Civ4 interruption -- a "modder's dream" or needless complication?
Well, I've got Civ4. I have to say, I've been with the Civ series since day one (and Sid Meier games before that). Love the series. Along comes #4. Two things:
1) I'm impressed by the gameplay;
2) I'm utterly underwhelmed by the "editor", which in fact isn't an (as in, one) editor, but multiple pieces that have to all be used to create anything worthwhile.
Civ3 had an editor "in one place" -- aka, one interface to randomly generate maps, tweak the maps, tweak game rules, etc. One can argue about how "powerful" Civ3's editor was, but it did provide an easy-to-use tool with a large range of "power" to the majority of players.
Civ4 has... well, there is no easy place to go to just randomly generate a map and tweak it. You have to go through the process of starting a new game, then go into the World Builder, make changes there, and then save it there. Want to randomly generate a different terrain map? Exit out to the main menu, go through the "start new game" process again, and re-enter the world builder. That is to say, many extra steps to accomplish something that was simple in the prior game's editor.
Want to edit rules? Civ3, one editor, go in and check it off. Civ4? Well, that depends. Some are in XML files, so you'd best learn how to be careful in editting XML (not difficult, but a few second's thought realises that not all, and certainly not most, people are familiar with it). Some are in Python files, now requiring you to go find a Python editor and learn how to edit those files. So now we're at three different programs and places to achieve something basic, like altering a few basic rules and making a new map. Civ3? One editor, one place, simple. Civ4? Multiple programs required, specialised skill required (the bulk of the masses are not familiar with XML or Python editing). And that isn't it for Civ4, since neither the Python script, XML, or World Builder still does everything -- for the last bits, you'll need the FOURTH part of the CIv4 modding capacities, which is to be released sometime in 2006 as an SDK (Software Development Kit). So now, to do something simple and quick, like toss off a random map, tweak it, customize a couple of rules, alter the color of your country's borders and such, you have to: go into the game, randomly create a map through the new game process, go into the world builder from there, decide if the random world is something you want to work with... (deep breath), if it isn't, you have to go back out to the main menu and repeat again until you get a basic map that's a good "starting point" for your customizing of it. Okay. Now that we've gone in and out of the new game process several dozen times, just to get a basic map that we'd like to tweak, we can place things in the World Builder and alter the terrain. Fine. Now I'd like to tweak the color -- oops, can't do that from the World Builder or any program provided with the game. So, open Textpad, a basic way to edit XML (though not everyone knows that), and then go on a hunting expedition to figure out for yourself which of the very many XML files in the various game directories are actually the ones you need (good luck, there's nothing included with the game to help you at all with this). Find it, edit the XML specific to country coloring, resave. (deep breath). Now I'd like to tweak a few rules about gameplay -- hm. Do I look in the XML files, or the Python files? Oops. Gotta get a Python editor first. Go find that. Download it. (deep breath). Well, there's no help in the game to say "these rules are in these files", so it's time to start rooting around through literally dozens and dozens and dozens of files to find the right parts of the singular file(s) I need to open to alter. (deep breath) Okay. So several hours later of random searching and going through the process above, and now I've located what I need to change. Now, I'm familiar with XML, but have no experience with Python, so... how do I alter something if it's in the Python scripts? Hm. Now I need to go self-teach myself how to read and edit Python. Fast-forward to ... oh, forget it. This is beyond ridiculous.
Do I want a lot of power to edit/mod the game? Sure. But the labor required just to learn how to START -- learn XML; learn Python; learn whatever is going to be required for the SDK; go through the four different stages of creating ONE mod or a few minor changes -- is assinine. Civ3 wasn't the best editor in the world, but it put a lot of power in a simple-to-use place and let the neophyte (read: most people don't have a reason to know XML and Python and the SDK languages) create maps and tweak rules easily. It followed the oldest rule of software development: create something that combines depth and capacity and filters it through an easy-to-use interface. The Civ4 rule is exactly the opposite.
I've loved this series and its easy-access to the masses, both in the game and the modding. The "holier than thou" attitude on most of the Civ boards (quote: "if you can't be bothered to learn all this, you don't deserve the game"; "go find a baby's game"; and other enlightened pieces of self-absorbed arrogance) is so disgusting and counter-productive that it's brought the worst of the online MMORPG communities into the Civ communities, and that's a terrific shame. Here's a clue: not everyone has the hours required to learn new skills and programming languages/skills just for a game, because they want to do something so overwhelming as generate random maps and make a few quick tweaks. Nothing is quick about the modding in Civ4, nor is it simple, nor is it geared for "the most access for the most people". Modding in Civ4 is the exclusive domain of those who already have all those skills or have an abundance of time (and desire) to learn all of it. And that's a shame. I'd rather a game that offered 75% of the power and capacity for the editor that in doing so opened up editing to more people, than have the arrogant elitists the only ones who will be doing so. It's a shame, and it runs contrary to the philosophy of the prior Civ games, which was to bring the ultimate game (in all respects) to the most people.
Civ 2 and Civ 3 still sit on my hard drive, and they're still played. That's a testament to the strength of those games. I never considered returning the games, nor haunting forums to complain about things. Civ3 made mistakes, but they were rapidly fixed and they weren't fundamental to the overall philosophy -- the games were still time-sucking turn-based masterpieces, with editors that the masses could easily get into and crank out maps and tweak rules for fun.
Civ4 is the first Civ game I have ever considered returning. The abandoning of the philosophy of giving the most power to the most people, including and especially the ability to mod/tweak the game's map and rules, is a complete stab-in-the-back for a lot of us who have been here since the beginning. And it's a profound shame.
I've interrupted my commentary on MMORPGs, but Civ is the one line of games that has never failed in any aspect, even across multiple generations of the game and literally more than a decade of time. This is the first time that they've specifically released "editing capacities" that are contrary to the philosophy of opening the game up to the most players. And it's a shame.
1) I'm impressed by the gameplay;
2) I'm utterly underwhelmed by the "editor", which in fact isn't an (as in, one) editor, but multiple pieces that have to all be used to create anything worthwhile.
Civ3 had an editor "in one place" -- aka, one interface to randomly generate maps, tweak the maps, tweak game rules, etc. One can argue about how "powerful" Civ3's editor was, but it did provide an easy-to-use tool with a large range of "power" to the majority of players.
Civ4 has... well, there is no easy place to go to just randomly generate a map and tweak it. You have to go through the process of starting a new game, then go into the World Builder, make changes there, and then save it there. Want to randomly generate a different terrain map? Exit out to the main menu, go through the "start new game" process again, and re-enter the world builder. That is to say, many extra steps to accomplish something that was simple in the prior game's editor.
Want to edit rules? Civ3, one editor, go in and check it off. Civ4? Well, that depends. Some are in XML files, so you'd best learn how to be careful in editting XML (not difficult, but a few second's thought realises that not all, and certainly not most, people are familiar with it). Some are in Python files, now requiring you to go find a Python editor and learn how to edit those files. So now we're at three different programs and places to achieve something basic, like altering a few basic rules and making a new map. Civ3? One editor, one place, simple. Civ4? Multiple programs required, specialised skill required (the bulk of the masses are not familiar with XML or Python editing). And that isn't it for Civ4, since neither the Python script, XML, or World Builder still does everything -- for the last bits, you'll need the FOURTH part of the CIv4 modding capacities, which is to be released sometime in 2006 as an SDK (Software Development Kit). So now, to do something simple and quick, like toss off a random map, tweak it, customize a couple of rules, alter the color of your country's borders and such, you have to: go into the game, randomly create a map through the new game process, go into the world builder from there, decide if the random world is something you want to work with... (deep breath), if it isn't, you have to go back out to the main menu and repeat again until you get a basic map that's a good "starting point" for your customizing of it. Okay. Now that we've gone in and out of the new game process several dozen times, just to get a basic map that we'd like to tweak, we can place things in the World Builder and alter the terrain. Fine. Now I'd like to tweak the color -- oops, can't do that from the World Builder or any program provided with the game. So, open Textpad, a basic way to edit XML (though not everyone knows that), and then go on a hunting expedition to figure out for yourself which of the very many XML files in the various game directories are actually the ones you need (good luck, there's nothing included with the game to help you at all with this). Find it, edit the XML specific to country coloring, resave. (deep breath). Now I'd like to tweak a few rules about gameplay -- hm. Do I look in the XML files, or the Python files? Oops. Gotta get a Python editor first. Go find that. Download it. (deep breath). Well, there's no help in the game to say "these rules are in these files", so it's time to start rooting around through literally dozens and dozens and dozens of files to find the right parts of the singular file(s) I need to open to alter. (deep breath) Okay. So several hours later of random searching and going through the process above, and now I've located what I need to change. Now, I'm familiar with XML, but have no experience with Python, so... how do I alter something if it's in the Python scripts? Hm. Now I need to go self-teach myself how to read and edit Python. Fast-forward to ... oh, forget it. This is beyond ridiculous.
Do I want a lot of power to edit/mod the game? Sure. But the labor required just to learn how to START -- learn XML; learn Python; learn whatever is going to be required for the SDK; go through the four different stages of creating ONE mod or a few minor changes -- is assinine. Civ3 wasn't the best editor in the world, but it put a lot of power in a simple-to-use place and let the neophyte (read: most people don't have a reason to know XML and Python and the SDK languages) create maps and tweak rules easily. It followed the oldest rule of software development: create something that combines depth and capacity and filters it through an easy-to-use interface. The Civ4 rule is exactly the opposite.
I've loved this series and its easy-access to the masses, both in the game and the modding. The "holier than thou" attitude on most of the Civ boards (quote: "if you can't be bothered to learn all this, you don't deserve the game"; "go find a baby's game"; and other enlightened pieces of self-absorbed arrogance) is so disgusting and counter-productive that it's brought the worst of the online MMORPG communities into the Civ communities, and that's a terrific shame. Here's a clue: not everyone has the hours required to learn new skills and programming languages/skills just for a game, because they want to do something so overwhelming as generate random maps and make a few quick tweaks. Nothing is quick about the modding in Civ4, nor is it simple, nor is it geared for "the most access for the most people". Modding in Civ4 is the exclusive domain of those who already have all those skills or have an abundance of time (and desire) to learn all of it. And that's a shame. I'd rather a game that offered 75% of the power and capacity for the editor that in doing so opened up editing to more people, than have the arrogant elitists the only ones who will be doing so. It's a shame, and it runs contrary to the philosophy of the prior Civ games, which was to bring the ultimate game (in all respects) to the most people.
Civ 2 and Civ 3 still sit on my hard drive, and they're still played. That's a testament to the strength of those games. I never considered returning the games, nor haunting forums to complain about things. Civ3 made mistakes, but they were rapidly fixed and they weren't fundamental to the overall philosophy -- the games were still time-sucking turn-based masterpieces, with editors that the masses could easily get into and crank out maps and tweak rules for fun.
Civ4 is the first Civ game I have ever considered returning. The abandoning of the philosophy of giving the most power to the most people, including and especially the ability to mod/tweak the game's map and rules, is a complete stab-in-the-back for a lot of us who have been here since the beginning. And it's a profound shame.
I've interrupted my commentary on MMORPGs, but Civ is the one line of games that has never failed in any aspect, even across multiple generations of the game and literally more than a decade of time. This is the first time that they've specifically released "editing capacities" that are contrary to the philosophy of opening the game up to the most players. And it's a shame.
posted by Thurken | 11:27 AM
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