How old were you when you first played Civ?

[BlueBMW]

I was 8 when I first played Civ. It was the first PC game I learned to play, followed by hyperspeed and a few others. I would sit and watch my dad play for hours and then ask if I could play. Each time he'd say that I wouldnt understand it, but I persisted, and finally just turned it on one day and played. I was just curious how old some other people were when they discovered Civ.

 

[Tenochtitlan]

I was about 5 or 6, I watched my older brother play, and he wouldn't let me play . I used to sneak into the computer room when hes not around and play.
But that was back in 1991 or 1992

 

[Simon Darkshade]

One would have been around 11...back in 1992, methinks.

 

[trada]

14. Two years ago.

 

[fierce]

I was 18, just a new freshman in college. Only two of us had computers on our floor in the dorm-- I had a cutting-edge 486 DX2 and the guy in the room next to me had something a little less gutsy. He owned Civilization and would let some of us come over and watch him play it, but would never let us play. When he left for a two-week vacation he had his computer locked with a BIOS password and everyone was so ravenous to play it, we opened his computer case and removed the BIOS password jumper. When he came back, our little party was over and I immediately went out and bought a copy of Civilization for myself. I called my brother-in-law and told him about this marvelous game, and he bought a copy too. We've both been Civ addicts ever since. Honestly, and this is sad to say, I totally flunked out of college because all I ever did was stay up 24x7 playing this crazy game. I've got it under control now, especially with all the will-sapping bugs in IV, but man I couldn't get enough back then.

 

[chinesefireball]

I was about 7 - watched my brothers, sister and her boyfriend all play it, until I asked one of my brother how to played - he replied "press i for irrigration, m for mining and r for roads". Then I attempted to play.

And just recently I had to explain to my brother-in-law (the old boyfriend mentioned above) how to play civ4 better

 

[trada]

I was 18, just a new freshman in college. Only two of us had computers on our floor in the dorm-- I had a cutting-edge 486 DX2 and the guy in the room next to me had something a little less gutsy. He owned Civilization and would let some of us come over and watch him play it, but would never let us play. When he left for a two-week vacation he had his computer locked with a BIOS password and everyone was so ravenous to play it, we opened his computer case and removed the BIOS password jumper. When he came back, our little party was over and I immediately went out and bought a copy of Civilization for myself. I called my brother-in-law and told him about this marvelous game, and he bought a copy too. We've both been Civ addicts ever since. Honestly, and this is sad to say, I totally flunked out of college because all I ever did was stay up 24x7 playing this crazy game. I've got it under control now, especially with all the will-sapping bugs in IV, but man I couldn't get enough back then.

Very good story. Warms my heart when I hear it

 

[lost_civantares]

I was discovered it semi-forgotten by my dad (who was really into MOO1), started playing it, rehooked my dad, and then bought civ3. I've been chained since the tender age of 8 and teachers have been moaning ever since.

 

[Theodorick]

I rented a copy from Superior Video when I was 11 with my Grandpa. I couldn't put it down for a few weeks and eventually bought it. heh, I remember sitting in my Dad's room playing this game on his TV for 18 hours straight on Saturday. I only left because my Dad had to sleep!

 

[Alex Johnson]

I first played it when it came out. I was 16 and played it on my father's 286.

 

[trada]

And you've been civving ever since?

 

[Alex Johnson]

Sadly, no. I was not civving most of that time. I played fanatically until I went to college and then stopped. No computer for much of those years. I civved again a little around the time I got a job and then forgot about it. I just picked it back up this December.

 

[simonnomis]

I got my first copy aged 12 in 1992 shortly after it came out on the Amiga. Thats coming up for 14 years! ugh! I have to say i managed to overcome my addiction to the game, partly because i find it so unchallenging (as anyone who's played it that long would). I dont really like gameplay in Civ2, 3 or 4 because they have horrible confusing 3D-ish graphics that give me eye-strain.

 

[trada]

You started on the beyond-emperor levels yet?

 

[simonnomis]

^That must be something I never heard about, unless its that bug where the computer players go into overdrive??

 

[Ifrit9]

It was in 1994, on 486DX2. I remember that I liked the graphics (I still like it though ) and was amazed by the multiplicity of buildings, sciences, units, etc.

 

[Matrix]

10 or 11 (1991/1992)

Why didn't you make a poll?

 

[bobdaman27]

4 or 5 i'd play w/ my dad after dinner and it was great (96\97)
I sorta stopped playing in about 2000 but one day in the bargain bin, CIV II!
I played that till like 04 when i saw III at EB but my personal list of faves woul be (in order)
I
IV
II
III
(civ III techs seem to move slow on my cp)

 

[Tenochtitlan]

Dam, I thought I was the youngest starting civ1 player

 

[hannurabi]

I got Civ with my first computer when I was about 10. I didn't first understand the game so I tried it next time at the age of 12. (Now I'm 19). But damn you 5-year old Civ-players! Sounds amazing . Did you really understand what it was all about?