Having a hard time liking Civ2...

[kyrie_asini]

the same way some of you guys might not like AoE or WCII if you play them for the first time after playing CivII. They are still strategy games but with completely different ways to play. If you don't know what you are doing it is hard to enjoy it.

[rwprice]

Well, sboog, what's your verdict? Have you found that you're liking the game better after playing it for awhile? I'm finding that I'm beginning to get a better feel for the game. Like you, I also got Alpha Centauri. I've installed AC, and it looks good, but I think I'll wait until I'm a little more skilled at Civ2 before I tackle AC, but I'm looking forward to it.

So, sboog, what has your experience been? Do you favor Civ2 over AC or vice-versa? Or have you abandoned these games altogether? If you've abandoned them, I guess you won't be reading this!

Give us an update--I'm curious.

[Juggler]

I agree with rwprice, you have to be skilled in playing Civ2 to know how to play AC. These games are good and worth playing, you will soon get addicted to Civ2. And if you get bored with it (after~2 years) just start playing it 6 months later and it will seem just as good.

[jake03]

quote: Originally posted by Gorgo the Magnificent on 04-06-2001 02:29 AM Great suggestion ColdWizard! I'm sure that's just what sboog was hoping a helpful soul would say! 'Read the manual'... Brilliant! Man, what would we do without you!

I agree and read it by candlelight

[jake03]

I have to sympathise when I got my game it came with no manual and it took me a long time to get the basic stuff working. I know most of the really good players won't like this but you can also automate the settlers this can help you in the beginging. Although you will find you can ususally guide the settlers better then the computer it takes a lot more time and slows the game a bit.

[sboog]

Well, I am happy to report that the game is beginning to take over my life!
At first I had a hard time understanding things, but then I got the manual out and followed the tutorial as I played, and that along with the help I have had here, got me to a good place.

Now rwprice, you asked about my idea to learn to play Alpha Centauri at the same time. As good as that game looked when I loaded it (and I really was tempted to start playing)I decided I had all I could deal with just learning Civ2 and giving my thoughts to that for now.

rwprice, how are you doing?

sboog

[rwprice]

sboog,
I go back and forth. Little by little, I'm liking this game increasingly more. I've even tried to leave it for awhile and try something else, but then I decide to start up a new game of Civ2. One problem I have now is that I'll get stuck at some point and can't figure out how to proceed any further. Also, sometimes if I play on a larger map, the sheer breadth of the "world" can seem overwhelming.

As far as Alpha Centauri, I did the same thing you did. I loaded it and took a look, and was very impressed. But then I figured I had all I could handle in Civ2. I had once looked at the AC demo before I had ever seen Civ2. It didn't even make sense to me and I removed it. Now that I've played Civ2, AC makes much more sense, but I still figured it would be best if I learned the ins and outs of Civ2 first.

I think I'm going to become addicted to Civ2, I just think it might take a while. Any tips on things that enhanced your enjoyment of the game?

[lord of the mark]

quote: Originally posted by rwprice on 05-05-2001 11:54 PM sboog, I go back and forth. Little by little, I'm liking this game increasingly more. I've even tried to leave it for awhile and try something else, but then I decide to start up a new game of Civ2. One problem I have now is that I'll get stuck at some point and can't figure out how to proceed any further. Also, sometimes if I play on a larger map, the sheer breadth of the "world" can seem overwhelming. As far as Alpha Centauri, I did the same thing you did. I loaded it and took a look, and was very impressed. But then I figured I had all I could handle in Civ2. I had once looked at the AC demo before I had ever seen Civ2. It didn't even make sense to me and I removed it. Now that I've played Civ2, AC makes much more sense, but I still figured it would be best if I learned the ins and outs of Civ2 first. I think I'm going to become addicted to Civ2, I just think it might take a while. Any tips on things that enhanced your enjoyment of the game?

Youve undoutedly already figured it out, but civ2 has equivalents to the AOE villagers fishing, farming, etc. Just that they arent units you move around. Instead they are the workers on your city screen. put them on land and they produce food (like your farmers) put them on the sea and they catch fish. Put them on a land square that produces shields and they produce building (like AOE builders) among other things. Put them on a land square that produces arrows and you get gold, like AOE miners. Settler build cities or terrain improvements, they dont actually extract resources like AOE villies.

BTW - Bruce Shelley was not involved in civ2. He was a designer on civ1. I beleive he had already gone to Ensemble and started work on AOE when civ2 came out. Brian Reynolds was the key designer (along with Sid Meiers) on civ2. Brian left to form "Big Huge Games" prior to the main development efforts on civ3. Interestingly Rick Goodman left ensemble and is designing soon to be released empire earth, so in a sense he is a protege of a protege of Sid.

LOTM

[East Street Trader]

You'll like SMAC when you try it.

Of course, it is turn based and there are other similarities with Civ2 but I would say that it is the differences which are more noticeable.

One striking difference is that the various factions have different strengths and weaknesses (a bit like AoE) whereas in Civ the only substantial differences between the tribes are name, colour and order of move. Also SMAC has quite an attractive little story line. The graphics are a touch gloomy but it can be quite atmospheric.

I suspect, though, that you are right to put SMAC back in the box just for now. Both it and, of course, Civ2 are highly addictive - I think it was Civ which spawned the expression "just one more turn" to describe the way some games keep you stuck at the computer at all hours (by the way, if you have a look in the Civ2 General archives you'll find a number of "You know you've played Civ too long when" threads which are classics - very funny and you get to feel a bit less solitary about indulging in your obsession). Anyway, it might be hard to run two obsessions at once.

In the end I thought I had pretty well got to the bottom of SMAC and that obsession died. One or two intervening games later (notably Baldur's Gate) and I noticed my daughter playing Civ2. One nostalgic game and, hey presto, I was hooked all over again. I thought I would shake it fairly quickly but then I found Apolyton with the result that, this time round, the obsession is still strong six months later.

And I haven't even tried MP yet.

Anyway, welcome to the club, guys. You are pretty plainly hooked.

Good Civin to you.