..hope it get here before the weekend

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 7:58:13 PM

Hertston

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Dunno about this one. I lost weeks to the original (much more fun than Civ), but somehow I don't think going back will be anywhere near as good. A bit like 'Pirates!'.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/23/2008 9:10:42 PM

JudgeDredd

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I loved the original and actually "stumbled" on Civilisation because I thought it was a remake of Colonisation.

I think Hertston is probably right...I've had the "trip down memory lane" before and it didn't turn out as I had hoped. Plus I'm a bit dubious aboyt it being the Civilisation engine...is it going to be that different??

That said, I'll probably get it because it IS Colonisation

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 1:00:38 AM

PunkReaper

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The heart will definately rule the head with this one. I'll be there on Friday, just hope it doesn't disappoint.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 1:05:52 AM

PunkReaper

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Just noticed that Commander: Napoleon at War from Slitherine is in the shops as well this month.....kids are going to go hungry again

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 2:30:03 AM

sabre1

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PK, Matrix is showing the new Napoleon at War from Slitherine in their catalog lineup.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 2:30:37 AM

sabre1

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Errr, I meant PR.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 2:52:28 PM

105mm Howitzer

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In their preview of the game, PC Gamer rated it enthusisticaly. Apparently, Fireaxis have been getting a lot of comments about a Civ-related game covering the colonization of the Americas. I'm still gonna wait out on this one, as the prices are sky-high upon release, but bound to come down by Christmas.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 2:55:38 PM

Phatguy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: 105mm Howitzer

In their preview of the game, PC Gamer rated it enthusisticaly. Apparently, Fireaxis have been getting a lot of comments about a Civ-related game covering the colonization of the Americas. I'm still gonna wait out on this one, as the prices are sky-high upon release, but bound to come down by Christmas.

Well, you really cant say its sky high at 30 bucks....

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 3:16:06 PM

JudgeDredd

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�17.99 from Play.com...can't be bad

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 4:01:11 PM

JudgeDredd

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Unfortunately my fears are coming to fruition...

From a post over at The Wargamer...I hope they don't mind me quoting them.

quote:

It hit the streets yesterday. I, of course, ran out and got it. Although its got that Sid "just one more turn" addictive quality, I'm still sorry to say that I'm disappointed. It feels like a mod of Civ IV and not a "remake" of the classic colonization game. The $29.99 price tag is a good hint that this is little more than a Civ IV expansion. Although it incorporates concepts of the the classic title, it plays almost exactly like standard Civ IV. In fact, I don't think the old Colonization is even mentioned anywhere in the 72 page manual. But of course, Civ IV is printed all over the place.

If you like Civ IV, you'll still like this. But if you're looking for the magic that was the classic colonization, sorry...you'll be disappointed as I was.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 5:00:43 PM

Panzeh

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I'm not sure where the Wargamer is coming from here. A more cogent criticism would be that it's too much like the old Col to be worth the money, because about 80% of the game is a pure remake.

It has a lot of little changes, but most of the changes seem to come in the form of making transparent game mechanics for things that were not shown in the old col, for example the education system and the founding fathers system.

I don't get what the hell they're talking about, though. I have the game and could be more specific if you'd like.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 5:04:37 PM

Barthheart

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Panzeh

I'm not sure where the Wargamer is coming from here.� A more cogent criticism would be that it's too much like the old Col to be worth the money, because about 80% of the game is a pure remake.

It has a lot of little changes, but most of the changes seem to come in the form of making transparent game mechanics for things that were not shown in the old col, for example the education system and the founding fathers system.

I don't get what the hell they're talking about, though.� I have the game and could be more specific if you'd like.

Yes please do give us your opinion, the more the better. Very interested in this game.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 5:11:27 PM

JudgeDredd

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Panzeh

I'm not sure where the Wargamer is coming from here.� A more cogent criticism would be that it's too much like the old Col to be worth the money, because about 80% of the game is a pure remake.

It has a lot of little changes, but most of the changes seem to come in the form of making transparent game mechanics for things that were not shown in the old col, for example the education system and the founding fathers system.

I don't get what the hell they're talking about, though.� I have the game and could be more specific if you'd like.

God...I wished I hadn't quoted his post now.

It wasn't a "wargamer" view, nor was it anything to do with The Wargamer. It was one persons insight into it. He's bought it and played it (for however long I have no idea) and he said exactly what I quoted above. It's his own personal view. He is entitled it.

As for my view, I do not have it yet, but as I already mentioned above, it looks very much like Civilisation IV...nevermind the fact it's ptinted all over it...so he probably has a point...it probably is more like an expansion to Civ IV. Whether Sid and his team meant it like that I don't know...all I know is when I looked at the screenshots, I thought Civ IV...not Colonization....but I was still hopeful of a remake of the original.

I'll wait and see is my finding.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 6:12:01 PM

Panzeh

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Barthheart
Yes please do give us your opinion, the more the better. Very interested in this game.

I will say that the look is all civ4. It's pretty much built on the civ4 engine and looks like civ4 with some graphical improvements. Other than that, though, it's a fairly faithful remake of col.

The underlying mechanics are all col. The economic system is nearly identical and is the least touched part of the game. The primary improvement in that regard is the ability for pioneers to improve land not only by plowing fields but by building lodges and mines.

The most dramatic change is probably to the founding fathers system. Instead of simply building liberty bells to get your pick of one of five founding fathers, you also have to accumulate score points in a field as well as liberty bells to be eligible for a specific founding father. The game keeps a running count of how many liberty bells and (military/exploration/economic/religious) points, and you can either settle for a lesser founding father or save up for a greater founding father down the line. The availability of a FF is based on points rather than time, specifically.

Politically, you have pretty much the same options you have in original col, but you have borders that you can make other colonies respect by denying open borders. The borders of your settlements expand as you produce liberty bells, but you can still only work adjacent tiles. Indians have no political borders nor do they respect colonial political borders, but they still don't like you settling next to them, and usually past the first city they will start charging to allow you to settle near them or risk angering them. Unlike in the original col, you don't buy Indian land piecemeal, when you settle down you get all of the squares around the settlement. The king not only makes demands by raising taxes now but also will simply ask for money directly. You can also ask the king for military support and he will sell you military units.

Militarily, they've gone in the civ4 direction with it(though civ4's original combat system was very similar to col's), adding in promotions for units, especially veteran soldiers. Combat will now destroy the defeated unit unless it is attacking cavalry which has a chance of retreating. The advantage of veterans has been changed from a simple increase in strength to getting experience much more quickly and thus receiving promotions which increase their strength and combat bonuses in certain situations. Dragoons are now not universally better than foot soldiers as they do not receive defensive bonuses. A new ship type was added, the Ship of the Line, which can be built and purchased, and it's a ship with the same strength as a frigate but has a bonus against frigates. The King's soldiers now have a bonus against settlements, giving the human player a good reason to meet them in the field. Also, great generals have been added. You get them for winning battles, and they will give units in their stack free promotions.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 6:21:13 PM

Barthheart

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Thanks for that. That pretty much describes what I was expecting... so maybe I'll pick it up.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 6:35:37 PM

PunkReaper

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Thanks Panzeh a really helpful post.....not as sure as i was over this one but so far I'll still be there in the queue on Friday.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 8:10:03 PM

LarryP

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I'll pass on this one. I have owned all of the Civilization versions and several of the other relative titles as well. I still play Civ4 with the two expansions it has and that has more goodies than I can play for years to come!

Looking at the pictures, it's nothing more than another expansion to Civ4 but with better 3d graphics.

Frankly, I'm tired of Sid.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 8:40:26 PM

JudgeDredd

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quote:

ORIGINAL: LarryP

I'll pass on this one. I have owned all of the Civilization versions and several of the other relative titles as well. I still play Civ4 with the two expansions it has and that has more goodies than I can play for years to come!

Looking at the pictures, it's nothing more than another expansion to Civ4 but with better 3d graphics.

Frankly, I'm tired of Sid.

Oh that's abit harsh...no-one can be tired of Sid

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 10:27:37 PM

LarryP

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That was a play on words Judge. Frankly, Sid?

You have yet to read harsh from me.

Seriously, I am tired of his Civ games. Clickfests with tons of bugs. Every version. Civ3 I can't play at all anymore due to some issues that lock the game up on all my PC's. That's my favorite version too but can't play it. It happens when I am deep into a game. I couldn't play Civ4 until this last patch, the fourth one.

I also own Pirates and it is a bit different than the Civ games. It's pretty good too. I like the Civ series but I wish he would try something different and NOT a Railroad Tycoon either. I would like to see him do a good hex based war strategy. He has the talent do do one well, and better than what has come out so far.

It's kind of ironic but PCGamer came today in our snail mail and Colonization got an 84%. It also says that the "Revolution is punishingly difficult." Also "combat imbalances."

On the plus side it says "Addictive gameplay, high replayability factor, trade automation, excellent music and graphics."

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 11:13:45 PM

JudgeDredd

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Yeah I was just pullin your plonker m8.

Civ IV was one of those games I love, and still do when I fire it up, but then I just feel like I'm along for the ride...the game tells you what to build ever turn, you just got to accept it!

But when I do go back to Civ IV, it always has been those "one more turn" games.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/24/2008 11:40:48 PM

cdbeck

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Hey all, I have it (got it from a Gamestop, gonna miss that in France)!

So far, so good. Pretty challenging game, but it is very true to the old colonization style (although, to be fair, I did not play colonization very much in the old days). I agree with the above, the game looks exactly like Civ4, not surprising, as it was built from the engine as sort of a "total conversion" mod. The gameplay is significantly different from Civ4 and it should not be seen as even really the same game, in as much as the orginal Civ was not the same game as the orginal Colonization.

There are a TON of strategic possibilities here. Do you put newcoming colonists into one city to make a metropolis, do you spread them out, do you sacrifice one precious precious worker to make a military unit to deal with other nations or the natives, do you emphasize liberty bells (to expand cultural borders and rebellion level) or do you emphasize religion to get faster colonies? All great choices, and all viable in their own way.

There is a good amount of micromanagement here... and it can get a bit over the top for those that don't want to juggle colonists or ship goods. Luckily, the import/export feature and the trade route plannner make some of this a bit better, and you can have your wagon trains automatically supply colonies with different goods back and forth. It works rather well, but the auto-colonist placement is not as successful (and frankly, juggling your workforce is most of what this game is about, so why would you want to automate it). The scale, and the map, are both much smaller than a Civ game. Having 5-6 colonies is a big task and one that will need decent management and tending. Obviously, you could just set up small resource "posts" that serve to gather one good and ship it to larger processing colonies, but this will require wagon trains and infrastructure (in the form of roads).

You will hate the monarch. This is natural. The actual colonists hated their monarch too. Taxes will tick you off. Random demands for money will REALLY tick you off. Just as soon as you get the 3000 gold you need to buy the cool military unit or boat you wanted, the king will ask you for a "donation" of 640+ gold. He/she is a right b*@#%@#d. Eventually, your economy will get into swing and this will be less of a problem.

There are some flaws here. One was instantly apparent. I booted up the game, sat down to pick my faction. Ah, here we are - France (bonus to deal with Natives), Spain (bonus to kill Natives), England (bonus to liberty bells), the Dutch (bonus to trade), and Portu.... WAIT, NO PORTUGAL!?!?!?! Seriously, the game is called "Colonization," the orginal Civ4 that the game is based on has the Portuguese, but they decided to NOT INCLUDE ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC COLONIZING NATIONS IN THE GAME?! I love the Dutch and all, but Portugal was far more involved in serious New World colonization than the Dutch (and yes, this is said by a guy currently living in New Amsterdam). The Portuguese should be added and given some sort of bonus to exploration or something like that.

Next, the goods are a bit without personality. I really don't feel much of a difference from monopolizing the coat market, than the cloth market or the cigar market. Sure, the prices are different, and they rise and fall, but it all seems like you could have created a catch-all "finished goods" and be just as well off. The natives demand different things, but I have seen little benefit in trading with the native over trading with Europe. Maybe I just haven't played enough yet.

Otherwise, a great game at a decent price (here anyway). Good for a quick and rather addictive play. I would give it somewhere around 85/100, if I were into arbitrary and highly suibjective numerical reviewing.

SoM

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/25/2008 3:19:58 AM

Obsolete

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I have Civ IV, and let me tell you, Colonization is the same thing, except with a few mod changes. Oh, and the gui has been spiced up to simulate a different game, but you can tell it's still Civ IV.

I never was a hard-core colonization freak, but there are a few negative threads by fans over at the civfanatics site. Right now, I just wish there was a new Civil War General game coming out, *hint, hint. Alright, I'd settle for Panzer General IV as well.

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RE: Civ IV Colonization - 9/25/2008 4:18:22 AM

Greybriar

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Well, what did you expect, Obsolete? It's got the same engine as Civ4. It's different enough to have another name, at least in part.

I finally got Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization today and I think it's the best game that's been released for quite awhile. I wouldn't call myself a hard-core Colonization freak but I also have the original installed on my Vista PC and I still fire it up from time to time. OK, maybe I am just a little bit of a Colonization freak.

At any rate, I wouldn't pay too much attention to some of the complainers. It's kind of like my old 1st Sergeant used to say when I was in the Army: "Some people just aren't happy unless they are complaining."

Some folks would even complain if you hung them with a new rope.

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