Civilization (video game)
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{{for|the complete series of games|Civilization (series)}}
{{ Infobox VG
| title = Sid Meier's Civilization
| image = [[Image:Civilizationboxart.jpg|256px|Civilization]]
| developer = [[Microprose Software, Inc|MicroProse]]
| publisher = [[Microprose Software, Inc|MicroProse]], [[Koei]] (SNES)
| designer = [[Sid Meier]]
| released = 1991
| genre = [[Turn-based strategy]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
| ratings = [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: Kids to Adults (KA)
| platforms = [[MS-DOS]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Macintosh]], [[Amiga]], [[Atari ST]], [[Super NES]]
| media = [[Floppy disk]], [[CD-ROM]]
| input = [[Keyboard (computing)|Keyboard]], [[Mouse (computing)|Mouse]]}}
'''''Sid Meier's Civilization''''' is a [[Turn-based strategy|turn based strategy]] [[Personal computer game|computer game]] created by [[Sid Meier]] for [[Microprose Software, Inc|MicroProse]] in 1991.<Ref>[http://www.civfanatics.com/civ1/ Civilization 1 Fanatics' Site]</ref> The game's objective is ''"...to build an empire that would stand the test of time"''. The game begins in [[4th millennium BC|4000 BC]], and the players attempt to expand and develop their empires through the ages until modern and near-future times. It is also known simply as ''Civilization'', or abbreviated to ''Civ'' or ''Civ I''. It is a pioneer in the genre of [[turn-based strategy]] games.{{fact|date=January 2008}}
==Gameplay==
''Civilization'' is a single-player game. The player takes on the role of the ruler of a [[civilization]] starting with nothing but a single Settler unit (sometimes two of them). The player attempts to build an [[empire]] in competition with 2-6 other civilizations. The game is turn-based and requires a fair amount of [[micromanagement (computer gaming)|micromanagement]] (although less than any of the [[simulation game]]s).<Ref>[http://www.civfanatics.com/civ1/manual/civ1_man.htm#2a Civilization manual at Civ Fanatics]</ref>
Along with the larger tasks of exploration, war and diplomacy, the player has to make decisions about where to build new cities, which improvements or units to build in each city, which advances in knowledge should be sought (and at what rate), and how to transform the land surrounding the cities for maximum benefit. From time to time the player's towns may be harassed by [[barbarian]]s, units with no specific nationality and no named leader. These threats only come from unclaimed land or sea, so that over time there are fewer and fewer places barbarians will emanate from.
[[Image:Civ01.png|right|thumb|left|240px|Conducting negotiations with [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] of the Russians]]
Before the game begins, the player chooses which historical civilization to play. In contrast to later games in the ''Civilization'' series, in Civ I, this is largely a cosmetic choice, affecting titles, city names, musical heralds, color, and their starting position on the Earth map. The only differences in gameplay are that some civilizations start with additional units, and some with pre-researched technologies. The player's choice of civilization does prevent the computer from being able to play as that civilization; computer-controlled opponents display certain traits of their civilizations. The [[Aztec]]s are both fiercely expansionistic and generally extremely wealthy, for example. Other civilizations include the [[United States|Americans]], the [[Mongols]], and the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]]. Each civilization is led by a historical figure, such as [[Mahatma Gandhi]] ([[India]]ns) and [[Joseph Stalin]] ([[Russia]]ns).
The scope of the game is huge — larger than most other computer games. The game begins in [[4th millennium BC|4000 BC]], before the [[Bronze Age]], and can last through to 2100 AD (on the easiest setting) with [[Space Age]] and 'future technologies'. At the start of the game there are no cities anywhere in the world: the player controls one or two Settler units, which can be used to found new cities in appropriate sites (and those cities may build other settler units, which can go out and found new cities, thus expanding the empire). Settlers can also alter terrain, build improvements such as mines and irrigation, build roads to connect cities, and later in the game they can construct railroads which offer unlimited movement.
[[Image:Civ02.png|right|thumb|240px|Choosing which technology to pursue]]
As time advances, new technologies are developed; these technologies are the primary way in which the game changes and grows. At the start, players choose from advances such as [[Pottery]], the [[Wheel]], and the [[Alphabet]] to, near the end of the game, [[Nuclear fission]] and [[Spaceflight]]. Players can gain a large advantage if their civilization is the first to learn a particular technology (the secrets of flight, for example) and put it to use in a military or other context. Most advances give access to new units, city improvements or derivative technologies: for example, the [[Chariot]] unit becomes available after the Wheel is developed, and the [[Granary]] building becomes available to build after Pottery is developed. The whole system of advancements from beginning to end is called the [[Technology tree]], or simply the Tech tree; this concept has been adopted in many other strategy games. Since only one tech may be "researched" at any given time, the order in which technologies are chosen makes a considerable difference in the outcome of the game and generally reflects the player's preferred style of gameplay.
Players can also build ''[[Wonders of the World]]'' in each of the epochs of the game, subject only to obtaining the prerequisite knowledge. These wonders are important achievements of society, science, culture and defense, ranging from the [[Egyptian pyramids|Pyramid]]s and the [[Great Wall of China|Great Wall]] in the Ancient age, to [[Nicolaus Copernicus|Copernicus' Observatory]] and [[Ferdinand Magellan|Magellan's Expedition]] in the middle period, up to the [[Apollo program]], the [[United Nations]], and the [[Manhattan Project]] in the modern era. Each wonder can only be built once in the world, and requires a lot of resources to build, far more than most other city buildings or units. Wonders provide unique benefits to the controlling civilization. For example, Magellan's Expedition increases the movement rate of naval units. Wonders typically affect either the city in which they are built (e.g., the [[Colossus of Rhodes|Colossus]]), every city on the continent (e.g., the [[Hanging Gardens of Babylon|Hanging Gardens]]), or the civilization as a whole (e.g., [[Second voyage of HMS Beagle|Darwin's Voyage]]). Also, some wonders are made obsolete by new technologies.
The game can be won by destroying all other civilizations, reaching the end of the modern era with the highest score or by winning the [[space colonization|space race]] by reaching the star system of [[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri]].
==Development==
Meier admits to "borrowing" many of the technology tree ideas from a [[board game]] also called ''[[Civilization (board game)|Civilization]]'' (published in the [[United Kingdom]] in 1980 by [[Hartland Trefoil]] (later by [[Gibson Games]]), and in the [[United States]] in 1981 by [[Avalon Hill]]). The early versions of the game even included a flier of information and ordering materials for the board game. There is now a board game based on the computer game version of ''Civilization''.
Meier was the third major designer to plan a computer version of ''Civilization'', but the first to actually carry out that plan. [[Danielle Bunten Berry]] planned to start work on the game after completing ''[[M.U.L.E.]]'' in 1983, and again in 1985, after completing ''[[The Seven Cities of Gold (video game)|The Seven Cities of Gold]]'' at [[Electronic Arts]]. In 1983 Bunten and producer [[Joe Ybarra]] opted to first do ''Seven Cities of Gold.'' The success of ''Seven Cities'' in 1985 in turn led to a sequel, [[Heart of Africa]]. Bunten never returned to the idea of ''Civilization''.<ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/sid-meiers-civilization/trivia Game Trivia for Sid Meier's Civilization<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Meier's designs of ''[[Sid Meier's Pirates!|Pirates]]'' and ''[[Colonization (computer game)|Colonization]]'' both contain elements of Bunten's ''The Seven Cities of Gold.'' [[Don Daglow]], designer of [[Utopia (video game)|Utopia]], the first [[simulation game]], began work programming a version of ''Civilization'' in 1987. He dropped the project, however, when he was offered an executive position at [[Brøderbund]], and never returned to the game<ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11228</ref>.
When the first version of Civilization was being developed it was designed to run on an IBM PC computer, which at the time was transitioning from 16 color [[Enhanced Graphics Adapter|EGA]] to [[Video Graphics Array|VGA]] which could use 256 different colors. The decision to limit the number of different civilizations to 16 was made to make Civilization compatible with both display standards; 16 civilizations for the 16 colors available to EGA.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1523/the_history_of_civilization.php?page=6 | title= The History of Civilization | accessdate=2007-10-18}}</ref>
===Intellectual property status===
As of late 2004, [[Atari]], the latest publisher of a ''Civilization'' game, sold the [[intellectual property]] of the ''Civilization'' brand to [[Take-Two Interactive|Take 2 Interactive Software]], who will distribute ''Civilization'' games under the [[2K Games]] label. Take 2 went public with news of the sale on [[January 26]] [[2005]].
===Sequels and clones===
There have been several sequels to ''Civilization'', including ''[[Civilization II]]'', ''[[Civilization III]]'', ''[[Civilization IV]]'' and ''[[Civilization Revolution]]''. An open source clone of ''Civilization'' has been developed under the name of ''[[Freeciv]]'', with the slogan "'Cause civilization should be free". Currently it can be configured to match the rules of both ''Civilization'' and ''Civilization II''.
===Similar games===
In 1994 Meier produced a similar game called ''[[Colonization (computer game)|Colonization]]''. ''Colonization'', while being very similar to ''Civilization'', never became as popular. It has been criticized on several theoretical grounds, particularly because winning the game seems to necessitate the extermination of native tribes and because it ignores [[slavery]] and other historically important features in the creation of many nations and empires. <ref>[http://www.gameology.org/alien_other/colonization Sid Meier’s Colonization | Gameology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>''Civilization III'', however, recognized slavery in the game play.
The game ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]'' is also by Meier and is in the same genre, but with a futuristic/space theme. Many of the interface and gameplay innovations in this game eventually made their way into ''Civilization III'' and ''IV''. ''Alpha Centauri'' essentially picks up where ''Civilization'' left off, with your space ship arriving at Sol's closest neighbour.
In 1993 MicroProse published ''[[Master of Magic]]'', a similar game but embedded in a medieval-fantasy setting where instead of technologies the player (a powerful wizard) develops spells, among other things. The game also shared many things with the popular fantasy card-trading game ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''.
In 1994 [[Stardock]] released ''[[Galactic Civilizations]]'', a similar turn-based strategy game for [[OS/2]] which became one of the best-selling games for that platform. They released a reprogrammed Windows version in 2003, and [[Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords|a sequel]] in 2006.
The designers of the historical strategy [[1997 in video gaming|1997 game]] ''[[Age of Empires]]'' received much inspiration from ''Civilization'', with many similar features (e.g. technologies, wonders). The main difference here is that ''Age of Empires'' is not [[Turn-based strategy|turn-based]], but plays in [[Real-time strategy|real-time]].
In 1999 [[Activision]] released ''[[Civilization: Call to Power]]'', a sequel of sorts to ''[[Civilization II]]'' but by a completely different design team. Gamers that year had a choice between a new game with the ''Civilization'' name but no involvement of Sid Meier; and a "space"-themed civilization game without the name but clearly designed by the same team (''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri]]''). ''Call to Power'' spawned [[Call to Power II|a sequel]] in 2000, but by then Activision had lost the rights to the ''[[Civilization (series)|Civilization]]'' name and could only call it ''[[Call to Power II]]''.
==Platforms==
[[Image:CivilizationAmigaAGA.png|right|thumb|320px|''Civilization'' on the [[Amiga]] ]]
''Civilization'' was originally developed for [[MS-DOS]] running on a [[IBM PC compatible|PC]]. It has undergone numerous revisions for various platforms (including [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Macintosh]], [[Amiga]], [[Atari ST]], [[PlayStation]], [[N-Gage]] and [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo]]) and now exists in several versions.
==Points of controversy==
A contentious aspect of the game occurs in combat when a modern unit is fighting an obsolete or ancient unit. The ancient unit can sometimes win what most players consider to be an impossible battle. The most notorious of this is the infamous "phalanx defeats tank" phenomenon in which ancient combat units could defeat modern ones (such as tanks and, amazingly, aircraft) due to status modifiers such as terrain, fortifications, and veteran status.
''"Veteran players of ''Civilization'' were occasionally disconcerted when a veteran phalanx unit fortified behind city walls on a mountain would defeat an attacking battleship. Mathematically it was possible but the image just didn't sit right. How could ancient spearmen destroy a modern steel warship?"''<ref>[[Civilization II]] manual</ref>
The problem plagued all versions of the game — including ''[[Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri]]'' — even ''[[Civilization IV]]'' in 2006, despite claiming that the new combat system was developed to avoid such situations.
The historian and anthropologist [[Matthew Kapell]] has published an essay critical of the Civilization series. It suggests that the game uses unique American [[Mythology|myths]] of [[Social progress|progress]] and the [[frontier]] in culturally elitist fashion. (“Civilization and its Discontents: American Monomythic Structure as Historical Simulacrum.” ''Popular Culture Review'' Vol. XIII, No. 2 (Summer): 129-136.)
==Reception==
This game has been one of the most popular [[strategy game]]s of all time, and has a loyal following of fans. The game (by means of all its versions and updates) has endured for over a decade and a half, with product being offered for sale the entire time in retail stores. This high level of interest has spawned a number of [[free software]] versions, such as ''[[Freeciv]]'' and ''[[C-evo]]'', and inspired similar games by other commercial developers, as well.
''CivNet'' was released in 1995 and was a remake of the original game with added multiplayer, improved graphics and sound, and [[Windows 95]] support. Gameplay was almost identical to the original game. There were several methods of multiplayer, including [[Local area network|LAN]], primitive Internet play, [[Hotseat (multiplayer mode)|hotseat]], modem, and direct serial link.
In 1992, ''Civilization'' won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1991''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.originsgames.com/awards/1991 | title=Origin Awards 1991 | accessdate=2007-06-02}}</ref>
In November 1996 ''[[Computer Gaming World|Computer Gaming World's]]'' Anniversary Edition, ''Civilization'' was chosen the #1 of the 150 Best Games of All Time, and it was described as follows:
{{quotation|While some games might be equally addictive, none have sustained quite the level of rich, satisfying gameplay quite like Sid Meier's magnum opus. The blend of exploration, economics, conquest and diplomacy is augmented by the quintessential research and development model, as you struggle to erect the Pyramids, discover gunpowder, and launch a colonization spacecraft to ''Alpha Centauri''. For its day, ''Civilization'' had the toughest computer opponents around - even taking into account the "cheats," that in most instances added rather than detracted from the game. Just when you think the game might bog down, you discover a new land, a new technology, another tough foe - and you tell yourself, "just one more game," even as the first rays of the new sun creep into your room... the most acute case of game-lock we've ever felt.}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
* [[4X game]]
* [[Overlord (1990 computer game)|Overlord]]
==External links==
* [http://www.lilback.com/civilization/mp/civfaq1.html ''Civilization'' FAQ]
* [http://www.civfanatics.com/ CivFanatics fansite]
* [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1523/the_history_of_civilization.php?page=1 GamaSutra history of ''Civilization'']
{{Civilization}}
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