Sid Meier Retrospective - Page 4 of 5

Sid Meier Retrospective

Home : Games : Articles

How Uncivilized

In 1991 Meier and MicroProse released the game which both names are most closely associated, Sid Meier’s Civilization.

Widely considered to be the game that sparked the popularity of RTS (real-time strategy) titles (games like Command & Conquer and Warcraft fall under this heading), Civilization gives players the goal of creating and maintaining a vast empire that spans the course of history. Players start in 4000 BC with as little as one citizen and must attempt to build their empires from the ground up.

The player is in charge of every aspect of commanding his civilization and must be sure that his people can thrive while at the same time keeping the threats of opposing civilizations in check through diplomacy or war. Micromanagement is the key as the player must choose not only who to converse with and who to attack (or defend against), but also where to explore new territory, where cities should be established, and what technological advancements (such as the wheel) should be researched and developed. The successful civilization will span the years from ancient times to the modern era.

As the years march on, so do the advancements that a civilization can develop. What starts with fire and the wheel will eventually evolve into steam power, railroads, jet travel, space flight, and nuclear weapons, to name a few.

Keeping with a running theme in Meier’s games, Civilization is highly educational, offering players a chance to “live history” although several people have called the game's historical accuracy into question. Certain aspects of history (such as religion and slavery – both factors that had considerable impact on several real civilizations’ development) are ignored or considerably downplayed in the game. AI issues and a one-sidedness toward computer players also made the impossible possible by creating conditions in which a primitive civilization (whose armies are equipped with spears and slings) were capable of defeating a modernized army (complete with tanks and aircraft) in battle, ala the Ewoks of Star Wars fighting against a legion of Emperor Palpatine’s best troops.

Such issues aside, however, Civilization is widely recognized as Meier’s crowning achievement and, like so many of his other titles, has been followed by several sequels.

1996 saw Civilization II,

a game that was more of a remake than a sequel. Meier was not directly involved in its development, but the second game builds on and improves upon the ideas he implemented in the original. This sequel updated several parts of the game, including graphics, but the game that truly brought Civilization into the modern gaming era was Civilization III, released in 2001.

This remake took some of the ideas expanded upon in 1999’s Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri (itself a version of Civilization set in space) and brought them back into the Civ fold.

Civ III was considered the most complete version of the game, largely due to the introduction of Alpha Centauri inspired diplomacy measures and a new emphasis on the concept of culture, until the latest title Civilization IV was released in October 2005.

With full 3D graphics, the addition of (finally) religion and slavery into the mix, and the most complex and satisfying gameplay in the series to date (what was once 6 possible opponents is now over thirty), this is what Civilization aspired to be all those years ago.

After Civilization but before any of its sequels, Meier altered the formula and released Colonization in 1994. This game took the Civ concept and set it on a smaller scale, focusing on the European colonization of the Americas. Players would start a New World colony for a European country (like in Pirates, the Big Four of France, England, Holland, and Spain were used) and run that colony through the year 1850. To succeed, the player’s colony was required to declare independence from its European mother and win a revolutionary war.

<< Previous 1 2 3 45 Next >>

Recently added articles:

August 29, 2008

Beer, Better for Kids than Violent Games?
According to a recent survey, parents would rather have their kids drink beer and look up porn than play violent games.

MMORPG Gold Farming could be a $1 Billion Industry
Many people out there are familiar with the practice of MMORPG players selling gold to one another for real money. However, most people never would have guessed it could be a $1 billion industry!

Six-Figure Income Selling Video Game Rosters?
Gamerosters.com represents a national product whose customer base is growing by the thousands everyday.

August 19, 2008

4 Games We Want Remade
We take a look at four games we feel deserve the remake treatment.

August 18, 2008

All Rock Band 2 Music For Your Listening Pleasure
Youtube Links to All Rock Band 2 Tracks