Is CIV5 worth my money?

[Valgua]

Hi!

I have played all CIV games since the very first one but I have yet to buy Civ5. Initially it was because I did not have a good enough computer. Two days ago I filled that gap and bought a powerful gaming PC. However, I have been reading a lot about the bad AI and diplomacy in CIV5, so I wonder if, honestly, CIV5 is worth my time and my money or if should stick to Civ4 + expansions.

Thanks!

 

[Deggial]

Yes.

 

[wannabewarlord]

The search function is your friend. There's a major rant thread which can show you the problems people have with the game. If you agree/disagree with their gripes, this gives you a good basis for your decision. Also, there's many other threads discussing exactly your question (with almost exactly the same title, go figure!). Please look for those before asking yet again a question many people have asked before you.

I cannot tell you if you will be happy with Civ5 and if it is worth your money but for me personally: yes, every single cent.

 

[Mesix]

I like it.

I held off for awhile because I didn't like the Steam requirement. My brother bought me the GOTY edition for my birthday last month.

I recommend the GOTY edition along with the Korea/Wonders DLC bundle. The additional content and scenarios packaged with the DLC are a lot of fun.

 

[shahjahen]

if you were fan of CIV4 than you'll hate it.

 

[Mesix]

I was a fan of Civ 4.

 

[Valgua]

The search function is your friend. There's a major rant thread which can show you the problems people have with the game. If you agree/disagree with their gripes, this gives you a good basis for your decision. Also, there's many other threads discussing exactly your question (with almost exactly the same title, go figure!). Please look for those before asking yet again a question many people have asked before you.

I cannot tell you if you will be happy with Civ5 and if it is worth your money but for me personally: yes, every single cent.

I'm sorry, but for some reason I did not find other posts answering my question. The "rant thread" is of no use, since it is just for ranting. I know very well what problems this game has. I am asking if it is worth my time and resources despite those issue. Another factor is time: I need an answer taking into account all the patches.
Thank you for your answer. Can you justv elaborate on why you think that the transition from Civ4 to Civ5 is wothwile despite AI and diplomacy issues?

 

[sparkyal]

This is what I think (for whatever that is worth). If you are expecting something like CIV 4 but with better graphics and some added things, then you will not like CIV V very much. CIV V is basically a reboot of the game. Nearly all aspects are different (the game is no worse at war then other versions). Granted, the AI might be able to do better at diplomacy, and that can be said about all versions of the game.

If you are OK with the ideas are pretty different in CIV V then you will probably enjoy the game. If you look at it another way, it costs about $50. That's what, five times out at the movies if yo u are alone and buy no popcorn. But usually you take someone so it is like going to the movies twice. That's 4-10 hours of entertainment, you will certainly get 4-10 hours of entertainment out of it. Probably a lot more.

I hope this helps

 

[Valgua]

This is what I think (for whatever that is worth). If you are expecting something like CIV 4 but with better graphics and some added things, then you will not like CIV V very much. CIV V is basically a reboot of the game. Nearly all aspects are different (the game is no worse at war then other versions). Granted, the AI might be able to do better at diplomacy, and that can be said about all versions of the game.

If you are OK with the ideas are pretty different in CIV V then you will probably enjoy the game. If you look at it another way, it costs about $50. That's what, five times out at the movies if yo u are alone and buy no popcorn. But usually you take someone so it is like going to the movies twice. That's 4-10 hours of entertainment, you will certainly get 4-10 hours of entertainment out of it. Probably a lot more.

I hope this helps

You're obviously right. My issue in fact is more related to time than money. I have very little time to spend with games and I really want to avoid losing tens of hours just to discover that I should have continued to play Civ4. Agreed, I will need to take a risk in a direction or in another, but it is very helpful to get your comments. It is quite possible that the AI has improved with the patches and that diplomacy is not that horrible after all, or at least that it compensated by other aspects of the game.

 

[Peng Qi]

Ask yourself these questions, and if you find yourself saying "yes" a lot, you should probably get the game:

1. Do I prefer an AI that plays to win over one that roleplays?
2. Do I hate the "stack of doom" combat from Civ 4?
3. Do I like the idea of having limited strategic resources?
4. Do I dislike the way religion formed factions in Civ 4?
5. Do I like having an overseas empire and/or hated the way city upkeep worked in 4?
6. Do I not mind having to decide on a victory goal a little earlier than I did in 4?
7. Do I like tactical wargames? Even if the AI for them isn't super great?
8. Do I like more realistic graphics over cartoony ones?

 

[Camikaze]

You should be able to get the game for $20 or a price not too much higher. Depends entirely on how much you value that $20. Will you get the more utility out of Civ5 or a couple of movie tickets? Could depende on the movie, too, but people do get hundreds of hours out of Civ5. Even if you only get, say, 20 hours, that's $1 an hour, which isn't too bad.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Hi!

I have played all CIV games since the very first one but I have yet to buy Civ5. Initially it was because I did not have a good enough computer. Two days ago I filled that gap and bought a powerful gaming PC. However, I have been reading a lot about the bad AI and diplomacy in CIV5, so I wonder if, honestly, CIV5 is worth my time and my money or if should stick to Civ4 + expansions.

Thanks!

It depends on what you're going for. Civ games have always been shoddy for their time in terms of basic mechanics, optimization to run smoothly, balance, game controls, things not working as intended, etc. Civ V is not an exception at all. Its tile management is a bit less complex than civ IV while combat is quite different and diplomacy is definitely questionable. RA system sucks but it is better than the tech trade system.

If you really want to know if it's worth the money before spending it, watch some of the civ V let's plays out there that are done recently (IE not mine as mechanics have changed a lot since then, but say MadDjinn's). You'll see what is needed to play the game at a high level as well as what kind of gameplay is in store. If you like it, get it. If you don't, then skip it.

 

[HansA]

I don't have much time either to play the game, but the few hours I did since last summer, it was very enjoyable and $/hour is nothing. I never played Civ 4 tho, I date back from Civ1 and 2 and only started playing games again after a break of 8 year or so.

yes, buy it, you can save and play again later if you have little time .

 

[Ruler]

"One turn more..." its still there!

 

[wannabewarlord]

I was a fan of CIV4 and I hate it.

There, I fixed that for you. Please, you can't make a general statement based upon your own view. I was a huge fan of Civ4 and I absolutely love Civ5.

 

[zyx]

If you want to save money, you'd better wait for a steam sale around x-mas. The goty-editon with almost all dlc might costs as much as the normal edition right now.

 

[sparkyal]

Waiting for all the DLC's is a great idea. but he said it wasn't about money, but about investing time into a game. I bought the game, and I like playing it. so i thought it was worth it.

the suggestion of watching some of the "let's play" videos is a really really good one..and you will end up buying the game

 

[chazzycat]

Yes. Replayability is really good due to the civs being quite distinct in flavour from one another. With random maps & different civs you can get a wide degree of variation in different playstyles and strategies.

 

[nokmirt]

All I can say is try it out. You'll never know what you think until you try it yourself like anything in life.

To me the game would be awesome if diplomacy was better. If civilizations had more personality. They all are static and act the same. The game needs more elements like religion and espionage, something to make it more interesting. The DLCs have restricted change to just adding new civs and scenarios, but no new elements to improve the game. The AI needs vast improvement, it does not know how to differentiate between unit types and is really bad at combat. With the current 1 Unit per tile rules, there is severe unit movement congestion many times, which hinder the AI from being effective militarily. The only way it becomes the least effective is because of huge bonuses it gets from harder difficulty levels, allowing it to create more units. Even still, most times many of its forces just run around with no apparent objective, wasting time and space. The naval AI is equally horrendous and does not know how to escort embarked units. Other than that I like CiV, try it out.

Some of the scenarios are really fun. I love the 1066 one and the Korea scenario. The New World scenario was really fun but it was designed for only 100 turns. I wish this was changed to like 200 turns or 5000 vp because it was really the most fun I have had with CiV to date. I think scenarios should be made so you can have fun and not be in a rush, unless you choose to test yourself. I had fun with the privateers and running my fleets. Hopefully they add a privateer to the game soon. CiV desperately needs a true expansion. And thats what I want for XMAS SANTA!!!

 

[ense7en]

Never played a TBS game before.
Actually, not really played strategy anything before.

As in, this genre and game were completely new to me.

Closest thing i've ever played to Civ5 is Settlers of Catan.

I love it
Well worth the money i didn't spend (got it free with some PC hardware). Bought most of the DLC which i am slowing making my way through.