Civilization is a strategy game in which we develop our empire. We start by inventing the wheel, breeding cattle and running after barbarians with a spear to finish with atomic bomb or fly into space. You can achieve victory in science (by working on research), religion (by converting other nations), culture (by building wonders of the world or developing tourism). However, for me it's the military action and the quest for the largest possible empire that adds the most excitement. So the main goal is usually victory through domination.
To best reflect the realism of Earth, I downloaded a world map in the form of a mod. The game has a built-in map of our planet, but the civilizations are distributed randomly. In the case of the mod, choosing Poland we start the game in the middle-eastern Europe (I know that Krakow is not located by the sea, but I just founded the first city there).
At first glance, you can see that compared to the fifth part, it's much more colorful. It doesn't bother me, but many players say that the atmosphere is a bit off. Other new features include an interesting mechanism of introducing doctrines and a different diplomacy with city-states, to which we now send emissaries. In my opinion, this simplification is beneficial for new players, but also old-timers shouldn't complain. It just works well and conveniently.
During the game we will constantly learn new regimes and it is up to us whether we become an autocrat or a people-friendly democrat. Relationships with other nations are very important, as the success of the game depends on these decisions. In this case, I was clever at the very beginning. I noticed that Germany split into two territories and before they could merge, I created a corridor for myself.
As if that wasn't enough I turned down Frederick Barbarossa's request to open the borders and so cut Frankfurt off from contact with the other German state. A nice move, though it has its drawback, as the eventual war will be fought on two fronts, unless... Well, that's it! Later in the game, the Vikings attacked Aachen, and I took Frankfurt and we partitioned Germany, and let them! Here we are not only looking at our diplomacy, but also our relations with others.
But before the war, my goal was to create a territory from sea to sea, and I succeeded. And so I settled present-day Italy, expanding spheres of influence. The sea route to Africa opened.
As if that wasn't enough, I established a port on the Baltic Sea, which the Vikings didn't like very much. Theoretically I could take Vilnius, but the independence of city-states gives many advantages and it is not worth to attack them.
During the game, we meet many other civilizations and it is impossible to maintain compatible relations with each of them. Sometimes they can declare war on us, so it is worth building an army. At the beginning, archers work great, but it is also good to have siege machines, which will allow you to take over enemy cities. Each civilization is distinguished by something unique, and the Poles have hussars, which when properly promoted can wreak havoc on the map.
Conquering new lands gave me the most satisfaction. Especially when we develop shipping and reach the farthest corners of the globe. In another game I managed to reach Australia and almost blow up Moscow. And once I acquired uranium (to acquire the resource you have to take over the land where it's located or buy it from another player) and started working on the Manhattan Project, the enemy claimed a scientific victory.... So it's good to have a predetermined plan, think about every move and follow the ranking.
A great asset of the game is the mass of interesting facts. In addition to civilopedia, which contains many valuable tips, there are quotes from great people along with the discovery of some new technology. Moreover, absolutely perfect music is constantly playing during the game.
Although Civilization has changed graphically, it still draws you in for hours. I've spent many a night with each part, and here the one more turn syndrome is overpowering. I'm about to turn off the computer, only to recruit settlers to head for the ocean waters or direct tanks near the enemy's border to scare them a bit. Or maybe the Germans will give me their luxury goods, seeing the superiority of my army? The possible moves to make are thousands!
I love this game, although even on powerful equipment sometimes turns of opponents last quite long. It depends mainly on the number of NPC players and the map size, and I like the big ones. You can also complain that sometimes other civilizations develop illogically fast and it happens that you go to shoot with a sword. However, it's usually enough to wait a few turns to catch up with the enemy.
I can recommend the game to absolutely everyone. It's an ideal position for strategy lovers, as well as the youngest players, who will learn a bit of history and geography here. It is also great fun for all enthusiasts of military units. After playing with the basic part, you can reach for expansions with new civilizations. I still play with Poles though :)
Fantastic journey through the ages!
I hope we will see the next part soon.
Overall Rating: 9+/10
