I've played Civ 3, but I'm back to Civ 2 - Why?

Zagbo · December 12, 2002, 00:40

I waited, and waited, until I bought Civ 3, hoping the bugs would be sorted out (I'm still hurting over the CTP disaster) and at last I purchased about a month ago.

Hey it's a good game. There's some stuff I don't understand - but then it was the same when I started out on Civ 2.

So why do I find myself being drawn back to civ 2?

I think I have done pretty much everything that can be done on Civ 2 - I win 9 out 10 on diety (regardless of start), I have a OCC landing of 1831, and usually get under 1900.

To be honest, there's not that much challenge left. But I still get drawn back to play it again, and again, and again.

Is it because I do know it so well? Is it because I know I'll probably win? Is it because I've invested so much of my life (I dare not calaculate the hours/days/weeks/ all most certainly months) in become an "expert", Is it because it's comfortable.

Why are you still playing ......... ?

Rasbelin · December 12, 2002, 02:51

I would claim that it's the "one-more-turn" syndrome.

But most likely you're so used to it and find the game entertaining and fun.

Scouse Gits · December 12, 2002, 04:34

Join the club - only I pre-ordered 3 and had my disappointment ages ago

SG[1]

Scouse Gits · December 12, 2002, 13:20

Zagbo - I think the appeal of the game is the same as watching a "Western". In the beginning the good guys have to struggle (you are always most vulnerable in the game during the early years) but gradually as you build up your power the good guys win through. Yes, predictable...but between the opening scene and the last one there is always a story to be told.

So they rode away into the Hall of Fame ... and a wonderful red sunset

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

SG(2)

War4ever · December 19, 2002, 00:54

civ3 doens't have the one more turn feel for very long, i admit to being rekindled...but as aquickly as that feeling happened, i disappeared

Gatekeeper · December 21, 2002, 04:16

I've got my copy of Civ II for the Mac so customized that I would miss it grandly if I ever switched exclusively to Civ III.

I've added to the names on the city lists, tweaked tribal names and some starting points and did some things in the RULES.TXT file to make the AI a bit more intelligent and challenging (w/mixed results). I've also "perfected" several versions of the Earth map and have DL'd other Earth maps (i.e. Northern Hemisphere, North America, etc.) while creating my own custom maps.

With this sort of investment, I'm not going to give it up just 'cause it's "yesterday's news," so to speak.

Gatekeeper

El León · December 21, 2002, 16:07

One word:

SCENARIOMAKING.

I know, that's two. And the number of reasons to play Civ3 if you are into scenario making and creativity:

NONE.

Smash · December 23, 2002, 15:59

I still play Civ2 because I have yet to find anything better.Oh sure,games come along and I play them for awhile.But sooner or later I finish the new game and fire up Civ2 until the next new game comes along.The repeat the whole procedure.

Civ2 is the constant.

War4ever · December 24, 2002, 00:06

civ2 is your wife, the others are your mistresses....i believe it was you whom stated that about civ3 last year

colossus · December 25, 2002, 05:47

Sometimes I feel playing civ2 is like raising a pet-you really love to see the civ gows bigger, stronger and healthier. The process is as enjoyable, if not more, than winning the game. Also, every game is a little bit different, so in the end I playit one more time, and one more time...

Gunnar Thor · January 2, 2003, 17:00

It's the onemoreturn syndrome. I've played both Civ 2 and SMAC for seven hours straight. Not Civ 3, and not CtP. And I was never even any good at Civ 2 (I've gotten better, I was only eleven when I started playing Civ 2 and I didn't understand all the words

).

Tomorrow, I'm going to buy a new copy of Civ 2, since I lost my old one years ago, and uninstall Civ 3. In the meantime, I'll find solace in SMAC.

War4ever · January 3, 2003, 21:41

i like alot of games for short periods of time......

no game has captivated me like civ1 and civ2

civ 1 did the same thing, i lost way more sleep playing civ1 sp than i did civ2sp....but civ2 mp has been one more session

Caesar the Great · January 3, 2003, 22:59

i wouldn't be surprised if i've spent more than 1 month playing civ 2

Heresson · January 4, 2003, 09:19

That's the spirit! Down with civ3!

War4ever · January 5, 2003, 16:33

civ3 fails to achieve the concepts it set out to do...pure and simple.....had it achieved these concepts, it would be a superior game

Traianvs · January 5, 2003, 18:17

I don't play it anymore, but I want to (I see the civ2 folder everytime i browse explorer

)

Thing is, I don't have much access to my computer anymore, and when playing civ2... it's a time consuming game, unlike FPS or RTS games... When i reload a game, i lost all contact with it (i have to search where my units are located and don't know my current tech tree anymore etc) so I don't bother with it.

Otherwise I would play it a lot especially because of the absolute mass of scenarios out there that make it challenging. (I'm not a good player unfortunately, deity is just that bit too hard.. unrest problems which makes democracy impossible, and enemies that annoy me with building tons of cities within my civ area, and worse, naval units or just units that just move up and down near my coast or border! sometimes it's up to 50 destroyers which make turns last 15 minutes with every civ accounted for

)

That's the only bad thing bout civ, the retarded unit movements..

Straybow · January 5, 2003, 23:19

Problems with Demo? Go Commies. Problems with neighbors? Reduce the number of ships wandering near your coasts by suitable means. Want to walk all over your neighbors without breaking much of a sweat? Go Fundies, kick butt.

rah · January 6, 2003, 18:09

I haven't played more than one or two CIVII SP in over a couple of years. The only thing that keeps CIVII interesting and that one more turn feeling is MP. Human opponents rock. CIVIII MP still needs considerable work. Playing that felt like work. CIVII MP is still the best.

RAH

Six Thousand Year Old Man · January 6, 2003, 18:30

Rather than run out and buy Civ3 when it came out (like I did with CtP

), I waited for the positive reviews to come rolling in here...

... and they never did.

So I don't own Civ3 - but I own enough computer games to know that it's very unlikely that the Civ2 phenomenon will be duplicated. Civ2 was recommended to me by a friend who advised me that if I liked Civ1 (I did), I'd love Civ2. He was right - when I got Civ2 I played it for something like 9 hours straight (Christmas Day, incidentally - Mom & Dad are still mad about that

) No other game has come close to being that addictive.

CapTVK · January 10, 2003, 19:50

I still play Civ2 thanks to the SUPERB selection of quality scenarios (historical, WW2, fantasy) available. Civ3 can only do modpacks and those don't equal scenarios in my book.

Frankly I doubt if we'll ever see proper Civ3 scenarios in the way Civ2 has. The learning curve and graphic skills you need to create something decent one in Civ3 are far higher. So for the moment Civ2 still reigns supreme in the mod community.

player1 · January 12, 2003, 20:24

I play Civ2 Hotseat only with my friend who has poor comp.

We somethign play some Civ2 sceanrios together too.

But, still, I would not go back from Civ3 to Civ2 even if payed 100$, sicne when playing Civ2 with my firend I rememebr how poor Civ2 AI was. Hardly chnallnge at all. And all those nicely looking scenarios were spolied by bad AI strategy.

War4ever · January 12, 2003, 21:22

i like to create my own maps and play the seven different starting locations, then i move on to another map.

civ 2 sp is the same old same old, its mp for me, scenarios for others, and the ai for those of you whom aren't great at it, this game appeals to all.

only downside is the time commitment...

Scouse Gits · January 15, 2003, 05:51

Warz,

OK maybe the Civ2 AI is not the strongest in the world - but it still gives we poor benighted SPers a game to play - so we win and the AI loses, but the games the thing....

Civ2 for ever

SG[1]

War4ever · January 16, 2003, 00:40

sorry no slight intended SG (all of you)......the ai can give you a run for your money and there are many different styles, customizations, etc to play, which adds years to replay value........

then there is mp......... whatever floats your boat, civ 2 had many boats it can float for you

Scouse Gits · January 16, 2003, 06:44

... and there lies it's beauty!

SG[1]

Six Thousand Year Old Man · January 16, 2003, 16:15

Besides, the succession games lately have been handicap matches (no trade, or no wonders, or other restrictions). Still winnable by us noobs, and a bit more entertaining to the civ experts.

rah · January 21, 2003, 15:34

Saturday night, no MP game for the first time in a long time. So to pass the time I loaded up an 2x prod MP game with no humans and 3 AIs on the typical small rock that we play on. No challange. By 240 AD all AIs eliminated and I could have done it sooner but I kept feeling the need to expand.

and it was fun to get every wonder for once. The only two I didn't get were MP and LH, and the civ that built LH never build a boat.
But I digress......

The point being, I looked back at my normal checkpoint years and rated my expansion, tech, infrastructure, etc.
If this had been a normal MP game, I would have gotten my BUTT kicked.

But I still had fun and it was worth it to blow 3 hours.

Rich

War4ever · January 21, 2003, 22:13

amen to that, i would rather play sp x1x1 civ2 than x2 sp anyday, its an absolute joke....

and Scouse Gits, i will never win a challenge game, i am not going to set records....apolyton helped me understand how things worked, it certainly didnt' teach me how to play.....

i will say this about civ2 ai on a large map, if the ai can "hide" from me, then yes, they can be a problem, but once i find them, its only a matter of time....the ais biggest weakness is its inability to counter punch or launch an effective strike....

some MPers suffer the same illness

Finvola · January 24, 2003, 01:20

I just started playing Civ 2 again. My nephew had basically swiped my CD while I was staying overseas. I finally got it back after a year. My Civ 3 CD is still overseas where I was staying a few months ago, so I decided to try Civ 2 again. I am really enjoying getting to know it all over again, sort of like an old friend. It must have been a good 2 years since I played it!

Scouse Gits · January 24, 2003, 03:46

Welcome back Finvola ...

SG[1]