why is this game so addicting?

[monotonous]

i don't really like challenge all those high levels, my biggest fun is just go through the four eras at regent, so basically i'm just repeating the same thing every hand, but once i start i'm always like completely forget the time

 

[vorlon_mi]

Yes. "Just one more turn ..." http://www.civanon.com/ is a funny web site.

For me, the addicting part is the interlocking long-term and short-term goals.
I look out, and see that my neighbor has control of the entire world's supply of furs.
My people *want* furs, and I could really use another luxury, esp. to get amplified by marketplaces. So, I start planning for a war in 5 or 6 turns.
But I'm also looking ahead, and see that two techs from now, I can build Newton's University, so I find a city with good shield production and start it building a palace, to stockpile shields. And deciding whether to spend my gold upgrading old units, cash-rushing some new ones, or maybe moving the sliders to stockpile gold for later.
And I hit the space bar, and see what happens next ... again ... and again ...

 

[Theov]

Aristotle already had a dramatic structure in his stories. Ever since, a good writer created a story arc where a play, movie or book had a start - a character build up; an introduction or the setting. Then the reader would get familiar and build a bond with the protagonist, the reader had to become emotionally attached to the character so the reader would want him to win or to overcome his problem.
When the problem is set and the character introduced, the protagonist would face his struggle or enemy, resulting in a climax where often the good guy would overcome his problem and come out stronger in the end.
Later the stories would go longer where the climax was suspended or twists were added or new challenges were added, so the public would feel like being on a roller coaster.
Emotional attachment and a high risk/reward factor (will he die if he jumps from this cliff, or will he save the day?) are keys to a good story.
Sounds familiar?

 

[timerover51]

Aristotle already had a dramatic structure in his stories. Ever since, a good writer created a story arc where a play, movie or book had a start - a character build up; an introduction or the setting. Then the reader would get familiar and build a bond with the protagonist, the reader had to become emotionally attached to the character so the reader would want him to win or to overcome his problem.
When the problem is set and the character introduced, the protagonist would face his struggle or enemy, resulting in a climax where often the good guy would overcome his problem and come out stronger in the end.
Later the stories would go longer where the climax was suspended or twists were added or new challenges were added, so the public would feel like being on a roller coaster.
Emotional attachment and a high risk/reward factor (will he die if he jumps from this cliff, or will he save the day?) are keys to a good story.
Sounds familiar?

Yes, especially when you play around with the editor and create the World which your story takes place in.

 

[Cyc]

Yes, especially when you play around with the editor and create the World which your story takes place in.

 

[Registrar]

It provides a world I can create and manage.

 

[MPK]

It provides a world I can create and manage.

Yes it does.... you can make the world larger, but beware of 'over big'. You can also change the strength and weakness of units,cities and fortress' etc:

You can even have a land of all grass or my favourite is all tundra. You can increase the amount of food and shields produced by any type of terrain.

Much more fun than the game maps.

 

[TLF]

To me, the 'one more turn' aspect has nothing to do with it being a good game, though it is a good game.
It's more about how you do one little thing and see how it affects things which makes you do one more thing as a result.
I'll just do this last little thing and stop.
But once you do that you see one other little thing that you could do, so you do it...and on and on.
It's partly just human nature to tidy up the loose ends.
It's also compulsion rather than enjoyment that drives it to some extent.

 

[MPK]

To me, the 'one more turn' aspect has nothing to do with it being a good game, though it is a good game.
It's more about how you do one little thing and see how it affects things which makes you do one more thing as a result.
I'll just do this last little thing and stop.
But once you do that you see one other little thing that you could do, so you do it...and on and on.
It's partly just human nature to tidy up the loose ends.
It's also compulsion rather than enjoyment that drives it to some extent.

Totally agree..... "One more turn then I'll stop",, [ 100 turns later ] "One more turn then I'll stop",, ... ,, ... ,, ... ... ... ...