The Civ blahs

[TheOverseer714]

I'm just curious to find out how others deal with the civ blahs, the condition where you lose interest in the game. How long does it usually last for you, what gets you back into it? For myself, it comes along every now and then, I'll just feel disinterested, even bored with the game. I will take up other games, do other things, but eventually the civ bug returns. The last time I had the blahs, I had gotten into Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls 4. I eventually was getting bored with that game, and then I discovered this site. That was over a year ago, and I haven't had the civ blahs for more than a few days since. So what is your experience with the civ blahs?

 

[pickle]

i have just come out of an extended civ blah, basically i didn't actively do anything to bring back the bug, i did get a couple of other games (oblivion was one) then one day i was staring blankly at the computer screen and i clicked on the conquests shortcut and bam, back in full force.

i think reading through this site also does a lot to keep up the civ fanaticism

 

[Mr. Keith]

I haven't played this game in almost a year now. G-d only knows why I keep visiting this site.

 

[civverguy]

I just lost interest in the game 2 months ago. I am trying to get back into the game but I'll get bored of it again. Maybe if I start trying some variants, play some civilization I haven't played much as before, and download some mods/scenarios I will get addicted again.

 

[timerover51]

My cure for my Civ3 Blahs was finally getting my Windows game editing box up and running. I am on Macs, have been since 1989, and have several of them. Aside from a really quirky vanilla editor by Macsoft for the basic version of the game, I had no way of doing any editing, short of borrowing my son's school laptop, loading the Windows version of Civ3 Complete on it, and doing my editing there. Problem is, he needs the laptop for homework, so editing was hit and miss, and no editing while in school. This was getting me REALLY FRUSTRATED, as I am a military historian from the Sumerians on forward, and also a weapons and weapons effects expert. So, I stopped playing for a while. However, now game editing box is running, can work on it during the day when needed, and then play on my iBook laptop at night when things settle down. Life is good, gaming is fun again, even if the Windows editor throws me curves, as I am still learning it. And having fun posting again to the boards. Now, if I could just convince my wife that I REALLY DO NEED a new MacBook laptop.

 

[Sweetchuck]

Good thread.

I switch over to other games occasionally. Just finished a FFVII (THE greatest game ever) campaign and jumped back into CivIII.

I also switch up setups. I usually always play continents, huge with 2 other civs. I started playing normal and it's fantasitc. I'm on a campaign now on a pangea map (first pangea) with 5 other civs. I like it a lot, don't have to focus on the naval aspect right away.

 

[Bartleby]

Civ Fatigue is what I've called it in the past; it's not always characterised by not playing the game, sometimes I just can't seem to get a game off the ground and keep restarting. There are times I just don't feel like playing at all, and spend a week or two watching DVD's in my spare time (at the moment I have a pile of films waiting to be watched).
What gets me back into Civ is reading about other peoples games here--makes me want to try stuff, like new variants. Another thing that feeds the urge is playing games for the Civ3 HoF and trying to raise my Quartermasters ranking.

 

[psweetman1590]

In the past I would usually read books. Being that I usually read books about history, I would usually read something that would stimulate my desire to emulate something in civ before too long, and off I'd go again.

Lately, as I don't have my preferred reading material at college with me, I tried Victoria, from Paradox, and I was hooked on that as badly as I had once been with civ for a period of weeks. Now I play both pretty much equally; when I get sick of one, I play the other. Works for me, though I haven't been able to get much pleasure reading done this way.

 

[Quintillus]

Civ Fatigue is a good term for it. I just came out of about 3 weeks of Civ Fatigue (an entire 3 weeks between saved games and 9 days away from CFC - probably the most days away from CFC yet). There's not really any one cure - trying to break out of it by playing more may work, but that's an unlikely path. I tend to try to find other items to distract me - during the past three weeks I've picked up Age of Empires III again for the first time in about a year. But eventually I grew tired with my other items and came back to CFC. The bug didn't bite right away, and I still haven't played any of a true game, but I saw some cool C & C threads and was bitten by the bug to make further progress on the mod I started in early February and hadn't yet resumed.

Amazingly, I still haven't played a downloaded Civ3 scenario. The scenarios on CFC really inspired me in the past few days and cured me of Civ Fatigue, but I've yet to try them - Conquests alone is just that good. Considering that aspect it seems I have a very long time of Civ3 left, even if it is broken up by occasional bouts of fatigue.

 

[joycem10]

Agrew with Quintillis all around.

Play around with the editor. Make a new map, maybe add a unit or change some stats. Im trying to put together a scenario and its really resparked my interest in the game.

If you have C3C, try one of the conquests.

 

[Tasslehoff]

Besides my recent long spell, I haven't had more than short spells of 'Civ-blahs.' It seems that waiting without civ for a while cures itself on it's own. At some point, I open civ, and I'm sucked back in.

 

[Marsden]

Besides my recent long spell, I haven't had more than short spells of 'Civ-blahs.' It seems that waiting without civ for a while cures itself on it's own. At some point, I open civ, and I'm sucked back in.

Sums me up too well. I wish I didn't get sucked in so far. I'm actually in the midst of a lull now and I'm taking advantage to catch up on some sleep.

 

[Pyrrhos]

I get the civ blahs every game, usually in the late IA/early Modern Age when a combination of rounds that take 15-20 minutes just to go thru the AI moves and the building screens, the utter boredom of cleaning pollution every turn and the really stupid combat system where the AI can decide that "in order to challenge me", three AI rifleman can hold off half a dozen tanks, a couple of cav armies and some Mech Inf supported by a dozen artillery. "Eff it, no more effin stupid effin civ for me :extendedmiddlefingergraemlin: "

A few days later I'm back.

 

[TheOverseer714]

That's why you might want to win earlier.... The combat system can be a real stinker at times, but I'll bet you don't complain when your spear defeats 3 swords.

 

[Pyrrhos]

That's why you might want to win earlier.... The combat system can be a real stinker at times, but I'll bet you don't complain when your spear defeats 3 swords.

Never have. Best result was two swordsmen, my town on a hill with walls. The third shredded my lone brave spear.

Mind you, the town was on iron so I guess the AI decided that I needed "the challenge".

 

[againsttheflow]

When I first got vanilla I played it for 6 months straight, as often as I could. After that I entered the so called "blah" (it was still my favorite game, just on hold). 6 months later I
bought Conquests and found this site simotaneously. Since I'm a real fan of histoical accuracy I immediately started in on the mods and scenarios. Since then I was out 6 months last year because of unavoidable circumstances (not bad ones). I have not really had a "blah" for a while though I haven't actually played much for a couple months. The things that keep Civ III exciting are...

- who can deny it, it's the best game ever, as was Civ II before it
- CFC
- history books that make me think of all the possibilities

The reason I haven't had a Civ recession for a while are due to the above and the fact that, after playing, you can post, then d'load mods, then post, then make mods, then ask questions, then start PBEMs, then post, then do GOTM, then run for HOF, then start over... Like I said above, just reading history books/novels really gets me into the mood of a usually very specific scenario.

 

[Tasslehoff]

I think something that has seriously contributed to the length of Civ-blahs is THE LACK OF A MAP/SCENARIO/GAME EDITOR FOR MACS!!!

Anyway, I'm running out of achievements to work towards on my flash game site. Methinks a renewed civ-addiction is not far off.

 

[Pyrrhos]

I think something that has seriously contributed to the length of Civ-blahs is THE LACK OF A MAP/SCENARIO/GAME EDITOR FOR MACS!!!

Anyway, I'm running out of achievements to work towards on my flash game site. Methinks a renewed civ-addiction is not far off.

What's more important, kender? Civ or your Mac OS? The solution is really simple...

[ Tasslehoff will get it, but I'm not so sure about others so: Joke alert! ]

 

[Simak]

For me its the opposite. Playing the scenarios gets me interested in reading history......just to see how it compares. I'm actually surprised when I attack the AI in the exact order that the civ from history did. Gives the game some credability.

To combat the blahs, I play other games. Mostly builder types with some battle/war thrown in. My top five.......Rome: total war, Tropico 2, Age of Mythology with titans expansion, Knights of Honour, and Stronghold (the original). Honorable mention...some of the tycoon series....Rollercoaster 3, and Railroad 2.

 

[denyd]

I find that bouncing between different types of games like GOTM, SG, PBEM & HOF games seems to keep the interest going (for over 5 years now). My only real boring part is the sameness of terrain & units. Pretty soon, I'll add in Snoopy's graphics or start a Rise and Rule game just for a change.