Solver: April 1998 - Civ 2 became less popular, but is it true that you were almost shutting the site down? Also, a bit later, you were informed by Activision about the upcoming CtP game - please tell the story.

DanQ: No, it is not true that I was almost at the point of shutting the site down but I was almost at the point of allowing the site to remain dormant. Why opt for dormancy instead of a straight shutdown? I would identify four reasons in the following order. First, all of the work I had put into the site I wanted to keep readily available to the Civilization community. It was as much for my own sanity as anything else. Second, this was a decision that I had complete control of now that the site's string of hosting crises had finally ended. Third, as you already mentioned, Civilization II's popularity was noticeably dwindling based on not only "UCIVII"'s but other CivII fansites lack of updatedness and in many cases straight shutdowns or their own form of dormancy. And fourth, I was hoping that someone would answer my plea for assistance much as Mike had done with me nearing two years prior where I would retain ownership but hand over the day-to-day operations to that individual. I was also open to having co-operators knowing first hand the amount of work required to maintain the site in its present condition and further its growth.

It was in June of 1998 that Activision's John Heinecke emailed and informed me that they had started work on "Civilization: Call To Power" under license from MicroPROSE and asked if I would be interested in extending the site's coverage to include CtP. I accepted, and began covering more CtP news items then CivII. It definitely revitalized the site and my interest in seeing it perhaps morph into a new stage of development.

Solver: Something a little bit different now... at the age of 15, how could you manage to do >all the UC2S related stuff, it must have required lots of time and patience?

DanQ: So you already knew my age at the time of becoming "UCIVII"'s webmaster... just who makes up your intelligence roster? ;) 

How I managed it, I cannot put it into too many words without becoming lost in the explanation myself. Suffice to say that looking after "UCIVII" was something that I wanted to do and was willing to make the time and sacrifices that came with it to do so. With sacrifices, it was either going to be to the detriment of my school/volunteer work or social life. As the former was paramount above all else, I chose the latter but found that I could maintain a healthy level of it through my in-and-out-of-school volunteering. 

As for time and patience, I credit this to my parents just as much as myself. They were more than generous in dealing with my moodswings and offering sound advice then I might have been in their position. Everything was a serious manner in the site's operation, even when it should have otherwise been a joyous or humourous one, and even when it was serious at a particular time I let it fester for months after. It was not a healthy lifestyle for which I am thankful I have managed to put behind me. I am certain it was at those moments -- far too many and far too serious in nature -- that my parents were grateful I was an only child.

:)

Solver: How did you get started with Civ?

DanQ: I was a SimCity fanatic in the late 1980s/early 1990s. I owned the original SimCity and the various expansion packs, and later SimCity 2000 including the Urban Renewal Kit. As far as "Civilization" goes, one of my grandparents bought me a copy of the (computer) original a Christmas present in 1994. I was hooked and even when school resumed played it every waking moment.  

The only reason I  was able to bring it under control were increasingly serious threats by my parents to uninstall the game and hide the box from me for at least a month... we came to a mutually acceptable compromise shortly after that. And yes, I do still play SimCity from time to time. I'm looking forward to booting up SimCity 4 when it is released in the near to distant future.

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