東西 | dongxi

Civilization is a video game franchise that started off with the original game (on DOS) back in 1991. It is a turn-based strategy game that allows users to lead a civilization through history (think board games, where each player takes a turn, as opposed to a simultaneous real-time game like Starcraft). As you build your empire, you research technology (from the Alphabet to Spaceflight), encounter rival nations (to which you can trade with or wage war against), and build wonders of the world.  With a random map generator, your possibilities are endless.  While you can conquer the world in one game, you can pursue a spaceship to Alpha Centauri in another. The game has going through several sequels, adding layers of complexity and enhancements to the gameplay. While the newest version, Civilization 5, offers new features like city-states, state policies, and a hex-based map, the heart of the game remains the same: lead your people through the test of time!

If you’re familiar with the Civ franchise, Civ 5 does rework a fair amount of the gameplay. One of the first observations is the move to hexes.  It’s a welcome change though, allowing for more flexibility in movement. Movement, however, is crucial in this game, as only one unit is allowed per tile. Now, wars must be fought strategically. Rather than sending a “stack of doom” (a mass of units), ranged units (catapults, archers, cannons) can be used to soften defenses before charging in with infantry and mounted units. City-states, which never extend past their one city (unless they conquer one in war), add some new drama to the mix. City-states, such as Seoul, Vienna, and Rio de Janiero, cannot “win” any victories, which is nice, since they’re no longer “competing” with you. Instead, these city-states help to add some political drama, as they align with you or your enemies. They can definitely serve as a thorn on your side, although I’ve had the pleasure of allying with them to use as a buffer in a game against the evil English who were nestled on the west coast.

Government is different as well. Instead of choosing between a number of government types (Monarchy, Republic, Communism, Democracy, etc.) as in past games, you’re given the choice of selecting social policies (grouped into various categories), which add certain benefits to your empire. Happiness is no longer localized to individual cities. Instead your entire empire has an overall happiness level, which is impacted by your total population, number of cities, luxuries, buildings, etc.

The user interface (UI) has also been streamlined, taking cues from the console versions. Important events and actions now pop up as notifications on the side, allowing you to complete your actions first before addressing remaining issues in your empire. Most of the vital information is already displayed on screen and if your computer is up to par, can be displayed in stunning graphics and animation – rolling clouds in unexplored lands, crashing waves, wonders of the world slowly getting constructed before your very eyes. There’s also a strategic view, which trades in the aesthetics for simple yet useful icons representing units, resources, etc.; it almost feels like you’re playing a board game in this mode – it’s great if you’re running an older machine as slowdowns virtually disappear.

While Civilization 5 isn’t without its flaws and glitches, the game is constantly getting patched and updated. Another great things about the Civ series is the huge mod community. Fan sites such as CivFanatics and Apolyton.net host maps, scenarios, and mod packs – which can completely change the game (in rules, interface, style, etc.), allowing you to play entirely new games.If you’re into strategy games, history, or board games, Civilization 5 is definitely a game worth testing. Hosted on Steam, you can also download a demo of the game to test things out. The full retail game is $49.99, available on PC (via Steam). A fair word of warning, you may find yourself up at 3 in the morning telling yourself “just one more turn!”