How many hours do you put into one game?

[LucyDuke]

Usually when I'm playing a game of Civ, I play for a while then go do something completely unrelated, leaving the game open between turns. It lets me avoid saving, closing the game, and then reloading. The trouble is that when I finish a game, it gives me a totally exaggerated "time spent playing", sometimes as much as 70 hours! I've probably spent that long on some games, but not one game of civ.

What I want to know is, assuming you don't do the same thing (do you?), how long do your games usually last, and at what game speed? Around what year did you finish? I know it'll only be a very rough approximation, and various with play styles, but I'd like to get a vague idea of how long it takes to play a full game. Even just a couple of examples would be very helpful.

 

[KMadCandy]

i've heard that if you tab out of the game it pauses it automatically. i do sometimes hit the pause key if i remember to when i'm playing a game for HoF and gonna tab out for quite a while. i haven't checked tho, even officially pausing the game might not stop the time played stat, it may just be there strictly for multiplayer games.

of course me answering your questions won't help you since i'm completely bizarre. not only in personality, but lately i've been playing games with a specific goal in mind, which can have a big impact on real-time spent. but, it's really easy for me to check since i can check my submissions page without loading any games, so i did. most are 2.5-4 hours, two at over 7 but less than 8, one at 10 that probably really did take 10 hours, and one at 24 hours!! that one i'm sure i left on and running while i was doing something else. i was cyrus and immortals are cute and very deadly when used at the right time so it didn't take nearly that long, even tho i did decide to go for diplo for the evil fun of breeding dissent on the other continent and hand-picking my friends/our mutual enemy.

game speeds, most but not all of those are on epic. what year do i finish? i'm all over the map. this week i specifically wanted the earliest diplo win i could get and a time victory (i won in, surprisingly, 2050 AD) -- two different games btw . the early game (epic/standard/ancient start/settler, 10 BC, took 3 hours 35 minutes; the 2050 AD game (quick/emperor/future start/duel) took 3 hours 20 minutes. but obviously don't look at me for anything close to normal (this disclaimer applies to just about all areas in virtual and in real life).

 

[Ankh-f-n-Khonsu]

Hm. I leave my game open, like you. Sometimes I'll stop the process so no cpu is consumed, which surely stops the clock, but otherwise it just goes. Never occurred to me that the total time would be bogus as a result, but you're probably right.

 

[The Lance]

I usually play epic speed, and have recently moved up to prince (after crushing noble level with the help of the civ fanatics community). Even though I started screwing around towards the end my last game of noble lasted 11 hours and ended with me winning a domination victory in the 1920's. MY last prince game went about 6 hours before I realized that my calvary was no match for brenus's modern armor and quit.

 

[Dubai Vol]

My games take weeks and months in real time to finish, over 100 hours on the clock every time. I leave it running while I do other things, but even still, I take my time.

 

[Ankh-f-n-Khonsu]

this week i specifically wanted the earliest diplo win i could get and a time victory (i won in, surprisingly, 2050 AD) -- two different games btw . the early game (epic/standard/ancient start/settler, 10 BC, took 3 hours 35 minutes; the 2050 AD game (quick/emperor/future start/duel) took 3 hours 20 minutes.

You took a diplomatic victory in 10 BC? Am I reading that right?

[Later: Ah. Settler. Still wouldn't have thought that possible. You do play some bizarre games, but they seem fun!]

 

[KMadCandy]

You took a diplomatic victory in 10 BC? Am I reading that right?

[Later: Ah. Settler. Still wouldn't have thought that possible. You do play some bizarre games, but they seem fun!]

not ALL of my bizarre games are my own idea buster! this one was officially organized and stuff.

 

[Lone Wolf]

When I alt-tab out of the game and later open the game window again, it runs at snail-like speed. So I really envy you guys, who can minimize the game without quiting it...

 

[SwordofStriker]

I generally play around 5-8 hours on the marathon setting.

 

[mnf]

My computer's a bit old, so I can only play Small maps. On Normal speed, I usually have to spend 5-8 hours total time. On Epic, it sometimes takes over 12 hours to complete a game.

 

[YNCS]

I recently won a FFH2 mod game at Deity, huge map, normal speed, 13 civs, which took almost 44 hours. That's playing time. I save the game and quit every time I get up for more than a five minute bathroom break.

BTW, it was a domination win.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

Marathon games often take 100 hours plus..often 16 in one sitting (that probs includes at most 45 min afk)...sad but true....

 

[mrlaze]

hmmm I tihnk mine(noble, small various maps) are around 8-12. And I usually finish in 2-4 sittings.

 

[cabert]

I'm a slow player and for some unknowed reason, my computer is slow too.
A usual normal speed game is in the 10 to 14 hours
epic game like 15 to 22 hours
marathon, I only played one (WOTM4), but it wasn't that much longer (earlier victory )

 

[kristopherb]

3 hours in 3sesions

 

[Strato]

Marathon play, normally about 20 hours, depending on how well I'm doing.

 

[stfoskey12]

5 or 6 hours per game.

 

[Archon_Wing]

About 2 hours on normal speed/normal sized maps.

If I get really lazy, like in this game... it can be a little over an hour (Yea, I stick to prince and the occasional monarch because I suck am, lazy, and occasionally struggle on Noble/Prince due to stupidity)

Spoiler :

 

[strijder20]

I do the same thing. My last Emperor tiny map game was listed as 5 hours. I suppose it was only was 2 hours.

 

[fed1943]

I am retired so I want my games to be long.

And perhaps it also makes me feel the money I spent on it is very worth.