Help: How to convince a GF to play CIV IV ?

[wolfigor]

Ok, here the facts:
1. I'm a fanatic of Civilization, and I want to play the game in the best possible way (using a top computer and with a lot of time to play)
2. I bought a new top tier computer
3. I've a girlfriend
4. She loves to play (god forgive her) Heroes of Might & Magic V
5. She asks/coerce me to play with her at that game

And now the request for help:
How can I succeed to convince her to migrate to the True Game? (Civ IV)

I hope you have some good suggestion.

 

[Turner]

Have her sit down and play the tutorial. Or have her watch over your shoulders. I tried to teach my wife, but I'm more the kind who can problem solve than teach, if you get my meaning.

 

[Quijote]

Well the mature method would be that you shared interests and thus that you play Heroes of Might and magic with her - just as much as she plays Sid Meier’s Civilization IV. Depending on your relationship you could either play competitive or play on the same computer together online or against artificial intelligence.
In my experience with relationships it can be almost impossible to force an opinion, value or preference of your girlfriend and it will eventually lead to a breakup - no matter how rational you may sound.
It is also important to remember that Sid Meier's Civilization is not a universally fun game, and it may not be possible to teach someone to like it. Like nobody can teach me to like sushi.

 

[Arlborn]

Well the mature method would be that you shared interests and thus that you play Heroes of Might and magic with her - just as much as she plays Sid Meier’s Civilization IV. Depending on your relationship you could either play competitive or play on the same computer together online or against artificial intelligence.
In my experience with relationships it can be almost impossible to force an opinion, value or preference of your girlfriend and it will eventually lead to a breakup - no matter how rational you may sound.
It is also important to remember that Sid Meier's Civilization is not a universally fun game, and it may not be possible to teach someone to like it. Like nobody can teach me to like sushi.

But but but.. SUSHIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!

OK, with relation to the thread, my gf liked Age of Empires but she says she finds CIV too complex, but she didnt even try to play yet 0.o The thing is make them play for the first time! If they like good, if not, ah well, buy other computer for you

 

[FastWorker]

Civ is complex. But that is one of the reasons it is so replayable. Just when you think you understand the game, you learn something that you didn't even consider as a factor and it changes your method of gameplay.

That said, it can be frustrating in the beginning because of its complexity. Start on settler level. Just teach her one aspect at first - like building or warmongering. My bf and I play hotseat often and it helps both our games. We beeline to alphabet and trade every tech and resource we have as well as often go to war together, if we both are prepared militarily. Sometimes we gift each other unique units. I've had a fast worker under Saladin this way. If you're snuggling next to her, taking turns, she'll gradually learn. But because you're giving her all your techs, she won't fall behind even if she doesn't know how to strategize with all the intricate rules yet. That way it can be fun without dealing with the complexity until you already have grasped it.

 

[synthboy]

I got my GF to play by acting as her advisor. I sat all the computer and explaining things avoiding jargon (eg Combat I becomes 'makes him better all round', Market is 'a building that makes people happy and gets you extra cash'). She then told me what to build and where to move theunits. Along the way I introduced concepts like stacking and cottage spamming. She really enjoyed it and demanded to play beyond her Domination victory so she could finish of the Egyptians! Next time out we're going to try a team game using two computers so she gets used to using the controls but can still ask for help.

 

[British Blue]

Girlfriends who play Civ 4. You lucky bastards, where did you meet these people?! I wanna gamer girlfriend!

 

[mjs0]

My wife dabbled with Civ2 and Civ3 single player, but more recently preferred playing RPGs and resisted playing Civ4 because it looked more complex and for multiplayer because she didn't want to go to war with me (isn't that sweet ).
So...I convinced her to try playing cooperative multiplayer games and that was what got her addicted.

 

[wolfigor]

The thing is make them play for the first time! If they like good, if not, ah well, buy other computer for you

Exactly!
She also says things like "looks complex", "I don't like war" (and exterminate legions of poor innocent monsters in HMM), etc.

One of my previous GF liked to play SMAC, and we were playing in local network against AI.... until I started waging war against her.

 

[NKVD]

last time my gf played a game was when Mario Bros was a month old...

 

[bassist2119]

It is also important to remember that Sid Meier's Civilization is not a universally fun game.

BLASPHEMY!!! You are SO off my christmas list!

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

Females, if they do play games (more common in the US, still very rare elsewhere), tend to emphasize co-operation, community and friendliness. The traditional definition of "video games" implies competition, winners and losers, and PC games are frequently violent or related to bloodshed. Games like WoW or The Sims are non-competitive. Another difficulty is the scope of the game. Games like Diablo 2 and Heroes of Might and Magic V count in numbers of a few hundred, something more easily related to and emotionally empathized, then Sim City 3000 or Civ4.

 

[Arlborn]

Females, if they do play games (more common in the US, still very rare elsewhere), tend to emphasize co-operation, community and friendliness. The traditional definition of "video games" implies competition, winners and losers, and PC games are frequently violent or related to bloodshed. Games like WoW or The Sims are non-competitive. Another difficulty is the scope of the game. Games like Diablo 2 and Heroes of Might and Magic V count in numbers of a few hundred, something more easily related to and emotionally empathized, then Sim City 3000 or Civ4.

That is not ture, in some countries of Europe(like Netherlands, sweden or Poland) a lot of women plays games. believe me
Also in Brazil there was a fair amount, small yes, but growing

 

[Willowmound]

Tell her Civ is good for the skin.

 

[WilliamOfOrange]

Man, I have a few friends with wives that love Civ 3 and 4 and video games in general. I used to envy them when they were just dating, saying why can't I find a woman like that?

Actually, I had a girlfriend in university (from Quebec) who would get upset with me about being late and wasting my time playing Civ2. I lost a whole week of work during a work term to that game!

So one day she was over and wanted to see this game. "What's the big deal she said?" Well, needless to say 2 hours and change later she had bannished me to my room to work on our assignment and she was cursing the Sioux and swearing at the computer in French. She went on to wipe them out and said that they deserved to die because they had less technology. It was great insight to her political and social views of the complex relationships with the First Peoples in the cultural mosiac of Canada. Some of our PC minded friends and roommates thought that she had gone a little too far, but she got hooked very quickly. Ten years later they still bring that up.

 

[kristopherb]

have kniky %%x if she plays civ4(dont shout issy issy)

 

[abuaftab]

If she doesn't see the light...divorce her!

 

[wolfigor]

Tell her Civ is good for the skin.

hmmm I already used that line for a different type of "game:

For now I'm trying a more subdle tactic... I assist her when she plays HM&MV and then I'll ask her to assist me when I play CIVIV.
I'll try to involve her in the decision making of the game and soon she will be hoocked.

Alternatively, I can add a small script in the levels of HM&M to automatically win the level after a certain fix time.
In this way she will finish the game very soon and I'll have back the control of my beloved computer.

 

[wolfigor]

That is not ture, in some countries of Europe(like Netherlands, sweden or Poland) a lot of women plays games. believe me
Also in Brazil there was a fair amount, small yes, but growing

True.
When I was living in Sweden I had a girlfriend that was participating to national level tournaments of Starcraft (and routinely blasting me in microseconds).

 

[Keith_C]

What my wife and do is have me play General to her Empress. Now before you get all smutty, this means she gives orders and directs the flow of our game, and I steer the computer and make it happen. This is because she's not interested in and doesn't want to learn all the 'controls' of Civ, she just wants to declare frequent bloodthirsty war and crush all other Civs (she insists that we play with only Conquest turned on - I'm a techwhore myself)

This means we both get to play at the same time, and have fun working together to grind all other Civs under our heel.