The greatest feature of each Civ game

[Optimizer]

Most Civ games have contributed with one or more features which have. or really should be, implemented in future ones. Features that combine realism with strategic depth, fun and simplicity.

Civ 1: The concept of making a Civ game
Civ 2: The isometric map, reputation
Civ 3: The bargaining table
Colonization: Specialist training
SMAC: Social engineering (played it very little)
CTP, CTP2: (haven't played them)
Europa Universalis: The province-based map, the popup windows

[Solver]

You should try CtP, really . You just can't hate Public Works.

Civ 2 isometric map, you joking? That's among the things I most hated about it, you could never see the right things you wanted to.

[spartak]

The most annoying thing I found with CIV2 wa sthe way my forces would follow on after an attach and try and occupy the square even if all i wanted was for them to kill whatever was in the square. That really pissed me off/

[Kassiopeia]

Social Engineering was very good... though the unit workshop was beautiful too, also the Planetary Council had it's pointers. But in SMAC SE was definitely the best feature

[Cyclotron]

Civ1: The whole game
Civ2: Many hit points (not 2 to 5 like Civ3), isometric view, great scenario editor
CTP: Uhhh... slavers were kinda fun.
Civ3: Bargaining table, leaders, no rushing wonders, trade system, resource system, culture

What kind of view would you guys like, if not isometric?

Oh Solver: I most certainly can hate PW.

[Alex]

SMAC had the Planetary Council, the Social Engineering and the Unit Workshop. All wonderful things, though I think that the UW would not fit well in a traditional civ game.

I liked Public Works in CTP, and... combat! It is way better than the one-on-one approach in other civ games.

[Immortal Wombat]

Civ2: map editor
Civ3: Culture points towards victory. Not sure about flipping though.
CtP: PW, Stacking(!!)
CtP2: SLIC2

[DrSpike]

You have to have to played both Civ1 and Civ2 a lot to appreciate it but Civ2 added a lot more than some here have suggested. Civ1 blew me away because it was so original......an incandescent new gaming experience.

Civ2 tidied up by introducing a far better balance, as well as reputation and the other factors mentioned. It is undeniably a better game......though paradoxically its quality stems from its similarity to the original.

SMAC added diversity of factions, more flexible govts in the form of social engineering. It also offered more flexibility in units, and more bells and whistles in terms of terraforming. Great concepts......but hard for an AI to grasp.

CTP/CTP2 showed us just how great all the other games are.

[Immortal Wombat]

and equally, just how great they could be or could have been but for some not-so-minor details.

[DrSpike]

SMAC had the best approach to stacking IMO......dunno why people like the mindless CTP approach.

[Method]

the best feature of SMAC was the SE table (able to be changed through secret projects as well), and how each faction had distinct disadvantages and advantages, as opposed to civ3's much less complex industrious, scientific, etc. civ's don't have any disadvantages to exploit.

also SMAC's terraforming which went way beyond build irrigation/roads/railroads. you can actually raise the sea floor, build mountains, sink enemy bases into the sea, and turn areas from arid to rainy, thought it's true the AI did a crappy job with them...

oh and crawlers...we can't forget them

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by TKG
oh and crawlers...we can't forget them

Crawlers were completely imbalanced though......they should have been much much dearer. In SP the AI didn't use them enough, and in MP the ubiquity of crawlers was yawn inspiring. Good idea on paper.......terribly implemented though.

[Immortal Wombat]

SMAC had stacking? How did that work?

[DrSpike]

I said it dealt with stacking in the best way. A quick taxonomy:

Civ1: best unit defends.......and all die if it loses.
Civ2: Same
SMAC: Best unit defends, but all units take collateral damage if it dies. Hence (in MP at least) stacks of doom are asking for a big phat missile.

CTP/Civ3: Only the unit that is attacked dies. It's a little mindless IMO.....less skill necessary to successfully attack.

[yaroslav]

In my opinion

Civ1: The original game
Civ2: Scenarios - The most customizable game of the series
Civ3: Resources. I don't know for sure.

What I wonder is why Civ3 didn't include a decent scenario editor...