reporting in: some observations and suggestions by a 'new b3ta'

[ccs1074]

Count repetitive suggestions below as +1 for each. This list represents some thoughts and discussion from the past couple of days of playing. Presently nearing completion of a third match, first of two played simultaneously.

PRAISE

• Graphics and UI feel consistent. Bar graphs and color-coding simplify character recognition.
• Animation cute and amusing with sufficient clarity. I personally like the artists reading their books.
• "Tech maze" and "art swap" excellent ideas, well rendered.
• Market on the whole successful, although exploits possible.

SUGGESTIONS

• Planning
  Civ chat doesn't retain discussion long enough to keep other members informed of overall discussion/planning.
  Possible cause: people playing in different times zones w/ different schedules.
  Possible remedy: restrict each game to a specific time zone or range of times zones. OR/AND Improved chat or BB system for ranked members.
• Caravan
  Most people I've spoken with hate this game.
  Possible cause: Random and disjunctive -- i.e., no "start over" option, strong dependence on initial, random conditions. Rewards trivial.
  Possible remedy: Scrap this game entirely and replace it with something more like 'Privateering', and have the results factor into the commodities market. Allow rewards in food, or production, or money based on which exit is chosen, but make the overall completion affect the price of a random commodity. Also, pirates.
• Commodities
  Clearly the commodities are the counterparts of civilization output: oxen:farmer, silk:artist, marble:worker, incense:scientist? Most people don't understand commodities, although there's little to explain.
  Possible cause: presented as a product or resource in the market, but no reference elsewhere.
  Possible remedy: Allow these to be acquired through other games -- in mazes, under art tiles, by passing through checkpoints in the 'caravan'.
• Black market
  The market fluctuation is deterministic. Introducing random variation as a result of other game mechanics may help prevent exploitation.
  Possible cause: Strong interdependence between volume and sale price -- like an ideal stock exchange. Leads to price fixing; also unrealistic.
  Possible remedy: Completing other game objectives may affect one of these variables in a chaotic way.
• Science output v. Technology Maze
  Maze progress becomes very difficult without massive science output in the later stages of the game.
  Possible cause: Seems like the total science output to gain moves in the maze varies, higher amount required for late-game mazes / bigger rewards.
  Possibleremedy: Allow gathering science output in the Art Swap/"Caravan". Also, adjust later-game totals to allow more movement, and reduce reward. People enjoy playing/discovering the mazes, not waiting around to make moves.
• De-compartmentalization
  All the sub-games are walled off from one another!
  Possible remedy: Make the games reflect greater interdependence between science, culture, production, etc. More so, as games progress.
• Meritocracy
  This needs to be a persistent feature of the game, not a wonder or a policy. If you can't check-in at least once in 30 hours or so, you have better things to do, and need to make room for other interested players. Also, Civs can easily get pushed into a war against another nation with votes that persist from false or inactive accounts, circumventing the benefit of "The Great Wall", unless these are actively purged.

BUGS

• Chat adds a period at the end of each line. Nobody cares if their pal misses a period, but seeing this: "?." or this: ".." annoys players. The solution to a problem caused a bigger mess than the problem itself!
• Mouse-over in main toolbar/city dashboard not synchronized.
• False messages on login "Your Nation has entered a battle."
• Tooltip/UI for upgrading structures interferes with bonus resources (and vice versa).
• Relocate house button unresponsive/laggy.
• Messages in news about achievements regarding players in other civs seem impertinent.

Looking forward to playing more Civ World -- nice start.

[Lagwolf]

I would agree with most of this. My big gripe is that the game comes across as a decent FB game rather than a Civ game. There is something missing from it to make extra special. It seems to be stuck betwixt the two games, being neither. I tend to find it rather dull to play. I know its not going to be as exciting as a proper Civ game, but it does come across as a bit slow moving.

Then again its meant to be a social game & the bunch that have banned anyone joining them and are 7 people are dominating the game. Its such a farce its funny.

[ccs1074]

This one game has lasted since the end of last week -- I know it was a holiday weekend in the U.S., but seriously five days?! Yeah, very slow-paced.

[Mythdracon]

I think if you could choose the pace of the game, people stuck to their nations more, had interesting terrain differences and nation bonus differences....then it'd feel more like Civ. Right now it's not quite Civ, but it's still a fun game, I find. Just deeply flawed in some areas (market exploitation, sucky caravan game, obnoxious UI in some cases, and players manipulating victories and losses).

[Glinda]

Speaking as one of the seven people (or so I assume) I find the game hilarious and awesome, but i see where you are coming from.

I don't agree on the time zones, but I agree hugely on the mazes. As the mazes get MUCH bigger, it gets tons harder to get moves, which means they become irrelevant, which is sad.