What's your primary motivation when you play?

[iguana1]

When you play the game, what is most often your motivation behind playing? Choose from the above options the one that best describes your play mentality and/or most influences your game strategy. Feel free to elaborate below.

For me, it's all about the story and an RPG type of feel. I play to win but it's really about developing my civilization and creating an internal story/history within the game. Depending on how I feel and/or how the game develops this can lead to me being a tyrannical warmonger or a peaceful builder depending on how the AI deals with me over time.

 

[Turner]

I played because it was fun. I liked the different aspects of the game. No real historic or RPG reason for it. In fact, Civ mirrors the real world a bit more than I'd like. I'd like to start at Year 0, instead of 4000BC. Well, that's all that comes to mind now.

Waiting for the poll.

 

[Elite]

I'm useally quite peaceful with my neighbors(unless they are sitting on something they won't share)

The main goal for me is World Conquest, along with picking up a little spare change in the process to further my "friends" wars, useally taking neutral until both are weakened then coming in to finish the job, I'm more merciful to citizens that rebel against their former government, I'm a Tyrannical Dictator during War though,

my armies are legion, their faith is their shield, by my name they shall cut a swath through my enemies.

 

[Ansar]

To get to the Modern Age and have everything railroaded. I find it really cool battling in the Modern Age when everything is available, and yes, even nukes!

Plus, I think the Modern Age building styles of the different civs (European, Asian, etc.) look really cool.

 

[Aceman101]

I usually start waging war in the modern age but since i'm now in the year 1950 It's probably to late to conqour the world. (It's a Huge Map Continents and 4 different civs). So I might try Building and launching my SS this time.

 

[Gilder]

My goal is usually to become top dog. Usually this requires conquering a weak, annoying neighbor (usually Monty). Of course, once that occurs late ancient age/early-to-mid Middle Ages (depends how hard it is conquer him), the ball begins to roll and I conquer another neighbor until the entire continent is mine. If it's continents I'm playing on, usually I dominate, unless the AI on the other continent grows strong and gets the same idea, then it's a showdown.

On pangea, I'll usually just conquer the whole map, following the same line of thinking above.

 

[Queen of Swords]

My primary motivation used to be "win on Deity", but I got military, domination, space and diplomatic wins. I'd love to score a cultural victory, though - that's the one Deity win I've never been able to manage.

 

[Tone]

I'd love to score a cultural victory, though - that's the one Deity win I've never been able to manage.

Well this guide by sanabas has helped a few people get 20K cultural victories on Deity and Sid so you may find it useful.

 

[Synobun]

I play for fun, plain and simple.

I don't know why I find it fun...

 

[The Loser]

I play it like an RPG => and do realistic scenario's
I go for a realistic "twist" of history...

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

Complete and utter world domination. That is my primary goal in every game. But sometimes I will do it in a story mode.

 

[Luckymoose]

I play for fun. If I lose a war. No big deal I will become a weak state if I ask for peace. I have played through half the game with only one city. After being conquered.

 

[thetrooper]

I play for fun, but it's not fun to loose...

 

[Portuguese]

I like to kell Spanish or teach English how to trade

I like to achieve all kinds of victories, but I fail when I try culturally, ending win by domination before something bad happens... (Yes, victory IS important)

 

[Portuguese]

Or better even: to see America being peacefull and smiling all the game.
And Gandhi loosing composture
Or Temujin breading heavy
Or Catherine slaping me...

 

[Jedi_Otis]

I'll go with "Just win baby", although Al Davis seems to be having trouble with his own catch phrase lately. 2nd would be just for fun. If I know I'm going to lose and can prevent my most hated rival from winning, that's kinda like consolation satisfaction.

 

[drakdan]

I play for fun, plain and simple.

I don't know why I find it fun...

Same for me. I play until I decide that it is no longer fun. Usually I play until I see I have a bad starting spot, see that I'm not going to be able to expand properly, or until I lose a war. So long as none of those things occur by the early middle ages, I'll play it out until I win (usually Domination victory, since that is the easiest on the small-average maps I prefer).

 

[azzaman333]

Other. I play to win, but not to win at all costs. I will never intentionally sacrifice my trading rep. And any victory is good.

 

[adrianj]

I like to play random maps and random civs and be able to win them all. Plus I would like to try to win using all of the victory conditions. I've yet to win either of the culture conditions or an early conquest.

 

[-Fate-]

It's a mix between variants and for fun. I used to try variants like Always War in every game, but now it's mostly for the aesthetic pleasure of building an empire.