Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This sequel enhances both the good and the bad of Civ II. The graphics and sound are both far superior toCiv II, as would be expected. And the new concepts, suchas allowing cultural domination, diplomatic victory (taken from Alpha Centauri, no doubt) are good touches. Making trade a high level decision is, pehaps, ahistorical, in that rulers rarely became involved in the details of trade until AFTER a particular item was proven critical, but I won't quibble over this particular interpretation of economic history. New minor wonders, a few new inmprovements, all good. BUT......
There are several flaws that make the game frustrating to the point of being unplayable. The most significant is the rampant, uncontrollable corruption and waste in the cities. As with the earlier version, the further you are from the capital, the worse the corruption and waste. But this version takes this to an unworkable extreme. "Distant" cities on the same continent waste almost all product and steal almost all trade -- and forget cities off continent. The court and police improvements do next to nothing to stop it, even under Democracy. No historical society could have survived the levels of corruption and waste that regularly exist in the game.
Trade is another problem. It quickly becomes apparent that the AI will accept nothing less that 1/3 of your income in return for next to nothing. Don't even bother trying after you get into the A.D period.
Speaking of the AI! The A stands for artificial , NOT AMORAL. The cheating was often bad in Civ II, but it's stunningly disappointing in Civ III. AI Warriors consistently knocking off tanks!?! Yes low-tech may triumph occassionally in the real world, but not nearly as often as in Civ III.
The Mac version shipped without a terrain editor, but one has been promised by the MacSoft website. I hope it is as versitile as the Civ II editor, and that, unlike the Alpha Centauri editor, we'll be able to score the maps that are user made. The Alpha Centauri editor didn't allow this: I guess the developers thought too many users might be "cheating."
Which brings me to my last point. I get a very strong feeling that the makers of this game think there is a "right" way to enjoy the game. PLEASE! It's a game, a toy. Some days gamers want a challenge, on others we just want to kick (...). Given the quotes from Kant and Keirkegaard in Alpha Centauri, I wil assume that there are at least some philosphy readers on Meier's team, so I implore you to remember your semiotics. Linguistic utterances that are closed and allow few interpretations are like technical manuals, those that offer multiple interpretations are like poetry. Civ II was, for the most part, poetry. Civ III feels like a big, slow technical manual.
And how often do you re-read technical manuals?
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Rewrite history with Civilization III. Experience a game of epic proportions where players can match wits against the greatest leaders of the world in an all-out quest to build the ultimate empire. Your journey of discovery includes new features that build on the Civilization experience. You get new pathways to explore, strategies to employ, and more powerful tools to build and manage your empire.
Dominate the world through diplomatic finesse, cultural domination, and military prowess. New technologies, wonders of the world, and great people expand the scope of the game. Improved combat options provide finer levels of control for enhanced war-making capabilities. More interactions, alliances, and realistic AI responses put players in the middle of negotiations, trade systems, and diplomatic actions.
There's an advanced trade system to manage resources, trade routes, and spread of technology. New elements of culture, nationality, and the arts help players plan and focus empire-building efforts. An active world generator creates more realistic maps and organic terrain features. Complete game editor screens allow for advanced customization.
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