Reaons to use Civ 2 to make scenarios versus other games?

[Konig15]

I want to ask a very simple question: why still make scenarios fro Cvilization 2, even Test of Time, versus moving onto another civilization game?

I'm interested because I didn't find much a scenario building community for Civ 5, I couldn't get into Civ 5 and Civ 1, Civ 2 and Civ 5 are the only Civ games I've played. I don't know Lau and I don't know how to balance units against each other, but I know Civ 2 like the back of my hand, at least enough to dream.

Is it the ease of modding? Is it because ToT is the only game in the series to have mulitple maps? Or the 32,000 limit patch? Are the tools better? Or is it this is the only place for the old school tightly scripted scenario makers versus the sandbox people?

I've tried to mod Paradox games and for anoob, they are a NIGHTMARE, and I can't get what I want anyway because the tools don't exist, at least not in the right ways. I have a rough idea of how to do everything I want, at least in general terms.

And in that case, is there a place that explains the mechnaical changes between the Civ games? Honestly, while I LIKE highly scripted games, I also like lots of lateral play. If you've played Crusader Kings 2, I LOVE Monks and Mystics (where you can invent stuff or quest for arifacts) or Jade Dragon (where you can get things from the Chinese Emperor) and I wish there were more things like that you could do. I was told I might like the Civ games better....but they're probably talking about later ones.

While I am going to go forward in making some of the scenarios I want, I do want to understand the mechanical oppurtunties and drawbacks. I also want to understand the appeal of far more tech savvy people than myself to a 25 year old game.

 

[Gelion]

It is quite a complicated question, but I'll try to chip in with a few cents.

Firstly the older the game is the older the mod audience is going to be. There's variation with overall quality of the game. Outstanding games will have greater number of fans, but these numbers inevitably do fade over time unless something interesting happens. For example if a significant amount of youtubers will talk about an old game or if a new website gets launched. Thus it is always better to work for scenarios on never games. From what I understand people enjoy Civ 4 a lot more than 3, 5 and 6 so if you are going to go into the newer games Civ 4 might be a better bet.

Civ 2 has an advantage over later games, at least to me personally, as it was the last game to use essentially straight forward 2D graphics and relatively simple event codes which allow for simple scenario making. If you are looking into "easy" mod making I'd pick Civ 2. There's tons of graphics and help files still available so you'd be building on quite a foundation of usable resources. The same is true for all other Civ games though.

Since the times of Civ 3 there's an issue with modding and rights with mods becoming more and more regulated and controlled in terms of copyright and income. The way Bethesda handles their mods is a great example. So older games might give a little more creative freedom.

Finally while I'd love to see more scenarios for Civ 2 (and have a few in the making myself), releasing them in 2020 (when Civ 2 itself sets a final turn) means that they will be examined by around 100 people. Which is still honest work