The Shattered Star

Actually, I'm not playing politics this time. I'm playing Civilization 4.

"Playing" might be the wrong word, actually. About all I can say I truly understand about the gameplay mechanics is how to operate the GUI and what timescale I enjoy the most. There are so many layers to the actual strategy that I think I'll be trying to wrap my head around the nuances for ages. Either that, or I'll start visiting more Civ4 forums to leech off the lessons that others have learned, but no matter.

One thing that has been made abundantly clear is that your armies must fight. If you're not attacking anybody, somebody will attack you, and if it's not one of the other civilizations, it will be the damnable barbarians. Hell, the developers even provided two combative victory conditions, so that you can choose to capture hostile lands or burn them to ash.

Incidentally, I had just come off of two peaceful wins (diplomatic and starship), so I wanted to flex some military muscle. What better nation to go stomping through history with than the Germans? Actually, last time I went this route, it involved Ghandi's marauding armies, so I guess I don't pay that much heed to history. No matter though. I'm still putzing around with different civs to get a feel for their unique units and trait combinations, so I led the Germans as Otto von Bismark.

Skipping rather directly to the end, the world was looking very German. The Spanish subcontinent, neighboring the huge continent that I and four other civilizations started on, lowered its flags and raised my own, opting to stop speaking a silly language in favor of an intimidating one. Okay, the Panzers add to that intimidating quality, but I think they just saw the virtue of my ways. Round about the same time, I pushed Montezuma off the big continent and into the sea. (I have to question his choice of build projects.) The only two people who were all that mad at me were Hatshepsut and Cyrus, who had signed a defense pact. Actually, lots of people were signing defense pacts with each other, but they were pleased with me, so I wasn't so bothered by those.

My plan was to bloat my army a little further and ship them off to my small provinces on the mostly-Egyptian continent. It seemed that various trade agreements between my allies and myself were making the silly emperess more and more irritable, until finally she severed diplomatic relations altogether over some mundane trade. Not really wanting her to get a jump on me, I decided to ship out with the troops I had already amassed, with the intention of fighting to a stalemate until reinforcements could arrive.

If real life has taught me anything, it's that you don't go to war without allies. Through some diplomatic maneuvering (and by that, I mean one-sided demands), I wove a tangled web. I forgave Montezuma of his impudence, not joining my tidal surge of doom, being that he still only controlled two cities and as many tiles of land.

Now, there's a funny thing about war in Civ4. Your citizens hate the fact that you're fighting. Your enemies hate the fact that you're fighting them. Your allies, however, love fighting with you and love you for the opportunity to do so.

Incidentally, the turn after declaring war with Hatshepsut, I finished building the UN. As a world wonder, I built it, just so that nobody else could. (I love spiting people almost as much as I love smiting them.) On a lark, I called for a diplomatic victory, fully expecting to be short on votes. Being short on votes would just give me more time to continue this war to its logical and horrifically genocidal conclusion. Damn.

I think I'll more thoroughly document a session in the future, but it will be a few weeks before I'll even have time to think about gaming. The beginning of the upcoming school year is going to be busy.

hahaha, Sounds remarkably like my sessions of the great game. I would say we should get some SSX games of it going cept for the little fact that it takes days to finish

Civ4.. The game where BF can finally rule the world!!

On that note, I have Civ4 and have also found it fun to sit back and watch my friends kill each other while they demand I stop helping the other side. It takes all the fun out of hte game though when I go through their cities with motorized infantry. However, it is most infuriating when a musketeer destroys a motorized infantry unit (I mean common, like that is reality.. please). However, I just drop the other 10 that were waiting to enter the square anyways right on top of it, and boom.. no more musketeer.

I believe we had a Alpha Centauri group back in the day. In fact I remember doing the site for it.. Although I am fairly certain that site has long since been removed.

SSX-Killjoy wrote: I believe we had a Alpha Centauri group back in the day. In fact I remember doing the site for it.. Although I am fairly certain that site has long since been removed.

Memories......

I remember trying to play it online and always having disconnect issues with it. But we did get a game going with Waterstar, Lonestar, myself, and I think somone else. I just remember being whomped on..

Good times my friend.. Good times..

Sure did have a group for Alpha Centauri. Don't remember playing online much but it sure was a fun game to play.

Here's hoping that Beyond Earth lives up to the hype and we have a true SMAC replacement.

Yeah I hope so! SMAC was a blast to play. Lookie what I found on the old computer Killjoy.

I have Civ4 and all the xpacs. I once ran native Americans and named all my cities after well known casinos. I'm going to hell ....

Waterstar, that is an awesome find!

I have civ 4 and civ 5; though I prefer civ (but I no longer have a copy). I can re-install either one if you guys want to give it a go in MP format. Although my time is rather limited to really late night EST (as I am on PDT here).

I'm on EU time.. should have Civ IV somewhere, wife wouldn't laugh with me getting addictged to civ again

I had Civ 3 on disc but after tearing through boxes in my garage it could not be found. I never owned a copy of Civ 4... looks like a great game though. And I just started my first game of Civ 5 Complete. I've got to learn a bit about the changes to the game (which seem extensive) before playing a multiplayer game. I am considering buying a copy of SMAC from Good Old Games... it's just a fun game to play regardless of how old it is.

- Waterstar