Introducing Civilization to the next generation

[md4]

So I have succeeded in hooking my son (11 years old) to Civilization 3.

I had the idea for this thread yesterday when I heard him cry out in anguish as he became properly inducted into the community when he lost his first tank to a gritty spearman. Somehow my reassurances of "we've all been there" were of little comfort, and he decided tanks were worthless and maybe he'd have better luck with marines.

It's also really satisfying to walk past and see him reading the civilopedia entries and then later telling me random facts about iron working or the Mayan civilisation. I also have to admit that I feel a sense of pride when, in a recent multiplayer game, he showed some tactical flexing by landing a surprise invasion force by sea among my lightly defended cities and even took a couple. I'm honestly looking forward to the day he legitimately beats me.

He also proposed that, after losing multiple galleys in deep waters transporting settlers to a new island, you should be able to research lifeboats so transported units could survive a few turns for a new boat to pick them up. This is honestly probably better than any original idea I've ever had for the game.

Has anyone else successfully introduced Civilization to their family, and what sort of fun stories do you have?

 

[Aabraxan]

....He also proposed that, after losing multiple galleys in deep waters transporting settlers to a new island, you should be able to research lifeboats so transported units could survive a few turns for a new boat to pick them up....

Goodness gracious. I've been playing how many years? And this never occurred to me?!?

When the Little Aabraxan was about 5, she wandered in one day while I was playing Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. When she asked what I was doing, I tried to figure out how to explain that I was researching Superconductors while my attack choppers raided University settlements. I wound up saying "I'm conquering the planet." She looked down, shuffled her feet and said, "I wanna conquer da planet." So I started a game at the lowest difficulty and tried to show her how to play. She's a very bright kid, but most of the game was kind of lost on her. So I guess my answer is no, I have not successfully introduced Civ to my family. Only unsuccessfully.

 

[templar_x]

what about your old "bloodthirsty princess" stories then, Aabra. was it all just a lie?!?! all my trust and beliefs - they´re just gone...

on other news, i can report that my now nearly 10 year old was successfully recruited to the game, yessir!
t_x

 

[CKS]

My daughter does not care for Civilization. My son, now 11, likes both Civ3 and Civ4.

When my son plays multiplayer, we play cooperatively - usually he likes to build and use armies, while I research. He tries to reach domination before I hit 20k or build the UN.

Single player, he is getting better. He's given a couple of regent-level games of the month a try, winning one so far.

 

[tjs282]

Both my boys (aged 11 and 13) started Civ3 games on the old WinXP laptop, but that was a couple of years back. (IIRC, the older one might already have won his Tiny Pan game as the Germans at Warlord, but the younger one's -- Small Pan Japs at Chieftain -- is technically still in progress).

And they both pretty much lost interest in playing dad-games once they got their smartphones, and more recently a Nintendo Switch. At the moment they're mainly oscillating between Fortnite and Minecraft (and occasionally MarioKart 8), and are trying to recruit me to play those games instead.

The older one also just installed Lego Star Wars III (from my CD) on the secondhand Win10 laptop we were pretty much obliged to buy for their homeschooling (online class conferences) last term.

What did I do wrong...?

 

[Jivilov]

Number One Son likes Civ4, Number Two likes a plethora of first-person shooters. Number One says he's never run into anyone, either among his Facebook friends or in person, who even heard of the Civ series. Maybe living in the Philippines has something to do with it...

 

[Nathiri]

Goodness gracious. I've been playing how many years? And this never occurred to me?!?

When the Little Aabraxan was about 5, she wandered in one day while I was playing Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. When she asked what I was doing, I tried to figure out how to explain that I was researching Superconductors while my attack choppers raided University settlements. I wound up saying "I'm conquering the planet." She looked down, shuffled her feet and said, "I wanna conquer da planet." So I started a game at the lowest difficulty and tried to show her how to play. She's a very bright kid, but most of the game was kind of lost on her. So I guess my answer is no, I have not successfully introduced Civ to my family. Only unsuccessfully.

Hey dont give up! I started at 6 by seeing my siblings play and my Dad get civ3 for his birthday (I also played first person shooters at this age with 4 player splitscreen). I didnt know what I was doing on civ3 but I remember going on a conquering rampage with the vikings on the Middle Ages Conquest, not giving a damn what the AI asked for. Alpha Centauri might be a little different, but I always thought civ3 was fairly simple to understand even if you didnt understand the mechanics themselves (which would mostly be required to do well on high difficulties).

 

[CKS]

Both my boys (aged 11 and 13) started Civ3 games [snip]

And they both pretty much lost interest in playing dad-games once they got their smartphones, and more recently a Nintendo Switch. [snip]

What did I do wrong...?

Well, clearly, you let them have access to other stuff. That was your big mistake.

 

[md4]

And they both pretty much lost interest in playing dad-games once they got their smartphones, and more recently a Nintendo Switch. At the moment they're mainly oscillating between Fortnite and Minecraft (and occasionally MarioKart 8), and are trying to recruit me to play those games instead.

It happened the other way around in my house. My son bought himself a Switch with saved up birthday money from relatives, and got me hooked on Breath of the Wild for months. And now 20-year-old Civ3 has somehow usurped it.

She looked down, shuffled her feet and said, "I wanna conquer da planet." So I started a game at the lowest difficulty and tried to show her how to play. She's a very bright kid, but most of the game was kind of lost on her.

I like her instincts. SMAC is a pretty rough introduction to 4X games for anyone. Civilization at least has bright colours and funny looking leaders and advisors.

 

[Aabraxan]

It happened the other way around in my house. My son bought himself a Switch with saved up birthday money from relatives, and got me hooked on Breath of the Wild for months. And now 20-year-old Civ3 has somehow usurped it.

My kid used BOTW as bait in the "COVID Boondoggle to Get a Switch," and it worked. I was hooked on BOTW for about 2 months. Even now, I want to go back and replay it.

I like her instincts. SMAC is a pretty rough introduction to 4X games for anyone. Civilization at least has bright colours and funny looking leaders and advisors.

Yeah, SMAC would not have been my first choice to introduce her to 4x games.