Civilization is a series of turn-based strategy games produced by Sid Meier. Basic gameplay functions are similar throughout the series, namely, guiding a civilization on a macro-scale from prehistory to the present day. The series has enjoyed long-lasting popularity.

General gameplay

Conducting negotiations with Stalin of the Russians in Civilization I

All the titles in the series share a more or less equal gameplay method. Each turn allows the player to move any of his or her units on the world map, build new cities and units, and/or initiate the negotiation of a treaty with the computer-controlled players. In-between turns, computer players can do the same. The human player can also be asked which technology will be researched in the background for the next set of turns, consuming the gold points generated from, among other things, a tax rate corresponding to each city.

Technologies usually allow the player to build new units or to improve their cities in new ways, increasing that city's "happiness rating." Technologies can also be traded to the computer players in exchange for having them sign a treaty.

Before being able to order his/her units to attack those of another player, the player must first declare war formally on the other by means of the window through which treaties are proposed. All Civilization games have had victory through conquest (destroying all the other players' cities) and through score. Since Civilization it has been possible to win by building an interstellar space ship (each part being built as a unit). Civilization III added the possibility of winning by domination (having two-thirds of the worlds landmass within their borders), diplomacy (the computer players like the human player so much that, after any city is improved with the wonder "The United Nations", they elect them Secretary-General of the United Nations, then promote them to Leader of a World Government), and culture (when the game considers the sum of all the player's cities' culture points makes the player's culture a worldwide influence).

Main series

• Civilization (1991)
• Civilization II (1996)
  • Civilization II: Conflicts in Civilization (1996), the first expansion pack for Civilization II.
  • Civilization II: Fantastic Worlds (1997), the second expansion pack for Civilization II.
• Civilization II: Test of Time (1999), the original plus new scenarios and improved detail, including the ability to continue play on an alien landscape.
• Civilization III (2001)
  • Civilization III: Play the World (2002), the first expansion pack for Civilization III.
  • Civilization III: Conquests (2003), the second and final expansion for Civilization III.
• Civilization IV (2005)
  • Civilization IV: Warlords (2006), the first expansion pack for Civilization IV.
  • Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (2007), the second expansion pack for Civilization IV.^[1]
• Civilization Revolution (2008)

Compilations

• Civilization II: Multiplayer Gold Edition (1998), includes Civilization II and its two expansions: Conflicts in Civilization and Fantastic Worlds.
• Civilization III: Gold Edition (2003), includes Civilization III and the first expansion, Play the World.
• Civilization III: Complete Edition (2005), includes Civilization III and its two expansions: Play the World and Conquests.
• Civilization Chronicles (2006), includes all the games from the main series from the first Civilization to Civilization IV.

Other games

• Colonization (1994), created by Brian Reynolds and Sid Meier while still at MicroProse.
• CivCity: Rome (2006), a city-building strategy game inspired by the series.

When Sid Meier left MicroProse in 1996, the Civilization series was still part of MicroProse's portfolio, leading to a period of legal limbo that included the following games:

• Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (1999), created by Sid Meier's team at Firaxis Games.
• Civilization: Call to Power (1999), created by Activision.
• Civilization II: Test of Time (1999), created by MicroProse.
• Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire (1999), an expansion pack to Alpha Centauri.
• Call to Power II (2000), sequel to Civilization: Call to Power. Due to licensing issues, Civilization could not be in the title.^[2]

Fan games

• Freeciv (1996)
• C-evo (2006)

See also

• List of historical figures in Civilization IV
• List of wonders in Civilization
• List of Government Types in Civilization

References

External links

• GamaSutra history of Civilization
• Civilization series at MobyGames
• The Civilization Wiki

Donate to Wikimedia