Well, I think that's just a false dichotomy fallacy, breaking the game like that into such inherently codependent elements and then opposing them to each other.

It doesn't make any sense.

Functional illiteracy is your problem.

there is no such thing as "grand words", you're dumb.

It's not, graphics cost a lot of money and time to develop. Time and money that could be used for the gameplay. It's a trade-off, and in TBS people tend to prefer more gameplay and less graphics.

Another aspect to look at; in order for the statement "Will not sacrifice gameplay for graphics" to resemble a false dichotomy, one of those two elements would have to be driven under a functional level.

Sinece there is no question that the gameplay and graphics will be at a functional level, the statement comes to represent that they will not spent undue amounts of time and resources improving graphics if it damages their ability to properly develope the gameplay.

Another thing to remember, Since this is a 4x game, its primary player base will be looking to play Elemental for years to come. Its gameplay being up to par and working properly is of tantamount importance while the game looking good is only a side thought. Engaging gameplay fades much slower than shiny graphics do.

Feel the burn.

And you're in the very small minority.  People can still play StarCon2, but it's hardly making anyone any money.  If you want to compete in the market, you need to meet market expectations.  Talking about the tiny group of people who honestly don't care about graphics (or whatever) isn't really helping - unless the game wouldn't appeal to anyone else anyway, which is patently false.  Stardock games are interesting and complex, but they're not glorified spreadsheets like (say) HoI3, which will never have a broad appeal.

The reason '4X' games have a small market is because they're generally clunky, ugly and boring.  Stardock generally has well-designed and polished UI, so they have a chance of reaching people who don't own all seventeen Civilizations.  Growing the market = good.

Not that this has anything to do with the ridiculous OP wanting TEH RAD CUTZCENZ, of course, but going to extremes depreciating graphics is a bad idea.  Hell, if you put a new frontend on MoO it'd be playable - right now, no 'normal person' would even attempt to play it.

pnakotus: Very true, and like Agent said, I don't think anyone want's us to ignore the graphical side of things. Impressive graphics are what get the mainstream players interested....they 'expand the marketplace', as your post talked about.

I think the locals are just annoyed with this random wave of gamers popping up pushing the notion that the success of a TBS game rides on it's graphical appeal, when the 5/5's for GC2 (not a graphical powerhouse) champion the opposite.

Come to think of it, the gfx-crowd must have a point since we're spending most of August getting the visuals up to speed before PAX, once again showing the tightrope that has to be walked between the key game development diciplines.

Back to making maps for PR screenshots

I believe that a bad intro vid wont sell less games, but a good one will sell more.

I disagree. Success of most games is their wide appeal. I was drawn in to Civilization from the age of 5. 

I'm sure Elemental will have some good intro, but to be honest, I'm really hoping it is an epic tapestry style intro. Not, what is these days, some bog standard CGI stuff that almost every fantasy game does. Doesn't need a voice over.

Yeah, I remember spending a lot of time with Civilization too, but after Supreme Commander I just can't enjoy the combat itself like before, too bad Supreme Commander doesn't have a metastrategic layer like Star Wars; Empire at war did, it was so close...

I agree. Spell affects should feel and look magical, not just a neat way to stack up damage or some other math based effect with fireworks. And putting said affects in a trailer would be worthwhile because it is worthwhile. I think some people are mistaking entertaining worthwhile trailer to some sort of trick of cinema where most the trailer isn't even game footage.

Why hire someone to make the trailer? The Demigod trailer kicked ass and was all ingame

But yeah TOR trailer also kicks ass. Another good company is pastic wax, they did the trailer for Dawn of War II, the trailer for Space Marine, and worked on Transformers: RotF (the game) and Ghostbusters (the game)