Civilization I

“In the beginning, the world was without form, and void…”

— from the intro to Civilization I

The Orignal Game BoxCivilization I is the 2.6 MB DOS game that started it all. What was originally a take-off of simcity became a gaming masterpiece that would go on to conquer the gaming industry, leaving a best-selling series of games and an unforgettable legacy in its wake.

It’s 3000 B.C., the dawn of Civilization. Seven civilizations are spread across the world. Each has humble beginnings, but they will all battle for world supremacy. You command one of the seven, building up an empire from a single settler. Over the course of history, you will command armies to war, develop relationships with other civilizations, and eventually send a spaceship to Alpha Centauri. Along the way, you must deal with balancing your national economy, maintaining civil order, and keeping a nation fed.

 “Civilization was a fantastic experience.”

-Sid Meier, creator of Civilization

Civilization is a turn-based strategy game. Rather, I should say the turn-based strategy game.

The map view (above right) is where you can select your units, view the known world and access your cities.

The city view (center right) is where all of the big decisions are made. Units, like settlers and bombers, are built there as are city improvements like marketplaces and temples, as well as the wonders of the world which can affect your entire civilization (the pyramids, the united nations, etc).

Diplomacy is another important aspect of Civilization. You must learn to deal with the other civilizations on the earth, whether that means co-existing with them peacefully, serving them, manipulating them into serving you, or destroying them in war. The last screenshot (bottom right) shows a parlay with Elizabeth I of the English.

System Requirements

MS-DOS or Windows
Any PC or Pentium system
640k of RAM or more
3.5 MB of disk space
Tandy, EGA, VGA or SVGA graphics

This review copyright 2000 Greg Viers (A.K.A. The TTG Guy)