Civilization - The Game

[Lord David]

Well started playing Civilization IV again (even though I have V, I never cared for it, haven't tried the expansions though). Great Game.

They should really bring back proper Wonder movies if they make a Civilization VI, perhaps the council too. I could easily expect a Military - Science - Economy - Foreign - Culture (Elvis) - Religion style council, with the different looks during the various eras - Ancient - Classical - Medieval - Renaissance - Exploration - Industrial - Modern - Atomic - Information - Future. The religions should be the same as in Civ IV, where they're founded by gaining the technology associated with it first.

Well anyone else out there a fan of the series?

[Victor Mata]

Big fan of CIV 4 here. It's remarkable how the game becomes very tense by the Modern age, with global warming, air forces and strained diplomacy. Only the spies are a bit too expendable and unefective, IMO. But it's one of my favorite PC Game experiences mixing stuff from Simcity and Age of Empires. Never tried V, though.

[woohooitsme83]

Civilization: Beyond Earth is coming out in October, so I'm waiting for that, I suppose. Really love the series but it so time consuming.

[krow]

i used to love civ 4. i was obsessed with beating the one city challenge, but i don't think i ever did. and trying to build up australia in earth maps, which is really hard because it's such a wasteland.

[Sir Rols]

Oh yeah, there's a few of us here: Civilization thread

I could micro-discuss this one. I've currently logged on 2252 hours on Civ V. Got a fair bulk of the non-scenario achievements. And I've played every iteration back to the original, plus the original board game it was based on back in the 70s. God knows how much of my life I've spent on all the versions together. One of the few forums I contribute much to outside of GBids is Civfanatics. I've been a games reviewer in the past, yet the Civ series is one of the few games (with perhaps the Elder Scrolls series) I'll ever go back to again and again.

What level you play on? I tend to focus on King and Emperor levels - a good solid challenge with scope to sandbox and have some flavoursome and random fun a bit too. I've won up to Diety, but don't enjoy that - that's just numbers game at that point and more a coding puzzle exercise. I usually prefer the biggest maps with as many civ as possible on marathon speed - a good campaign on those will take me through three weeks or so.

They should really bring back proper Wonder movies if they make a Civilization VI, perhaps the council too. I could easily expect a Military - Science - Economy - Foreign - Culture (Elvis) - Religion style council, with the different looks during the various eras - Ancient - Classical - Medieval - Renaissance - Exploration - Industrial - Modern - Atomic - Information - Future. The religions should be the same as in Civ IV, where they're founded by gaining the technology associated with it first.

You think so? I think Religion in V is by far better. IV was just so random - get to theology first and you're christian, masonry and you're buddhist, etc. In V, at least you have to actively build up your faith with shrines and wonders and policies and such to amass the faith points to start your religion, and then you can choose the religion you want (and other civs will choose appropriate religions - I used to hate coming across Hindu Germany's etc) and you can tailor the effects of your religion to what you want and your civ's strengths. A far, far more immersive and challenging religious system, I think.

And they have the conucils now - from Congresses up to United Nations. The diplomacy is now well improved (and having the city stats helps there too).

Well started playing Civilization IV again (even though I have V, I never cared for it, haven't tried the expansions though). Great Game.

I was a bit underwhelmed myself with the vanilla version of V at first - but the Gods & Kings and Brave New World expansions have really polished it and made it a complete game. It was really unfinished until those. (But IV was the same, it only realised its potential with its final expansions). About the only thing I miss a bit now is some sort of domestic political system in place, and having to counter civil wars and revolts and such.

IV was the best true fans version - definitely one for the real civ nerds by the end. But I can't go back to it any more. The graphics and mechanics are just too clunky now that I'm used to the interface of V.

Get the expansions and give V a try again now. It's a totally different game. And the new cultural victory systems are really fun - building up your collections of great works of art in your museums and wonders and sending out archeologists to dig up ruins for artefacts and such. Just adds whole new dimensions, not to mention, as I said, the religion system now.

[woohooitsme83]

But you can't force your religion upon other civilizations with the expansion packs

[Sir Rols]

But you can't force your religion upon other civilizations with the expansion packs

Yes you can - you build and send out your prophets, missionaries and inquisitors to spread the One True Word. And you can wipe out others' false heretic faiths.

[Lord David]

Oh yeah, there's a few of us here: Civilization thread

I could micro-discuss this one. I've currently logged on 2252 hours on Civ V. Got a fair bulk of the non-scenario achievements. And I've played every iteration back to the original, plus the original board game it was based on back in the 70s. God knows how much of my life I've spent on all the versions together. One of the few forums I contribute much to outside of GBids is Civfanatics. I've been a games reviewer in the past, yet the Civ series is one of the few games (with perhaps the Elder Scrolls series) I'll ever go back to again and again.

What level you play on? I tend to focus on King and Emperor levels - a good solid challenge with scope to sandbox and have some flavoursome and random fun a bit too. I've won up to Diety, but don't enjoy that - that's just numbers game at that point and more a coding puzzle exercise. I usually prefer the biggest maps with as many civ as possible on marathon speed - a good campaign on those will take me through three weeks or so.

You think so? I think Religion in V is by far better. IV was just so random - get to theology first and you're christian, masonry and you're buddhist, etc. In V, at least you have to actively build up your faith with shrines and wonders and policies and such to amass the faith points to start your religion, and then you can choose the religion you want (and other civs will choose appropriate religions - I used to hate coming across Hindu Germany's etc) and you can tailor the effects of your religion to what you want and your civ's strengths. A far, far more immersive and challenging religious system, I think.

And they have the conucils now - from Congresses up to United Nations. The diplomacy is now well improved (and having the city stats helps there too).

I was a bit underwhelmed myself with the vanilla version of V at first - but the Gods & Kings and Brave New World expansions have really polished it and made it a complete game. It was really unfinished until those. (But IV was the same, it only realised its potential with its final expansions). About the only thing I miss a bit now is some sort of domestic political system in place, and having to counter civil wars and revolts and such.

IV was the best true fans version - definitely one for the real civ nerds by the end. But I can't go back to it any more. The graphics and mechanics are just too clunky now that I'm used to the interface of V.

Get the expansions and give V a try again now. It's a totally different game. And the new cultural victory systems are really fun - building up your collections of great works of art in your museums and wonders and sending out archeologists to dig up ruins for artefacts and such. Just adds whole new dimensions, not to mention, as I said, the religion system now.

I can't say much about religion in Civ V because I don't have the expansions. I prefer the idea of getting said technology first (which is religious) and getting the religion founded as a result. But they could tweak this by making the religion founded in said city, but no one follows it yet until you build the necessary shrines, temples etc.

I'd like to see the stuff I said earlier and the future. Ancient - Classical - Medieval - Renaissance - Exploration/Imperial - Industrial - Modern - Atomic - Information - Future. The Space Race should also be tweaked, into 2 aspects. You do the national project of Apollo Mission to unlock the Space Race for your civilization. Then you can (once the technologies are researched) build a basic spaceship using information age components. This spaceship if completed and launched will take decades to get to Alpha Centauri. Where the alternative would be to wait until Future Era technologies to build better spaceship parts.

They have the concepts of "International Games" and "World's Fair" in the Civ V expansions, which add to the tourism victory. Sounds interesting. Perhaps they could tweak it so that you can only "bid" for an International Games if you have the following: International Airport, Mass Transit, Main Stadium, Main Arena, Hotel. Where the World's Fair you will need: International Airport, Mass Transit, Exhibition Complex, Hotel. I see from some reasearch at the CivWiki, that they're international projects done by the World Congress. The Internet and Cure for Cancer should also fall under this "international project" alongside the International Games, World's Fair and International Space Station.

Well I guess we'll have to see until Civilization VI to find out what they do improve and do different.

[Lord David]

Perhaps for the next edition, they could have some sort of internet poll for new wonders? You put forward your idea of a wonder, it's attributes, when if becomes obsolete (if applicable) and what tech is required before you can build it.

[Sir Rols]

I can't say much about religion in Civ V because I don't have the expansions. I prefer the idea of getting said technology first (which is religious) and getting the religion founded as a result. But they could tweak this by making the religion founded in said city, but no one follows it yet until you build the necessary shrines, temples etc.

Like I said, you should give it a try. The IV system was just so arbitrary. The new system really lets you tailor your religions and decide whether or not you ant to take up a religious strategy towards winning. I've had fun creating things like jihadist buddhists and scholarly shinto-ites. It's just so much deeper than IV. It's such a deeper feature now that the only pity is there isn't some sort of religious victory to aim for in itself.

I'd like to see the stuff I said earlier and the future. Ancient - Classical - Medieval - Renaissance - Exploration/Imperial - Industrial - Modern - Atomic - Information - Future. The Space Race should also be tweaked, into 2 aspects. You do the national project of Apollo Mission to unlock the Space Race for your civilization. Then you can (once the technologies are researched) build a basic spaceship using information age components. This spaceship if completed and launched will take decades to get to Alpha Centauri.

That IS the current science victory condition and task.

They have the concepts of "International Games" and "World's Fair" in the Civ V expansions, which add to the tourism victory. Sounds interesting. Perhaps they could tweak it so that you can only "bid" for an International Games if you have the following: International Airport, Mass Transit, Main Stadium, Main Arena, Hotel. Where the World's Fair you will need: International Airport, Mass Transit, Exhibition Complex, Hotel. I see from some reasearch at the CivWiki, that they're international projects done by the World Congress. The Internet and Cure for Cancer should also fall under this "international project" alongside the International Games, World's Fair and International Space Station.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that - if you don't have BNW you've never done the games project.

Yeah, a few more projects would be nice trimmings, but the three there are fit in so well with the mechanics.

Perhaps for the next edition, they could have some sort of internet poll for new wonders? You put forward your idea of a wonder, it's attributes, when if becomes obsolete (if applicable) and what tech is required before you can build it.

I think 2K take in a lot of feedback in things like that from sites like Civfanatics already. And even more so the new civilizations they add to it - that gets fought as fiercely as any host city battle is done here!

Also heaps of mods out now through Steam with just about any wonder you can think of.

[Lord David]

What I meant about the science victory, is that it shouldn't just be the lone spaceship. If a future era happens, then you should be able to build 2 kinds of spaceships. The Information era one (which takes decades to reach its destination and could fail) or wait until you have the future techs to build spaceship type 2. Alternatively you can mix and match to try and get there faster, with varying degrees of success.

[Sir Rols]

Meh, I've always enjoyed the historical aspects of it rather than any sci-if fantasy they try to finish it off with. Much prefer sending my archers in against charioteers than Giant Death Robots against XCOM squads.

[Lord David]

Then you simply play to the era you wish to finish. The lack of a future era is apparent in the Civilization series. There's clearly room for it and would give that Giant Death Robot a proper place (which as I understand was a result of a thread where fans wanted such things).

It would make the space race proper too.

[woohooitsme83]

Again, Civ Beyond Earth is coming out (not sure how they'll continue the series afterwards, though), so it pretty much expands upon the science victory and lets you design your own spacecraft, the location to send it to, etc (at least that's what I remember)

Note: nnot design-able per se, but you can customize it

[zekekelso]

Funny, just last night I noticed that I had bought Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, but never started it. I guess I have a ways to go before I get to Civ 4, 5 and beyond.

[Lord David]

Again, Civ Beyond Earth is coming out (not sure how they'll continue the series afterwards, though), so it pretty much expands upon the science victory and lets you design your own spacecraft, the location to send it to, etc (at least that's what I remember)

Note: nnot design-able per se, but you can customize it

Wrong. Well sort of. Beyond Earth is the spiritual successor to Alpha Centauri. It takes place (presumably) in that system, where you take a faction (Civilization) and do the stuff you'd do in Civ V over there but in a future setting.

[Sir Rols]

Exactly - Beyond Earth is coming and we've had Alpha Centauri as the sci-fi expansions - which is great for those who want a sci-fi component without compromising the core game for the history buffs who make up the bulk of Civ's audience.

[Lord David]

Alpha Centauri was stand alone. It was never a sci-fi Expansion. The only logical approach would be to not end in the year 2050 and go beyond that.

[woohooitsme83]

Wrong. Well sort of. Beyond Earth is the spiritual successor to Alpha Centauri. It takes place (presumably) in that system, where you take a faction (Civilization) and do the stuff you'd do in Civ V over there but in a future setting.

Yeah, but it definitely combines Alpha Centauri (space stuff) + Civ by following the pattern of: New Civilization -> Developed Technology -> SPAAAAACE! [end CIv 5] -> [start Beyond Earth] Overflow of population -> oh-look-we-have-the-technology-for-space -> seeks space as a solution.