FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » Looking for game software that will

   
Author Topic: Looking for game software that will
DavidGill
Member
Member # 8166

 - posted      Profile for DavidGill   Email DavidGill         Edit/Delete Post 
allow me to create (and save) a multi-generational civilization on a foreign planet, complete with geographical features, architecture, and warring armies.

Anyone know if such a program exists? Even sans the foreign planet feature?

Posts: 80 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Puppy
Member
Member # 6721

 - posted      Profile for Puppy   Email Puppy         Edit/Delete Post 
Civilization could do all but the architecture, I think ... What do you mean by "multi-generational"?
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Jul 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Puppy
Member
Member # 6721

 - posted      Profile for Puppy   Email Puppy         Edit/Delete Post 
ACTUALLY, maybe you want to wait for Spore, from Maxis. Should come out end of 2006 or 2007.
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Jul 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
DavidGill
Member
Member # 8166

 - posted      Profile for DavidGill   Email DavidGill         Edit/Delete Post 
By multi-generational, I wanted to achieve the effect of urban sprawl and human migration, with older buildings in the interiors of cities and newer, more technological advanced ones in the 'burbs.
Posts: 80 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
DavidGill
Member
Member # 8166

 - posted      Profile for DavidGill   Email DavidGill         Edit/Delete Post 
Spore looks really cool.
Posts: 80 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
King of Men
Member
Member # 6684

 - posted      Profile for King of Men   Email King of Men         Edit/Delete Post 
Why game software? Unless you absolutely need graphics, how about just writing things down in an ordinary word processor?
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
aspectre
Member
Member # 2222

 - posted      Profile for aspectre           Edit/Delete Post 
Why use a word processor when ya can use cuneform on clay?
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
DavidGill
Member
Member # 8166

 - posted      Profile for DavidGill   Email DavidGill         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by King of Men:
Why game software? Unless you absolutely need graphics, how about just writing things down in an ordinary word processor?

Because it's more fun to build a sand castle than to describe it.
Posts: 80 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
TomDavidson
Member
Member # 124

 - posted      Profile for TomDavidson   Email TomDavidson         Edit/Delete Post 
Most games that permit this kind of development are GAMES, and therefore have made concessions in realism for the sake of playability. I don't think anything entirely like what you want exists, but I think several games -- including Age of Empires, Civ III, and Rise of Nations -- have level editors you could use to achieve this to some degree.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Scott R
Member
Member # 567

 - posted      Profile for Scott R   Email Scott R         Edit/Delete Post 
Puppy's right; you could do this with Civilization II Gold. As long as you don't need stunning graphics. . .
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Scott R
Member
Member # 567

 - posted      Profile for Scott R   Email Scott R         Edit/Delete Post 
Does Civ3 have a game editor? It's been a long time since I played. . .

You know, you could get Civ3 for the world building stuff, and use Morrowind's construction toolset for the architecture. . . but of course Morrowind's toolset doesn't change architecture over time, doesn't blend styles. . .

I think you'd be better off using a page and pencil, David.

Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
DavidGill
Member
Member # 8166

 - posted      Profile for DavidGill   Email DavidGill         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
Originally posted by Scott R:
I think you'd be better off using a page and pencil, David.

Nah, I want to *see* my kingdom. Bwahahaha.

Thanks for the info, though.

Posts: 80 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
TomDavidson
Member
Member # 124

 - posted      Profile for TomDavidson   Email TomDavidson         Edit/Delete Post 
It also just occurred to me that SimCity 4 -- with the appropriate art packs -- could do this.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
ill malkier
Member
Member # 8244

 - posted      Profile for ill malkier   Email ill malkier         Edit/Delete Post 
Civ 4 is also coming out soon, and it's added some WAY cool features above and beyond Civ 3... I'd say check it out.
Posts: 84 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Orson Scott Card
Administrator
Member # 209

 - posted      Profile for Orson Scott Card           Edit/Delete Post 
I have hungered for game DEVELOPMENT software that would let me do that kind of thing. World-building, etc. Map making. Any programmers who want a job for a few months, let me know. It wouldn't be as complete as what you're looking for, of course - but even a program that would let me create beautiful, detailed maps, including icons and icon-editing for cities, particular features, etc. -

I guess what I'm looking for is "building block toys" rather than games. Things where the building of it is the point. That's really what I turned Civ II into as I played it for years - a really great sandbox.

Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
A small team of good programmers and a few good artists . . .
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
DavidGill
Member
Member # 8166

 - posted      Profile for DavidGill   Email DavidGill         Edit/Delete Post 
Wouldn't it be cool if we could take those building blocks, define a few hundred parameters and then let it evolve? Sort of Civ 2 phylogeny.
Posts: 80 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
fugu13
Member
Member # 2859

 - posted      Profile for fugu13   Email fugu13         Edit/Delete Post 
Heh, if only it were that simple.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Scott R
Member
Member # 567

 - posted      Profile for Scott R   Email Scott R         Edit/Delete Post 
OSC-- I know you've got CivII; if you've got the gold version, you can build and edit your own worlds.

Of course, you DID say a couple months ago that you finally kicked the Civ2 habit. Wouldn't want to start you back on it or anything.

[Smile]

Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
A Rat Named Dog
Member
Member # 699

 - posted      Profile for A Rat Named Dog   Email A Rat Named Dog         Edit/Delete Post 
Get 3D Studio Max or Maya if you want to spend a LOT of time on this [Smile]
Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Earendil18
Member
Member # 3180

 - posted      Profile for Earendil18   Email Earendil18         Edit/Delete Post 
One of the best world building experiences I had was with The Elder Scrolls 3 construction set that came with Morrowind.

You could sculpt the landmass in all sorts of different ways add houses that could be easily pieced together from multiple tiles to create somewhat varied structures. From there you added people, objects, dialogue and scripts.

It wasn't the easiest thing to learn but I think it's the closest thing that will allow you to WALK around the place that you built.

And with the release of Elder Scrolls IV sometime this christmas, you can procedurally generate the landmass and forest by designating some parameters and hitting the "enter" key. It's also touted to be easier to use but we'll see about that when it comes out.

Take a look OSC. You can walk around in a fargin forest FINALLY.

http://www.elderscrolls.com/art/obliv_pc_screens_01.htm

Posts: 1236 | Registered: Mar 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Hamson
Member
Member # 7808

 - posted      Profile for Hamson   Email Hamson         Edit/Delete Post 
I can't wait for the new Elder Scrolls game. Even though I still dont completly understand everything in Morrowind. Like how alchemy and spells and soul trapping and things like that work. Anyone wanna give it a shot and try to explain it to me?
Posts: 879 | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
King of Men
Member
Member # 6684

 - posted      Profile for King of Men   Email King of Men         Edit/Delete Post 
Architecture I can't help you with, but if you want to build worlds that are clearly the result of tribal migrations, wars, conversion efforts, and charismatic prophets, I would recommend EU2, Crusader Kings, or Victoria, depending on the time and technology level you want. The initial setup is completely moddable for each of these games, and they include cultures, vassal state relationships, religions, and trade, with reasonably realistic models for each.
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
DavidGill
Member
Member # 8166

 - posted      Profile for DavidGill   Email DavidGill         Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks, everyone. Good advice and lots of things to look at.
Posts: 80 | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2