Is Civilization a God game or a Mortal Game?

[Snoopy]

Is Civilization a God game or a Mortal Game? Get a bigger avatar today!


It's been said before and noted that Civilization is categorized as a "God game".


But is it really a God game? Does hovering above the world looking down on it and controlling everything make it a God game?

If it does, should Civilization even be a God game?


For those of you who have played MMORPG's (I'm not suggesting to make Civilization an MMORPG (or though that would be equally as fun) but I am just using MMORPG's as an example because of their huge open worlds), consider something like World of Warcraft, can you imagine being ONE of the people in your civilization, can you imagine fighting your own battles with your own soldiers? can you imagine standing outside your parliament house in 2010 looking over your massive advanced city?


What do people prefer? To be God or not to be God, that is the question.

 

[777]

It's not God game for sure. If it would be a God game I could make people happy just snaping my fingers. And if it would God game then you would fight against other gods and every civ would have its own God

 

[MeteorPunch]

I just consider it a strategy game - not a god game. god games to me are more like black & white, actraiser, or populous. You actually play as a god in these games and are given such powers. civ is more like a 6000 year dictatorship .

 

[Snoopy]

I guess then, back in the older days, games like Civ were considered "god like" because you could do what you wanted, compared to other games of that time.

 

[Pentium]

Does it matter? All strategy games can be considered God-games, because you can controll everything your citizens do.
On the other hand, being a God would mean that you can controll your enemies, o it's not a God-game. And you have some rules to obey, like RNG.
So the only game I'd consider a God-game is The Sims. You can do virtually anything there.

 

[dh_epic]

You're not God, but you're not an individual mortal either.

I always thought of it as "the state", in abstract.

 

[Vael]

I agree with the last poster.

 

[Graadiapolistan]

MMORPG should be seperate from civilization, They are different gmaes. Perhaps a civilization spinoff as a mmorpg, but I would kill my self (not literally) if civ 4 was even close to an mmorpg

 

[#1 Person]

I believe it is a god game. Since you as a character cannot die. A god game is a game where you have absolute control of your populase. Which you do in the game.

 

[ComradeDavo]

GOD GAME!

I see it as a God game. Because of the amount of control you have and so on. Not God as in all powerful, but God as in undying leader.....unless you have regicide turned on!

 

[CurtSibling]

You represent an ever-living leader.

And to the ill-educated peasants, that more or less means a god.

Or you could see your gameplay as the invisible 'spirit' of your chosen civ.

.

 

[Naokaukodem]

In a god game you are a god. In civ you ain't. So civ is not a god game. As for the MMORPG part, i didn't understand very well...

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

I guess then, back in the older days, games like Civ were considered "god like" because you could do what you wanted, compared to other games of that time.

I find it alarming when part of my life is regarded as 'older days'

I don't think Civ is a God game, we have superior control over the gameplay, but not enough power to truly proclaim ourselves gods, if that makes sense. Basically, It's not a god-game because I'm not laughing maniacally the entire time.

 

[bkwrm79]

I find it alarming when part of my life is regarded as 'older days'

Me too!

Anyway... hmm. Nah, Civ isn't really a God game per se, not like Age of Mythology, for example. It shares a lot of similarities so I can see why some people might call it one. You don't have any supernatural abilities, though. Unless you count the ability to issue commands throughout your empire and beyond even before the advent of modern communications...

 

[Bluemofia]

It's not a God game, because you aren't all powerful, closer to immortal, but not all powerful.

 

[Elrohir]

No. You can't control the weather, nerve-staple your citizens or mind-control your enemies!

I think of you more as a line of leaders than anything else.

 

[dh_epic]

You're not God because you don't control your enemy. Even so, you're not even the God of your own Civilization. There are many things you have no control over in your own country.

 

[UWS]

Hmmmmm, perhaps we can say you represent both the social interaction and resulting production of the populace of your selected civilization. How about that? Your actions are representative of the production of your society.

I'd still call it a "God-game" however, but only because that is the accepted term for games such as civilization where you do pretty much have total control of your citizens.

 

[Darwin420]

Well, it's definitely a God-game when I play 8 person hotseat by myself!

 

[Francophile]

I think that the player is more like the "spirit" of the civilization being played.