I Love Civ 1

[Craig_San]

I Love Civ 1
I Love Civ 1
I Love Civ 1.

It has been a long time since I have played, and in the mean time I have played lots of other games (some good), but thanks to DOSBox, I am able to play my favourite all time game again.

My friends are all into the latest 3D, ultra-realistic, high-tech fare and I have thought that I was the only one who really appreciated the simple charm of CIV 1. It was only now that I discovered that I am not alone in the world and that there are other CIV 1 fanatics. It is great to read your posts.

But not everything is good: My mind is now preoccupied with how fast I can roll down South America and finish off those pesky Aztecs. I am also pre-occupied with how soon I can finish my research into robotics. What am I going to do with my hoards of bombers that may not be needed. How soon I can become a democracy. Don't forget to clean up that pollution.

But I have so much real stuff to do. What to do? This will make the wife unhappy. Do the kids really need to be fed? I can call in sick for a few days and get this game finished, then I can put it back in its box. I hope so. Maybe not. Bugger. A curse on Sid.

I Love Civ 1.
I Love Civ 1.
I Love Civ 1.

 

[Licentia]

I Love Civ 1
I Love Civ 1
I Love Civ 1.

It has been a long time since I have played, and in the mean time I have played lots of other games (some good), but thanks to DOSBox, I am able to play my favourite all time game again.

My friends are all into the latest 3D, ultra-realistic, high-tech fare and I have thought that I was the only one who really appreciated the simple charm of CIV 1. It was only now that I discovered that I am not alone in the world and that there are other CIV 1 fanatics. It is great to read your posts.

But not everything is good: My mind is now preoccupied with how fast I can roll down South America and finish off those pesky Aztecs. I am also pre-occupied with how soon I can finish my research into robotics. What am I going to do with my hoards of bombers that may not be needed. How soon I can become a democracy. Don't forget to clean up that pollution.

But I have so much real stuff to do. What to do? This will make the wife unhappy. Do the kids really need to be fed? I can call in sick for a few days and get this game finished, then I can put it back in its box. I hope so. Maybe not. Bugger. A curse on Sid.

I Love Civ 1.
I Love Civ 1.
I Love Civ 1.

Civ1 is an amazing game. It's got some flaws though that really annoy me though, but it definitely has stolen months away from me. If only Civ2 used the same view and maps as Civ1 then I would be extremely happy. Maybe there is a way to get Civ2 to do that by a little programming. I don't know....

 

[Craig_San]

"Stolen" is the right word. I finished my first game in years and I was hoping to put the thing back in its box and never see it again. Sadly, I started another game...

I also have Civ2. It is very similar to Civ1 but it lost the atmosphere. It was in Windows just like Word, Excel etc. It reminded me of work.

 

[Licentia]

"Stolen" is the right word. I finished my first game in years and I was hoping to put the thing back in its box and never see it again. Sadly, I started another game...

I also have Civ2. It is very similar to Civ1 but it lost the atmosphere. It was in Windows just like Word, Excel etc. It reminded me of work.

I agree that the 3/4 view really took away from the atmosphere of the game.

 

[Craig_San]

Flaws? Flaws? I don't think that I know of any flaws (other than bugs).

Unless you call it a flaw that an ancient Phalanx can shoot down a modern bomber and other such nonsense.

 

[GoldBerg]

Civ1 is an amazing game. It's got some flaws though that really annoy me though, but it definitely has stolen months away from me.

i wouldn't type 'stolen' - it's kind of search & found - my favourite game (the other one is "The Sims" ... 'little computer people' ... simulation of life)
so --->

If only Civ2 used the same view and maps as Civ1 then I would be extremely happy.

i AB-SO-LUTELY (!!!) agree.
civ.2's isometric view is confusing: i like that 'happy 2 D graphics look' of civ.1 soo much that i NEVER could get used to those smallish pseudo-new-realistic movements and looks.
civ2 has far too much units, requesters and all that stupid stuff that keep you stuck in the gameplay.
a good programmed Civnet (well ... auto-settlers!!! )with civ.1 graphics would be perfect.

Maybe there is a way to get Civ2 to do that by a little programming. I don't know....

it would be easy. but the company had to release/give to P.D. the sourcecode for civnet or civ.1 to do so...

even the freeciv people/programmers/community did orientate themselves at civ.2 and there never was a simple & catchy 2D graphic (just 2D 'trident tile set' - not my taste) or the try 'to keep things simple and clever' ...

 

[Zwelgje]

As I've posted before (in an ancient past... ), the only thing I want from Civ2 to be put into Civ1 is the combat system. For the rest Civ2 has no things I absolutely miss in Civ1.
Civ2 has been made easier to play (better wonders and more capable units like engineers) but Civ1 units were already good enough in my opinion and the game didn't need to be made easier to play.

 

[Licentia]

Flaws? Flaws? I don't think that I know of any flaws (other than bugs).

Unless you call it a flaw that an ancient Phalanx can shoot down a modern bomber and other such nonsense.

That still happens in Civ 2 and 3, but rarely. That's why I like the hit point system so much.

 

[Licentia]

Flaws? Flaws? I don't think that I know of any flaws (other than bugs).

Unless you call it a flaw that an ancient Phalanx can shoot down a modern bomber and other such nonsense.

Flaws I can think of right now:

#1 - Opposition Triremes don't have to end their turn next to the shore
#2 - Opposition Bombers don't crash if they don't return to town the next turn
#3 - Opposition units can walk on your developed land when they disembark from a ship
#4 - Opposition cities get trade routes for free
#5 - Opposition nations don't need to do have a diplomat to speak with me.
Etc, etc.

 

[GoldBerg]

As I've posted before (in an ancient past... ),

well could have been a 1996 internet discussion...?

the only thing I want from Civ2 to be put into Civ1 is the combat system.

do you mean that part where you f.e. can see the current strenght of the unit(s) or ...?

... ... Civ2 has been made easier to play (better wonders and more capable units like engineers) but Civ1 units were already good enough in my opinion and the game didn't need to be made easier to play.

i always found civ.2 'hard to handle', a complete new game based on the same priniciples, kind of a big pumpkinhead made out of a once-upon-a-time intelligent idea.

to me
civ.1 is some kind of ('lovelier'; 'uber'-) chess.
civ.2
and ALL THE OTHER 'civ'games based on what civ.2 authors/programmers had done
is (more) kind of an 'allround-simulation'.

i always did miss most
- an integrated (world) map editor for civ.1
- auto-settlers
- (inter)netplayer option (at minimum DOOM.1&2 had that time!)
- a better 'diplomatic interface' with more possibilities...

 

[Zwelgje]

What I mean with the combatsystem is that when a unit fights, it loses a part of it's strength.
I don't have problems with a phalanx holding back one armor when fortified on a mountain, I do have problems with that one phalanx holding back 20 armors and 10 bombers...

 

[Craig_San]

I think that they got the combat system right. You don't want to spend a lot of time with a more complex combat system. Goldberg is right - Civ1 is a game with simple rules but complex interactions - like chess (pawns can take the queen and help in check-mate). I think that making combat more complex would make it lose its balance. Right now, the best way to win battles is to have the most and best units and you can only have this if you have the largest, most advanced and richest civ - which is the aim of the game.

(N.B. There is something theraputic in moving dozens of units across the board one square at a time.)

 

[Licentia]

I think that they got the combat system right. You don't want to spend a lot of time with a more complex combat system. Goldberg is right - Civ1 is a game with simple rules but complex interactions - like chess (pawns can take the queen and help in check-mate). I think that making combat more complex would make it lose its balance. Right now, the best way to win battles is to have the most and best units and you can only have this if you have the largest, most advanced and richest civ - which is the aim of the game.

(N.B. There is something theraputic in moving dozens of units across the board one square at a time.)

Moving dozens of units across the board one square at a time may be theraputic, but losing a Bomber to a Phalanx is cause for Anger Management courses, especially when you don't have another Bomber ready to go.

 

[SuperSaxon771]

I have been playing Civ1 for years, and I agree that it is far better than the other Civ games that follow it.

One thing that bugs me: I recently started playing the Windows version of Civ1 (it is more convenient to use and I can go back and forth between the games and my IMs; something that you can't do in the DOS version.) But one thing that I absolutely HATE is how each icon/square is so much smaller in the Windows version than in the DOS version. I have become so accustomed to the jumbo-graphic look of the DOS version that I can't come to enjoy the smaller, more refined look of the Windows version. Does anyone know how to zoom in the Map Display in CivWin, or will I have to live with it for the rest of my lonely life? I appreciate any help.

 

[Zwelgje]

Learn to love it.
(or get your hands on a copy of civnet )

 

[Craig_San]

What give me 'Civ Rage', is when:
- It automatically ends my turn and I really need to unfortify a unit and have another go
- A single barbarian knight takes out 2 fortified phalanxes in a single turn
- An ironclad seems to be invincible
- When any other unit seems to be invincible

 

[Licentia]

I have been playing Civ1 for years, and I agree that it is far better than the other Civ games that follow it.

One thing that bugs me: I recently started playing the Windows version of Civ1 (it is more convenient to use and I can go back and forth between the games and my IMs; something that you can't do in the DOS version.) But one thing that I absolutely HATE is how each icon/square is so much smaller in the Windows version than in the DOS version. I have become so accustomed to the jumbo-graphic look of the DOS version that I can't come to enjoy the smaller, more refined look of the Windows version. Does anyone know how to zoom in the Map Display in CivWin, or will I have to live with it for the rest of my lonely life? I appreciate any help.

I hear ya. I noticed that too playing recently. I do seem to recall one of the civ games that I was able to spin the mouse wheel, or something else which zoomed in and out. Maybe it was CivNet... Maybe just set your monitor resolution to 600x480 or whatever.

 

[Licentia]

What give me 'Civ Rage', is when:
- It automatically ends my turn and I really need to unfortify a unit and have another go
- A single barbarian knight takes out 2 fortified phalanxes in a single turn
- An ironclad seems to be invincible
- When any other unit seems to be invincible

You can shut off the auto finish turn option... well... in the SNES version you can anyway... Can't you in Civ for PC/DOS?

Yeah, i've noticed how the game "seems" to give a benefit to the AI sometimes. I could be wrong, but when they can kill your two phalanx with one chariot then get your city, and you send 10 at them and can't even take a town, something is fishy. It seems like they have the advantage for about 20 or so turns and then things start to go your way.

 

[Zwelgje]

Just send in a diplo.
Cities just taken from you are most likely nearer to your capital than to theirs, haven't got many units in them and thus are cheap to buy.
You sometimes get more cash back than it cost you to convert the city.

 

[Licentia]

Just send in a diplo.
Cities just taken from you are most likely nearer to your capital than to theirs, haven't got many units in them and thus are cheap to buy.
You sometimes get more cash back than it cost you to convert the city.

You mean after you sell everything and starve it? The diplomats just aren't realistic for me (buying cities). It just doesn't happen in real life. I know, it's easier to use them though.