Why is CIV4 still the best civ game?

[AspiringScholar]

I guess it's nice to see Civ 3 having a champion, at least. Been the neglected stepchild of the series for too long.

My hot take is that while there is probably a Civ game that has the most depth, people are probably going to associate that more with the one they've invested the most hours in. I think Civ 4 is by far the deepest game in the series - but then again, I've also played it far more.

There is something endearing about Civ 3 aesthetically, and I get a childhood nostalgia kick from his coverage of and fondness for it; but I agree that Civ 4 by far is the deeper and more interesting game.

 

[JDCP]

There is something endearing about Civ 3 aesthetically

Exactly my thoughts with CIV2 and Alpha Centauri, mechanically they're outfaced by CIV4 in nearly every aspect, but they still hold up amazingly well. In fact I'd say SMAC was the best thing Firaxis ever produced, and if it wasn't for the amazing quality of many CIV4 mods I'd be playing that instead. That said, the city view screen from CIV3 is one of the most epic things I've seen in a game.

people are probably going to associate that more with the one they've invested the most hours in.

Yep that's completely normal, in a few years I'm sure you will find people who have CIV7 as their favorite.

 

[MilesBeyond]

I find it's particularly noticeable with terrain improvements. There's a whole lotta people out there who seem to think their personal favourite Civ is the only one where Worker choices (or Settler choices for the OGs) are deep and meaningful. In every other Civ game, they're so shallow you just mindlessly spam one or two improvements.

 

[TheOtherOne]

For me its the advciv mod that keeps me coming back. Challenging enough to make me have to think but where diplomacy and peaceful approaches still work, at least for some leaders, that there's a diverty of play styles. If it wasn't for advciv I wouldn't keep on playing. It'd be great to see more mods use advciv as a component. I don't think any other civ experience is challenging enough to keep them entertaining.

 

[JDCP]

For me its the advciv mod that keeps me coming back. Challenging enough to make me have to think but where diplomacy and peaceful approaches still work, at least for some leaders, that there's a diverty of play styles. If it wasn't for advciv I'd wouldn't keep on playing. It'd be great to see more mods use advciv as a component. I don't think any other civ experience is challenging enough to keep them entertaining.

Yep, if something CIV4 has over any other game in the genre it's plenty of mods for anything you want, given the apparent versatility with which it was programmed and the ease to modify. You want lots of content that completely changes the game into a new setting based around fantasy, overly futuristic a la space opera, scifi like SMAC, primitive or some of the greatest wars in time (such as the crusades, to give an example) represented through carefully crafted mods with lots creative design choices put into them? We got it, you just want a simple and lightweight mod that updates graphics, interface and makes the game feel more refreshing and varied without changing much into the base of the original game? hell yeah we go that too! What? You want better AI that's insanely difficult to beat and requires complex strategy? SAY NO MORE!!! Even historical mods that try to keep things into the boundaries to assure some fun. We have everything here, literal infinite replayability. The GOAT of the 4X genre

I'd still be playing this if it was simply BTS, but the mods add so much to its value that you just can't praise this game without mentioning it.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Can anyone make any suggestions on good mods that are cohesive (not full of random, half completed ideas} and where the AI is able to function and so there is meaningful challenge. I've tried a few mods and while there are many interesting ideas most become quickly boring as the AI can barely function or the components just don't work with each other.

I've tried SMAC (What I would give for a proper remake of the original, but this mod is pretty good but it does fall apart towards the end game) and all the included mods. Advciv is what keeps me coming back. I wish more mods would use it.

 

[JDCP]

Can anyone make any suggestions on good mods that are cohesive (not full of random, half completed ideas} and where the AI is able to function and so there is meaningful challenge.

well I know K-mod, for what I remember the main difference between that one and advciv is that the later makes new balance changes. You could try that if you just want the basics or maybe CIV4 reimagined which is basically the same premise as advciv in the sense they're built upon K-mod. I've had fun with those two I mention buuuut I haven't played them in ages. Alternatively, if you like scenarios there's Sword of Islam, very enjoyable for me and managed to be challenging. It's very pleasant to play considering it's a finely crafted piece, really, that's a good example of what I call cohesive. Along it you can put any other mods based on RFC though I haven't played many, and some I did get to play were either left in progress or continue on it.

There is a mod I can speak well of considering it's all I've been playing recently, Realism Invictus (yes I know It's been mentioned a lot but I can't let the opportunity pass ), AI there has never been mindblowingly smart for me (not like it's meant to be anyway) but in my last game it's been giving me a handful of surprises. Maybe I just suck in high difficulties but the AI over here seems to be learning how to pull an assault. In my last game the damn thing split it's doomstack and positioned itself in various corners of the map literally ambushing my units that were on the way to defend the road between two of my cities, it can also be a pain in the ass when it's about naval combat. Yeah I'm definitely bad at this but hey give it a try, maybe you will be surprised like me.

Don't think I've mentioned anything that you already don't know... so, have you played advciv+? It's the same advciv but with more content, still a WIP, in fact probably forever a WIP, but maybe you'll find it enjoyable.

(What I would give for a proper remake of the original, but this mod is pretty good but it does fall apart towards the end game)

Amazing mod based on a legendary game, not a proper remake certainly but it's good enough for me to enjoy it.

 

[Core Imposter]

I wish Civ IV itself were a WIP, just not by anyone still at Firaxis.

 

[MilesBeyond]

We are all WIPs on this blessed day

 

[Core Imposter]

We are all WIPs on this blessed day

Amen.

 

[Core Imposter]

I have a blast just changing some rules for my games. Doesn't even require modding. No unjustified wars, limited war gains, avoidance of the exploits that normally result in the player steamroll. And you end up with entirely unpredictable gameplay. For even more fun invent your own events (though that is better within a mod). The game design is flexible enough to do this. I just have no need to play these lesser games they have released. And, wow, aren't the graphics of Civ 7 a cluttered mess?