How did you get into Civ (and what we can expect for Civ3)?

[Grumbold]

I'm another one who got into Civ via the boardgame (not that there is more than a passing resemblance) and many years of military board games and computer games. Civ 1 just seemed like just another game. Needless to say I and my friends were hooked almost immediately and I've bought all the Civ-like products since. The only one that I ditched quickly was SMAC because I hated the rigid insistence of sentient-planet-with -mindworms environment. Had that been only one of a few different "planet"s (or the fungus stuff could be switched off) then I would have played it far more.

[fanatic civver]

I first saw civ in an amiga games mag. It didnt get a great review but I loved the concept as soon as I read it. When I got my pirated copy I was hooked for ages, although having to swap 4 disks was a pain.

When I got my first pc (a 486) civ was the first game I bought because I felt guilty about playing it so many times with a pirated copy

I bought civ 2 and smac but neither of them came close to the fun in the days of civ 1. I doubt civ 3 will come close either but it will still be an enjoyable game.

[HalfLotus]

I bought CIV2 MGE about six months ago, and I play every friggin' day. I had bought Black & White, Half-LIfe, SimCity 3000, and a few other games in the past year. I only play Civ2 now, and I learn something new every time I play. I feel like I haven't played enough to graduate to Civ3.

[Falconius]

Back in ancient times, before everyone had a pc, I was a big fan of board games. One day, me and a friend were browsing in a hobby shop looking for a new game. We decided on Avalon Hill's Civilization. We were both very broke, so we split the cost. Similarities with the computer game: you played an ancient civ, researched advances, and population growth was based on the food supply-- not much other than that

A few years later, I bought my first computer, a Commodore, along with the game, "Empire." (Civ I is basically a combination of Empire and the Civ board game, which is why I bring it up). The units and graphics were very basic, and you went about conquering cities. Cities produced units, but nothing else. Cool game for its time.

In 1991, I bought an IBM 286 and Civ. I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I remember the thrill I got after I built my first road, and then had a chariot move along it. I thought it was so cool that the roads actually worked!

In 1995, I actually bought a new computer just so I could play Civ II.

Can't wait for Civ III!

[Akaoz]

"Empire"!!! Damn, I played that thing to death! Awesome game.

Ah, the old days of C64 and Amstrad... Hehe, I played Civ1 for the first time at a role-playing 'Con back in what? '92?

I guess games like: Pirates!, Civ1, SimCity, RR Tycon, Empire, Ports of Call, Panzer General (1), and Wolfenstein, all defined my early gaming years.

Now if only they could bring the AI up to par with the graphics, then I wouldn't need to bring my friends over for Board games and table-top games (I play Third Reich, Epic, Europe, The World at War etc.)

-Alech

PS: Cool thread. A real walk down memory lane. I even caught my girl friend musing over it...

[FrostyBoy]

I was at my cousins, and I saw my cousin playing some game on his computer, and I asked my uncle "what's that he's playing?" and he said it's civilization, the greatest game!
and I think I said something like "yeah??" and so I managed to get a copy of civ, went home, and played it, I was soo involved with the game, that I did not go to sleep till about 3am in the morning, and that was probably the very first time I stayed up that long, (I was only 10!)

My first game I was Greek. memories...

I didn't have the net or buy magz, so I only found out about civ2 when I saw it on the shelves at a gamestore, which is SUCH A HUGE SURPRISE, I really wish I didnt know civ3 was being made

hopefully I'll get the same surprise again if civ4 arrives