Caesar IV

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
Anyone playing this? Have started a couple games since getting it in the last gogamer deal. With the evolution of the walkers, it is definitely easier to play if you already have a good understanding of the game. The new 3D engine does make it pretty to look at, and I like some of the gameplay changes as far as what needs to be next to the road and not having to build industry structures on the road and at the raw material site.
 
Also noticed something about online play for it; what types of games can you play and has anyone done it/enjoyed it?
 
 

Kyteland

Diamond Member
Dec 30, 2002
5,747
1
81
I loved Caesar 3 and bought this one when it came out. I played it for a few weeks and haven't touched it since. Unless they've done some major patching I'm not going to pick it back up again.

It had what I considered a huge bug in the AI. It would dedicate as many spare cycles you had to figuring out paths and what your workers should do. This meant if you developed a perfectly stable city on a monster PC and then if you tried to run it on a midrange PC the city would simply fall apart. Running the game on the 'fast' setting was essentially the same thing. Running at a higher speed was equivalent to lobotomizing the game. In my mind identical cities on different computers should behave the same way, but in reality one may work perfectly while the other burns to the ground simply because one had a 10% faster processor.
 

foolfromhell

Senior member
Jul 18, 2006
277
0
0
HUGE bugs, and, the AI pathing is confusing if you played the earlier games. You dont expect them to make the right turn at a fork and end up at the correct destination. For example. You can have a single market servicing some 5 columns of houses. Something IMPOSSIBLE in the earlier games.
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
Originally posted by: foolfromhell
HUGE bugs, and, the AI pathing is confusing if you played the earlier games. You dont expect them to make the right turn at a fork and end up at the correct destination. For example. You can have a single market servicing some 5 columns of houses. Something IMPOSSIBLE in the earlier games.

Yeah, but I thought that was pretty clear in the reviews of the game. Knowing that before hand makes it an easier game to me.
 

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
I'm a fan of the series and did enjoy Caesar IV, however, there were some issues that bugged me. I originally ran it on an AM2 X2 4200, 2GB of RAM, and a X1900XT at a 1680x1050 resolution, and the frame rate tanked as they city got more than a few hundred people. My current system is an E6600, 2GB of RAM, and a 2900XT, and the game still tanks as the city gets larger.

Damn beautiful game though, I will likely try the game every time I get new hardware.
 

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
I've finished the tutorial campaign and am into the 2nd of the regular campaign. So far I do find the improvement to walkers to make the game easier to play, but I'm also starting to get the same feeling I had with Railroads. The map and units do look real nice in the all 3D visuals, but they limited the map size and the amount you can zoom out to benefit those on a lower end system and it hurts the gameplay of those whose systems are capable of doing more. I crank out enough industry to meet Rome's demands as well as get some trade routes going for income while building enough of the 2 lower tier neighborhoods to meet employment. By that time I find that I'm running out of room for developing any good patrician neighborhoods.
 
 
I haven't played immortal cities yet, how does that compare to the rest of the series?
 

Kyteland

Diamond Member
Dec 30, 2002
5,747
1
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Originally posted by: Bateluer
Whats Immortal Cities?
Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile was the last game in the city building series. It was made by the same people that did Caesar IV. Here's a list from Wikipedia:

Historical City Building Series

Caesar ? Caesar II ? Caesar III ? Caesar IV
Pharaoh ? Cleopatra ? Children of the Nile
Master of Olympus - Zeus ? Master of Atlantis - Poseidon
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom