h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Right, your wish is my command, so what would you like me to write about for this soon-to-be fantastic entry?

Umm, played Civ, Civ III or any of the call to power series. Right a breif overview of one of them. I'm working on an overview of the goal of the entire sreries. Am currently umming and ahhing about whether to include a play guide anywhere.

I think a playing guide would make the entry too long - my gut feeling is that it will take a lot of space just to explain the game.

Would it be worth agreeing a general structure first, and then dividing up the writing tasks?

Otto

A playing guide is another entry in itself.

We could mention the different facets of the game: Technology, goverments, the cities, military units. Different ways to win etc etc.

Just mentioning a brief bit about any of the parts that make up the whole that is Civ and you'll have an entry.

Then you'd have to conclude it with why it is so damn good and addictive (the "just one more turn" syndrome).

Ste

I can't remember much from the first Civ (played it on the old Nintendo, remember them? ) but I am a demon on Civ 2! I can do an overview and play a game again, I also know the 'just one more turn' syndrome all to well...

Right, now then.

You'll have to explain that there are actually two seperate series of Civ, and there's a debate over ownership of the name. There's been lawsuits thrown around and everything - I think the main dispute was between Activision and Microprose, and possibly Avalon Hill were involved as well. The Sid Meier series, and Alpha Centauri, are a seperate series of games from the Call To Power games. Which is somewhat confusing...

Yeah, I've just written an bit about the combat system. Feel free to comment. One more turn. Then it's 1 in the morning ahhhhh.
Someone should look into the legal issue - I want to know what happened there. And I'm planning to cover the entire Civ series including CtoP. Just want to make sure it's complete. I'm slightly hampered by the fact that I'v only played Civ II, CtoP II very breifly and SMAC. I'm inrigued by all these people saying they've played Civ on all sorts of consoles - NES, Megadrive etc. I always though it was just a PC series.

When I found out you could get it on the PC, it made my day, after playing it for so long on consoles!

Hmm, my bit on the combat system is kinda jumping in at the deep end.
Can someonoe who's played Civ I describe the basic method of playing the game (In Civ 1). I then plan to build up the modification made by the sequels.

If I remember right the combat system in Civ didn't have the "strength bars" of CivII. It was calculated out of probabilities from the ADM of the two units involved. This meant that it was possible for a militia to defeat a battleship, which was silly. That's why the energy bar situation came in, to give a more realistic "average" outcome according to what ADM's the units had.

Did I explain that well?

Ste

No I didn't.

In Civ, combat took one attack to win or lose. In CivII it can take a few moves with a few units to overcome a particularly strong unit.

Get me?

I know what you mean.
And Ste, get writin somit for the article

Alright then.

What shall I write?

Damn ot, why does no one ever volunteer for what they want.
OK, Ste - Basic playing - world map, movement passage of time etc.
fords_prefect - Diplomacy
anyone else - I'd apreciate more info on Civs changes through the ages.

Okeydokey.

I'll take "passage of time" as meaning the progress of technological discoveries/science etc., k?



Ste

sure

Hi CMaster,

I posted my contribution on your personal space.



Ste

Hmm, I might want to break that up into more headings. Some screenshots I will find and lot more sense it will make.

Do what you like with it . It's in your hands now . If you want me to rewrite some parts just say so in that thread, and I'd be happy to do it

I'm insure about screenshots, with the site not using "normal" image file formats and copyright issues etc.

Ste