A few weeks ago I came across an open source PC game similar to Civilization I and II (I’m a hardcore fan of the series, but left my copies at my parents house on accident). I was heavenly surprised at how in-depth the game is and holds up so well as a replacement for Civilization.
The game is titled FreeCiv. The first version was released on January 5, 1996. It is highly customizable and allows for both multiplier human and AI opponents. Since the game is based off both Civ I and II, players are able to choose from three different rulesets: Civ I, Civ II, and default–the most commonly used settings amongst the FreeCiv crowd. Of course, all rulesets are customizable.
Gameplay is extremely similar to the Civilization series. Actually, the only differences are the ones you choose. Up to 30 players may join in and teams may comprise of as many members as you wish.
After installation, you are given the choice of starting a new game or starting a scenario (you may also connect to other games). Starting a new game is essentially a quick start while starting a scenario allows you more customization.
Within the scenario choice lies a tutorial. It is quick and extremely useful for beginners. If you wish just to start on your own without the tutorials help, you are given the choice of choosing a map (more maps are available on the FreeCiv wiki page). After, you are brought to the player setup and rules page. Here, you decide which ruleset, amount of players, nations, and what teams (if any) should be used. Now we are ready to play!
Features:
- Civilization like game play
- Good UI
- Decent graphics
- 30 nations
- 100+ leaders
- Team play
- Multiplier capability
- 5 AI skill levels
- 50 playable units
One problem the game has is crashing. Luckily, updates are continually improving the stability of FreeCiv; however, problems still exist–the longer a game lasts and the more players the more likely the game crashes.
As time goes on, FreeCiv continues to improve and adapt more ideas. Features are always coming and the gameplay is only to get better.
FreeCiv is a great, free, multiplier, and customizable version of Civilization. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys turn-based games.
Written: Jul 15, 2009
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