Sid Meier's Civilization

Sid Meier's Civilization
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Title	Sid Meier's Civilization
Developer	MicroProse
Designer	Sid Meier
Genre	Turn-based strategy, 4X
First release	1991
Platforms	MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, Windows, Mac OS, Linux, consoles

Sid Meier's Civilization is a 1991 turn-based strategy computer game designed by Sid Meier and published by MicroProse. It initiated the long-running Civilization series and established many conventions later used in Master of Orion, Heroes of Might and Magic, and X-COM: UFO Defense. The game’s blend of exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination influenced designers at Firaxis Games, Ensemble Studios, and Paradox Interactive.

Overview

Sid Meier's Civilization places the player as the leader of a nascent civilization guiding growth from the ancient era to the modern age. Players interact with historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Khan, Queen Elizabeth I, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great while negotiating with nations like France, the Mongols, England, Rome, and Persia. The game features technology progression through a research tree with milestones referencing inventions like the wheel, gunpowder, printing press, electricity, and flight. Victory conditions mirror historical outcomes including cultural influence, technological superiority, diplomatic recognition at institutions like the United Nations, and conquest akin to campaigns led by commanders such as Hannibal Barca.

Gameplay

Gameplay combines turn-based movement on a hexless square grid map populated by terrain types named for regions such as the Sahara Desert, Himalayas, Amazon Rainforest, and Tundra. Players manage cities named after real locations like Rome, Cairo, Istanbul, and Beijing, assign citizens to tile improvements inspired by works such as Irrigation and Masonry, and construct buildings analogous to Granary, Library, Barracks, and Factory. Military units derive lineage from historical formations including Spearman, Knight, Rifleman, and Modern Armor, echoing battles such as Waterloo and Gettysburg in scale. Diplomacy includes treaties, trade, and declarations reflecting interactions with leaders depicted by portraits linked conceptually to statesmen like Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Kublai Khan, Catherine the Great, and Peter the Great. Random events and strategies recall famous expeditions such as Lewis and Clark Expedition, Magellan's circumnavigation, and Vasco da Gama’s voyages.

Development and Design

Design began at MicroProse under the influence of earlier strategy titles like Sid Meier's Pirates! and Railroad Tycoon. The core team included Sid Meier, Bruce Shelley, and programmers influenced by engineers from NASA simulation culture and veterans of Infocom and External Memory Systems. The development process incorporated playtesting methodologies from RAND Corporation decision models and game theory inspired by academics at MIT and Stanford University. Artistic direction referenced cartographers and historians from institutions such as the British Museum and Smithsonian Institution. Key design decisions were shaped by contributions from contemporaries at Origin Systems and Interplay Entertainment and by market analysis from publishers like Hasbro and Atari Corporation.

Releases and Legacy

The original title was released for MS-DOS and later ported to systems including the Amiga, Atari ST, Windows, and Mac OS. Subsequent official sequels and spin-offs were produced by studios including Firaxis Games, resulting in numbered entries that popularized mechanics added by expansion packs comparable to add-ons for Doom and SimCity 2000. The franchise expanded into board game adaptations by Kosmos and Fantasy Flight Games, and influenced tabletop designs such as Axis & Allies and Twilight Imperium. Academic institutions like University of California, Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have used the series in research on simulation and pedagogy. The series inspired licensed merchandise, soundtrack releases, and uses in exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and Smithsonian Institution exhibitions on video games.

Reception and Impact

Upon release, the game received acclaim from publications including Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, and BYTE, and won awards from organizations such as the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and the Game Developers Choice Awards in retrospective honors. Critics praised its depth and replayability alongside comparisons to boardgames like Risk and Diplomacy and strategy computer games such as Ultima, Heroes of Might and Magic II, and Master of Orion II. Its legacy includes influencing designers at Firaxis Games, Valve Corporation, Blizzard Entertainment, BioWare, and Paradox Interactive, spawning academic studies at Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University on emergent behavior and decision-making. The franchise has been analyzed in cultural studies alongside works by J.R.R. Tolkien, Sun Tzu, and Niccolò Machiavelli for its portrayal of leadership, expansion, and historical narrative. The game remains a touchstone in retrospectives at events like E3, Tokyo Game Show, GDC, and museum retrospectives at the Smithsonian Institution.

Category:Video games