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This started as an email to Omar, but it quickly grew too epic and I decided it needed a blog post of its own.

You see, Omar linked me to some exciting feature announcements about the upcoming Civilization 5. He briefly mentioned his ambivalence at the new developments, but I found myself unable to be so terse. What follows are my impressions of the current news of the state of Civ 5.

Gorgeous! Hex-based maps lend a marked improvement in terrain appearance.

Lots to be excited and scared about! I’ll take them line by line:

Hexes

Great! 6-degrees of equal freedom is HUGE and adds stability and nuance to your traversal-based strategies. This also allows for a prettier, more organic game map, a visual leap not seen since… well, Civ 4.

No More Religion

I liked religion and corporations a LOT, but they were definitely peripheral to core gameplay. Perhaps these are more suitable as special settings, scenarios, expansions, or mods? I’m willing to make room in the game model for new, more-amazing things, but I admit it would pain me to learn that these were pulled due to social pressure (the bad mainstream).

No More Espionage

Admittedly, I didn’t use spies much, and maybe espionage doesn’t need to be done full-tilt the way Beyond the Sword finally did it, but this seems like something that shouldn’t be pulled altogether. I’m unsure. Perhaps the fact that I didn’t use it, and that most people didn’t seem to use it until they’d mastered the game is a good sign that there are better things to focus on.

One Unit Per Hex

Wow, this has immense implications. Hopefully this cuts out the pain of doing a multiple-dozen-turn arms build-up only to mount a lackluster assault against a foe who has since tech’d up. But good lord, this has fundamental, cross-cutting gameplay repercussions! I can’t even figure what else this means… What about co-occupying hexes with friendly foreigners? What about just passing through units on the road? Are workers, merchants, missionaries (oops!), settlers, etc. affected? WHAT ABOUT PROTECTING MY AGGRESSING TREBS?!?!?!?

Non-affiliated Cities

This is (potentially) genius. Cities that are not controlled by any major faction could open the doors for radical new types of gameplay. I can’t help but think of our favorite scenario, Crossroads of the World, vying for influence in mutually-uncontrolled cities. This must mean more than just non-aggressive barbarian cities, right?

Return of Advisers

Personally? Don’t waste your development resources. Not on animated advisers, and not on over-the-top leaders. Wonders of the World? Yeah baby, that’s where I want the multimedia royal treatment.

Mainstream Leanings From Civ Revolutions’ Influence

This one’s really delicate. You can take it to mean a lot of things. If it means “streamlined UI”, well, that’s hard to argue with, especially in a game that’s essentially about distilling Frigate-loads of information into actionable knowledge. If it means “your mother can beat it on Deity”… well, obviously it doesn’t mean THAT.

I think as long as the depth and nuance of the simulation is intact (and what is Civ if not a simulator?), they can’t do too much damage by “over-rounding the corners”. I mean, why SHOULDN’T your mom be able to beat the game on Dan Quayle difficulty?

“Ready! Aim! …” The One Unit Per Hex rule spreads armies thin and changes the face of combat.

Finally,

Expanded Focus on Tools

Honestly, this is pretty much the key to it all, and the reason Civ 4 started out at a solid 9 and went to fucking 11 with its expansion packs (not to mention Colonization!) A serious focus on building the tools from day one implies a solid game model, or even game model model, if you will.

I actually DON’T care about most of the mods that will be made by fans (immense love for my fellow creators, of course!)

What I DO care about is Firaxis giving itself a solid foundation to do two things:

1. build a solid, quality first-run game that will recoup some cash and justify the endeavor; and
2. build the veritable Oxford in their Library-University-Observatory city, doubling down with a couple of expansion packs for the coup de grace: the true vision of awesome, human-history simulation that we all crave to no end

Conclusion

If it wasn’t clear already, they’ve got my money regardless. Frankly, I trust the developer at this point, and that’s what really matters. My consumer heart believes that Sid is firmly on quality control, and there’s just no way to denigrate the Symphony of Awesome that was (is!) Civ 4.

Firaxis SHOULD take liberties with the game: it gives them the chance to deliver the unexpected and take the simulation to the next level.

They SHOULD cut some features: the game model must make room if we are to be wowed anew.

They SHOULD bite off a bit more than they can chew: it gives them the chance to over-deliver on the X-packs.

And honestly, they should shoot for the mainstream, if for no other reason than the fact that Civilization is probably the finest form of edutainment ever created, and I can think of no loftier goal throughout the history of humanity than teaching what needs to be taught in a way that makes people want to learn it.

(…and I’m sure I’d prefer if my stupid Civ jokes fell on less-deaf ears!)

Your thoughts and flames are welcome.