Remake Civ1 with multiplayer

[ronnieatthewater]

How many of you guys would play the original version of this game with slightly better graphics and a multiplayer option. All the original stuff just an updated version. I think if the graphics requirement was less and game play the same as the old school Civ1 version with all the old hot keys turns would be quick and the amount of crashes do to number of units wouldn't be as bad as civ7. Thoughts?

 

[Lord_Hill]

Well you have basically described CivNet but I know what you mean.

I think sadly you overestimate the demand for multi civ 1, you look at how people still play multi civ 3, 4, 5 and it's all modded games to improve balance and speed things up a bit. Even with simplified civ 1 rules I don't think you'd get many playing it.

I'd love to see a modern port of the original civ that's lightning fast, has expanded resolution, no unit / city limits and proper mod support. If 2K/Firaxis were smart, they'd give @rahorvat a job to finish OpenCiv1 and release it properly! Hey, I can dream, right?

 

[ronnieatthewater]

Well you have basically described CivNet but I know what you mean.

I think sadly you overestimate the demand for multi civ 1, you look at how people still play multi civ 3, 4, 5 and it's all modded games to improve balance and speed things up a bit. Even with simplified civ 1 rules I don't think you'd get many playing it.

I'd love to see a modern port of the original civ that's lightning fast, has expanded resolution, no unit / city limits and proper mod support. If 2K/Firaxis were smart, they'd give @rahorvat a job to finish OpenCiv1 and release it properly! Hey, I can dream, right?

Well I've been playing the game since 1993. I believe there are a lot of us old players that would love and play the original against other players. All the crashing of civ 7 and the graphics not needed. We just want to play a multiplayer game that's fast and easy. Lots of hot keys.

 

[rahorvat]

Well I've been playing the game since 1993. I believe there are a lot of us old players that would love and play the original against other players. All the crashing of civ 7 and the graphics not needed. We just want to play a multiplayer game that's fast and easy. Lots of hot keys.

The multiplayer capability is a bit demanding. But not that much. I have made a decent progress with OpenCiv1, but my time lately has been limited and I currently can't work on a OpenCiv1 as much as I would like.
But a Civ 1 fan can dream, right?
I have planned for a number of features to add to the original game and that includes the things that you describe. I just hope I can finish them soon enough

 

[rahorvat]

From a programmer's point of view the modern computers have a plenty of memory available, and the unit and the city information is really small compared to the memory that's available on modern computers today (typically >= 8G). I really believe that the needed memory and CPU requirements would be a piece of a cake for a modern Civ 1 multiplayer implementation!

Cheers

 

[ronnieatthewater]

What can we do to get them to make this?

 

[rahorvat]

What can we do to get them to make this?

Sadly, 'They' will not do a single thing about it! The multiple public campaigns to publish the Civ 1 and Civ 2 source code have been ignored and/or fallen on deaf ears.
It appears that the owners of the original source code just care to make another sequel and earn more money that way.

The only thing that we can do, regarding Civ 1, is to reconstruct the source code. It's what I try to do with OpenCiv1 project, but I have underestimated the time needed to complete this task.
The big part of the code has been reconstructed, but there is still a significant time needed to complete the task. I'm hoping to publish complete reconstructed source code by the end of the year.

I guess from there on things will get easier, as we will have a solid code base to build upon the features that are interesting to most people, like multiplayer capability, for example

 

[GPR]

Fashion for many old things sometimes comes back. The only problem is to properly promote the refreshed product.
Show it in a different light. What is the problem in promoting CIV1 again?

Too simple graphics? Minecraft also has unsophisticated graphics and yet people play it.
game is it too undeveloped? On smartphones, it is an advantage.

I used to play CIV on a smartphone but I remember that the entry threshold was too high, so an easier control, more digestible one should be introduced. On the computer, control (with the mouse) is easier and more enjoyable. So need to make controlling civ on smartphones more enjoyable.
And then such a CIV1 multiplayer on smartphones would have a reason to exist.
And after, maybe it would also attract people from smartphone to the Windows multiplayer.
But again...Who would want to install DOSbox? A small number of enthusiasts who feel a great passion for retro games. Installing CIV1 on Windows is what puts them off for most from plays to this game on computer.
Also .. because exist many other good games to play on computer. This is what is i think multi for CIV1 must focus to smartphone players.

I really want to play with old fashin CIV1 in multi. I dont like graphics new ones CIV.

 

[rahorvat]

Fashion for many old things sometimes comes back. The only problem is to properly promote the refreshed product.
Show it in a different light. What is the problem in promoting CIV1 again?

Too simple graphics? Minecraft also has unsophisticated graphics and yet people play it.
game is it too undeveloped? On smartphones, it is an advantage.

I used to play CIV on a smartphone but I remember that the entry threshold was too high, so an easier, more digestible one should be introduced. On the computer, control (with the mouse) is easier and more enjoyable. So need to make controlling civ on smartphones more enjoyable.
And then such a CIV1 multiplayer on smartphones would have a reason to exist.
And maybe it would also attract people to the Windows multiplayer.
But again...Who would want to install DOSbox? A small number of enthusiasts who feel a great passion for retro games. Installing CIV1 on Windows is what puts them off for most from plays to this game on computer.
Also .. because exist many other good games to play on computer. This is what is i think multi for CIV1 must focus to smartphone players.

I really want to play with old fashin CIV1 in multi. I dont like graphics new ones CIV.

The most important point is that the CIV1 source code never got published (or released) to the public.
It's because of that, that we are unable to make new additions to the game and fix the old bugs.
The OpenCiv1 project is the only one that has gone farthest than any previous attempts because it reconstructed the largest part of the CIV1 source code and the game is fully functional.

One of the goals of the OpenCiv1 project is to enable people to play on any platform, including the smartphones.