my wife asks what is there in civilization, you people make such a big fuss about it .civ fanatics throw some light to this barbarian .
Well, it's a little hard to explain to a "non-believer", but I'll try.
What makes Civ such a great game, and so many of its players into fanatics?
First off, there's the historical aspect of the game. This is what probably first drew me into Civ, since I'm something of a history buff. Of course the game delves into alternate history (and gets things wrong sometimes, even painfully so, but always in the interest of better gameplay). But if you're into history, it's fun as all get out to pretend to be Caesar or Genghis Khan or Elizabeth I for awhile--especially if you can out-do them.
Which leads me, second, to the role-playing element of the game. You get to be someone famous (or infamous) from history when you play. And you're not just adopting the persona of a great leader; you get to be Isaac Newton when you make a discovery, Christopher Columbus as you explore new lands, Buddha when you found a religion, and so on.
Third, there's the novelty. Every game is different. The map is different, your opponents change, and therefore the challenges always vary. If that's still not enough variety, you can mix things up by changing the map type, selecting different rule options, playing scenarios, loading mods... The replay value of Civ is unsurpassed by just about any other game I can think of.
Fourth, the fact that it's turn-based rather than real-time ironically makes it all the more absorbing. This is a game, like the timeless classic chess, that encourages long, deep thought. "A series of interesting choices," is how Sid Meier, its creator, once described it, and you'll not find a pithier or more apt description. Civ is intellectually absorbing. How many video games can you say that about?
Fifth, there's the victories-within-the-game. This is one of the most brilliant elements of civ from a game design standpoint, in my opinion. It takes a long time to reach victory, but along the way, there are dozens of smaller victories to win: world wonders to complete before anyone else, religions to found, tech races for free techs or great people, and, of course, wars to be fought and won. So rather than despondently waiting for the big payoff at the end, you have the constant challenge of smaller victories (or losses that must be avenged!) along the way.
Sixth, this is a game that is, ultimately, about power: military, economic, diplomatic, cultural--all are different types of power. How many of us really have this sort of power in our lives? Most of us are at the mercy of powerful forces far beyond our control, never mind our comprehension. I suspect those who do have real power don't play Civ or anything like it; they don't need to--they can do the real thing. (Unfortunately, real-life power games often cost lives; in a perfect world, politicians and generals would play out their malevolent games in simulations instead.) Escaping into Civ lets us pretend for awhile that we control the destiny of an entire civilization, even a whole world. It's often a welcome contrast to the relative constraint of our everyday lives.
But finally, the game is just plain
fun. When you see that wonder movie after turns of sweating out its completion, when you win that battle despite long odds, when the free Great Person appears, when that eerie chime sounds indicating you're the first to circumnavigate the globe or discover Liberalism, when your detested opponent capitulates--well, that's just a hoot, isn't it? Humans are one of the few species on this planet that continue to play into adulthood, and I think that's something to be celebrated--and that's what I'm doing everytime I sit down for "one more turn" (or more) of Civilization.
