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Denn's Civilization III (PC)
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| [March 5, 2008 11:34:15 PM]
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GAMELOG 2
GAMEPLAY:
I think that Civilization III is one of the most realistic empire building simulation games out there on the market. The strongest selling point of this game is that it allows players to rewrite history to their desires. For example, I played as Japan in which I had set all the AI civilizations as the countries that made up the allies. The game turned out into a World War II simulation in which I was allied with Germany against everyone else. After defeating all other civilizations, I built the UN and was voted as the Chairman (since only I and my ally were still alive). For me at least, being able to rewrite history as I desire is a major reason that makes this game fun to play.
I would also like to comment on the game’s storyline. Generally, there is no background story at all. There are no specific missions to complete, and there are no campaigns that tell a specific story or anything along those lines. However I would disagree with the fact that the game doesn’t tell a story. All the gameplay is recorded- everything from the completion of world wonders, capture of cities, significant battles, as well as the beginning and ending of golden ages. After the player “wins” the game, the player is able to view a histograph of all the civilizations in comparison with each other, which shows visually the changes in power/culture/score over time as the player defeats other civilizations and builds new wonders. Thus I regard the timeline of my civilization as a story in a sense. So the history of the world your civilization is in could be seen as a form of emergent narrative.
DESIGN:
I think that one of the strongest design points of this game was that it allowed for a wide array of interactions between the player and the game (usually AIs). The player can have negotiations with the AI directly, such as signing political agreements, inking trade deals, or exchanging gifts (or demanding them). Then the player can use the ingame units to indirectly interact with the AI. For example, if the player places many units on the border, this will usually make the other AI have a mood of being “cautious” towards the player. This tactic also deters any potential warmongering AI. The AI also makes decisions on it’s information that it knows about the player- for instance the AI will make decisions based on the player’s past interactions with other AIs, technology level, and military strength.
Another good point about Civilization III is that there are multiple ways to win the game. For example, the player can go along the traditional conquest route by conquering every other civilization. Or the player can choose to engage the game in a more non-violent way by being diplomatic with the AIs and forming good relations, eventually being voted as the head of the UN. The player can also engage in cultural conquest by building up a high culture and assimilating other civilizations. Another interesting way to win is to win a space race by being the first civilization to build a spaceship. In addition, the player is also able to set a few ingame goals of their own, such as trying to win the game without conflict. Overall I like the way of how the player is allowed multiple ways of winning which means that there are multiple ways of playing the game.
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| [March 5, 2008 10:28:51 PM]
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GAMELOG 1
SUMMARY:
Civilization III is a turn based strategy game in which the player is given charge of a civilization and competes with other civilizations by building units, expanding cities, and researching technology in order to win. Since the game has a very loose definition of “victory,” there are several ways that the player can win.
GAMEPLAY:
Civilization III is a really unique game in my opinion. There is no story, as in having a campaign which motivates the player to continue playing. The game is the story essentially. When the player starts out, he/she is able to first pick what sort of map they like to play on. Map choice has a major impact on strategy- for example if the player likes to use military conquest then they would probably prefer to have one massive land mass instead of separated small islands. The player also gets to choose which civilization they represent- they could choose this based on the civilization’s in-game strengths/weaknesses, or they could be patriotic and choose the civilization that they identify the most with.
In my view, this game really lives up to its name of “Civilization.” The game starts out with the player having a single worker and a settler. The player then builds cities, which allows the player to build additional units to expand and improve the empire. The player also has to manage individual cities and units, as well as manage the civilization as a whole. For example, the player has to decide where to move the unit, which is a small decision limited in it’s effects. The player also has to decide what technology to research next, and this decisions is broader and has a major impact on play since technological prowess enables the player to stay ahead of his/her rivals.
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Denn's Civilization III (PC)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Monday 3 March, 2008
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