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Games Entertainment

Civ:CTP screenshots, Betatesters Chosen 79

Posted by CmdrTaco from the civ-without-sid dept.
Vadim Grinshpun writes "Loki Entertainment has posted screenshots of the Linux version of Civilization:Call To Power. Looks like beta testers have also been selected--half-randomly, half based on experience and hardware. " The website doesn't seem to be responding atm, but Hemos is on the list. He is happy.
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Civ:CTP screenshots, Betatesters Chosen More

Civ:CTP screenshots, Betatesters Chosen

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  • I was in the mall the other day and I saw a big poster:

    Civilization: A call to Power. Linux version coming this Spring.
    The clerk at the game store said he expected the Linux version to arrive at the same time as the Windows version. I for one, will buy the Linux version. Even though I have windows, I'd like to see more games ported to Linux. I'm also afraid that one day, games will start to require windows98 instead of windows95 and I don't want to spend for that.

    On another note, I've been playing Alpha Centauri for Windows for a couple weeks now. It's awesome. It is pretty much just like civ2, though there are imporvements. It's a bit of a strain on the hardware, but the gameplay is great. One thing that is very weak, however, is the multiplayer part. Me and a buddy of mine tried it a few times, but it kept crashing on us. That part is very disappointing. As for the single player version, I love the tech advances and it's great to hear them being read by the various characters. Tres cool. Recommended highly.

  • hey what the hell, it's friday.

    carry on.

  • As others have said, the Linux version will ship after the Windows version. And the beta acceptance letter said the beta test will end the 26th. So, it looks like they're planning on the Linux version being ready to go like the top of April...
  • FreeCiv is cool. Unfortunately, their AI isn't up to snuff. When I play against computer opponents, I find myself working with entire branches of my armed forces tied behind my back just to keep it challenging. ("Okay, this game, no nukes, no aircraft, and no battleships or howitzers.") Meanwhile, Civ II whips me as often as not on Emperor (usually by someone getting a starship off while I'm busy fighting (and, usually, winning) a six-front war). If I knew anything about AI programming or game theory, I'd take a shot at improving FreeCiv, but I don't.
  • A bandwidth issue, maybe? Or possibly they're using IPX, which doesn't normally run over PPP?

    There shouldn't be any technical reason that a Linux version, especially, should concern itself with anything as low-level as differentiating between network devices. The game should just produce packets, it should be up to the OS to figure out how to get them where they're going...
  • They are gonna make a bundle. I know I'm going to get me a copy!

    Will they allow someone to do a mirror of the screenshots?
  • Posted by WildDev:

    They are having problems with their internet provider. Expect them to be back up later this afternoon
  • Posted by Nathan Alan Haney:

    So now we will know how much of the Greatness of the Civilization series was Sid. I hope CTP lives up to the challenge.
  • I'm shelling out the cash to buy this puppy as soon as I see it on the shelves. Spending time with the turn-based strategy of Civ was a great way to pass the time while waiting for phone calls and such but it always bothered me that I had to have Windows up to run it.

    Now I can alternate between programming inspirations on Linux and CivIII on Linux without a reboot. Plus the publicity of having a major first-run shrinkwrap game on linux at the same time as Windows is going to really help. Never underestimate the power of shelf space at Best Buy for publicity.

    One worry though: it said a network card was listed as 'required hardware' for network play. Why doesn't it work over PPP, I wonder?

  • the site was already down long before the story was posted on /.
    it was at game tome early this morning, at least six hours before it appeared here. and the server was already down by then.
  • I still have yet to see this site [eunuchs.org] get slashdotted. Haaaa haaa. :)

    P.S. It runs on Linux proudly.

  • Hell, I'd buy it. That game is addicting as can be. I like Free-Civ, mostly because the source is open, and I can run it on Linux, the SGI - or anything else it'll compile on. But if the game is ported to Linux, I'd most likely pick up a copy. I can see countless hours spent conquering in the future... :)
  • Hehehe. That's all you got? :)
  • I saw it yesterday and e-mailed linuxgames.com. I'm sure I wasn't the only one :-)
    To be honest, the only impressive thing about the screenshots is that they were running on Linux. They looked almost exactly the same as the screenshots of the game running on Windows, which are available all over the place.
  • My neighbor's testing. He got the email within a week of applying, but didn't recieve the game untill about a week ago. I read the email. It said they had 25000 applicants, not the 2000 shown by the above comment. I don't know. Hemos does.

    The 25000 was for the PC beta test which got a bit more publicity. And Activision are a bit of a larger company.

    I think that 2000 requests kind of swamped LokiSoft.

    With only a month or so to go I do not feel so bad about not becoming a beta tester

  • The site has reached its hard transfer limit, or so the error says. Hhmmm, some new symptom of the Slashdot Effect? Someone set up a mirror, puh-leez!

    ^D
  • Hell, it was slashdotted since they sent the notices to the beta testers, long before /. story :)
  • This was also posted on linuxgames.com on the 11th, a day before the slashdot article.

    So, I guess the betatesters got emails already? Because I didn't. doh!
    Joseph Elwell.
  • Neener neener neener!
    Nonny nonny boo boo!
    Deedle deedle deedle!

    Anyway, they said only 2000 people signed up.
    That's pathetic, folks. Next time they need a good slashdotting.


    --
    As long as each individual is facing the TV tube alone, formal freedom poses no threat to privilege.
  • Are they going to put it on shelves?
    Please say they are going to put it on shelves. It would suck if it were a downloadable add-on or special order item.

    svgalib or X?


    --
    As long as each individual is facing the TV tube alone, formal freedom poses no threat to privilege.
  • Loki and Activision have said as much- this was a last minute decision to make a Linux version so it's going to take a couple of months for the Linux version to hit the shelves. Say by around June or so we should already HAVE it in all our hot little hands...
  • Guess I'll have to wait until it ships now... ;->
  • Cool... so I guess my wife and I made the list (as a single entry) 'cos we run Linux on laptops (and pointed this out to them ;)
  • Why didn't I get picked...oh well...
    Any chance for a few screenshots? Or does the beta test agreement allow for that sort of thing?
  • Is there already a game called Civilization III, or something? Or is Civ:CTP not by the same company that did Civ II? In either case, I would think that just using the base name of Civilization would be enough to get sued.
  • I've loved CIV since 3000 BC... playing it on my Atari ST and then DOS. It's an honor to be testing the latest version, which will be the among first commercial game for GNU/Linux.
  • Maybe with the new server in place the old one could be used as a mirror for low bandwidth sites. It's kind of pointless to post a link to a site that reaches its hard transfer limit within minutes of its slashdot debut.
  • Yeah, AC is an expansion pack to Civ2, that sucks.
    I expected something better...

    /Seva
  • Bleh; I was one of the 2000, but didn't get chosen. *sigh* oh, well, just have to wait until it gets release, then buy it. One reason I'll buy it to show that linux users are willing to pay for software, if it's good enough.
    --
  • The only problem I have with Civilization is that it isn't at all like Quake.

    I hope they fix that in this version.

    Nothing wrecks a game more than strategy
  • SMAC wasn't necessarily about originality, any more than Civ2 was. It about taking a winning formula, updating it, and making it better. So they took Civ2 and updated it. Cleaned up the interface, multiplayer, better AI, better diplomacy, the whole nine yards. And what they did add (unit design, psi combat, the orbital sub-game) are all real winners, IMHO.

    If SMAC got a 98%, it's only because Civ2 got a 97%, and SMAC is a better game.
  • i'm on the list too... and i couldn't have done it with out you, slashdot....

    oh hell, who am i kidding, you just provided the link.... :)
  • You'd think they would think ahead wouldn't you :o) Perhaps they should find some nice mirrors for these pages...
  • SMAC is far better than Civ2 with respect to its flexibility, breaking down governments into multi-axial categories with their own strengths and weaknesses. But the AI still SUCKS. It SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS. The computer can't strategize its way out of a paper bag and relies on rampant CHEATING instead. I have played versions of Empire that have better AI. I sincerely hope the AI was somehow scriptable and that they release some patches to make playing against the computer a little more rewarding, because having more drones and more cheating at higher levels is not nearly as fun as playing against an opponent that's actually clever.

    Oh, and "randomize faction leader personalities" appears to be a no-op as well.
  • There's just no information about it from that page. The "links" section, aside from mirrors listing, has a grand total of three links, one to a usenet group (I don't get that group, and it's not a very good intro) and the others are scoreboards. The client download page gives a confusing array of options, there's no FAQ I can see, there's no screenshots of clients, no "about" link, no feature blurbs ... It may well be the best game no one ever gets to hear about.
  • >>
    500 Server Error

    The hard transfer limit for this user has been reached

    It was /.'d within 5 minutes after it appeared!
    Amazing.
  • i am on the list too. ;) yeah.
  • /.'d before they were posted? Can it be done? :)
  • I'm sure so did hundreds of other people on this list, but I thought I'd mention it. They had a demo of Call to Power at GenCon this past summer. I talked to one of the bizreps while I played before the doors opened on Saturday morning (I'm part of a gaming company). He was making cracks about how every time somebody comes up and calls the things CivIII, they have to go "No, NO! It's Civilization: Call to Power. You want to get us sued?" For those of you who were fans of CivII...well...I can't do Homer's "Donut Drool" noise very well, but....oooooooo....
  • civ is that popular??

    500 Server Error
    The hard transfer limit for this user has been reached

    already??? god damn.... jeez...

    ---
  • Got the email this morning...damn it made my day.
    But yeah, looks like they already sent it out.

    In regards to an earlier post regarding the linux version being on the shipping cd going out the 16th.....is this true? Its going to be rather hard betatesting a product in a few days.
  • Yeah, I saw that....that wasnt what I was worried about. Basically some people were saying that the Linux version would ship with the regular retail version on march 16....which give us about, well, they would have already pressed it, the beta tests would be for a patch. Others have said that the linux version would be coming latter. I don't know....I would check their site, but.
  • According to gamecellar [gamecellar.com], who are taking preorders for the Linux version of CTP, the Linux version should be available on 04/01/99. That's a few weeks after the Windows version ships. (Hint: click the CTP box to see the date if you won't take my word for it.)

    Don't know whether I was chosen as a beta tester -- I guess I'll find out when I get home to read my e-mail....

  • I am on the freaking list. Oh yes.

    It is a day brightener, isn't it?

  • God, no!

    Why would you want to completely destroy the best computer game in existence by making it like that piece of %$^@???????
    --
    - Sean
  • If you read your E-mail we only have until March 26 to do our testing.

    Yes I was chosen too.
  • It's suppose to ship "around" the time of the others release but they haven't specified an exact date yet. It could be a day or a week after the Win version ships, possibly longer depending on what the beta finds
  • I made the list! Thanks to Rob and Hemos, I wouldn't be on it without you..

    Civ and Civ II are two of the most addictive games I have ever encountered. The postman is going to wonder why I'm waiting by the mailbox. I will come out of my cave again once the beta is over on March 26th.

    See you then!
  • I can't wait!!!
    I gotta remember to preorderm so I can get the big poster thing!

    kmj

    kmj

  • as the subject says...

    When is the CTP ship date for the Linux version?

    Kmj

    kmj

  • So is it common practise to start betatesting around the same time that you ship your product to stores? That just sounds strange to me. I guess I'm not a video-game connoisseur, though, so I wouldn't know.

    kmj


    kmj

  • civII was the best strategy game ever written..

    .. with the possible exeption of its sequels,
    I HOPE!

    kmj

    kmj

  • check activision's website [activision.com] for a link to the CTP website.

    kmj

  • I just got my message. I'm with Hemos, I am happy. This makes up for a fairly crappy day and the fact that I was passed over for the first beta test.
  • daaaaannngg... at least this server gives you an error instead of dying though. :)
  • i'm on the list too. something had to brighten my day.

    i haven't played it yet but hey patience is a virtue and free is always good.

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