Filling the Gap Side Quest: Civilization VI haven’t done a Filling the Gap post in some time, but it’s not out of laziness, busyness or a lack of interest in the project. I’ve just been preoccupied with, shall we say, a side quest.This game isn’t old and archaic, not yet influential or genre defining and won’t be an essential game for many years, but it’s intrinsically linked to this ambitious quest of mine. The back story is thus: following my play-through of Civilization II. The one with the disappointing ending and the Chinese massacre and the 2020 time out - I suddenly had a massive, insatiable hankering to do it all again. Despite it’s 12 hour playtime and it’s productivity sucking addiction, I was ready to play all over again. Unfortunately, I’d unplugged the bulky creme windows XP monster that was ushered in to play these ancient relics, and couldn’t be bothered to hook it all up again.But I needed my fix, I needed more world domination and empire creation. I wanted to hunt out the globe, settle cities far and wide, embark on giant wondrous creations and crush my lesser foes with superior militaristic and technological might. So I downloaded Civilisation V from Steam.The jump from Civ II to V is roughly akin to the leap from bronze age spear to 21st century iPhone. Ambiguous pixel blobs are replaced with intricately modelled miniatures. The so obviously tile-based landscape is swapped out in favourite of an organic, realistic world. And, less superficially, many elements are missing.Much has been made of the game’s so called “dumbing down”. Great swathes of features like religion, taxation, politics and espionage are gone - either streamlined until they’re barely recognisable or removed altogether. Previously complicated systems like fascism and piety are replaced with a simplified social policies perks system, like an action RPG. There are no tech trades, just research agreements, and no spies. At all. In some ways, it feels slightly incomplete. Part of Civilization’s draw is just how much feels foreign and overwhelmingly mysterious. Trying to wrap up a few thousand years of human history, simulations of city life and military tactics into a neat little PC game lends itself to a crazy array of in-depth options. How can you try to emulate the intricacies of foreign diplomacy in so few pre-determined phrases?Yet in other ways, it undoubtedly works for the better. The game is more approachable, recommendable and, thanks to a greater understanding of a more manageable skill-set, it’s easier to plan out strategies. Team Fortress 2 is a good example of a game that’s gone from an understandable, chess-like game of few options, yet limitless strategies to a perplexing toy box of funny hats and smelting chambers. Extra options may lead to more strategies and more depth, but it also brings with it a wave of complications and confusion.Whatever the case, Civ V feels no less grand for its changes. No less ambitious or global reaching. What it loses in uber-complex, stat-heavy spreadsheets it makes up for in grandeur and historical reverence. The way the soundtrack weaves in the country’s national anthem, the ornate attention to detail in its units and buildings and wonders, the way each city state has its own anthem and the way each leader invites you into their beautifully designed throne room.It’s like a perfect love letter to the history of our planet, so hopeful and optimistic, preferring to think less of humanity’s death and destruction, but more of our achievements and accomplishments. Everything from the soundtrack to the pearly white clouds that hide the environment to the quotes that mark each technology, wonder and age, it shines such a fascinatingly bright light on the civilizations around the globe. Anyway, enough hyperbolic yakking: I think this project has worked so far in more ways than I ever imagined. For one, I feel more confident in this genre than ever before. So that’s worked out as planned. But I’ve also discovered a new type of game that I adore, plopping Civilization V pretty darn high a top my Game of the Year list for 2010. That, I didn’t see coming.

Filling the Gap Side Quest: Civilization V

I haven’t done a Filling the Gap post in some time, but it’s not out of laziness, busyness or a lack of interest in the project. I’ve just been preoccupied with, shall we say, a side quest.

This game isn’t old and archaic, not yet influential or genre defining and won’t be an essential game for many years, but it’s intrinsically linked to this ambitious quest of mine.

The back story is thus: following my play-through of Civilization II. The one with the disappointing ending and the Chinese massacre and the 2020 time out - I suddenly had a massive, insatiable hankering to do it all again. Despite it’s 12 hour playtime and it’s productivity sucking addiction, I was ready to play all over again. Unfortunately, I’d unplugged the bulky creme windows XP monster that was ushered in to play these ancient relics, and couldn’t be bothered to hook it all up again.

But I needed my fix, I needed more world domination and empire creation. I wanted to hunt out the globe, settle cities far and wide, embark on giant wondrous creations and crush my lesser foes with superior militaristic and technological might. So I downloaded Civilisation V from Steam.

The jump from Civ II to V is roughly akin to the leap from bronze age spear to 21st century iPhone. Ambiguous pixel blobs are replaced with intricately modelled miniatures. The so obviously tile-based landscape is swapped out in favourite of an organic, realistic world. And, less superficially, many elements are missing.

Much has been made of the game’s so called “dumbing down”. Great swathes of features like religion, taxation, politics and espionage are gone - either streamlined until they’re barely recognisable or removed altogether. Previously complicated systems like fascism and piety are replaced with a simplified social policies perks system, like an action RPG. There are no tech trades, just research agreements, and no spies. At all.

In some ways, it feels slightly incomplete. Part of Civilization’s draw is just how much feels foreign and overwhelmingly mysterious. Trying to wrap up a few thousand years of human history, simulations of city life and military tactics into a neat little PC game lends itself to a crazy array of in-depth options. How can you try to emulate the intricacies of foreign diplomacy in so few pre-determined phrases?

Yet in other ways, it undoubtedly works for the better. The game is more approachable, recommendable and, thanks to a greater understanding of a more manageable skill-set, it’s easier to plan out strategies. Team Fortress 2 is a good example of a game that’s gone from an understandable, chess-like game of few options, yet limitless strategies to a perplexing toy box of funny hats and smelting chambers. Extra options may lead to more strategies and more depth, but it also brings with it a wave of complications and confusion.

Whatever the case, Civ V feels no less grand for its changes. No less ambitious or global reaching. What it loses in uber-complex, stat-heavy spreadsheets it makes up for in grandeur and historical reverence. The way the soundtrack weaves in the country’s national anthem, the ornate attention to detail in its units and buildings and wonders, the way each city state has its own anthem and the way each leader invites you into their beautifully designed throne room.

It’s like a perfect love letter to the history of our planet, so hopeful and optimistic, preferring to think less of humanity’s death and destruction, but more of our achievements and accomplishments. Everything from the soundtrack to the pearly white clouds that hide the environment to the quotes that mark each technology, wonder and age, it shines such a fascinatingly bright light on the civilizations around the globe.

Anyway, enough hyperbolic yakking: I think this project has worked so far in more ways than I ever imagined. For one, I feel more confident in this genre than ever before. So that’s worked out as planned. But I’ve also discovered a new type of game that I adore, plopping Civilization V pretty darn high a top my Game of the Year list for 2010. That, I didn’t see coming.

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