Announcing Civilization Network!

Sid Meier · October 21, 2009, 12:15

Hello Civ Fans!

I wanted to let you know we’ll soon be looking for beta testers to help us develop a unique new way to play Civilization. Ever since we finished Civilization® Revolution™ last year, I’ve been looking at ways of expanding the Civ gameplay experience to include solo, competitive and cooperative play to take advantage of the uniqueness of social networks. We’re calling this project Civilization® Network™ and the full game will be available next year on Facebook. Civilization Network will allow you to join together with your friends to create the world’s most powerful, richest, smartest, or just plain coolest civilization. You can coordinate your strategy to win great battles, share your technology to jump ahead of your rivals, lobby your family and friends to form your own government and win vital elections, manage and grow your cities to maximize production and happiness, spy on your enemies, and work with your friends to create the great Wonders of the World. The game will offer everything you enjoy in Civ in a fully persistent environment - you can play as much as you like, whenever you like, and it’ll be free to play.

We’ll offer a closed beta of the game soon, so stay tuned for details on how you can sign-up to participate. The full game will launch in 2010. For more information about Civilization Network, including development updates and behind-the-scenes posts from me and the Firaxis team, join our Facebook fanpage here: www.facebook.com/civnetwork.

Thanks and Stay Civilized!

Sid Meier
Director of Creative Development
Firaxis Games

Theben · October 21, 2009, 16:16

He has but 1 post. The old Sid had posted here before so clearly this is an impostor.

If it is true, I'd hate to finally be forced into using social networking sites.

Nikolai · October 21, 2009, 16:17

Is this the real Sid Meier? The tension rises. Let the speculations commence!

Also,
sounds interesting.

I want into the beta now.

Riesstiu IV · October 21, 2009, 16:41

Sid, I'm really happy for you, Imma let you finish, but Creative Assembly had one of the best strategy games of all time.

snoopy369 · October 21, 2009, 16:43

Seems real to me. I don't recall the username Sid posted under in the past, if he did so, that's before my time certainly. I don't see him listed in the list of celebrity usernames.

Anyhow, Sid, assuming that's you, you or your designated intern/lackey/PA should send one of us an email from your firaxis [or 2kgames?] account (I am snoopy369 ta gmail.com) so we can give you the firaxis user title, so it's more clear to our always-paranoid userbase that you're you

snoopy369 · October 21, 2009, 16:56

OK, email received, thanks!

Robert Plomp · October 21, 2009, 17:27

Yes, it's the real Sid, hence his abilities to create the news item and the (now improved) 'Firaxian' title

Thanks for making the position even more formal snoopy!

I was not expecting such a civ itteration, and eventhough I'm not (yet!!) on social networks (except linkedin), I can see a lot of potential here for a civ game!
Will this finally be the massive multiplayer game?
Starting with 2000 ancient tribes on a very huge map, where only through time the real biggies endure? (and the others start a new game)

Time for speculation

Nikolai · October 21, 2009, 17:32

I remember reading the old MMO ideas back in the time of the List, I was facinated, dreamt of it, could see it for my very eye. I really hope some of those ideas, "...if only one idea" as we said, will see the world. Firaxis has listened to our ideas before, so I think we are in for some real fun!

Nikolai · October 21, 2009, 17:36

Okay, I just have to post this:

Quote:

10.1) Massive Multiplayer Online Civ - Bloodlines
In the context of Civ 2: The game would be played on an earth world that is much larger in size than any civ. You would build cities and civilizations to actual scale, and some players would play regions within civs, and can rebel and try to start their own civ, etc.
New benefits: Fun.
Discussion: You would play a bloodline that could marry with others and have children. If your bloodline dies out you have to restart the game.
Marrying would be the equivalent of making an alliance. Each member of your familly would be listed. Government would be such that you can tell different players, if you have completely captured their bloodline, to control a region for you, which they would do under the threat of eradication. The converse is of course also possible, and rebellion remains a possibility.
In a republic, the players in that civ would control different factions in the senate and would have to do actions to get them more popular so that they got more power. In general, play could move as in SMC’s simultaneous mode. New players would start along the edges of civilization and in historical areas. In the game you could “launch huge realistic campaigns against others, or manage a real looking and acting civ…”

AAHZ · October 21, 2009, 17:58

Come on Sid, Facebook apps?

please make Civ 5 or SMAC 2.

Oerdin · October 22, 2009, 01:14

Cool, I didn't see this notice.

snoopy369 · October 22, 2009, 10:35

Aahz, you're obviously way behind the times...

Getting old?

Adagio · October 22, 2009, 12:56

I saw this news earlier today, sounds great. Already joined the group on facebook about this

I would love to join the beta, unfortunately I doubt I will get much time to play

Jeje2 · October 25, 2009, 08:49

Hello (Long time since last)

Just read this news.

This year I have become quite addicted to FB games (Knighthood, Mafia wars & King of the World)

I see great potential in here for Sid and his team - so please PLEASE make us a great experiment. (Take a serious look at other FB games as well - what is good, what isn't, etc. and learn...)

Now my worry is that I'll not be able to leave FB in the future at all, if Civ turns out to be good

-Jeje2

PS. Were can I sign up for beta-testing?

sumshirbir · October 26, 2009, 22:13

I would love to join the beta, unfortunately I doubt I will get much time to play

ColdPhoenix · November 24, 2009, 07:28

Originally Posted by Robert Plomp

Will this finally be the massive multiplayer game?
Starting with 2000 ancient tribes on a very huge map, where only through time the real biggies endure? (and the others start a new game)

Time for speculation

That's what I'm hoping for. Probably a set number of turns per day? I'm guessing they'd store up so if you didn't play for a few days you'd have a bunch of turns to use.

I wonder if it will use the Civ4 rules just on a massive map. Probably not, there'd be loads of tweaking to do. If there are storable turns then it could be abused. It would be annoying if your "friend" next to you had a load stored up and suddenly attacked, you could do nothing but sit and watch while their troops ravaged your civ.

More likely it'll be like the simultanious MP game only with the turn extended. But how long? Less than a day and it would take a lot of commitment to do well. If it's a day then a 400 turn game would last over a year!

ColdPhoenix · November 24, 2009, 07:29

Originally Posted by AAHZ

Come on Sid, Facebook apps?

please make Civ 5 or SMAC 2.

Easy, tiger.

Robert Plomp · November 24, 2009, 07:56

First expand you fanbase, then release civ5.
Civ4 is still very playable, I'm very ok to wait a little bit longer, especially if such a network game expands the possibilities of playing civ. I don't care about graphics, I just hope it's not dumbed down.

ColdPhoenix · November 25, 2009, 04:23

It talks about working with your friends so maybe there are lots of people playing each civ. You personally just control the units you build and the cities you found? There may be only 10 to 20 civilizations in a game with 100 or more players.

Important decisions like civics, what to research and international diplomacy could be decided on by vote from the players in a civ based on the population of their cities. Naturally there would be discussion of strategy among the players in a team anyway.

Or maybe each person will just have one city. If the city gets captured you swap teams to join the conquering nation. You control the units produced by your city. Not sure I like that idea.

As there are only limited wonders, one person could build a wonder while the other players support him by providing units for defence etc. Or a way to enable everyone to get involved in wonder building would be having the civ1 mechanics so that you can use caravans to help a city. Problem with that would be the old civ1 exploit where you'd build a load of caravans and then construct a new wonder the turn after you discover the tech.

ColdPhoenix · November 25, 2009, 05:53

I hope it's not like mafia where your civ is comprised of all your facebook friends who play the game. People end up coming to forums and befriending loads of other players just to increase their power.

Provost Harrison · December 5, 2009, 11:35

Lies! Surely it should be Sid Meier FIRAXIS?

Grandpa Troll · December 5, 2009, 22:05

Just recently the founder/owner of Facebook stated very soon there will be no more networks, Im curious how this will get worked around?

If successful, Im game, I am pretty active on Facebook with a couple applications, would love to see how CIV will fare?

Thanks

Grandpa Troll

FrostyBoy · December 22, 2009, 02:08

Can't believe I have to log back in to Apolyton just to do this, but I wanted to show my support for the idea and added myself to the network.

I just HOPE that it doesn't become some "The Sims" style game, no girly stuff please. Fun does not always = cute and pretty colours. Don't forget your core audience are men.

Sid's plan is to probably expand Civ's market, and what better way to do that than Facebook. While many may see it as a bad idea, and fear for Civ's future, if done right, Facebook could lift Civ to new heights, which we can all safely admit that it badly needs.

-Jrabbit · December 22, 2009, 20:48

There are over 48,000 fans at Sid's FB site.

Koyaanisqatsi · December 22, 2009, 22:02

Having bought pretty much every version of Civ ever made, I have to say that this is one I won't be playing. Sorry, but Facebook apps are too likely to be evil in any number of ways.

OzzyKP · December 26, 2009, 13:40

Well you won't have to buy this one.

SlowwHand · December 27, 2009, 01:57

I had I. Love II. Despised III. Got too far behind the curve on IV by the time I decided to buy. Wondering if it it will be worth the effor to try V.
I'll still play II if anyone has an interest.