Taking the game a little away from seriousness...

[satsui]

Taking the game a little away from seriousness, does anyone think it would be somewhat funny if they have newspapers in the game? I don't mean like newspapers we read, but carved new articles in stones like the Flintstones would do. Maybe an easter egg or something, I don't know.

[JDF]

I would hope to find plenty of humor in the game.

Helps keep things fun.

What form that humor would take I wouldn't want to guess, because I would probably be wrong... but I hope to see humor!

[Keith]

I think it was agreed in one of the other threads that most of us would like to see the contiuation of some of the humor of the past games. Just an occasional gem to lighten the mood here or there would be great. Someone slipping in the mud or the proverbial "banana peel". ;)

There's a whole list of "easter egg" and other suggestions in a long thread, satsui. You should add it to that thread.

You guys should browse through the old threads some time. :)

[Wen Kha-Ne]

We need some good easter eggs, as long as they are well-hidden. But the original easter-egg thread is off topic is it not?

[Keith]

It's drifted a bit, but that is only because people haven't been posting new ideas.

[Wen Kha-Ne]

We should really have some of the suggested egg characters in the city (a couple of Steve Irwins wading through the marsh perhaps?) and some parody of the alien theories.

[Eddy]

I just hope it isn't cartoonish like Zeus was. The over the top humor there really turned me off because I felt like I was watching a Three Stooges episode, and not immersing myself in a different land and time.

I don't mind a little humor, especially if it is in the form of Easter eggs or like in some of the help text for Pharaoh (without beer, civilization surely wouldn't exist), but please don't make it a cartoon.

[Keith]

Well, I did mention one possibility for a easter egg in the other thread is that at some point after some specific task is achieved, etc. that a UFO descend over the pyramid and recharge itself. Someone else added that it might be fun to have it aid in the actual construction of the pyramid by picking up a few blocks and teleporting or levitating some of the stone blocks into place.

[Wen Kha-Ne]

I just hope it isn't cartoonish like Zeus was. The over the top humor there really turned me off

Exactly. I would rather have the more subtle things (like help text and a crocodile hunter lurking in the marsh ;) ) than a cartoon-like game where gods randomly appear (though you have to warm to Dionysius's voice) and everyone has an American accent. What's wrong with Greek?

But I think we are already safe from that; the screenshots are fine and it reminds me of a Black & White world. (The game, not a song or a monochrome rendition!)

[JimmyReb]

I agree that the humor would be better if it was "period" but the UFO does sound funny. :D

I remember a Three Stooges episode where they were in ancient Egypt, this would undoubtably be an excellent additon to the game if the designers found a place to fit a clip from that episode into the game somewhere.

[JDF]

I dunno Jimmy.... if I see three men in Santa Clause suits in a sleigh coming across the desert to bluff their way past palace guards, I'm packing up the game and shipping it back! ;)

[Wen Kha-Ne]

I want obelisks with UFO glyphs! :confused:

You can only see it when you zoom in close on...perhaps one obelisk in your city there is a little story *aaahhh* with a UFO lifting the top of the pyramid into place. It is a fitting tribute to those useless theories put on this earth to confuse the feeble minded.

[Eddy]

I still hope there are dancing hippos. I don't know why, but the idea of dancing hippos is just funny to me.

[Wen Kha-Ne]

I wouldn't know because I never found Cleo. But it does remind me of Black & White, which had dancing animals as a selling point! (Gotta love those funky simians!)

[Jayhawk]

I don't know why, but the idea of dancing hippos is just funny to me.
Maybe they change them to dancing ostriches? ;)

[satsui]

There's a whole list of "easter egg" and other suggestions in a long thread, satsui. You should add it to that thread.


I didn't mean for this to be an easter egg thread, I was thinking of it as an actual game idea, that had nothing to do with easter eggs. You failed to read me correctly, or perhaps it was my fault. The tabloids would be part of the game, like every year you get a tabloid on the local news and citizens' opinions. If it didn't work out, then I would suggest it would be an easter egg idea.

[Miut]

Like a yearly report by the head of Overseers? If they have them in this game. ;)

[angelisis]

like every year you get a tabloid on the local news and citizens' opinions. If it didn't work out, then I would suggest it would be an easter egg idea.


many pharaohs inscribed the bottom of wooden or clay scarab beatles proclaiming new laws or news in general.
the workers village of Deir el-Medina left behind a treasure trove of information from broken shards of pottery and papyrus. for example: a man wanting to get out of work for the day explained that he had to bury his dead aunt. the only problem was she had already died 3 times :p
i think it would be a great idea to see one of my people walk past and casually drop a shard of pottery that i can click on to find out some gossip or a hint of any unrest.

angelisis

[Eddy]

I remember reading that one worker got the day off because he was going drinking with his friends. If only modern employers were so enlightened.

[Wen Kha-Ne]

Builders got beer rations! Imagine how quickly buildings would be built if this was still in place today! Imagine how many builders, imagine how few construction agencies!

[Miut]

Ah but Egyptian beer was made from fermented bread I believe! It was really only fermented to make is safer than the water to drink in most cases - meaning in most periods of history.

[Jayhawk]

I think some company some where is marketing real Egyptian beer. Although I must admit I haven't been in a hurry trying to taste it...

[Ammurit]

A brewery in Japan claims to have a recipe for ancient Egyptian beer.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/03/1028157863562.html

[Miut]

Some Egyptologist found the remains of beer in a funerary feast jar left by a tomb and analyzed it then made some! It is apparently cloudy and fairly bitter. I never liked the taste of beer from the start and couldn't see the point in persevering to acquire it. My son has felt exactly the same. ;)

Now mention coffeee... mmmmmsss...

[angelisis]

a little history lesson on ancient Egyptian beer.

it was indeed made using barley loaf that was lightly baked to activate the yeast it was then mashed and added to water after fermentation it was quite thick so they would have to strain the concoction or drink it through straws
the ancient Egyptian beer had an alcohol content of about 8% but different strengths of beer were believed to be made. apparently the containers which held the beer were of different color which indicated the potency

angelisis

[Jayhawk]

angelisis, it appears your history lesson is history.

KING TUT'S TIPPLE
Those two things told Samuel that ancient Egyptian brewers used sprouted grain, or malt, to produce sugars for fermentation, and that they heated the malt to accelerate the conversion of starch to sugar--as many brewers do today. And like modern brewers, the Egyptians made their malt from barley. In other respects, however, the ancient process was different. The Egyptians added a rare wheat called emmer to the barley--not hops. Also, before adding yeast to the heated malt and allowing it to ferment, they mixed in a second, starchier batch of uncooked malt.

When Samuel and her colleagues tested the recipe at a modern brewery, they found the resulting brew golden colored and a bit cloudy. Without the bitterness of hops, it had a fruity, sweet taste. “It’s very palatable,” says Samuel. “It’s different from any beer I’ve ever tried.” Although the modern version of “Tutankhamen Ale” contained 6 percent alcohol, Samuel thinks the real thing was much weaker. After all, she says, the Egyptians seem to have drunk it with every meal.

Link (http://www.egyptianmyths.net/tutbeer.htm)

[Ken Parker]

One of my challenges in writing text -- especially speech -- is to infuse the game with a lighthearted personality without breaking your immersion. Touches of textual humor generally stay within context and setting, with only occasional anachronisms. I've tried not to overindulge my weakness for bad puns. :rolleyes: CotN neither takes itself too seriously nor slides into slapstick or self-parody. You'll each judge for yourselves how well we succeeded at setting a playful tone without harming the historical illusion. Humor is, after all, subjective.

[G-Force]

I've never thought of it before but it must be really hard to add humor to a game. Afterall humor is usually something spontanious but when you have to sit down and add it to your game. My hat goes off to you (that's a Dutch saying translated wich means a showing of respect, I don't know or you use it in the USA)

G-Force

[Miut]

G-force, it's used almost exactly the same in the UK - "I take my hat off to you" is how it's said. :)

I agree wholeheartedly. Putting in a touch of appropriate humor at exactly the right point is an art. ;)

I loved some of the things the fols in Pharaoh said. "This basket's too heavy for a little kid like me..." was one of my favorites. ;)

[Spitze]

Ahhh newspapers. I remember back in the day of Simcity....

...too much fun :D

[angelisis]

angelisis, it appears your history lesson is history.

KING TUT'S TIPPLE
Those two things told Samuel that ancient Egyptian brewers used sprouted grain, or malt, to produce sugars for fermentation, and that they heated the malt to accelerate the conversion of starch to sugar--as many brewers do today. And like modern brewers, the Egyptians made their malt from barley. In other respects, however, the ancient process was different. The Egyptians added a rare wheat called emmer to the barley--not hops. Also, before adding yeast to the heated malt and allowing it to ferment, they mixed in a second, starchier batch of uncooked malt.

When Samuel and her colleagues tested the recipe at a modern brewery, they found the resulting brew golden colored and a bit cloudy. Without the bitterness of hops, it had a fruity, sweet taste. “It’s very palatable,” says Samuel. “It’s different from any beer I’ve ever tried.” Although the modern version of “Tutankhamen Ale” contained 6 percent alcohol, Samuel thinks the real thing was much weaker. After all, she says, the Egyptians seem to have drunk it with every meal.

Link (http://www.egyptianmyths.net/tutbeer.htm)

not history hunny just a better quality of beer.
thanks for the info though. very interesting.

[Jayhawk]

My pleasure :)

[Wen Kha-Ne]

It seems all citybuilders have their humour. I only remember one thing from the simcity newspapers, but it was probably worth it. When a problem in the city erupted, they would have near the end of the passage, "The mayor says 'no comment' on this issue."

CotN humour will not disappoint I am sure. ;) it is better we do not suggest things such as easter eggs here, then the whole point of it is gone. ;)

[Bradius]

I will never forget first playing CIII and having a poor sheep drift by in the river on a log. It had me rolling on the floor.

[Rachelc258]

Exactly. I would rather have the more subtle things (like help text and a crocodile hunter lurking in the marsh ;) ) than a cartoon-like game where gods randomly appear (though you have to warm to Dionysius's voice) and everyone has an American accent. What's wrong with Greek?

But I think we are already safe from that; the screenshots are fine and it reminds me of a Black & White world. (The game, not a song or a monochrome rendition!)


I loved zeus for its silly qualities. Also, the fact that it focused on the more on the mythic greece than the 'real' greece. Zeus was my favorite game. Not that I am saying I want a game exactly like it. It was just... different. It was fun.

As to accents, I'd rather they didn't do accents. Well, when it comes to ancient cultures at least. Ok, it's going to have an accent no matter what. But they don't need to be over the top or stressed. In zeus it didn't bother me because they were mostly parodies. But as I think I mentioned in an early thread, the accents in Caesar III drove me nuts. Why would the Romans speak with british accents? Although this may have annoyed me because it seems like everytime the romans or greeks are portrayed, it is with british accents.

So anyway- count me as wishing for... inflections that imply more than unsubtle accents.

[Ken Parker]

the accents in Caesar III drove me nuts. Why would the Romans speak with british accents? Purely as a matter of record, the voice actors in Caesar III were real Brits, recorded by Impressions UK. Since neither American nor British accents were accurate, lead designer and Impressions founder David Lester (who is British) chose the English inflection that would sound more natural to the European audience.

[EmperorJay]

To me, those typical British accents have something noble or elite. I always thought it fit the Roman theme (regardless if it was intended :) ).

[Bizkit]

It seems British accents are a must when portraying Romans. It's the same in Praetorians, IIRC.

[Miut]

Not a lot beats a plummy Brit accent, does it? Unless it's a John Wayne drawl as the cavalry you need rides into town. ;)

Anyone see the movie Reign of Fire? Fun, wasn't it? :D

[Keith]

Purely as a matter of record, the voice actors in Caesar III were real Brits, recorded by Impressions UK. Since neither American nor British accents were accurate, lead designer and Impressions founder David Lester (who is British) chose the English inflection that would sound more natural to the European audience.
For the most part, Americans have grown so used to seeing films and plays about Rome with british actors playing the lead roles, I don't believe most of us give it a second thought. I would tend to prefer them in those roles. Except for "Plebs are needed!", Patrick Stewart, or his sound-a-like, in Caesar II added a great deal of atmosphere and feeling to that game.

Of course, for Egypt, I would expect something similar to Pharaoh/Cleopatra in a accent. I'm fairly certain you have that covered already.

http://members.aol.com/dheitm8612/horus2.gif
Keith Heitmann (mailto:dheitm8612@aol.com) a.k.a Nuthin-in-khamun
Listen to the music of the CityBuilders while online:
Caesar III Music Player (http://www.geocities.com/kheitmann1/C3Player.htm)•Pharaoh Music Jukebox (http://members.aol.com/dheitm8612/java/pharaoh.htm)•Zeus Music Jukebox (http://members.aol.com/dheitm8612/java/Zeus.htm)•Emperor's Music Box (http://members.aol.com/dheitm8612/java/erotmk.htm)•Children of the Nile Musicbox (http://members.aol.com/dheitm8612/java/cotn/cotn.htm)•
Children of the Nile & Quiz (http://panzerblitz.proboards9.com/index.cgi#test)