Mastering Civilization IV – Starting the Game - Part IV – Map Size

It is widely known and recognized by many strategy gamers that Sid Meier's Civilization game was THE computer game when it was introduced in 1991. It was first real turn-based strategy ever, with the latest PC playable version of Civilization being "Civilization IV", launched in October 2005. For a computer game 3 years is an eternity - but not for Civilization series game – it is still a very playable and enjoyable game today.

With game victory options described in “Civilization IV – Part I” article, and several the pre-game selections (choosing the map, the climate and sea level) covered, we continue our overview the effects of map size - and relevant game-winning plans.

After you have selected a map-type (discussed here) , you have to choose the size of the world on which you will play. There are 6 World sizes in Civilization:

• Duel
• Tiny
• Small
• Standard
• Large
• Huge

The size of the world will have important effects on the game. For one thing, it limits the number of civilizations that will be in the world. A “Duel”- sized world can hold up to three civilizations for example (usually having 2), while a “Standard” can hold eight, and a “Huge” world a whopping twelve civilizations. Of course, you can always choose "Random" to meet the unknown - however it is not recommended since the algorithm seems to "favor" smaller maps - and you will often find yourself playing with only 3 civilizations - not real fun...

As a general rule, the larger the world, the longer the game will take to complete. Civilizations will be larger and thus take more effort to conquer. A larger world generally means that there are more units and cities in play, and this means that each turn will take longer to complete. It may be fun to conquer a huge world, but it may also be a big time commitment.

Different victory conditions have to be used wisely on different worlds. While “Conquest” and “Domination” are a logical choice for smaller maps, "Cultural" or 'Diplomatic" victories are easier achieved at larger maps.

It is recommended to play first few games, you stick with “Standard”- sized maps - or even smaller. Also, remember - a huge map can be a serious challenge for your hardware – especially computer memory and graphic accelerator.