playstation version...

[molesworth]

I have recently got Civ II for my PC after playing it on the playstation (PS) for a couple of years. I have noticed a few differences. In the PC version Engineers are able to ignore enemy Zones of Control (ZoC), they cannot in PS version. Also when AI units are stacked on the PS it tells you how many units are there which can be very useful to know, it doesn't on the PC. Also nuking a city in the PC game does not destroy its supported units in the field which I think it does in the PS version. Also nukes on the PC rarely destroy buildings in the target city whereas on the PS they often destroyed many of them. Has anyone else noticed these differences? Is it due to the fact I am playing an early PC version of Civ II? I would be interested to know. (btw how do I determine which version of Civ II I have for my PC?).

 

[starlifter]

I have recently got Civ II for my PC after playing it on the playstation (PS) for a couple of years. I have noticed a few differences. In the PC version Engineers are able to ignore enemy Zones of Control (ZoC), they cannot in PS version. Also when AI units are stacked on the PS it tells you how many units are there which can be very useful to know, it doesn't on the PC. Also nuking a city in the PC game does not destroy its supported units in the field which I think it does in the PS version. Also nukes on the PC rarely destroy buildings in the target city whereas on the PS they often destroyed many of them. Has anyone else noticed these differences? Is it due to the fact I am playing an early PC version of Civ II? I would be interested to know. (btw how do I determine which version of Civ II I have for my PC?).

1. Engineers are subject to ZOC in Civ 2 2.42 ("classic"), 2.62, 2.78, and 5.4.0f (MGE, or "Gold").
2. Nuking a city never destroys a city improvement, but it will destroy terrain improvements (random around detonation site) and can give pollutions skull(s) (random) if there is terrain in any of the 8 squares surrounding the detonation site.
3. My guess is you are playing a stock, unpatched Civ 2, as you might be implying.
4. In the game (load/start a game), click the pull-down menu "Game" then choose "Game Options" (or use CTRL-O); the version is at the top of the menu.
You should definitely upgrade to 2.42 (if playing classic) or 5.4.0f (Patch "3", for MGE). Those are the "latest."

 

[molesworth]

Thanks starlifter that explains it - I have version 1.02.

 

[molesworth]

I have recently downloaded Cedric Greene's patch so I assume my version of Civ II is up to date. Have not noticed if Engineers can still ignore enemy ZOC. However if enemy Engineers are within your city limits and you "Insist they withdraw their troops" they withdraw their Engineers (or Settlers). This did not happen on the PS version. The AI would say "we have no troops in your territory". Obviously Engineers and Settlers were considered non-military units which I think is more realistic. It was also annoying/more challenging as I sometimes had to go to war just to remove an AI Engineer or Settler!

 

[starlifter]

They changed the engineers to ZOC in an early patch because of an AI tendency to "wanker" their engineers in and found a city near/in the midst of yours. I heard that was a human tactic, too. Now you need a guide, like an explorer, caravan, or dip to do it (or even plane, much later).

 

[RedCoat1985]

The main thing I notice about the PSX version is it's WAY easier, even on the higher difficulty levels barbarians hardly ever show up, and when they do there is like 3 of them, I've just got the PC version myself, you can imagine my shock when 10 elephants turned up 15 turns in, on chieftain level

Also civil disorder and pollution occur a lot less (though I actually like that feature )

The length of time the computer turns can take towards the end are totally frustrating yeah, and also beware if you haven’t saved before talking to the council - this will sometimes cause the game to crash

The strategy itself isn't simplified that much, but there are small changes. Discussions with alleys/enemies are much easier. On the PC version, you are more or less bound to be provoked into war at some stage, unless you keep paying the tributes they ask for, which get higher and higher. But on the PSX, so long as you leave them alone, other civs will keep themselves to themselves by and large.

 

[The Judge]

Firstly when a civilization offers you a "Secret" such as premier or consul in exchange for an alliance etc does it actually do anything? or is it a red herring?

I remember a few years ago I was playing the PS version when the Persians offered to teach me a secret in return for joining them in a war with the Mongols. Nothing odd about that you might think but they offered me a tech which was not in the techtree -in fact I had never heard of it before and can't remember exactly what it was called- but I do know that the techtree on the PS version is the same as the PC version. Unfortunately I didn't take them up on their offer (as I was not ready for war and shared a border with the Mongols) and now I wished I had to see what this secret was.
Anyone experienced anything like this?
If so does this occur only on the PS version?
and if so what does this secret consist of?

 

[Kessey]

I just noticed that the Great Wall gives double defense against barbarians, which is excellent when playing raging hordes.

Take care,

Jay

 

[BaconLad]

playstation civ2 runs a hell of a lot faster when being used on a ps3, the graphics are a little bit sharper aswell.

i would always aim to restrict the growth of my neighbouring ai civs as a remedy to the slowdown during the later years of the game, basicly the fewer cities they have, the quicker there turn should be... give it a try, if your using the _CasH cheat, it shouldnt be a problem to scope um out with diplomats, i use a tactic i call the "slave trade" i set up a network of diplomats (works like a spiders web - set them to SLEEP and when a unit comes within range they will automaticly wake up) and bribe there settlers.

something to consider when doing this is, u dont have to build settlers yourself, so your citys are free to build vital trade caravans. and possibly more vital is the fact that you are stunnting the growth of your rival civs.

supporting settlers for transfroming land in my opinion is not worth the cost. although to build a new city it is more cost effective to rush build a settler as aposed to bribing one.

 

[BaconLad]

The main thing I notice about the PSX version is it's WAY easier, even on the higher difficulty levels barbarians hardly ever show up, and when they do there is like 3 of them, I've just got the PC version myself, you can imagine my shock when 10 elephants turned up 15 turns in, on chieftain level

Also civil disorder and pollution occur a lot less (though I actually like that feature )

The length of time the computer turns can take towards the end are totally frustrating yeah, and also beware if you haven’t saved before talking to the council - this will sometimes cause the game to crash

The strategy itself isn't simplified that much, but there are small changes. Discussions with alleys/enemies are much easier. On the PC version, you are more or less bound to be provoked into war at some stage, unless you keep paying the tributes they ask for, which get higher and higher. But on the PSX, so long as you leave them alone, other civs will keep themselves to themselves by and large.

i have the psx version and the only difference is the graphical style. at the core, it is by and large the exact same game.

1) barbs dont turn up untill 16 turns in - and when they do turn up, they bring the whole family!
i shot a cruise missile rite into the middle of a bunch just 5 tiles away from one of my frontier cities, message from the def minister pops up (36 units lost)

2) the game has never crashed on me while talking to the council - maybe the copy you played was dodgy? or the psx was dodgy?

3) the long frustrating time in between your turn and the cpu's is a testament to your poor strategy - not the game...
i am an agressive perfectionist, one of the 1st things i will atempt to do is locate a rival tribe and do everything withen my power to stunt there growth. block um in - bribe there settlers - fortify rite out side there territory - anything and everything... do this to just one tribe and the longer waits are much reduced...
you should do this anyway, regardless of what style or format you play.
or just do what i did, buy a shiny ps3!!! runs a hell of a lot faster!

 

[BaconLad]

As far as I can remember, Caravans/Freights don't work properly. If you send one to another city you get the revenue alright, but it does not establish a trade route. Which lets you miss out on a lot of trade arrows, and with that research and money.

as far as i know on the ps1 version a trade route only works if your supplying something they demand and there supplying something you demand, it's a two way thing.

 

[RedCoat1985]

3) the long frustrating time in between your turn and the cpu's is a testament to your poor strategy - not the game...
i am an agressive perfectionist...

Really??!! Cos you just sound like a really cool guy – there’s certainly something wrong with you to go trawling back through 2 years worth of posts on a forum I don’t even play civ anymore so I can’t comment, but felt compelled to reply to your self-satisfied, smug and twaty little comments, bigging yourself up.

Moderator Action: Please do not attack posters like that again.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[BaconLad]

Really??!! Cos you just sound like a really cool guy – there’s certainly something wrong with you to go trawling back through 2 years worth of posts on a forum I don’t even play civ anymore so I can’t comment, but felt compelled to reply to your self-satisfied, smug and twaty little comments, bigging yourself up.

ok, actually, i didnt go "trawling through 2 years worth of posts", it was only on the 2nd page... christ...
and i wasnt trying to be arrogant, i really am very sorry if it came off that way. i was simply trying to offer some constructive criticism.
i didnt intend to offend, i was just correcting some of your inaccurate comments which to be honest were a little bit absurd.

it would be too easy for me to sit here and type a similar barrage of vile abuse, but i refuse to sink too that level.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

as far as i know on the ps1 version a trade route only works if your supplying something they demand and there supplying something you demand, it's a two way thing.

It's certainly been a while since I got my hands on the PS version of Civ2. But it was before I even played any other version. So it was only after I eventually got to play Civ2 on may Mac that I realized that there was something that I did not remember to work correctly (read: as in the Mac version) in the PS version.

Anyway, not being able to establish a trade route for any commodity certainly is not a trifle and the missed out income should make the game harder by quite some margin.