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I have been a fan of the Civ series since it came out in 1991, but I just haven't gotten into Civ IV like I would like. I enjoyed Civ III even though it had problems and many people disliked it. I was glad to hear of a new version, but I just haven't gotten addicted to this one like all the others.
I tried playing it again last week and I felt like I was just going through the motions, doing those things that were necessary to build my civilization and beat the other civs but I never felt like I was a part of it. Maybe my interests have changed and I simply don't like the game concept as much (I doubt it), but more likely it is because I don't feel connected to my civilization or my opponents.
Maybe it is the promotions of military units that make it feel like more of a RTS that I don’t like. I just loved transitioning from Knights to Dragoons in Civ II because I felt like I could feel the march of historical progress. Now it is Lvl3+++ axemen with bonuses against melee units, upgrading (cause you don’t want to lose that experience) to whatever. Bleh. And then the later units just fly by as a series of power increases.
I don’t feel connected to my Civ very much. Sure UUs (and if I get Warlords, UBs) make each civ different. I want uniqueness, but I feel like I select my civ simply on the traits of the leader and those unique elements, but don’t really feel each civ as being different once I get into the game. The “people” who were once annoying brats, rebelling at the slightest inconvenience, now are simply represented in my mind by a set of food/hunger and health/disease ratios. I feel more like a bean counter than a ruler. My advisors were once kinda charming talking heads giving repetitive, but sometimes helpful advice, now they are simply a series of clickable icons in the upper right. I know they haven’t changed that much from Civ III, but that is how I see them in Civ IV.
I tried playing it again last week and I felt like I was just going through the motions, doing those things that were necessary to build my civilization and beat the other civs but I never felt like I was a part of it. Maybe my interests have changed and I simply don't like the game concept as much (I doubt it), but more likely it is because I don't feel connected to my civilization or my opponents.
Maybe it is the promotions of military units that make it feel like more of a RTS that I don’t like. I just loved transitioning from Knights to Dragoons in Civ II because I felt like I could feel the march of historical progress. Now it is Lvl3+++ axemen with bonuses against melee units, upgrading (cause you don’t want to lose that experience) to whatever. Bleh. And then the later units just fly by as a series of power increases.
I don’t feel connected to my Civ very much. Sure UUs (and if I get Warlords, UBs) make each civ different. I want uniqueness, but I feel like I select my civ simply on the traits of the leader and those unique elements, but don’t really feel each civ as being different once I get into the game. The “people” who were once annoying brats, rebelling at the slightest inconvenience, now are simply represented in my mind by a set of food/hunger and health/disease ratios. I feel more like a bean counter than a ruler. My advisors were once kinda charming talking heads giving repetitive, but sometimes helpful advice, now they are simply a series of clickable icons in the upper right. I know they haven’t changed that much from Civ III, but that is how I see them in Civ IV.
). I am no longer a "Civ addict" like I used to be, in the days of Civ 1 and 2.
) speed. And every now and then, as you feel the passion fading (which will invariably happen), bump up the difficulty level, play as Romans, build up some Praets, declare war on all your neighbours, and go down in a blaze of flaming glory. It does wonders.
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