New Civilization 5 Expansion - Brave New World

[Ichabod]

I know I've said I wouldn't buy due to the way they treated Brazil, but I don't think I'm going to be able to resist. Damned marketing science.

It's that damned tourism crushing your country's culture!

Holy crap! Let me get my Brazilwood Dye and start producing some culture. That'll lower my urge to cover myself with American tourism.

[Jowy]

I know it's not just Firaxis who does this, but I goddamn hate release dates being different for each region when the game is available digitally. I buy it on Steam and download it. There's no shipping to be done. Yet I have to wait until Friday because that's when the EU release date is.

[SevenSpirits]

I know it's not just Firaxis who does this, but I goddamn hate release dates being different for each region when the game is available digitally. I buy it on Steam and download it. There's no shipping to be done. Yet I have to wait until Friday because that's when the EU release date is.

The marvels of modern technology never cease!

[Jowy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYmgo9E1x4w

Here's the first part of MadDjinn's (who some of you might know from CivFanatics) "Beyond the Monument" episode on the new expansion. He is a deity level player and has apparently played the expansion in advance. I haven't watched it yet, but thought I'd post it before I forget :P

[Azza]

I know it's not just Firaxis who does this, but I goddamn hate release dates being different for each region when the game is available digitally. I buy it on Steam and download it. There's no shipping to be done. Yet I have to wait until Friday because that's when the EU release date is.

Yeah, that bullshit really pisses me off. There's literally no good reason why the release date should be different for the US and the rest of the world for a digital release.

[T-hawk]

Staggering the support workload for the company is one reason. Every release for every software company brings a deluge of support noise. This way at least they don't have to deal with the entire world complaining about their video drivers at the same time.

[Serdoa]

I know it's not just Firaxis who does this, but I goddamn hate release dates being different for each region when the game is available digitally. I buy it on Steam and download it. There's no shipping to be done. Yet I have to wait until Friday because that's when the EU release date is.

Well, I would guess if you VNP in from an American server you should have the option to buy it? And when you have bought it, you can start the download of it and I think at that point it matters not if you are VPNed in anymore. At least it worked that way some time ago, I did that myself after I found that "tip" on reddit. I also could buy Mortal Kombat this way, despite it being not available in Germany at all.

edit: Though I did not buy MK over Steam, just activated it there after I bought it at another digital retailer.

[Jowy]

Yeah it's pretty easy to overcome any restriction. You could even buy it, pre-load it, then download a single small .dll file that will activate it before the release date. But I'm pretty sure overcoming the restrictions is just as illegal as pirating the game, except it's easier to get caught.

[Sareln]

Random questions: any thoughts on the trade route systems?

Steam seems to think you only need CIV V, not G&K to get BNW. Did they really make it that atomic? If so, does BNW fold in the religion changes from G&K?

EDIT: More questions; claims of AI improvement, are they discernibly true or too early to tell?

[Jowy]

Random questions: any thoughts on the trade route systems?

Steam seems to think you only need CIV V, not G&K to get BNW. Did they really make it that atomic? If so, does BNW fold in the religion changes from G&K?

Not from an official source, but apparently you can skip G&K. You just won't be able to use the civs or play the scenarios from that expansion pack. I'd get G&K since Steam Summer Sale is just starting, you can get it really cheap.