Mastering Civilization IV – Choosing the civilization - Overview

Sid Meier's Civilization was THE computer game when it was introduced in 1994 and was first real turn-based strategy ever. The latest PC playable version of Civilization is "Civilization IV", launched in October 2005.

With the victory options described in the first article, and most of the pre-game selections (choosing the map, the climate and sea level, Difficulty Levels etc.) covered, we now turn our attention towards choosing the civilization you wish to play.

After you have made a variety of choices including difficulty level, world size and game speed you are asked to choose a civilization to control. In the original Civ IV there are 18 nations:

• American
• Arabian
• Aztec
• Chinese
• Egyptian
• English
• French
• German
• Greek
• Incan
• Indian
• Japanese
• Malinese
• Mongolian
• Persian
• Roman
• Russian
• Spain

More have been added in the expansions, but we currently prefer to deal with the above ones.

Of course, you can always choose "random" and let the fate decide for you, but even so you have to be aware of the fact that each civilization has its advantages, inviting certain strategy of play.

In previous versions of the game, the differences included unique units for each civilization and different starting technologies. In Civilization IV the differences are more drastic, as each nation has a leader(s) with certain character that defines (or being defined by) 2 "traits". Each trait means there are certain buildings that are easier to construct (double production speed) and one "game concept" effect: culture, Great people generation etc.

The full list of traits are as follows:

• Aggressive
  • Free promotion (Combat I) for all melee and gunpowder units.
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: Barracks, Drydocks
• Creative
  • Effect: +2 culture per turn per city.
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: Colloseum,Theatre
• Expansive
  • Effect: +2 health per city
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: Granary, Harbor
• Financial
  • Effect: +1 commerce on spaces generating 2 or more commerce.
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: Bank
• Industrious
  • Effect: +50% wonder production.
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: Forge
• Organized
  • Effect: -50% civic upkeep cost.
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: Courthouse, Lighthouse
• Philosophical
  • Effect: +100% Great People birth rate.
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: University
• Spiritual
  • Effect: No anarchy
  • Construct at 1/2 Production Cost: Temples

This piece is an overview of civilization selection. In the next articles we will examine nations and leaders in order to construct a winning strategy for each one.