Civ 2, Or Why I Should Listen To Eric Sometimes

Nick tagged me in that 15 games Facebook meme, but as I started to compile my most memorable games, I realized I’m unable to just type a list.

Civilization 2 would definitely make that list. When Civ 2 came out, I wasn’t at all interested because I didn’t like military strategy games. Eric had it, though, and I don’t remember exactly how Eric overcame my objections to strategy games and fighting games, but I imagine it was the sort of saintly patience and Jedi mindtricks he used to get me to try Morrowind (Note to self: Seriously consider listening to Eric every once in a while).

I forget if I was playing the Romans and started cleverly naming my cities Claudius and Lupercalia, or if I was founding the Japanese colonies of Tempura and Midori.

Civ 2 had optional movies of the world wonders, and in every conversation I’ve had about the value versus distraction of cutscenes, I think of design sketches blossoming into the flowers of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. That’s still my favorite wonder to build, and if you build it first, I will come after you and take it back. With my armies, because as it turns out, I do kind of like military strategy games.

It may have been the first time I saw early-morning sunlight after playing a game of Civ, but it was not the last.