Sanguivorant
Submitter
I have observed that in most games I play, once I have discovered the game mechanics and I have become efficient at the game, everything just feels automated or mechanic. Like, I am somehow able to see many turns into the future and plan every action that I need to take. Instead of enjoying the game for what it is, I see the game in numbers, sequences and mathematics.
That was why when I was spending some time with my little sister today, I was astonished by her take on the game. I have taught her the basics of the game. We have a T.V that we hook up the computer to, so I told her to just open up a game and I'll watch what she does.
So we start a game on chieftan. She takes a good look at her initial start. It wasn't a good one, so I told her to settle one tile east, since she could move there and it is close to a coast with some fish. She says no, and says she needs to find the perfect place to start her first city.
So she takes her warrior and settler and moves them south, away from the tundra. On the way, we pick up tribal huts that gave us a settler and a warrior, which I found pretty nice. We also met some starting civs. Unfortunately, one of them was Montezuma, and I told her to keep a very close eye on him.
Eventually, we came across some floodplains, and an irrigated wheat resource, and she says, "Perfect, this is where I will settle". We are 15 turns into the game now, and on any difficulty higher than chieftain, it would already be game over.
Anyhow, she settles two cities, and over time we start to develop our cities.
Now, when I choose techs, I choose them in accordance to what I will be doing at least 100 turns down the road. I have the ability to do this, because I have the tech tree memorized, and I know which techs are optimal. However, my sister chose what she felt she needed right now, at the turn she was playing in. She wants her cities to be protected? She techs archery. She wants to connect her two cities? She researches the wheel. She feels that her people need a belief system? She researches mysticism and builds monuments.
Anyhow, the inspiration of the title is something she said later on in the game, when one of her cities were unhappy. This is how that conversation went:
"Brother, why is there a red face on this city?"
"It's probably because the city is overpopulated, and each population point increases unhappiness."
"Well, sort it out guys. At least you live in a city."
I don't know why, but when she said that it made me laugh. It's the kind of light-hearted gaming that I tend to lose any time I become skilled at a game.
So here's my story.
Do you remember what it was first like to play the game? What are some things you could do to bring back that kind of fun into your gaming?
That was why when I was spending some time with my little sister today, I was astonished by her take on the game. I have taught her the basics of the game. We have a T.V that we hook up the computer to, so I told her to just open up a game and I'll watch what she does.
So we start a game on chieftan. She takes a good look at her initial start. It wasn't a good one, so I told her to settle one tile east, since she could move there and it is close to a coast with some fish. She says no, and says she needs to find the perfect place to start her first city.
So she takes her warrior and settler and moves them south, away from the tundra. On the way, we pick up tribal huts that gave us a settler and a warrior, which I found pretty nice. We also met some starting civs. Unfortunately, one of them was Montezuma, and I told her to keep a very close eye on him.
Eventually, we came across some floodplains, and an irrigated wheat resource, and she says, "Perfect, this is where I will settle". We are 15 turns into the game now, and on any difficulty higher than chieftain, it would already be game over.
Anyhow, she settles two cities, and over time we start to develop our cities.
Now, when I choose techs, I choose them in accordance to what I will be doing at least 100 turns down the road. I have the ability to do this, because I have the tech tree memorized, and I know which techs are optimal. However, my sister chose what she felt she needed right now, at the turn she was playing in. She wants her cities to be protected? She techs archery. She wants to connect her two cities? She researches the wheel. She feels that her people need a belief system? She researches mysticism and builds monuments.
Anyhow, the inspiration of the title is something she said later on in the game, when one of her cities were unhappy. This is how that conversation went:
"Brother, why is there a red face on this city?"
"It's probably because the city is overpopulated, and each population point increases unhappiness."
"Well, sort it out guys. At least you live in a city."
I don't know why, but when she said that it made me laugh. It's the kind of light-hearted gaming that I tend to lose any time I become skilled at a game.
So here's my story.
Do you remember what it was first like to play the game? What are some things you could do to bring back that kind of fun into your gaming?
I honestly have no time for optimization or the most efficient strategy. I play for fun, and I play it the way I want to play at, I have no interest in "beating" civ or in proving anything, I just want to play a nation I think is cool and have a blast.
