Civilization Q&A Round Two

We’ve gone back to the forums and rounded up more questions from Civilization fans and sent them off to the team at Firaxis for answers. Click below to read the second installment in our Q&A.

What is the button layout like and how do you integrate with DS controls?
The transition from mouse and keyboard to the console controllers and DS controls was one of our main focuses. We had to rethink the way that Civilization was played in the traditional sense and have had great results that make using the controller very intuitive – console and DS gamers will immediately feel at home. The DS game can be played with the stylus or the buttons or both…whatever is most comfortable for the player.

What is the difference between the game on DS, 360, and PS3?
All three versions of Civilization Revolution have the exact same game core. The differences lie in the game technology and the ways in which we designed the game to optimize the different platforms. The console versions will look very similar. The presentation of the DS version was designed to fit that platform, so the graphics will look very different from the consoles, but the gameplay experience will be the same- it has all of the same features that the console versions have.

Will there be scenarios?
Yes, Civ Revolution will ship with scenarios and we’ll be offering some scenario packs for download on Xbox Live and PSN after the release of the game.

What are the max units you can have?
Sid doesn’t believe in putting artificial caps in the game, however he designed Civ Rev so that the cost and progression of units keeps increasing so players have to strategize what they’ll build and when, in order to ensure a win. Simply creating tons of units will not be a successful path to victory.

What is religion like now?
Religion is now part of your Civ’s culture. Players can increase their culture by building cathedrals, temples and various religious wonders. Also, if you choose to research religion it can lead to the discovery of Fundamentalism.

How do you upgrade units?
Units receive upgrades after accomplishing certain tasks in the game. For instance, a unit would receive an upgrade after winning a certain number of battles in a row, or by defeating an enemy unit of greater ability. You also have the option of healing units after a battle, so they maintain their strength, and once they reach a certain experience level, you can also apply other upgrades, like greater movement, city infiltration, etc.

How do armies work?
When you have three or more of the same military units in one city you can press a button and form an army (Y on the Xbox 360 controller, triangle on the PS3 controller and X on the DS). If one of the joined units has experience upgrades, then all the units in the new army receive the upgrades automatically. Armies then fight as one powerful unit, giving them a great advantage in battle versus single units.

Will there be a synopsis of the game after you are complete, how everyone did?
When you win a game you’ll see an entire recap of your game highlighting your big accomplishments in each era and calling out the amazing things you did to become the ruler of the world!

What kind of work has gone into creating an interface for console systems? Was designing a Civ UI for a gamepad a major challenge?
As we mentioned above, the transition from mouse and keyboard to the console controllers and DS controls was one of our main focuses in developing Civ Rev. We spent a great deal of time re-mapping the commands for the controllers so that they will feel natural and intuitive, as well as creating a UI that is easy to use, seamlessly integrated into the game, and delivers all of the information a players needs to build their empire.  Since Civilization is a turn-based game we didn’t have to sacrifice any of the depth – the game will wait for you to make your decisions.  The depth comes from the way all of the individual decisions add up to create something epic. 

How many saves can you have for each system, especially pertaining to DS?
You’ll be able to have up to 10 saves on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 has unlimited saves. You can have up to 5 on the DS.

Will there be a demo?
Yes. We’re planning to release a demo on Xbox Live and PSN closer to the release of the game.

What features from past Civ games have made their way into CivRev? Are there specific features from Civ 1/2/3/4?
We approached the design of Civ Revolution in such a way that we didn’t have to leave any major features behind, rather we took all of the things from the previous Civs that made them such fun games and brought them into the Civilization Revolution design and then built the game from that foundation. We’ve also added in many new features not found in previous Civ games, like relics, armies, and Game of the Week.

How does city management work? How is it different from previous Civs?
The beautifully designed city management screen has all of the information players need to lead their nation to victory. With the push of a button players can access the city management screen in-game and determine which units and structures to build, how to make their cities more productive through worker management, construct a road to adjoining cities, or start construction of a powerful Wonder. Managing cities is much more intuitive and less cumbersome than in previous Civs.

Can you show us excerpts of the Civilopedia? What’s new and different about it?
Sure! The Civilopedia has been ramped up in a big way for Civ Rev! It’s now an invaluable in-game multi-media resource that informs and entertains players with authentic videos, pictures (courtesy of National Geographic) and background information about the real world elements in Civilization. It’s been designed with a very easy-to-use interface and packed with tons of valuable info that players will need if they really want to rule the world.