Civilization VI!!?!

[MetalDog]

I'd like to hear about those who hated Civ V due to hexes and no stacking (I'm not one of them). Does Civ VI appeal to you?  The game only allows limited stacking options.

I have no hate for hexes, but, no stacking, and the general dreary looking maps of Civ V, have led me to have 2 hours of play on V.  And that will be all.  The fact that VI has no stacking is a severe limitation in my view.  The ability to research limited stacking may alleviate that, but, we shall see.

[Jarhead0331]

Just out of curiosity, why is a lack of stacking such a pet peeve and outright game breaker for some people? I don't see why this is such a critical feature for enjoyment of the game.

[RedArgo]

I bought the game, but then was gone camping all weekend, so I haven't had time to check it out yet.  Hopefully this week  :)

I'm fine with no stacking, or limited stacking, I just hope the new AI can handle it better than in Civ5 (which I played a ton).  AI could not handle one unit per tile at all and made war as an easy out if I wasn't winning one of the other paths.

[Anguille]

I don't think it's a big problem either as it does add a form of battlefield formation (archers behind etc). However, i prefer the system of armies like in Legion/Sparta, Call to Power and Total War games.

[Steelgrave]

Just out of curiosity, why is a lack of stacking such a pet peeve and outright game breaker for some people? I don't see why this is such a critical feature for enjoyment of the game.

Agree wholeheartedly. I've been a Civ fanatic since CivI and I don't miss the killer "stacks of doom" at all.

[Capn Darwin]

The game also allows for combining units into larger formations and you can link certain units like great generals to units. As noted, you can drop in ranged units behind the ground troops.

[W8taminute]

Just another take on the whole stack no stack thing over at Civilization.  Perhaps the programmers there simply can't make an AI capable of handling stacks or even limited stacks so they decided to can the whole stacking thing.  Then you market it as a great new feature. 

I'm not trying to cause trouble, just looking at the issue from a marketing/manufacturing angle.

[ghostryder]

Just out of curiosity, why is a lack of stacking such a pet peeve and outright game breaker for some people? I don't see why this is such a critical feature for enjoyment of the game.


Because it makes the game a cake walk. IF...and that's a huge IF...the A.I. could actually combine arms and challenge you it would be a none issue. Hexes and lack of stacking looks good on paper...but it was stacking that gave you a challenge from the A.I. in previous versions.

The ONLY way to lose at Civ V is by a science, influence victory where the A.I. gets cheat bonus's. Set the game on "conquest victory" and it's about as interesting as watching paint dry. Very much contrary to those DOOM stacks in Civ4 that actually COULD destroy you.

[Barthheart]

I bought the game, but then was gone camping all weekend, so I haven't had time to check it out yet.  Hopefully this week  :)

I'm fine with no stacking, or limited stacking, I just hope the new AI can handle it better than in Civ5 (which I played a ton).  AI could not handle one unit per tile at all and made war as an easy out if I wasn't winning one of the other paths.

Same here, just got back from cottage closing last night and this morning was the first chance to try the game. Not much time in it so far as I had some messing about to do to get it to run. Seems I was having the same problems some others had where Windows Defender was blocking the game from running, without any notification of such actions. Anyway, simple fix found on Steam forums about just excluding the entire Steam folder and all works well.

Now, I'm also running it on a rig that frankly I was sure wouldn't work and I'd be screwed until I could get it upgraded. Very minimum settings so far to see it run... I'll slow boost the settings until my machine bogs down. I case anyone else is worried about specs here's what I've got:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 @2.33 GHz <- Pretty sure this is waaaay below the minimum spec'ed.
8 GB ram
NVidia GeForce GTX 550 Ti

Like what I'm seeing so far... but again not very far into the game.

[MetalDog]

Just out of curiosity, why is a lack of stacking such a pet peeve and outright game breaker for some people? I don't see why this is such a critical feature for enjoyment of the game.

As my friend Tuna pointed out to me many times, "You played Warlock for a million hours and that's one unit per hex."  And it's true, I have played Warlock for a million hours (ok, Steam says 540, but, whatevs).  And on anything but a small map, the movement of any force over four or five guys was tedious.  And slow.  And a pain in the ass.  And subject to losing a valuable unit out of the fog of war.  And a pain in the ass.  And slow.  Did I mention tedious?

Now, out of curiosity, why is a stack a pet peeve and outright game breaker for some people? 

[Jarhead0331]

Now, out of curiosity, why is a stack a pet peeve and outright game breaker for some people?

Sorry. Can't help you there. I honestly don't care either way. I can see the pros and cons to both methods. That being said, can't say I have seen many people arguing vociferously against a stack. I only tend to see it the other way around.

Anyway, I'm surprised to see this as the response. I never really played enough Warlock to be able to compare, but my games of Civ never involved THAT many units to where it was incredibly tedious to maneuver them. I've felt that way in certain Tiller games, or the War in the West and East series...heck, even in the Decisive Campaigns games, but can't say this is something that has ever irked me in Civ.

[Bison]

I don't think the stacking issue is about moving units.  I think it's an artifact of disliking stacks of doom from previous civ iterations.

[Dread Rlyeh]

AI issues aside (which aren't trivial), stacking is simply more immersive for me.  I hate the look of infantry in this hex, tank in this one, arty over here, etc.  Firaxis had a nice opportunity with the old Alpha Centauri to continue to improve the combat in the series, but they never went down that road, and took a step back in V.

VI is a shuffle step forward, but not even close to my jam these days.  Also, I realize I'm late to the art direction bashing party, but I will throw in a wtf on that account too  >:D

[MetalDog]

Now, out of curiosity, why is a stack a pet peeve and outright game breaker for some people?

Sorry. Can't help you there. I honestly don't care either way. I can see the pros and cons to both methods. That being said, can't say I have seen many people arguing vociferously against a stack. I only tend to see it the other way around.

Anyway, I'm surprised to see this as the response. I never really played enough Warlock to be able to compare, but my games of Civ never involved THAT many units to where it was incredibly tedious to maneuver them. I've felt that way in certain Tiller games, or the War in the West and East series...heck, even in the Decisive Campaigns games, but can't say this is something that has ever irked me in Civ.

I had the opportunity to watch a Civ V game that some Grogs were playing one night.  I watched for about two hours.  In that two hours, I did not see any great movement of units, as it was the first 30 or 40 turns of the game.  What overwhelmingly struck me was how unattractive the game was to my eyes.  There was no fog of war.  As an observer, I was privy to the entire map.  Everything looked grey and the colors were muted.  Add to that the fact that any hex and counter game I have ever played, admittedly that's not many, has always turned in to a move a jillion units one at a time fest and I have no love for Civ V.  The two hours I watched are the only two hours Steam says I have in the game.

My hope for VI was that they would allow stacking, even in a limited form, from the outset.  Upthread, someone mentioned that researching certain Techs will give you that ability to a maximum of three.  I would be ok with that.  I still won't like it, but, I can't play IV forever.  Or maybe I can......

[ghostryder]

"Just another take on the whole stack no stack thing over at Civilization.  Perhaps the programmers there simply can't make an AI capable of handling stacks or even limited stacks so they decided to can the whole stacking thing.  Then you market it as a great new feature. 

I'm not trying to cause trouble, just looking at the issue from a marketing/manufacturing angle."

On the contrary. Having an A.I. properly combine arms is the more difficult task. As it is, no stacking means no stacking to defend cities. So you got your one unit in yours and the A.I> may or may not have their one unit. Properly combing arms ---3 to 5 units...will take a city. The a.I. can't...so it shows up with one.....next two turns....one.......in rare ocassions two. You simply leave your one unit who will assure defense...nurse you 5 unit army to take city after city. Game over.

In fact...I'm pretty sure Civ V's A.I. hasn't changed from Civ 4's. It just moves the stack as it moves single units. The difference mainly being the single unit can't challenge you but the stack can. Now, there are mods for V that allow 3 unit stacks to improve things but sadly the A.I. doesn't use them to defend so your back to square one.

As for movement....say compared to Warlock...is really unit cost. You can afford but 4 or 5 mostly so that's what you move in Civ...in warlock you can afford many more.