Civilization III Updated Preview
We got our hands on a near complete version of Civ III. Detailed impressions inside.
Civilization is one of the best-known names in computer gaming. Its release in 1991 marked a new era in strategy game sophistication, as well as a new era of wasted time, as its hypnotizing gameplay induced countless marathon sessions by addicted gamers. The sequel was released in 1996, and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, released in 1999, was seen by some as the third game in the series. Along the way, the game has spawned a number of imitators in other genres and contributed heavily to the way certain concepts are treated in other strategy games. Its appearance marked a sort of era of enlightenment in strategy gaming, which would lead to the genre's rapid development. Ten years later, the true sequel to Civilization II obviously reflects Firaxis' confidence in the original design.
The many nationality choices of Civilization II have been narrowed down to look more like the choices in the original game, although you can still use the custom option to take control of any fictional nation you choose, like Vichy France. While trivial in and of itself, this culling of extraneous material is typical of the entire design. Civilization III has the feel of a game in which the designers questioned how every piece of micromanagement fit into the overall game system and excised detail in favor of gameplay cohesion. This isn't to say that Civilization III is simpler than its predecessors, but it is much more polished, both in concept and execution.
Had Civilization III turned out to be nothing more than the Civilization II engine with new graphics, a lot of people would probably have been satisfied. The visual effect of Civilization III is striking, even though the graphics aren't particularly technically advanced. Rather, they are simply evidence of good art design, with a pleasing unified feel that gives the game a definite style. Terrain types are better differentiated than in previous games, with towering mountains, rolling hills, and vast forests, all of which are more like part of the environment rather than just symbols on a map.
The graphical overhaul, while welcome, is by no means the biggest change to the game. While Civilization III follows the general model of its predecessor and incorporates several technical improvements found in Alpha Centauri, the tweaks and adjustments seem to have a strong design element of streamlining, through which several decisions have apparently been made to reduce the game's micromanagement. This is obvious from the very first time you access your city screen. All the familiar elements--shields, food, and commerce (formerly trade)--make a reappearance, and anyone who is at all familiar with the basic Civilization concept should have no problem sitting down and diving right into the game. Doing so without reading the manual would be premature, though, as several fundamental changes have been made to the game--changes that make it play differently from its predecessors.
The first thing you'll notice when sitting down with Civilization III is that your nation has two kinds of civilian units right from the outset: settlers and workers. Settlers, which now cost two population points to build, are only good for founding cities or moving populations between them. All the other tasks previously performed by settler units are now performed by workers, which cost only one population point to build and are responsible for such things as terrain improvements, pollution cleanup, and the like. Settlers and workers also no longer require food and are simply supported like normal units. They can also be captured if caught unprotected by enemy combat units. Settlers captured by the enemy become two worker units to reflect the concept of nationality, which appears elsewhere in the game as well.
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- Atari
- Firaxis Games
- Historic Turn-Based...
- Release: Oct 30, 2001 »
- ESRB: Everyone
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