Civilizations, RANKED!

[Snarf Zagyg]

Mentioned positively 11 times in less than 60 posts, despite OP specifically crafting the criteria to exclude it.

....um, no?

Look, it's usually not a good idea to attribute something to ill intent (or nefarious motivation). As every one who reads my lists knows, I come up with rules to make the lists, and I follow those rules. And they are always explicit and noted in the OP.

In order to promote discussion of all things Civilization, from stacking units to Nuke 'em Gandhi, I am going to post my own, inarguable, list of the Civilization games... RANKED. As always, my lists are the products of logic and maths, have been verified by Collosson the Numberwang Robot, and cannot be questioned. Although you are welcome to articulate why I am right, and you are wrong, in the comments below.

Notes on the rankings (aka, the awesome rules that you are welcome to question and be incorrect about)-

A. I try to view the game in terms of its "complete" state (with official expansions) but not with mods.

B. All games are products of their times- so older games are viewed more generously in the context of the time they came out.

C. It has to be a "Civilization" game. This means that After Earth, Call to Power (but not CtP 2, since they didn't have the rights to use the name Civilization!), and Revolution will be ranked, but Alpha Centauri (while an excellent game, and arguably a Civilization game) will not be.

I think Alpha Centauri is a great game! If I didn't follow the rules I was using, and said, "Screw it, I'm a rebel, I won't follow my rules and I'll put in AC," then ... I'd put it in the area with Civ II and III in the rankings (3-4). Behind Civ 4 & 5, but firmly in the top tier.

But to be very specific- no, I did not craft my rules just to arbitrarily screw Alpha Centauri and CtP2 and keep in Beyond Earth (ugh, hate that so much I can't even remember the name and always call it After Earth!) and CtP.


Also, if you have read my lists before, you know that at 57% of the comments (numbers are approximate, yet 83.7% correct) are just arguing about the rules I use for the list. So, there's that.

 

[Zardnaar]

Interesting. I would still be playing it regularly if there were some quality of life improvements, some bug fixes, and maybe some other tweeks.

Where is the modding community on this? I can play Civ 5&6 as Cthulhu or Elric. I can play doom on my coffee maker. There are updated expansions for Final Fantasy I and Zelda II. Daggerfall has been ported to the unity engine plays cleaner than most of the subsequent Elder Scrolls games. What's the challenge with SMAC? All I want is better AI diplomacy logic or both aliens from Alien Crossfire to show up as enemy civs in single-player?

Base game you can pick your opponents.

Mods used to exist 20 odd years ago. Like Civ 3 I suspect time has lost them.

In the ongoing civ communities CivIV generally wins the best civ of all time with SMAC as a strong contender if it's not excluded.

 

[Willie the Duck]

But to be very specific- no, I did not craft my rules just to arbitrarily screw Alpha Centauri and CtP2 and keep in Beyond Earth (ugh, hate that so much I can't even remember the name and always call it After Earth!) and CtP.

I didn't say you did anything to arbitrarily screw anything. I said you specifically excluded it. I did not attribute to you any kind of agenda whatsoever. You had reasons you stated clearly*, and which are valid and served a genuine (and explained) purpose.
*" It has to be a 'Civilization' game. This means that After Earth, Call to Power (but not CtP 2, since they didn't have the rights to use the name Civilization!), and Revolution will be ranked, but Alpha Centauri (while an excellent game, and arguably a Civilization game) will not be."

The point was, even though you did specify SMAC as not within the population of options, it was still mentioned (positively) in nearly 20% of the posts in the thread. Reading Zardnaar's, "Everyone keeps spelling Alpha Centauri wrong," as a cheeky 'y'all are wrong, the answer's SMAC,' I responded in kind by saying, 'no one's wrong, everyone else has been saying that already.'

​

 

[Zardnaar]

I wasn't to serious about my SMAC comment. If it gets included it's generally up there with Civ IV.

Bottom is generally 1 and 2. They're to old along with Civ Revolutions. I liked Revolutions a lot bought it twice for PS3 and Xbox.

One city challenge, deity USA let's go.

I switched to Paradox grand strategy shortly after that though. If you think civ is bad for time suck nuh uh.

Civ 5 and 6 people love or hate them it seems. Never played them.

 

[Willie the Duck]

Base game you can pick your opponents.

Yes, but if you let it pick randomly (which I generally like to do), it will only pick one, which is an issue since if they do not have to fight each other, they tend to steamroll whomever is around them. It is a known glitch I didn't know there was a mod to fix.

I wasn't to serious about my SMAC comment. If it gets included it's generally up there with Civ IV.

I know. I thought you were joking around, and responded in kind.

Bottom is generally 1 and 2. They're to old aling with Civ Revolutions. I liked Revolutions a lot nbought it twice for PS3 and Xbox.

It's hard to play 1 or 2 these days. There are certain things wonky gamplay bits I accepted back then as just the price of admission that now kind grate. That said, I tend to rate them a little higher because they were very good when they were released compared to what was coming out around them.

One city challenge, deity USA let's go.

I don't really like any of the games at either end of the difficulty scale. It tends to make it obvious when the game isn't actually playing smarter/dumber, but just is applying 'times X' to it's production values.

 

[Gradine]

Some of yall have never cast the Spell of Mastery and it shows

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes, but if you let it pick randomly (which I generally like to do), it will only pick one, which is an issue since if they do not have to fight each other, they tend to steamroll whomever is around them. It is a known glitch I didn't know there was a mod to fix.

I know. I thought you were joking around, and responded in kind.

It's hard to play 1 or 2 these days. There are certain things wonky gamplay bits I accepted back then as just the price of admission that now kind grate. That said, I tend to rate them a little higher because they were very good when they were released compared to what was coming out around them.

I don't really like any of the games at either end of the difficulty scale. It tends to make it obvious when the game isn't actually playing smarter/dumber, but just is applying 'times X' to it's production values.

Yeah at my vbest I could beat deity with 5 cities in a real game, 1 city in Revolutions and Sid in Civ 3.

Think i saw a single city win on deity in civ 3 with byzantine. I could do it with 5 (5CC was a thing)

 

[dragoner]

Tot also had this funky underworld, where you could build the skeleton empire, outer space, and the never ending nuclear war ...

 

[Micah Sweet]

Has anyone tried that new game ARA? It looks amazing, but I'm not buying new video games right now and have to wait.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Has anyone tried that new game ARA? It looks amazing, but I'm not buying new video games right now and have to wait.

I've played it, though only a couple hours so far (I'm catching up on Elden Ring). I like it, particularly the option to tinker with economic buildings' output, but my understanding is that the AI is currently a little bit fubar. And it does feel a little off, even so early on. I think there's an update coming out next month that might fine tune things.