How long does your average game take?

[Matrix]

That is: standard map, 7 Civs - just as standard as it can get.

I'm asking this because I have the feeling that other people (especially GOTM players) play a lot faster than I am. I've played for nearly 20 hours now and am still at 1908 AD. The game is fun, but not forever. And in the GOTM I & II I've had a couple of turns where I only developed and only had to press enter, just to make it go a little faster...

And ofcourse I'm talking about an won game. Not one where you get killed before AD. For the rest: take the average, because it'll probably differ a lot.

 

[Dirk Aurel]

Naeh Matrix,can´t speak for standard maps,usually play on huge maps,this does take long,but I too play slower,I don´t reload or anything,but often play a new game for a while,play something totally different,or if I do play only this one specific game I also wait here and there,overthink strategies,think about taking a trade deal or not,smoke a ciggie,check demographics...oh there is always something which can distract one

 

[Ptolemy]

I am used to play huge maps with 11 civs so my games takes centuries. And I like it that way

 

[peso79]

Matrix, thank you for the validation. It always seemed to me that everyone else played faster than I did. On a standard map with the usual number of civs, a game takes a good couple of weeks of coming home from work and playing until 1 a.m. (Never actually tallied hours spent on a game -- I'd just feel pathetic.)

To be honest, not sure there's much wrong with the way we're playing -- maybe we just have less spare time to put into the game. (?)

 

[ChrisWade]

:crazyeyes
I usually play huge map, 16 civs. Usually takes about 3 weeks of 5 night of 4 hours = 60 hours. Takes at least 15 minutes per turn, so need a book to read as well. Trying latest game huge map, 8 civs, to see how long it takes.

 

[Jimcat]

My preference is for large maps with 12 civs. I usually start a game on the weekend. If I'm playing a religious/scientific civilization with a pacifistic bent (my usual style), I will usually get to the Middle Ages in a couple of hours. Then another 8-10 hours to get to the Industrial era.

The game starts slowing down once you make contact with the rest of the world. Even if there are no wars, there will be a lot of trading and negotiation. The Industrial era eats up a lot of time. For my weekend games, I'll usually get another 6-8 hours of play in the Industrial era, then the work week will start and I'll have to cut down to about two hours of play per day. I'll usually end the game before the next weekend, whether or not I've actually reached a finishing condition. So this works out to a total of 25-30 hours per game.

 

[Minuteman]

Originally posted by ChrisWade
:crazyeyes
I usually play huge map, 16 civs. Usually takes about 3 weeks of 5 night of 4 hours = 60 hours. Takes at least 15 minutes per turn, so need a book to read as well. Trying latest game huge map, 8 civs, to see how long it takes.

Yep, that sounds about right.

I just started grad school and a new game of civ with those settings. I expect to finish the game and earn my PH.D at roughly the same time.

 

[Genuis]

Maybe if I didn't spend so much time at this site reading the forums I could get my games done faster.

 

[Mapache]

30 hours for a standard game.
40 hours for a large game.
1 hour for a tiny game.

For slow players there should be more options.

 

[Windwalker]

I think my times vastly differ depending on what victory condition I am going for. If I'm going for conquest on a standard non-pangaea map on regent/monarch, games take a LOT longer, probably around 40-50 hours. If I go for a spaceship victory, then games are only about 20-30 hours. The end-game is where the turns really take forever, and conquest means so many more hours of manuevering your hundreds of troops (individually) everywhere, though the patch should help with that a bit. For a spaceship, just build build build, have your workers optimize everything, maybe adjust the science rate once every couple of turns, and then click next. Sometimes under spaceship-build mode, I click next turn, then click it again immediately because there's nothing to do.

That being said, I think the domination/conquest victores are more satisfying

- Windwalker

 

[Citizen_K]

I always end up starting new games b/c I've been slaughtered in a preemptive attack/don't like my game map/forgot to save while my computer went screwy.

For that reason I don't finish many games; once I get in a position of unquestionable power it's kind-of hard to keep on playing because you can not conquer the world without having to produce gigantical masses of military units and acrewing much stupid corruption.

In CivI and CivII it was possible; CivIII approximates a more realistic--but less fun--limit to national boundaries growth.

(P.S: I'm thinking of getting into SMAC again)

 

[siredgar]

If you're talking about when you actually finish a game, I would have to say at least 20-40 hours, depending on the size of the map. But if you average out all the times I don't finish or even really start a game, then it is more like 2-3 hours.

 

[Ironikinit]

Domination victories just take so long, tho. SS or diplomatic are a lot quicker.

Some war is fun. Conquering the world is work.

I didn't answer the poll cos it varies a lot. I probably have at least 5 hours into my current game, maybe ten, I just don't know. Prob closer to 5 cos it's a small map.

 

[Ironikinit]

Hey, I accidently got a domination victory. I had the UN election but 2 votes to 1 was inconclusive, so I was waiting around to build the SS and I got the win via domination. I forgot that UN wins don't work as well on small maps.

Now I just need a culture win, but jeez, I dunno. I could try the OCC I guess. I was pleased even though it took longer. I already have heaps of diplomatic wins.

 

[Matrix]

Originally posted by Matrix
That is: standard map, 7 Civs - just as standard as it can get.

And ofcourse I'm talking about an won game. Not one where you get killed before AD. For the rest: take the average, because it'll probably differ a lot.

Just a reminder.

But it looks like a lot of people also need a long time playing a game. So I'm not that excentric.

 

[Lt. 'Killer' M.]

ah, can`t help you there; I hardly ever finish a game except when I go for conquest early, and then it`s over real fast - like 3h.....

I`m not too patient, and all that micro-managemant drives me crazy....

 

[Ironikinit]

I'm estimating 15 hours for a standard game. I'll get a better idea next game I play cos I want to pay attention.

 

[rockhpi]

My problem is that I rarely go back to a saved game more than once or twice! Typically when I sit down to play I am more interested in starting out on a new map and consequently I've only ever gotten as high as riflemen! I've never seen a leader emerge and I havent been in any protracted wars. One day though...

RockHPI