July 2001
FIRAXIS SPEAKS ON LE
(31 July 2001, 12:24 EST/Civ3) First contact with Firaxis Games regarding confirmation and details of the recently surfaced "Limited Edition" of Civilization III has been made. The company's Communications Manager, Kelley Gilmore, informed us this morning that plans for "LE" are real and are going ahead. As for what is to be included in it exactly, only a general overview is presently available.
We're still working out the final details, but it'll come in a very nice tin with the game, manual, a "Making of Civ III" CD and some other cool stuff, Gilmore said.
Keep your browsers pointed here for more information as it becomes available. -DanQ
ACSR DAILY: JULY 30TH, 2001
(31 July 2001, 0:41 EST/Misc) The ACSR daily update for July 30th, 2001 is now available for broadcasting live on demand in RealAudio© format. Total running time for this week's installment is 2m:21s.
To listen, you will need the RealPlayer G2+ installed on your system and to avoid buffering/connection timeout issues you need to have a 28.8kbps Internet connection or higher. Should you wish to download the file for later listening, note that the total filesize is 292KB.
To discuss this and another ACSR Daily broadcasts, contact the broadcaster directly or publicly in the forums. -DanQ
EB ADDRESSES LE ISSUE
(30 July 2001, 21:20 EST/Civ3) Nemo, one of Apolyton's more than 10,000 registered forum users, wrote to Electronic Boutique regarding the listing of Civilization III "standard" and "limited" edition. He got a prompt response from an EB staff member named Tom and posted about it this afternoon.
At this time, we are waiting for MicroPROSE, the manufacturer, to distribute the information as to the difference between their Limited Edition and the standard edition, Tom wrote to Nemo. As soon as they have notified us as to the benefits and extras of the Limited Edition, we will then post that information to the website, so please keep checking back with us for that update.
While Tom is quite dated in his listing MicroPROSE as the manufacturer (it is in fact Infogrames), it does appear that EB is waiting on a clarification from Infogrames on this front. -DanQ
DEVELOPERS LIST CIV
(30 July 2001, 20:15 EST/Misc) GameSpy has posted the start of their Top 50 Games of All Time feature, contributed and compiled by the entire GS staff.
In posting #50-41, they included four developers "Top 10" lists of their favourite all-time games. Two of these individuals had Civilization sitting proudly on theirs. Bill Ropper of Blizzard Entertainment and Richard Garriott of Destination Games place Civilization in third and forth position respectively.
Given that there is still four days left until the full feature is posted, it is reasonable to assume that other developers put Civilization on their lists that they submitted to GameSpy. -DanQ
ACSR DAILY: JULY 29TH, 2001
(30 July 2001, 19:50 EST/Misc) Today marks the launch of a new show on ACSR known as ACSR Daily. Hosted by Daniel "DanQ" Quick, it disseminates the previous day's worth of Civilization news in compact format.
The launch of this new program comes in the form of the ACSR daily update for July 29th, 2001 is now available for broadcasting live on demand in RealAudio© format. Total running time for this week's installment is 3m:11s.
To listen, you will need the RealPlayer G2+ installed on your system and to avoid buffering/connection timeout issues you need to have a 28.8kbps Internet connection or higher. Should you wish to download the file for later listening, note that the total filesize is 394KB.
To discuss this and another ACSR Daily broadcasts, contact the broadcaster directly or publicly in the forums. -DanQ
ACSR NEWS: WEEK OF JULY 22ND, 2001
(30 July 2001, 19:48 EST/Misc) The ACSR broadcast for the week of July 22nd, 2001 is now available for broadcasting live on demand in RealAudio© format. Total running time for this week's installment is 18m:10s.
To listen, you will need the RealPlayer G2+ installed on your system and to avoid buffering/connection timeout issues you need to have a 28.8kbps Internet connection or higher. Should you wish to download the file for later listening, note that the total filesize is 2.2MB.
To discuss this and another ACSR News broadcasts, contact the broadcaster directly or publicly in the forums. -DanQ
CLARIFICATION FROM MORRIS
(29 July 2001, 16:29 EST/Civ3) There has been much discussion ongoing in the forums in response to the interview with Firaxis' Jeff Morris, the Associate Producer on Civilization III.
In response to some of the points and concerns raised by several individuals who have read the interview, Morris offered a quick clarification on several points. First, he addressed the burning beta and buggy issue.
I'm not saying the game will be buggy because of not doing a open public beta. We're running a test plan specifically calibrated to catch the bugs that shipped in SMAC. In addition, while I'm sure an open public beta would help product compatibility, we've got two things in our favor.
Second, Morris quickly touched upon compatability testing.
Compatibility testing would be the main benefactor of a public beta, not general bug fixing. Just because you can't blue sky everything, doesn't mean you simply give up. CivIII will be a very clean release. -DanQ
JEFF MORRIS CIVILIZATION III INTERVIEW
(29 July 2001, 10:47 EST/Misc) Apolyton opens it's Civilization III Interviews Series with an interview of Jeff Morris, Civ3 Assistant Producer.
Jeff gives answers to many open questions on the number of civs, the official site, the release date and much more. We hope that you find it interesting! -MarkG
LIMITED EDITION?
(29 July 2001, 0:15 EST/Civ3) Is there a "Limited Edition" of Civilization III set to be released, and can it be pre-ordered even?
Electronic Boutique, an online realtor, is listing three products related to CivIII and on each page recommends the other two to potential buyers. There's the 'standard' CivIII for the PC, the said apparent limited edition and last but not least a a 'PCHB' product. EB is currently accepting pre-orders for all three at prices of $49.99US, $64.99US and $15.99US respectively.
Based on the descriptions and prices of eaching, the 'standard' edition will ship alone while the 'limited edition' (of which there is a screenshot that says so on its page on EB) will ship with the game's official strategy guide. For those going for the standard edition, to obtain the guide you would have to buy the 'PCHB' title separately. Given that Prima Publishing is listed as the publisher of 'PCHB', it is safely presumed that this is the strategy guide in question. The only product that has a description associated with it is the aforementioned standard version.
Our thanks to CivFanatics for the news tip. We are awaiting confirmation one way or another on this matter from Firaxis. -DanQ
COBRA IMAGES & SOUNDS
(28 July 2001, 13:54 EST/Civ2) 
Second new file of the day, a treat for every G.I. Joe fan.
Cobra Images & Sounds by Izmir Cali
What started out as a test to see what CIV2 can do turned into this. I coulddn't find to many good images of other units and babysitting my cousins one day took me down memory lane. Fortunately, two web sites The Cobra Command Homepage and Yojoe.com are full of images (more than I could imagine actually). In this Zip File you find all kinds of action figures and vehicles from the Hasbro toy series GI JOE. But you'll quickly notice they are the bad guys Cobra (since GI JOE wasn't an army but Cobra was...). I have peiced together a modpack. I never got the chance to finish this so everyone is free to do there own thing I just wanted to get these images out there.
I hope all of you that wasted so many hours playing with these toys years ago (and equally as many hours with CIV2 now) enjoy them. If you make any good scenarios let me know!
A total of 1765 whooping KiB worth of downloads, in an Images file and the accompanying Sounds File, both for all civ2 versions. -Snapcase
ARTURIUS REX
(28 July 2001, 13:38 EST/Civ2) 
First new file of the day, Arthurian Britain at war.
Arturius Rex by Khatchik Panos
Almost a century has passed since the removal of the Roman legions in Britannia to defend Gaul against the Germans. The year is now 495AD a native Gallo-Roman prince becomes Emperor. His name is Arturius and he faces the formidabletask of restoring order to Britannia. The Saxon contingents have rebelled and the Angles and Juteshave decided to settle permanently on the east coast, but they are not going to be content with only that territory! Gerontius of the Dumnoni is Arturius's allyand he too will want to halt the Saxon rebels. Meanwhile the Irish are settling on the west coast of Britain and the Scots, having left Ireland for good, are now established on the west coast of Pictland. The Picts will want to send the Scots back to Ireland before it is too late! Most of the British in the north and west are now independantly ruled. Can Emperor Arturius save Britain from a Dark Age or will the "Barbarians" gaurantee it?
A 419 KiB download. Should work with all versions of civ2. -Snapcase
C179# THE JOYS AND FRUSTRATING ELEMENTS OF THE CIV SERIES
(28 July 2001, 6:19 EST/Misc) Delievered to 6140 people, the Column is here this week for the 179th time.
THE JOYS AND FRUSTRATING ELEMENTS OF THE CIV SERIES
A full analysis of the bad and the good of all civ games!
By Peter Ashley.
-MarkG
SIMGOLF SCREENSHOTS
(27 July 2001, 15:35 EST/Misc) 
Technology limits didnt allow us to have the transcript of yesterday's SimGolf Webcast. Still, we managed to get some of the screenshots posted during it.
So, check them out and comment on the Other Games forum!
-MarkG
SID MEIER Q&A ON CVG
(27 July 2001, 14:39 EST/Civ3) British retailer and gaming site Computer and Video Games has in connection with the new screenshots conducted a short interview with the master himself, Sid Meier. Although mostly a runover of the basic info we already know, it is not without its surprises. For example, Airports now have the additional function of serving as trade links to other civilizations. Also,
[S]imply by allocating population points to work the tiles inside your city radius, there is a chance each turn that your citizens will discover a new source of a known resource.
Why not read the entire two pages? It's always possible to bring out new perspectives on anything said in there, and remember, this is in the words of the developers themselves and not some semi-literate hack. -Snapcase
CTP NET CHART 22/07/01
(27 July 2001, 11:56 EST/CtP) The latest form the CTP-Multiplaying forum
RANK P NAME................... RTNG WIN. LOSS NAT.TR
0001 P BLACKICE_I............. 2125 0001 0000 CAN.ON
0002 P QUINNS_I............... 2125 0001 0000 USA.CA
0003 . GAVRUSHKA_I............ 2101 0002 0002 GBR...
0004 P BERXPERT_I............. 2100 0000 0000 MEX...
0005 P BONEY_I................ 2100 0000 0000 THA...
0006 P FRANSES_I.............. 2100 0000 0000 NED...
0007 P JPWW_I................. 2100 0000 0000 USA.GA
0008 P KEYGEN_I............... 2100 0000 0000 GRE...
0009 P SLAMP_I................ 2100 0000 0000 FRA...
0010 P SWISSY_I............... 2100 0000 0000 USA.IL
0011 P ZOBOZEWARRIOR_I........ 2100 0000 0000 FRA...
0012 P DARTH_VIPER_I.......... 2049 0000 0002 NED...
Full listing and more information. -MarkG
3 YEARS OF APOLYTON: PARTY PLANS
(26 July 2001, 18:46 EST/About) It's been three years since the day we announced the merger of the The Ultimate Civilization 2 Site(UCIVIIS) and The First Greek Civilization 2 Site(TFGC2S)!
Our traditional special birthday feature will be posted on August 7, on the anniversary of the day we launched Apolyton. On the same day(at an hour that we will be announced in the coming days) we will be having our (traditional as well) birthday chat.
Our special feature will include two games: a "find the differences" game based on a photo of Ming with Rah, and a adults-only 3d game where you torture your virtual-Yin by forcing him to play SimGolf.... ;) -MarkG
APOLYTON CHANNEL ON DALNET
(26 July 2001, 18:27 EST/Misc) Our IRC channel has moved to the DALnet network. You can still use the Java Chat Room, or you can join #Apolyton at any DALnet server via mirc.
Also, if someone wants the responsibility to arrange and hold regular chats, feel free to contact us....
Any comments are always welcome. -MarkG
CHIPS&BITS TOP 10: JULY 14-20, 2001
(26 July 2001, 14:52 EST/Misc) Diablo 2's expansion pack claws back to Number 1 this week, sending Gran Turismo into second. And in an interesting suprise, Championship Manager 00/01 makes its first appearance on the chart in a while at Number 7.
DIABLO II EXPANSION: LORD OF DESTRUCTION PC has hacked it's way back into the #1 spot. GRAN TURISMO 3 A-SPEC PS2 has fallen back one spot to #2. OPERATION FLASHPOINT PC has climbed into the #3 sales position.
1. Diablo II Expansion: Lord of Destruction IBM CD ROM ($32.95)
2. Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec PLAYSTATION 2 ($49.95)
3. Operation Flashpoint IBM CD ROM ($39.95)
4. Baldur's Gate II Expansion: Throne of Baal IBM CD ROM ($29.95)
5. Baseball Mogul 2002 IBM CD ROM ($29.95)
6. Total Annihilation Core Contingency IBM CD ROM ($12.95)
7. Championship Manager '00-'01 IBM CD ROM ($34.95)
8. Diablo II IBM CD ROM ($29.95)
9. Space Empires IV IBM CD ROM ($42.95)
10. Half-Life: Blue Shift IBM CD ROM ($29.95) -Imran
CSPL
(26 July 2001, 4:42 EST/Civ2) 
New file of the day, something special.
Civilization Scenario Programming Library by Angelo Scotto
CSPL is a C++ library used to access Test of Time memory while Tot is running. You can see CSPL as a new events language very powerful (and complex...) to realize new scenarios, anyway, since CSPL simply modifies Tot memory you can also use it to realize in-game utilities or mod-packs which drastically changes civ game rules. As you can imagine the only drawback is that you need to know a bit of C language to code CSPL programs. (CSPL should be used with Borland C++ 5.5 compiler which can be downloaded for free from borland website)
A 981k download. For Civ2:ToT. -MarkG
SIMGOLF WEBCAST TODAY!
(26 July 2001, 4:31 EST/Misc) A Firaxis announcement:
Head on over to the SimCity website on Thursday, July 26th, at 6PM ET (3PM Pacific) for the first SimGolf webcast! Sid will be playing SimGolf, describing the game, posting all new screen shots and answering questions from the audience. This event is limited to the first 300 visitors, so get there early!
To access the SimGolf webcast, point your browser to the following address:
http://simcity.ea.com/us/register/gotoIChat.phtml
If you've already registered on TheSims.com or SimCity.com, just login! If not, you'll need to sign up for an account -- but don't worry, it's easy and free!
Once inside the Maxis chat system, just type "/go auditorium" to enter the Webcast area! If you need help, just ask a SimMaster or SimMayor.
The... "Apolyton Golfers Association" is being organized on the Other Games forum. :) Thanks to SerapisIV for posting about it. -MarkG
ACTIVISION POSTS SURPRISE PROFIT
(25 July 2001, 23:13 EST/Misc) Video game publisher Activision on Tuesday reported a small profit for its fiscal first quarter, rather than the loss analysts had expected, and raised its full year estimates due to strong sales, especially for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance.
“We are likely to see fairly accelerated growth in the (game) software business for the next couple of years,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Bobby Kotick on a conference call.
The company, which publishes games for personal computers and all the major console platforms, said earnings after taxes and before charges were $29,000 for the three months ended June 30, compared with a year-earlier loss of $5.2 million. The game publishing business is highly seasonal because of the strength of year-end sales around the holidays, and Kotick said the past quarter was the best first quarter in Activision's 22-year history. The company attributed its better than expected performance to strong sales of titles published for GBA and Sony's PlayStation and PlayStation 2.
First-quarter revenue rose 31 percent to $110.6 million from $84.6 million a year earlier. For the full year, Activision projected revenue of $620 million, up from an estimate of $605 million provided in May and flat with the previous year.
Console games made up 84 percent of revenues to 16 percent for PCs, compared to a 51 percent-49 percent split in the year-earlier quarter. Kotick explained the difference as a function of the release schedule, with this year's first quarter being more console-driven than last year. Games for GBA, which was not released until June 11, accounted for 31 percent of total revenue, with PlayStation accounting for 25 percent, making them the two largest platforms for the company.
In a telephone interview, Kotick said the XBox from Microsoft and Nintendo's GameCube will account for only three percent of revenues this fiscal year, with only one title to be released for XBox and none for GameCube.
[ Source: The Adrenaline Vault ] -DanQ
SWORD OF TRUTH WORLD
(25 July 2001, 19:40 EST/Civ2) 
New file of the day, a map...
Sword of Truth World by A. Keren
45x125 map of Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" fantasy world. Sort of expanded a bit in the bottom. Includes Westland, The Midlands, D'Hara and The Old World. I've tried to make this as accurate as possible... this must be played as a Flat World.
A 2k download. For all versions of civ2 of course. -MarkG
EUROPA UNIVERSALIS II ANNOUNCED
(25 July 2001, 19:07 EST/Misc) 
Paradox Entertainment announced the plans to develop the sequel of Europa Universalis.
Europa Universalis II will feature more than 180 "playable and annexable" countries, with an expanded map to cover non-European countries. EU2 will have improvements in the domestic policy, more diplomatic options(like declaring a Casus Belli), as well as introducing the "variables" of religion and culture.
Finally, EU2 will include a new random event engine, along with tools to allow people to add events in their scenarios. Comment on all this in our EU Forum. Thanks to Kyle for posting about it first. -MarkG
WWI - THE GREAT WAR
(24 July 2001, 18:47 EST/Civ2) 
New file of the day, a WWI scenario
World War I - The Great War by Jesse Schaden
After the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, the entire continent of Europe became involved in a war of pointless and objective less combat between the belligerent nations of Europe. With the defeat of the main Russian regiment at Tannenburg, the loss to the Ottoman Turks at the Gallipoli peninsula, and the breaching of the German blockade, the war has seemed grim for the Allied powers. Although the invention of the tank, the new Russian offensive, and the repelling of the German attack at Verdun have kept the war from turning entirely in favor of the Central Powers. Each side continues to fight along the stalemated French border, and neither shows any sign of surrender. Will you take command of the Allies and lead an invasion of Germany and Austria-Hungary? Or will you favor the Germans or Austrians and assist them to defeat their enemies on the east and west. Or perhaps take the side of the Neutrals, and decide which is the better choice to ally with? You now control the destiny of one of the greatest wars ever, the War To End All Wars
Only 42k to download. For all versions of civ2. -MarkG
ACSR BROADCAST: JULY 15, 2001
(23 July 2001, 21:51 EST/Misc) The ACSR broadcast for the week of July 15th, 2001 is now available for broadcasting live on demand in RealAudio© format. Total running time for this week's installment is 16m:41s.
To listen, you will need the RealPlayer G2+ installed on your system and to avoid buffering/connection timeout issues you need to have a 28.8kbps Internet connection or higher. Should you wish to download the file for later listening, note that the total filesize is 2.0MB. -DanQ
FORUM TRAFFIC PEAK
(23 July 2001, 16:18 EST/About) At 1:38PM EST today the simultaneous traffic in Apolyton's forums peaked at 203 users, breaking the nearly two month old record of 197 set on May 29th. The monitoring of this statistic has been ongoing since the forums were relaunched as a vBulletin-driven board on May 21st.
At the time of the posting of this article, Apolyton's forums boast more than 10,700 members contributing to more than 22,400 threads containing more than 373,800 posts. Nearing its three year birthday as is Apolyton itself, the forums initially began operating on the freeware version of the Ultimate Bulletin Board (UBB) system. In April of 1999, they were upgraded to the commercial version of UBB to handle the increasing volume of traffic served. -DanQ
MD BUILD #04.4.538
(23 July 2001, 15:54 EST/Alt) Build v04.4.538 of Manifest Destiny has been released by Ron Hiler, the game's lead programmer.
Many of the changes are transparent, meaning you won't notice a difference, Hiler explains. For that reason, there is a more than usual possibility for bugs to have snuck into this release, even though it may not seem a system has changed. If you come across a bug that is not listed in our known bugs thread, please contact me and let me know about it.
Hiler explains that the length of this build release is a culmination of the fact that it has been five weeks since the last one and that there is a new rule set for Leaders. Moreover, he comments on the impact this build will have on games in progress.
The file system underwent some major overhauls with this release. I regret to say that any games in progress cannot use the new build. Most files will not load. Those that do are prone to strange behavior. Please do not report bugs that occur when using old files. I am aware of them, but there is simply nothing I can do about it. For best results, generate all new game files starting with this build. This includes race files.
For more information on MD, check out Apolyton's Alternative Civs. section and the game's official website. -DanQ
ULTIMA ONLINE: THE SECOND AGE
(23 July 2001, 15:24 EST/Civ2) 
New file of the day...
Ultima Online: The Second Age by Rhye
Are you ready to create a newbie PC (PlayerCharacter) and join a world in a continuous trouble?
Will you help Order to bring peace throughout the kingdom of Britannia?
Or will you help the Kaos to conquer the cities on the land?
Don't forget you're in a world full of evil monsters and dangerous places!
This is the MGE version, you can find the version for normal Civ2(2.42) and FW(2.78) here. You can check here also for updates.If you need something contact me by e-mail: gabrit@katamail.com or by ICQ: 77282794
A total 1585K download, including the sounds file. MGE required -MarkG
NEW FIRAXIS LOGO CONFIRMED
(23 July 2001, 14:38 EST/Misc) On Saturday we reported the surfacing of what appeared to be a new logo for Firaxis Games [see story below], the company behind the development of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and the upcoming Sid Meier's Civilization III among others. This morning confirmation of the logo's legitimacy was delivered by Kelley Gilmore, Firaxis' Communications Manager.
Gilmore said to expect to see it featured more in company advertisements and on future product boxes. -DanQ
FACES OF APOLYTON #2: WES W
(22 July 2001, 19:28 EST/Misc) Second interview from the 'Faces of Apolyton' series has been posted! This time Solver interviews WesW, author of the Medieval Mod for Call to Power & Call to Power II. Click here to read now.
If you have any suggestions on whom to interview next, either send a pm to our Interviews Chief or mail him at solver@apolyton.net .
Plus, Solver has announced that anyone might be asking questions! If you want to be one of them, again, send him a pm or mail solver@apolyton.net . If you do, you'll receive a message from Solver saying that you're allowed to ask some questions, naming the next interviewed person.
Next time, unless something special comes up ;), you'll read an interview with Tau Ceti, administrator of the hillarious SMAC play-by-email tournament. Stay tuned! -MarkG
OLD AND NEW
(22 July 2001, 13:03 EST/Civ2) 
Blah blah blah new file, blah blah.....
Old and New by Adam Stallard
This scenario was designed to be fun and interesting.. a new twist on the game, with a "discover a new land" flavor. It has a lot of new features, but not so many that it can't be learned quickly. The pace is designed to be fast and competitive, and although it lasts 200 turns, the single player version can be played in a couple of sessions.
The scenario file is about 1 MB, and there is a patch for creating specialized plague events, which should be installed; also about 1 MB. To install the patch: Copy the files into the CivII MGE game folder, replacing the original files of the same name after backing them up in a new folder.
Old and New has it's own website with additional downloads, screen-shots, and chat excerpts from multiplayer games. There is also a Mac version available for download. I would appreciate comments on the scenario and please rate it after you play it!
Main file is a 1MB download and the same goes for secondary file. Civ2:MGE required. -MarkG
C178# A SPLITTING HEADACHE?
(21 July 2001, 19:54 EST/Misc) The Column is once again here after being delivered to 6136 civers around the world.
178# A SPLITTING HEADACHE?
All great empires eventually died, why should yours be any different?
By Sheepy99. -MarkG
1776
(21 July 2001, 17:36 EST/Civ2) 
Saturday night: it's time for some civing.... :)
1776 by Daniel Kulla
America's just been founded, the rest of the world is almost completely shared between the super powers. Use mass manipulation and special weapons (field artillery, Flak, rocket launchers, fortresses) to get them all.
A 180k download. For all versions of civ2. -MarkG
FIRST CIV3 PRINT AD
(21 July 2001, 6:09 EST/Civ3) 
To_Serve_Man has found the very first documented print ad for Civilization III in his newly acquired copy of PC Gamer Magazine. Not dissimilar in appearance to the official box cover (see story below), it presents a striking image of a slab of stone with a lick of fire burning from below. What's also interesting is the fact that it puts the release date as October 2001, as you can see to the right. Note futhermore the new Firaxis Logo as per the news item below. Want to discuss the ad and the release date? All info so far has appeared in this thread. -Snapcase
NEW FIRAXIS LOGO?
(21 July 2001, 0:36 EST/Misc) 
Several days ago FGN Online posted what they labelled as ten "new" screenshots of CivIII; given that they were posted on other gaming sites days before, they're only new in terms of the content gracing FGN Online's domain. But there was something new to be found in the said news item -- a new Firaxis Games logo.
Is it an official logo, is it a rendition or something else even? This is the first known apperance of this logo and indeed the first alternate Firaxis logo ever released. Again, whether it is an official trademark of the company is yet to be seen. If/when confirmation from Firaxis about whether or not the logo is the "real deal" or not, we'll keep you apprised.
Thanks to CivFanatics for the lead on this story. -DanQ
MAGYAR PATCH
(20 July 2001, 19:37 EST/Civ2) New file of the day #2
Magyar by Istvan Gyarmati-Szabo
So, I translated Civ2 to Hungarian language. I have to admit it's not perfect, because I made them a quite long time ago. But maybe Hungarian fans will like it! I translated from English, but write it to French files.
A 165kb download. For all versions of Civ2. -MarkG
GREEK COLONIZATION
(20 July 2001, 19:34 EST/Civ2) 
New file of the day #1
Greek Colonizaton by J. Baskin
This is a scenario of the Greek colonization of the Mediterranean from roughly 700-500 B.C. You play a greek polis, or city-state, or Ionia, another ethnically Greek region in Turkey. This is a very open-ended scenario, with no objectives, but standard civ scoring. Reccomendedcivs are Ionians, Corinthians, and Spartans, and reccomended difficulties are King and up, but the full force of unhappiness kicks in at Deity.
A 588kb download, inculding the sounds. MGE required. -MarkG
ACSR FAQ/HELP SECTION
(19 July 2001, 23:42 EST/Misc) This past Tuesday marked the exciting launch of Apolyton CS Radio (ACSR), and today marks the first update to the section -- and it's a significant one at that.
First, there is a Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ page for those looking for more information on the origins, backgrounds and reasonings for various decisions made about the makeup of the show. Second, there is a Streaming/Downloading Help area that will assist those with difficulties in streaming and/or downloading ACSR broadcasts.
If you have any issues that you would like address in one or both of these pages, or would like to see an elaboration made on an existing topic, please email the ACSR staff. -DanQ
AGE OF COLONIALISM - 1680AD
(19 July 2001, 19:15 EST/Civ2) New file of the day #2
Age of Colonialism - 1680AD by Sebastian Melde
The european powers discovered America and began to colonize it. Which of them will be the greatest colonial power, Spain, Portugal, England or France? Will they conquer Africa and India? What will happen to the Asian peoples? Will the Osman Empire be stopped by christian armies - or will they take over Vienna and threaten the entire occident?
A 34KB download. ToT required. -MarkG
EXODUS PARTITION 1947
(19 July 2001, 19:11 EST/Civ2) New file of the day #1
Exodus Partition 1947 by Alexandre Nani Ostrowiecki
The year is 1947, the United Nations General assembly has just voted for the partitition of Palestine in two states, one jewish and one arab. Finally, after two thousand years of exile, the jewish people will have a country again, in their own land. But the Arabs of Palestine rejected the UN plan. A civil war begins, in which each side tries to gain ascendancy. But the perils to the new state of Israel are just begining. On independence day, while it is involved in the civil war, the regular armies of five arab countries invade Israel΄s territory. Are you capable of warding off the invasion? Can you lead your people through the difficulties and protect Israel? Or do you prefer to command the arab armies and wipe the jewish state of the earth?
A 724KB download. MGE required -MarkG
MEDIEVAL PACK TEXTS UPDATE
(19 July 2001, 2:45 EST/CtP2) A new update on the texts file was posted by WesW yesterday.
It contains the fixes to the Cruise Missile and Arcologies advance as well as the 40% reduction in advance costs for the last three eras. The changes to wonder effects mentioned previously is in there. Dale's personality changing code and diplomatic leader pics are included, plus I also added a soundfix by Martin which adds sounds when you place tile improvements.
I think that is everything. You will need to use modswapper to update the GL, and reload slic if you continue a previous game. I would recommend starting new ones, however, to fully evaluate the personality changing code.
Because of the new leader pics, this update is much larger than usual. I will leave this up for a few days to let you guys get it and evaluate it, then I am going to remove the pics from the update and post them in an updated pics-n-vids component. The new text component will be the other half of the 1.1 public release. If you get this update, you will not need to get the new 1.1 pictures component.
More details at the related forum thread. -MarkG
WESTLAKE TO DO MAC CIV3
(18 July 2001, 16:32 EST/Civ3) Westlake Interactive, who did the CTP1 port for the Macintosh platform, will also do the Civ3 port. The company will work again for Macsoft, the now Infogrames-owned company which published the Civ2:MGE and CTP ports(the SMAC ports were developed by Loki Entertainment and published by Aspyr Media).
Westlake is ecstatic about a new game we've begun development on- Sid Meier's Civilization III. Developed for the PC by FIRAXIS Games, Civ 3 returns you to the empire building game that kept you up all night in Civilization and Civilization 2.
Development is just starting on Civ 3 Mac, but we hope to be able to keep the Mac development closely in sync with the PC and ship as close to the PC version as we can.
For more information about Civilization III, check MacSoft's MacWorld Expo pages.
Westlake's project status page lists the civ3 mac port as being in "early development". Thanks to Contradiction for the news tip. Join the discusion on the issue! -MarkG
EUROPE MODPACK
(18 July 2001, 6:25 EST/Civ2) 
1 New file is good. 2 Are better....
Europe Modpack by Jason P Sorens
Start with Europe.scn file to play on a map of Europe with the following civilizations: British, French, Russians, Germans, Austrians, Italians, and Turks. New graphics for units, improvements, and wonders (some original, most ripped off); lots of original changes to the rules suitable for a game played wholly on Europe. Especially recommended for large "diplomatic-style" multiplayer games.
Download: main file, sounds file(a total of 1.8MB). MGE required. -MarkG
RESEARCH PLANNER
(18 July 2001, 3:09 EST/Civ2) New file for today is...
Research Planner by Dan Konopac
This program reveals which new advances will Civilization II let you research in the future. It helps you to plan the research ahead.
For all versions of civ2, a 36K download. -MarkG
ACSR LAUNCHES
(17 July 2001, 14:05 EST/Misc) After several months of preparation on issues such as formatting, back issues and section layout/presentation, Apolyton Civilization Site Radio -- or ACSR for short -- has launched.
The weekly broadcast, available for streaming live on demand, is available to all those who have the RealPlayer installed on their computer and have a 28.8kbps or higher Internet connection. Hosted by Dan "DanQ" Quick, each broadcast of ACSR delivers seven days worth of Civilization news as delivered in Apolyton's News Room.
As per pre-ACSR broadcasts, marketed and produced as the audio version of Apolyton's newsletter (also known as "Apolyton News"), they have been temporarily taken offline. -DanQ
RAGING DRAGON
(17 July 2001, 10:59 EST/Civ2) 
New file for today is something brand-new:
Raging Dragon by Case
This scenario covers a fictional war between China and Russia in the year 2000. It boasts lots of new units, a heavily modified tech tree and full use of events.
It's only a 467kb download, Civ2: FW required. See also the related discussion and more images -MarkG
THE APOLYTON CTP2 PACK IS HERE!
(17 July 2001, 3:09 EST/CtP2) It's true! Dale's extremely fast work has given us the Apolyton Pack for CTP2. Here are it's contents
Med Pack II (Wes Whitaker)
- Civilization.txt (Fixes bugs with Civs)
- Const.txt (Fixes various bugs including terrain generator, national sliders and AI settings)
- Gw.txt (Fixes pollution effects - Global Warming)
- Orders.txt (Fixes various bugs in unit orders)
- Pollution.txt (Fixes pollution)
- Terrain.txt (Fixes terrain output)
- Tileimp.txt (Fixes tile improvements)
- Goals.txt (Fixes bugs in unit goals)
- Personalities.txt (Fixes bugs in AI personalitites)
Cradle of Civilization MOD (David Subutka)
- Diffdb.txt (Fixes bugs in difficulty settings)
- Risks.txt (Fixes bugs in barbarian settings)
- Strategies.txt (Fixes bugs in AI strategies to make it aggresive)
Wouter Snijders (SLIC'er)
- Capital.slc (Fixes bug where AI won't build capital building again)
Dale Kent (SLIC'er)
- Diplomod.slc (Fixes bugs in AI diplomacy)
- Airunit.slc (Fixes bug where AI won't refuel air units)
- Capturecity.slc (Fixes bug where buildings weren't destroyed in war)
- Map.txt (Fixes how Large and Gigantic are almost the same size map. [Large is now same size as original Gigantic, and Giga
ntic has been doubled in size])
- Govern.txt (Fixes TooManyCitiesThreshold in line with map size increase)
Frog_Gamer
- Advances.txt (Fixes advance costs to flow with time)
Martin Gühmann
- CityMod2 (Fixes bugs in ages and city graphics)
Klaus Kaan
- Wonders.txt (Fixes bug where no warning for Aristotle being built)
- Pop.txt (Fixes bug where AI mayors didn't use entertainers)
The Modswappper utility is required.
Related discussion thread -MarkG
CTP NET CHART 14/7/01
(17 July 2001, 2:48 EST/CtP) On the net as well!
RANK P NAME................... RATING WIN. LOSS NAT.TR
0001 P QUINNS_I............... 21.250 0001 0000 USA.CA
0002 P GAVRUSHKA_I............ 21.008 0001 0001 GBR
0003 P BONEY_I................ 21.000 0000 0000 THA
0004 P BLACKICE_I............. 21.000 0000 0000 CAN
0005 P FRANSES_I.............. 21.000 0000 0000 NED
0006 P JPWW_I................. 21.000 0000 0000 USA.GA
0007 P KEYGEN_I............... 21.000 0000 0000 GRE
0008 P SLAMP_I................ 21.000 0000 0000 FRA
0009 P SWISSY_I............... 21.000 0000 0000 USA.IL
0010 P ZOBOZEWARRIOR_I........ 21.000 0000 0000 FRA
0011 P BERXPERT_I............. 21.000 0000 0000 MEX
0012 P DARTH_VIPER_I.......... 20.742 0000 0001 NED
Discussion thread -MarkG
CTP PBEM CHART 15/7/01
(17 July 2001, 2:46 EST/CtP) People are still here ctp-ing...
CTP. . APOLYTON HANDLE........ CTP... P.G. P.G.
RANK P NAME................... RATING WIN. LOSS NAT.TR
0001 . KLAIR.................. 23.868 0041 0000 FRA...
0002 . SWISSY................. 22.858 0032 0003 USA.IL
0003 . MOBIUS................. 22.653 0046 0006 GBR.EN
0004 . RICK_ELKINS............ 22.214 0033 0013 USA.NY
0005 . MAX_WEBSTER............ 22.100 0029 0014 CAN...
0006 . DEVIL.................. 21.440 0014 0005 LAT...
0007 . ZOBOZEWARRIOR.......... 21.292 0030 0008 FRA...
0008 . QUINNS................. 21.063 0084 0061 USA.CA
0009 . SLAMP.................. 21.045 0034 0015 FRA...
0010 . KEYGEN................. 20.989 0033 0025 GRE...
Full 43 Players Listing -MarkG
CHIPS&BITS TOP 10: JULY 7-13, 2001
(17 July 2001, 2:41 EST/Misc) GRAN TURISMO 3 PS2 has slingshot into the #1 pole position. The game is brand new and extremely hot. DIABLO II EXPANSION: LORD OF DESTRUCTION PC is now at #2. BALDUR'S GATE II EXPANSION: THRONE OF BAAL PC has taken up the #3 spot.
1. Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec PLAYSTATION 2 $49.95
2. Diablo II Expansion: Lord of Destruction IBM CD ROM $32.95
3. Baldur's Gate II Expansion: Throne of Baal IBM CD ROM $29.95
4. Operation Flashpoint IBM CD ROM $42.95
5. Baseball Mogul 2002 IBM CD ROM $29.95
6. Myst III: Exile IBM CD ROM $39.95
7. Space Empires IV IBM CD ROM $42.95
8. Championship Manager '00-'01 IBM CD ROM $34.95
9. Diablo II IBM CD ROM $29.95
10. Half-Life: Blue Shift IBM CD ROM $29.95 -MarkG
UNIT ANIMATIONS IN GIF FORMAT
(16 July 2001, 23:39 EST/Civ3) If you're looking for a lightweight way to enjoy the recent CivIII unit animations, head on over to the Civilization III Arsenal which has animated GIF versions of the tank, catapult, swordsman, pikeman, and warrior attacks and the warrior death available for viewing.
Our thanks to the Arsenal's TTG Guy for the info. -DanQ
MGON: PREVIEW & E3 IMPRESSIONS
(16 July 2001, 22:40 EST/Civ3) The Media and Gaming Online Network (MGON) has posted their preview of CivIII. Written by MGON staffer "Steve", the two-page, fourteen-screenshot first look offers unique insight not seen in most other previews as it comes from an individual who witnessed the demonstration of the game first hand at E2 2001 in May.
The game looks substantially better than the previous titles with lots of smooth animations for the units on the map boards, writes MGON. Civilization III should be a massively engrossing game, with the potential to sap more hours of idle time than its predecessors.
[This game] is definitely a strategy game which sits near the top of the MGON "to die for" list, and hopefully the game will be here early next year as promised. -DanQ
WORLD ABOUT THE CHANGE
(16 July 2001, 3:26 EST/Civ2) 
The discoveries continue...
World about the change! by David Saindon
Next to the Americans election, some country change their mind about the life. The Canada give all of their cities, because they know they are in bad situation with England. When the Quιbec became the goverment of this country, something happens, the goverment became Saindonism and became allied with Palestinian. The France and Japan on their side decided to become a REAL Republic and be allied with the Americans for save the Capitalism system. The England do not have changed. However they are in war against Saindonism and Republic.
Download (2.3MB) MGE Required. -MarkG
IMPERIUM ROMANUM 2.2
(15 July 2001, 7:38 EST/Civ2) 
Today I made an amazing disovery! We have civ2 files that have not been posted! 
Anyway, here is an example...
Imperium Romanum By BeBro
In 386 BC the Persian empire is still, despite it΄s defeat in Hellas, the most feared power in the Eastern Mediterranean. But it has to fight many internal problems, more and more disorders and revolts, and so the Egyptians are able to free their country from the Persians. The hegemonial power in Hellas is Sparta, and also Athen is getting stronger again and tries to reestablish it΄s naval power, but the golden age of the free Poleis is over, as in Northern Greece a new opponent appears: Macedonia. In the Western Mediterranean Carthage expands its trade empire and comes more and more into conflict with the Greek cities of Sicily, especially Syracuse. For contrast Rome΄s sphere of influence still ends shorlty beyond its own city walls. So the Romans set out to conquer Italy...
Download the Main file(872k) and the Sounds file(1456k). Civ2 Fantastic Worls required. -MarkG
SMAC PATCH FOR LINUX
(14 July 2001, 21:11 EST/SMACX) Loki Entertainment has released the first patch for their Linux port of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Planetary Pack which contains both Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and its expansion pack, Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire.
To update, simply download and install the Loki Update Tool available in Alpha, PCC, Sparc64 and x86 formats. Each weighing in a 2.8MB, this program will compare the list of updates available to Loki products to what Loki product(s) you have installed on your PC and present you the opportunity to download patches as need be. -DanQ
UNIT ANIMATIONS DOWNLOAD
(14 July 2001, 20:22 EST/Civ3) As promised, the recently and some not so recently released unit animations are now available for download from Apolyton.
There are the following available for viewing (all in AVI format): Catapult Attack Animation (831KB), Pikeman Attack Animation (665KB), Swordsmen Attack Animation (775KB), Tank Attack Animation (1078KB), Warrior Attack Animation (744KB), and last but not least -- for a different twist -- the Warrior Death Animation (744KB). -DanQ
C177# WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM OF MY SHOE?
(14 July 2001, 4:18 EST/Misc) The Column marches on, delivered to 6135 civers around the world.
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM OF MY SHOE?
More reality in war, peace and your people!
By Will Morris. -MarkG
"WHAT IF" CHALLENGE: FIRST CHAPTERS
(14 July 2001, 3:03 EST/SMAC) "Evil Twin" has produced the first results of the "What If" Challenge which was suggested two weeks ago. The story answers to the questions
What if the Unity had not been struck by a meteor? How would the landing have proceeded? Would the crew still have split up or would they face Planet as a united force?
Chapters 1-4 and 5-8 have been posted, telling the story alternative story of the landing and the early years on Alpha Centauri. Check them out! -MarkG
CIVIII TRAILER DOWNLOAD
(13 July 2001, 21:36 EST/Civ3) Experiencing difficulties in connecting to, maintaining a connection with, or perhaps just simply obtaining a decent download speed from a current server hosting the CivIII trailer movie?
Apolyton is proud to be among the first half dozen or so websites offering the 1m:14s video in AVI format available for download. In doing so, we hope to both further the invaluable file database service we provide our visitors as well as aleviating the server load across the board.
The 12.4MB file is courtesy of PCZone which first posted the trailer two days ago. Additional movie files, including the catapult, pikeman, swordsman, tank and warrior attack animations, will also be made available over the next twenty-four hours. -DanQ
PHOTOS OF BRIGGS/MEIER
(13 July 2001, 16:54 EST/Civ3) GamesDomain (US) has posted three photos in their news section today of Jeff Briggs and Sid Meier in what they describe as "scary" pictures. Written and compiled by GD staffer Steve Hildrew, the article also includes the ten most recently released screenshots of the game as posted earlier by several other gaming sites.
Thanks to Thunderfall over at CivFanatics for the news tip. -DanQ
GSPOT UK ON SCREENSHOTS
(13 July 2001, 16:50 EST/Civ3) GameSpot UK has posted a news item regarding the recently released CivIII screenshots and, in the process, provides a commentary on them.
These ten new shots span the entire sphere of human history, showing some intriguing scenes from CivIII's brand new in-game engine, praised the GSpot UK news team.
For their part, GSpot UK added 10 screenshots to their growing gallery for the game -- now at 33. -DanQ
APOLYTON PACK?
(13 July 2001, 11:41 EST/CtP2) Dale has started work on a mod for Call to Power 2 containing fixes and slight modifications to many of the problems marring the original game, consisting of a number of already existent fixes from various mods plus a few brand new modifications of his own. Modelled on the original Apolyton Pack for Civilization: Call to Power, the mod will include improved versions of many of the in-game systems, attempts to fix in-game bugs, and several visual improvements with the focus being on collecting those mods that attempt to enhance the original feel of the game rather than adding a whole lot more. However, Dale does say that
I'd prefer at this point just to fix things that are there already. Maybe later we can look at other good ideas Apolytoners have had and add them later.
Comments and suggestions as to what fixes to add to this pack can be posted to the original thread -Snapcase
WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT OCTOBER?
(13 July 2001, 3:52 EST/Civ3) Many where excited to see the official civ3 page of Infogrames list an October 2001 release date.
Those who were saying that only Firaxis is the one who can safely speak about release dates probably knew better... ;)
Eitherway, Jeje2 was the first to notice that the release date is no longer mentioned on the page! So dont get too excited about playing civ3 in three months and wait for an announcement from Firaxis first... -MarkG
BOOK 2 DONE, IDEAS FOR BOOK 3?
(12 July 2001, 19:06 EST/SMAC) Michael Ely, author of the original SMAC story, as well as the "Centauri Dawn" book, announced that the second book is finished and is to be released at the end of August (titled "Dragon Sun", it is avaliable for pre-order on Amazon).
But work for Book 3 has already started and Michael is asking for ideas:
* Some names for peripheral characters, esp University, Believer, and Peacekeeper. But heck there are some Gaians and Morganites and Hivers and Spartans in there too: this is, after all, the grand finale.
* Just as a side thought, since book 3 takes place in the later part of Chiron's history, I was thinking of some cool genetic traits that people could have, just to be unique (kind of like people who get body piercings and tattoos now). For example, I read that scientists have bred a mouse whose fur changes color depending on what food it eats. I might add a few extra details like that for the far future of Chiron...like kids with interesting color eyes and things like that. Any thoughts?
According to the website of the publisher, the third book of the series, titled "Twilight of the Mind", will be out in February 2002. -MarkG
MEDIA, MEDIA, MEDIA!
(11 July 2001, 10:42 EST/Civ3) No screenshots to still your hunger for a while? Don't despair, the ever-vigilent PC Zone has ten brand-new screenshots, including the first Culture Advisor screen we've seen so far, and a gorgeous collection of in-game shots (just look at those roads that seem to widen from use). But wait! There's more! Also included are no less than seven video sequences, including the full trailer and several previously unseen unit animations.
There's no excuse not to head over and check it out, but you can expect the new shots to be included in our galleries in the near future. Thanks to Blue's News for the link. -Snapcase
OFFICIAL BOX SHOT
(11 July 2001, 0:23 EST/Civ3) 
The official Infogrames' CivIII website has posted what is safe to say to be the game's official front box cover.
No picture of the back of the CivIII box has yet been released. -DanQ
SYS. REQUIREMENTS RELEASED
(11 July 2001, 0:19 EST/Civ3) An official Civilization III website from Infogrames, the game's publishers? It's true -- it's here. While it contains mostly previously released information and, in contrast to Firaxis', little at that, the one item to take notice of is the listing of the game's system requirements.
Keeping with it's promise to ensure that even low-end systems will be able to handle its tork, CivIII will demand a minimum Pentium 300, 32MB RAM system to run with 100MB free hard disk space, a 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 7 compatible video and sound cards and one of Microsoft's 32-bit operating systems: Win95, Win98, WinME or Win2K.
Thanks to korn469 and Thunderfall @ CivFanatics for the news tip.
Related discussion -DanQ
CHIPS&BITS TOP 10: JUNE 30 - JULY 6, 2001
(9 July 2001, 20:57 EST/Misc) The two expansion packs to two of the biggest RPGs of all time dominate this week's list. Diablo II's Lord of Destruction continues to be #1, while Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, the finale of the Baldur's Gate series moves to #2.
DIABLO II EXPANSION: LORD OF DESTRUCTION PC continues to sell briskly at #1. BALDUR'S GATE II EXPANSION: THRONE OF BHAAL PC has jumped to #2. OPERATION FLASHPOINT PC is brand new and at #3.
1. Diablo II Expansion: Lord of Destruction IBM CD ROM ($32.95)
2. Baldur's Gate II Expansion: Throne of Bhaal IBM CD ROM ($29.95)
3. Operation Flashpoint IBM CD ROM ($42.95)
4. Baseball Mogul 2002 IBM CD ROM ($29.95)
5. Space Empires IV IBM CD ROM ($39.95)
6. Anarchy Online IBM CD ROM ($49.95)
7. Myst III: Exile IBM CD ROM ($39.95)
8. World War II Online IBM CD ROM ($39.95)
9. Microsoft Train Simulator IBM CD ROM ($44.95)
10. Alone in the Dark IBM CD ROM ($42.95) -Imran
INFOGRAMES FISCAL FORECAST
(9 July 2001, 18:43 EST/Misc) French video games publisher Infogrames Entertainment is aiming to return to profit in the year to June 30, 2002, with a targeted net profit margin of 4 percent, after an expected net loss of 27 million euros in 1999/01, Chairman Bruno Bonnell was quoted as saying on Friday. In an interview with French financial weekly Investir, Bonnell said he was comfortable with analysts' forecasts for Infogrames to post turnover of around 680 million euros in 2000/01 and an operating loss of around 50 million euros.
Bonnell also confirmed that Infogrames, Europe's biggest video game publisher, is targeting turnover of one billion euros in 2001/02. He said that a new distribution deal with Sega Corp. could bring an extra 100 million euros in sales between now and the end of 2002.
Infogrames is targeting a net profit margin of 10 percent from its 2002/03 fiscal year as it revamps its global structure, he added. He said that after that, margins should be boosted by the group's current remodeling into two global divisions -- mass market family games and core titles for seasoned gamers -- a move aimed at improving flexibility and time-to-market.
Analysts have trimmed their forecasts slightly in recent weeks to reflect the ongoing pressure on sales from the slow rollout of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox and Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s GameCube. The consoles, coming hot on the heels of Sony Corp.'s Playstation 2 are making their way onto U.S. shelves but will not be in Europe before next year.
Infogrames owns a number of subsidiaries, including Hasbro Interactive who carries the MicroPROSE name and in turn the Civilization trademark.
[ Source: The Adrenaline Vault ] -DanQ
NEW OFFICIAL CIV3 SITE UNDER DEVELOPMENT
(9 July 2001, 18:33 EST/Civ3) After a million posts on the issue of the non-updating official civ3 site, Dan Magaha broke the silence:
The reason there has been no site update is because we are working on rolling out a new, official website that will support the launch of the game and act as the official website from here on out.
Will we get any clues on the multiplayer features from the new site? Will there be a connection between Civ3 and the official site? Questions that need answers.... -MarkG
THE VERY FIRST NET RANKINGS
(9 July 2001, 14:08 EST/CtP) And it's underway! The CtP Internet Ratings and Rankings is the fruit of the idea to create a new rating system for Internet Games to compliment the ones that are so successfully run by Solver for the PBEM games proposed by quinns last month. He has now set the train running with the first of what promises to be a series of updates that contains a preliminary player list, an FAQ, and more! For what it's worth, here's the current list...
RANK NAME................... RATING WIN. LOSS NAT.TR
0001 DARTH VIPER_I.......... 21.000 0000 0000 NED...
0002 FRANSES_I.............. 21.000 0000 0000 NED...
0003 GAVRUSHKA_I............ 21.000 0000 0000 GBR.EN
0004 JPWW_I................. 21.000 0000 0000 USA.GA
0005 KEYGEN_I............... 21.000 0000 0000 GRE...
0006 QUINNS_I............... 21.000 0000 0000 USA.CA
0007 SLAMP_I................ 21.000 0000 0000 FRA...
0008 SWISSY_I............... 21.000 0000 0000 USA.IL
0009 ZOBOZEWARRIOR_I........ 21.000 0000 0000 FRA...
No games may be finished so far, but the first challenges are underway, and new players are streaming in all the time. Congratulations to a job well done, guys! -Snapcase
C176# DO OTHER PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS TRICK?
(7 July 2001, 23:23 EST/Misc) Sent to for the first through our own server to over 6000 civers, the Column is here as every week.
TINOMan writes the 176th article for the Column, asking DO OTHER PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS TRICK?
The author presents one of his civ2 tricks and asks for more.... -MarkG
FACES Of APOLYTON #1: VELOCIRYX
(6 July 2001, 6:18 EST/Misc) We are glad to announce that as of today we are starting a new series of interviews. Hopefully on a steady pace, we will be presenting special members of our community.
We start with Velociryx, author of the famous SMAC Strategy Guide
If you have a suggestion on who to interview next, send a pm to Solver our Interviews Chief. -MarkG
YIN RESPONSIBLE FOR SID`S GOLF AND CIV3 DELAY?
(6 July 2001, 5:05 EST/Civ3) Unfortunately, it looks that way. Yin, by his own mistake, revealed that he is the first to mention the idea of a golf-related game by Sid Meier! Making a post about an old column article of his on civ3, everyone realized that the first mention of a golf game by Sid was made by Yin.
Therefore it seems clear now that the whole "I was leafing through a golfing magazine and I got the idea" story that Sid has given is simply untrue! Everyone can easily realise that a "I was browsing Apolyton as I do every day, saw the words 'Sid Meiers Golf' together and knew instantly that I wanted to do it" story is much more feasible!
It's really a shame that someone who has contributed a lot to the civ community, is the reason of one more delay in civ3 by injecting the idea of a new game to the developers....
-MarkG
CIV3 TO RUN ON WINDOWS 2000
(4 July 2001, 23:19 EST/Civ3) In our Civ3 forums, Mike Breitkreutz of Firaxis answered an inquiry by Sabre2th. The question dealt with if Civ3 would run on Windows2000. Mike answered:
While I can't say what the "official" requirements are for Civ3 (I don't know what they are yet), I can say that I am developing it on a system running Windows 2000 and it definitely runs in 2000.
So Windows2000 users should be able to play Civ3 without worry.
-Imran
MEDIEVAL PACK: LARGE CIVS VERSION
(4 July 2001, 3:47 EST/CtP2) Wes announced a new add-on for the Medieval Pack. The "Large Civs" add-on contains changes for games where civilization have generally more than 15 cities. Changes include
Const:
The time given to the AI to take their turns raised by 40%.
The terrain "box" that is used to place ruins raised from 6x6 to 8x7. This means there there will be only about two-thirds as many ruins on a given map as there were previously.
The amount of pollution a civ has to produce to result in anarchy raised from 2,500 to 3,500.
The level at which an eco-pact is broken raised from 200 to 300.
Pollution:
I raised the threshold for disasters on large and huge maps by about 50%.
Govern:
I raised the too many cities threshold and the war discontent max units by 50%, and reduced the penalty for violating the city limit by about 33%.
I lowered the science coefficients for all governments except Tyranny.
Terrain:
I reduced movement costs by about 33%.
It goes without saying that you need to have the Medieval Pack installed before applying the file. Download, Discuss -MarkG
GALCIV BETA ETA
(2 July 2001, 14:49 EST/Alt) On June 23rd, Galactic Civilizations lead designer Brad Wardell reported in the game's official newsgroup that the ETA (estimated time of arrival) of the first beta is the end of August. Wardell explains:
We're going to hold back on the GalCiv beta until Componet Manager beta 2 is ready. It'll absolutely be needed there or else GalCiv will quickly become unmanageable as a beta. Let us know if you have any other thoughts on how you would like it to work. -DanQ
SDC#3 WINNERS!
(1 July 2001, 19:57 EST/Civ2) The 3rd Scenario Design Contest is finally over. The winners are:
Winner: Shelley
Runner up: Harris
Peoples' Choice award: Harris
Give your congratulations in forums and download the scenarios at The Cradle of Civilization! -MarkG
C175# SMACX ECO-DAMAGE FORMULA REVISED!
(1 July 2001, 19:27 EST/Misc) The last Column sent via Listbot was mailed a few minutes ago. The next article will be sent from our own system
Ned writes the 175th article, titled SMACX ECO-DAMAGE FORMULA REVISED!.
Going from opinions to technical analysis and strategy suggestions for a change, Ned presents the findings regarding the eco-damage formula in smacx.
(It goes without saying that similar articles are stronlgy encouraged!) -MarkG
CHIPS&BITS TOP 10 23-29/JUN/01
(1 July 2001, 17:56 EST/Misc) DIABLO II EXPANSION: LORD OF DESTRUCTION PC is brand new and extra spicy hot at #1. WORLD WAR II ONLINE PC has slipped to the #2 position. BALDUR'S GATE II EXPANSION: THRONE OF BAAL PC is just in and at #3.
1. Diablo II Expansion: Lord of Destruction $32.95
2. World War II Online $39.95
3. Baldur's Gate II Expansion: Throne of Baal $29.95
4. Microsoft Train Simulator $44.95
5. Anarchy Online $49.95
6. Half-Life: Blue Shift $29.95
7. Emperor: Battle for Dune $42.95
8. Mario Advance GAME BOY ADVANCE $34.95
9. Space Empires IV $39.95
10. Panzer Campaigns: Tobruk '41 $39.95 -MarkG
