Civilization- The King of Turned Based Strategy Games Pt.2

In part one of this series, we took a look at what systems you can enjoy the game Civilization on. In part two we are going to look deeper into the gameplay and mechanics of the game over those various gaming systems to see why Civilization is truly one of the best strategy games around.

Game Play

The first version of Civilization was released for MS-DOS in 1991. At the time, it was a revolutionary game that allowed players to build and control their own civilizations from the dawn of human history to the modern age. The game was turn-based, with each turn representing one year in the history of the civilization. One of the more fascinating things about the game is that you don’t get bogged down in micromanagement.  Civilization gives you the option to manage the fine details but it is not required to play or win the game.  While conquest is always a choice in the game and the only way to go in early versions of the game there are a considerable number of other ways to win. In later versions of the game your Civilization may grow war weary as some conquests drag out for many years.  As with real life, a civilization dedicated to war becomes a cultural vacuum.  Over time you fall farther and farther behind in research, which is the very thing you need to advance your plans of conquest.  So from 

Civilization III on an emphasis has been placed more and more on winning through other methods.  What other methods?  Glad you asked! You can win by:

Domination: (conquest taking all other Civilizations capitals)

Science Victory: Achieved by launching a spaceship and sending it to another planet. 

Cultural Victory: Achieved by being the dominant cultural force in the world.

Diplomatic: One of the easier ways to win.  Being popular can be a challenge. Avoid being aggressive and you can win this.  

Religious Victory:  Spread the word throughout the world and you will win.  One of the hardest ways to win this game. 

Points: no one wins by the above methods and then it goes by Civilization points. 

In all versions of the game is the tech tree.  This is one of the most significant innovations of Civilization. This was a visual representation of the different technologies that could be developed in the game, with each technology leading to other technologies. This system allowed players to plan and strategize their development, and it became a hallmark of the Civilization series.  Using the technology tree you can plan out which innovations will further your chosen method of victory.  

Civilization game from the start was a huge success, with critics and gamers alike praising its innovative gameplay, historical accuracy, and strategic depth. It won several awards, including "Best Strategy Game" from Computer Gaming World (I was a writer for Computer Gaming World for years) and "Game of the Year" from Computer Gaming World and Gamespot.

Version II had many upgrades, which was released in 1996. Civilization II featured updated graphics, new technologies, and improved gameplay mechanics. It also added new victory conditions. Like its predecessor, Civilization II was a critical and commercial success.

In 2001, Civilization III was released. This version was a complete overhaul of the title. In Civilization III it expanded your victory conditions.  Cultural victories were added to the mix, graphics improved, and general game play got even better.  "Great People," such as scientists, artists, and engineers, who could provide various bonuses to the Civilization. Civilization III also featured a more complex diplomacy system, where players could negotiate peace treaties, alliances, and trade deals with other civilizations. Conquest though was still the path of least resistance as you had what we called “the stack of doom” a monster stack of troops or tanks that just wiped out everything in its way.  

In 2005, Civilization IV was released. This version of the game introduced a new feature called "religion," where players could find and spread their own religion around the world. Civilization IV also featured improved graphics and a more sophisticated single player play. This made computer-controlled civilizations more challenging to play against. In some cases, just crazy stubborn to beat just like a real human. 

In 2010, Civilization V was released and again was a complete overhaul of the gaming system. This version of the game featured significant changes to the gameplay mechanics, such as limiting each city to one "unit per tile" for defense of cities and resources and removing the "stack of doom" tactic that allowed players to stack multiple units on a single tile. Which could be dealt with via airpower.  Civilization V also featured improved graphics, a more streamlined user interface, and a new system for social policies, which allowed players to customize their civilization's ideology and government.  Think of democratic vs autocratic types of governments.  

Just in case you’re wondering, democracy is the most challenging to manage, just like real life.   

The most recent version of Civilization, Civilization VI, was released in 2016. This version of the game introduced several new features, such as natural disasters, global warming, specialized districts, which allowed players to specialize their cities in different areas, such as science, culture, or religion. Civilization VI also introduced a new diplomacy system, where players could engage in more complex negotiations with other civilizations, including forming alliances, trading resources, and making demands.

Over the years, the Civilization series has had a significant impact on the gaming industry. It has inspired numerous other turn-based strategy games, such as Age of Empires and Total War, and other 3x strategy games.  If asked if I could only have one game to play it would be Civilization. No doubt about it.  Every single game is different, and you never know the outcome.  

One feature that never gets old is being compared to the best or worst world leaders in history.  You cannot underestimate the satisfaction of winning by conquering the world with Giant Death Robots or spreading the religion of What’s Happening Now.  Each has their challenges and fun.  

At Retro Gaming of Denver, we have various versions of Civilization for several game platforms.  Go to our store and buy a version of this game to see why it is King and you will learn about “just one more turn” syndrome.