2) Game defaults to medium difficulty, and since I jumped in without reading about the screen controls, it was a little difficult, both to get around and to compete.

3) After a change to easy setting and scaning the manual and tech chart, I moved into first without difficulty (i.e. cannons vs archers)

4) Game interface is quite changed and without reading about it, game can be confusing/frustrating. This is overcome with experience.

5) I had difficulty stopping the game when it auto skipped to the next turn.

6) Trade system is great!

7) Love the increasing city influence!

8) I have tommorow off from work and know where I will be!!!!!

quote: Originally posted by Dogbreath on 11-16-2000 09:54 AM I've heard of the hell of dripping waters, but what is the hell of easy?!? :-)

Do you watch SouthPark??

2) I think the diplomacy and the trade systems are definate improvements.

After work I'll see if I can find some time in my busy schedule to muck around for a few more hours.

quote: Originally posted by dainbramaged13 on 11-16-2000 09:22 PM name one other modern game with good graphics and complicated ai that lets you use icq

Civ 2!!!!!!!!!!

If a unit with orders to go to a particular location encounters another player’s unit, it stops and the location orders are eliminated. I can understand the stop, but removing the orders is unacceptable. I should be able to tell it to continue with the move button instead of having to continually redo the order. This happened in CTP I and I expected it to be corrected.

There is no obvious way to tell if there are any units that haven’t been given orders. If, for example, you do something on a city, there is no easy way to get back into the unit orders mode. Same thing with cities. I appreciate that the city names turn yellow, but if I have a large civilization, why isn’t there a list like CTP I? Same goes for units.

On a related note, there is no easy way to tell what units are in a particular square and what state (active, fortified, sentinel, etc). There was in CTP I, but no CTP II. This makes turn to turn handling of units more difficult than it used to be. I don’t see the purpose of that.

I could have understood if some of these problems were handled by the city manager and the unit manager. I don’t understand the purpose of the unit manager since all it seems to do is list the number of any given type of units you have. How does that help you manage units? You can do only one useful thing from there and that is disband obsolete units.

The city manager is much better, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to list the cities and see who is building what – you have to scroll through each one individually. You used to be able to do this in CTP I.

I further don’t understand why the minimize button is not on the screen. Is this not a Windows application?

Don’t get me wrong, I see improvements. The graphics look better and I like the battles have been improved visually and tactically. The advances are interesting. Most of all, I love the city and nation radius system. That is terrific. I am also pleased with the increase in the number of units to 12 and the concept of armies. Diplomacy is right where I feel it should have been. From what I have seen, this is an area where CTP II really shines.

I am, however, delighted to hear that the unit "Path Order" is cleared when encountering another civ's unit. Why? . . . . .

I mean really from programmers I expect good code that can be customized by the user. A quick peak at the files and all I have to say is wow!!!! Is that ever better organized.

Tech trees should be left to history buffs... like, well, me
Not killing ICS is a dissapointment however I will say that it will be a lot harder. However, harder != dead no matter how convincingly you argue it. This too however can be killed with SLIC so again my first criterion is satisfied.

An excellent game. However there are not many feats of wonder (6 for getting an advance first and then 8 others). In fact there is only one that I might be hard pressed to impliment in SLIC anyway... sailing around the world. All the others are quite simple... I could impliment them in my sleep. Ergo I'm rather dissapointed about them.

Final word is however: I'm not returning it.
Oh and as for ICQ... well unless you want it and CTP visible at the same time why not just hit alt-esc or alt-tab and go to ICQ?

quote: Originally posted by meabbott on 11-17-2000 12:09 AM There is no obvious way to tell if there are any units that haven’t been given orders.

quote: On a related note, there is no easy way to tell what units are in a particular square and what state (active, fortified, sentinel, etc).

quote: I don’t understand the purpose of the unit manager since all it seems to do is list the number of any given type of units you have.

for unit managment on a tile use the army manager(right-click)

quote: The city manager is much better, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to list the cities and see who is building what – you have to scroll through each one individually.

quote: I further don’t understand why the minimize button is not on the screen. Is this not a Windows application?

quote: Originally posted by meabbott on 11-17-2000 12:09 AM There is no obvious way to tell if there are any units that haven’t been given orders. If, for example, you do something on a city, there is no easy way to get back into the unit orders mode...

If you press "o" then the next unit available becomes selected no matter where you are! I don't remember seeing that somewhere but I remember it from CTP1

quote: Originally posted by meabbott on 11-17-2000 12:09 AM Same thing with cities. I appreciate that the city names turn yellow,...

Two minor Yes/No type of questions that im almost embarrassed to ask, but its nethertheless important for a dedicated micro-manager, like myself.
I previously got the info that if a city doesnt have any orders left, the map will automatically re-center to that city (if auto-cycle is turned on) at the end of that turn.

1: Does the same apply to units without orders?

quote: Originally posted by MarkG on 11-17-2000 02:08 AM [QUOTE]Originally posted by meabbott on 11-17-2000 12:09 AM There is no obvious way to tell if there are any units that haven’t been given orders.

Thanks, I will try it. It is not really an acceptable way for a game to handle turn to turn operations like this, but if it gets me through the game, good.

quote: On a related note, there is no easy way to tell what units are in a particular square and what state (active, fortified, sentinel, etc).

Again, this is a turn to turn operation. I don't see the purpose of pressing a button to get information that should be immediately displayed.

quote: I don’t understand the purpose of the unit manager since all it seems to do is list the number of any given type of units you have.

for unit managment on a tile use the army manager
(right-click)

Need it for what? It only seems to do one useful thing. I will try the unit management function.

quote: The city manager is much better, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to list the cities and see who is building what – you have to scroll through each one individually.

Thanks, will try it.

quote: I further don’t understand why the minimize button is not on the screen. Is this not a Windows application?

[/quote]

Far too many don't have a minimize button. This is a trend that needs to be reversed. Obscure alternatives to a well known function aren't acceptable for the masses who wouldn't know about it. The number of people I have seen complaining about that can back me up on that (though I am sure they will be thankful for the alternative).