Could someone straighten me out regarding civ characteristics?

[sboog]

I have Civ1,2, and 3. I know in Civ3 each civ has unique units and traits - expansionist, scientific, etc.

But what about Civ1 and 2. I know they don't have unique units,
but do certain civs have special traits? Or does it make no difference whether you play as English or as Russian or as American or as Aztecs? Is it all the same or are there differences?

In Civ3 you can turn off "civ specific abilities" and all of the civs get the same units. But what about characteristics? Would it make no difference if you played England or German?

In other words, what makes a civilization special in Civ1, 2, and 3?

Thanks for any light you can shed.

sboog

[DaveV]

Civ3 - turning off civ-specific characteristics means everyone starts with no techs, and no one can build their unique unit. I don't think (but haven't tested) that Industrious, for example, makes your workers any faster.

However, if you're expansionist, you can still build scouts. And the civ characteristics are still checked for golden age when you build a wonder (e.g., pyramids will still cause a golden age for Egypt, but not for Russia).


Civ2 - the Scouse Gits did a test which indicated that your civ characteristics determined which techs would be chosen if you are awarded free techs at the start of the game. No other impact.

Civ1 - the only reason I can recall for playing a particular color was to eliminate that civ from the possible opponents (e.g., Aztecs).

[Messer Niccolò]

Originally posted by DaveV

Civ2 - the Scouse Gits did a test which indicated that your civ characteristics determined which techs would be chosen if you are awarded free techs at the start of the game. No other impact.

... I seem to remember that also the building order is influenced by the colour of the civs (i.e. in case two civs build the same wonder on the same turn)... as far as I remember white is better and purple is the worst

[Andemagne]

CIV2: doesn't AI have different characteristics for
different Civs, like rational perfectionist or aggressive
militarist?

[Scouse Gits]

The Civ2 characteristics do as Andemagne says influence the way the AI will play a particular civ - byt they have no effect upon the civ as played by a human ...

SG[1]

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Andemagne
CIV2: doesn't AI have different characteristics for
different Civs, like rational perfectionist or aggressive
militarist?

The AI can be:
Aggressive or Rational (or Neutral)
Expansionist or Perfectionist (or Neutral)
Militaristic or Civilized (or Neutral)

An aggressive AI civ will generally attack no matter what, whereas a Rational one will only attack when its in their best interest.
An Expansionist civ will prefer city number over city size, whereas Perfectionist is vice-versa
A Militaristic civ will prefer military units, improvements, and Wonders, whereas a Civilized civ will build prefer other units, improvements, and Wonders.

The Mongols, for example are Aggressive Expantionist Militaristic, which is why they're such bastards. The Babylonians, by contrast, are Rational Perfectionist Civilized, which is why they're so easy to pick on (but, if left alive and unmolested, will be the civ most likely to give me a real race to AC).

[sboog]

Well, how do you know in advance which enemy civs will be aggressive or expansionists or whatever?

It seems strange that the AI civs have characteristics and your own civ does not. Is that fair?

sboog

[atawa]

Originally posted by sboog
Well, how do you know in advance which enemy civs will be aggressive or expansionists or whatever?

In Civ2, AI civ's always have the same characteristics, theu can be found in RULES.TXT I believe.

It seems strange that the AI civs have characteristics and your own civ does not. Is that fair?

sboog

Nah, it gives you an advantege, you know how each civ will play.

[Scouse Gits]

Whatever the nature of the individual civs - one thing is certain. They all know how to sneak attack when the time is right.

----------------

SG(2)