NOTE: This is The Column, a regular feature on Apolyton where anyone can write about anything to do with Civilization or the gaming industry as a whole. If you feel like writing, please visit the article submission page.

PREVIOUS ARTICLES

#123 TPOD & ROACSG: THE PHYSICS OF SUGGESTION In the third and final installment of this article, TheLimey evaluates Firaxis' and Activision's response to Civer input-suggestions on upcoming titles. #122 TPOD & ROACSG: THE RISE & FALL In his article's second installment, TheLimey picks apart the pieces of Civilization: Call To Power. #117 HISTORICAL APPLICATION OF ALPHA CENTAURI Keith Medlin showcases Alpha Centauri for its historical applications. #118 FREEDOM AND OBLIGATION: CTP2 What does freedom and obligation have to do with a game? MarkG wonders... #119 MODERATION IS A VIRTUE Ken Breggot is worried that trying to make Civ too complex will make gameplay too cumbersome. COLUMN ARCHIVE

There has been an immense amount of chat on the Apolyton site, amongst others, about what Civ3 should look like. Much of it has been total garbage, clearly written by people who like to think they know how to design games, but who equally clearly don't.

Civilization was a great game. No-one reading these pages is going to disagree with that. Meier and chums updated it in Civ2 without breaking a single thing. All that was good about the original stayed and what could be improved was improved. Result: Civ2 was a great game. Why then, do the various spods and geeks who infest sites like this, seem to think that the same can't be done with Civ3? Are they so dense that they cannot see that major surgery of the sort they are discussing (e.g. no micro-management, no cities, spherical worlds) will mean that the game is not Civ3, but Something Else 1?

So, here's a question. If, as we are all agreed, Civilization was so great, why don't we play it any more? The answer should be, "because we have Civ2." If Sid and his boys do a major hatchet job on Civ2 in creating Civ3, then the link will be broken. Therefore, I say, do unto Civ2 what you did unto Civ and if you disappoint the sort of people who have been urging a complete departure from the original, then you have my vote.

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About the author (self-quote): "Naval Officer, long time Civ player and anti-spod geek".

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