Sid Meier's Civilization V

• A hexagonal map has been introduced instead of a square one.
• On each cell there can be only one unit of the same type at a time (previously, players could collect a huge number of different units in one cell, in colloquial speech "Stack of Doom"), which strengthened the tactical part of the game.
• The two-dimensional “strategic” type of map, to which the player can switch, if desired (for example, if it works slowly in normal mode), from “normal”, became stylization for the desktop version of the game .
• Some smaller civilizations are replaced by city-states , which replaced the barbaric states from Civilization IV . At the same time, the barbarians had no opportunity to seize other cities and establish their own. Instead, barbaric units spawn from barbarian camps.
• Captured cities can continue to exist in the empire in the form of autonomous formations, called satellites or puppet cities. Unlike the annexed cities, the satellites do not reduce happiness so much, but the player cannot choose the production in them.
• Remote shelling of the enemy is possible (this possibility was present in Civilization III ).
• There are no religious denominations and the possibility of espionage (reappear in the appendix " Gods and Kings ").
• The technology tree has undergone a marked reduction, although it has to spend more moves than in other parts of the game.
• Disappeared trading cards (present in the previous parts).
• Trade in technology has been replaced by the possibility of concluding a “joint research agreement”.
• Natural resources that are finite in number, albeit inexhaustible (each field gives several resource units that are “consumed” by units and buildings — if a unit dies or a building is demolished, resources can be used again).
• Random events have disappeared (they were probably replaced by quests that give the player a city-state to improve relations).
• Now players can not capture other cities, with the help of cultural pressure on the opponent (the opportunity returned in Brave New World addition, but in practice the cultural capture became too slow).
• Disasters: floods, volcanic eruptions, epidemics, fires, etc. - absent (were in the first Civilization and in additions to Civilization IV ).

Cities

As before, the city remains the main core on which the events of the game are strung, and around which the struggle of civilizations takes place.

Cities can now treat a territory at a distance of three cells instead of two cells before. The expansion of the country's borders, however, is now carried out postovo (due to the cultural growth of the city itself). A player can urgently buy nearby cells for gold, but the neighboring states will react negatively to this.

Cities can strike enemy units at a distance. This looks like the presence of a built-in non-dividing long-range unit. The defense of the city is further enhanced by locating a garrison of one land combat unit. There can be at the same time one combat unit, one non-combat, one ship and up to ten air units .

When capturing cities, the player is given a choice: annexation , satellite creation, destruction or liberation. The last - when this city was previously under the authority of the enemy state. It is noteworthy that if you liberate a city that belonged to a previously destroyed civilization, then it returns to the game with the level of development that was before its cessation.

The player is not allowed to directly manage the satellites ( puppet cities ), however, the satellites pay taxes to the metropolitan treasury and give access to territories and resources, and also do not adversely affect the mood of the population, as in annexation.

The destruction of the city does not occur instantaneously, but takes several moves, during which the destroyed city becomes part of the civilization that captured it with its population, surviving buildings, expenses and so on. Although the end result is irreversible, the destruction process can be stopped at any time. At the same time, the original capitals (the very first city founded by the respective civilization) of the defeated powers, as well as all city-states that are capitals by definition, are not subject to destruction. It is also impossible to destroy personally founded cities, except when they are recaptured after being captured by another civilization. Thus, the cities of a class of capitals are among the indestructible, as well as their own, never occupied by the enemy. Sacred cities (that is, cities in which religion was founded) also cannot be destroyed. Cities that cannot be destroyed can create difficulties in planning the development of the occupied territory.

Units and battles

Unlike previous versions, in Civilization V there can be no more than one combat unit in each cell (including cities) and no more than one non-combat unit. This means that in a cell there can be, for example, one “archer” unit and one “worker” unit, but not two “archer” units. Units can move through busy cells, but the movement should complete on a free one. This radically changes the planning and conduct of hostilities, bringing them closer to reality.

The game has no more separate transport ships. Instead, after studying a certain technology and obtaining the ability (for units created before studying technology), all ground units to suppress water spaces are automatically immersed in their own ships. Water combat units can destroy such ships with a single blow, and also when attacking from the sea, ground combat units are fined.

Long-range units: archers , siege weapons and warships, cannot directly attack the enemy. Instead, they fire at a distance through the honeycomb. In close combat, these units are very vulnerable. Cities can also fire at the enemy. The animated display of the attack by the forces of the city ( arrows , catapults and artillery shells, rockets ) depends on the era.

Improving the skills of units has changed somewhat. For example, the main enhancements are the improvement of a unit’s ability to attack an enemy on a certain type of terrain. Also, if previously units were partially healed while elevated, in Civilization V healing is an alternative to elevation.

Another change in damage calculation - the loss of a combat unit as a result of a battle does not mean its compulsory destruction.

Civilizations

Each civilization has either two national units, or one national unit and a unique building (improvement). In the original version of the game, 18 civilizations (great powers) and leaders with their characteristic features are available for selection ^[3] . Unlike Civilization IV, every nation can have only one leader.

Leaders

The personality characteristics of a leader are based on a combination of 29 (from version 1.0.1.135) parameters ^[4] , called flavors ^{[K. 1]} . Catherine II is distinguished by a “taste” for expansionism , which is expressed in Russia's desire to possess a multitude of cities. At the same time, Ekaterina’s “taste” for the development of these cities is not so great, so Russian cities will not develop as intensively as, say, Gandhi . Elizabeth I prefers the development of the fleet , so that England will strive for supremacy at sea.

This, however, does not mean that the behavior of the leaders is predictable. Game artificial intelligence , at an opportunity, can choose more suitable direction of development. The mechanics of the game also allows for an element of chance. For example, Napoleon 's default “taste” for an attack is 7 out of 10; when the game starts, this value can vary within plus or minus 2 units. At the beginning of the game, the aggressiveness of the French state may vary from 5 to 9. If the value is 5, then it is possible that Napoleon, with a tendency to conquest, will be more inclined to follow other priorities - for example, trade or science. It all depends on the context. In particular, if England appears in the center of a large continent far from the seas, but has horses at its disposal, then Elizabeth I will abandon the maritime strategy in favor of the development of cavalry.

City-States

City-states (small countries) are another innovation of Civilization V. City-states cannot build settlers, and thus cannot establish new cities. Captured enemy cities are ruined in a few moves (except for the seizure of capitals - in this case the city joins the policy). When liberated from the civilization that captured him, they reappear in the game as a city-state - an ally of the liberator.

There are several ways to improve relations with the city-state. The easiest way is to buy gold. City-states sometimes express requests for great powers (destruction of barbarian camps, help in war, construction of a road to the capital or a certain miracle, etc.), the fulfillment of which greatly improves relations. With such small countries may be "treaties for the protection of" the superpower. If loyalty is not supported by actions, then the relationship will gradually fade away.

If a superpower constantly captures city-states, then, in the end, all the remaining city-states that do not have allied relations unite against the aggressor. City-states in a war with a superpower may request assistance from other superpowers. At the same time, it is possible to force the aggressor to make peace with the city-state, to bribe it, and you can also give money to the city-state or combat units. This is another way to improve relationships with them.

A city-state can have an alliance with only one power at a time. Having thus become an ally of a city-state, civilization gains access to its resources. Also, the bonus received from the city-state depends on the state of relations with it and its type: militant (military), cultural or seaside. "Militant" city-states from time to time provide the allied civilization with combat units (this can be abandoned). "Cultural" - can give extra points of culture. "Seaside" - provide food for the city ally.

Community Institutions

Instead of adopting a new form of government , as it was before, a player can go, after receiving a certain number of cultural points, to a new social institution . The newly adopted institute does not replace the previous ones, but only gives other bonuses. Fully filling out five of the ten existing branches of public institutions (the Utopia project), you can win a cultural victory in the game (in the second addendum of Sid Meier's Civilization V: Brave New World, the conditions for achieving cultural victory were significantly reworked and now do not depend directly on accepted institutions, and on tourism indicators to make culture fashionable in other countries).

It should be noted that some public institutions are not applicable when using institutions from antagonistic branches. For example, the institutions of the “autocracy” branch are not applicable after the adoption of the social institution of the branches of “order” or “freedom”. However, a revolutionary change of the branch is still possible, at the cost of anarchy during the course. At the same time, previously applicable institutions become inapplicable. Until the addition of Brave New World, it was not possible to simultaneously accept such social institutions as rationalism and piety. After the release of this supplement such an opportunity appeared.

Production

There are three types of resources : bonus, strategic and rare. Resources (except bonus) can be traded and donated to other powers.

The number of types of strategic resources has been reduced, their use has also changed. Creating units or building buildings that require a certain strategic resource reduces the amount available to the player, the resources themselves, however, are not depleted. If, for example, a player loses a “ tank ” subdivision, then again he gets access to one more unit of oil.

To acquire buildings for money, it is no longer necessary to have a certain “public institution”. The purchase itself is instantaneous and it is possible to make as many purchases as you like as long as the funds allow. Some types of buildings can not be bought: they can only be built, spending time.

Miracles and Projects

As before, there are great miracles (unique, that is, one for the whole world) and small or national (there may be as many as there are civilizations). Their composition was updated and reduced, however, with subsequent patches new ones were introduced: the State Treasury , the Great Circus , etc. Along with the Wonders of the World and “national wonders”, “ natural wonders ” were introduced. When they open, the mood of the population rises, bonuses of science and culture are given, and relations with city-states are improved.

When capturing cities, the “national wonders” that were in it are destroyed, all military and cultural buildings are also destroyed, the rest of the buildings can remain intact with 66% probability.

There is also a special category of national projects: the “ Apollo Program ” ( the “Union” Program ) and the “Manhattan Project ”. Also among the national is the construction of parts of the spacecraft. Their subsequent assembly in the capital and the launch of the ship leads to a scientific victory. However, if any civilization completes the “Utopia Project” (the acquisition of all public institutions of five branches out of ten), then this will lead it to a cultural victory.

Diplomacy

Unlike the previous installments, technology sharing is no longer allowed in Civilization V. Instead, if two civilizations discovered such a technology as “education”, then they can sign a “research agreement”, allocating the cost of technology in gold from the budget of both states ^[5] . At the same time, investment parity may not be respected. If a war between these states starts during the validity of the treaty, it will automatically terminate.

Game conditions and goals

In Civilization V there are eight levels of difficulty and four options for game speed.

A distinctive feature of some civilizations is the dependence of the choice of starting position on the location of the oceans and rivers, as well as on the civilizational preference / avoidance of the corresponding geographic zones . For example, the standard setting for Russia is the preference for tundra, but if there is no tundra belt on the map, a belt with inclusions of tundra landscape will be searched for, and at the same time, Songai will avoid cold tundra. Egypt is usually not found near forests and jungles, but the Iroquois are always among the forests, etc.

As in previous versions, the player has the following options for victory (as before, there is no “economic victory” mechanism in the game, although the economic level is being calculated):

• By the sum of points (it is a victory by time, upon the onset of 2050 AD);
• Scientific (it’s also technical - launching a space ship with colonists to Alpha Centauri );
• Territorial (also military - keeping the last one in the game of its capital);
• Cultural (obtaining all applicable public institutions from the five branches with the construction of the “Utopia Project” ”); with the new addition “Brave New World”, a cultural victory is achieved when your culture takes first place with the help of tourism and has amazed all the other powers.
• Diplomatic (obtaining the title of "world leader" when voting in the UN ).

Thus, there are three ways to defeat: lose the capital, lose another civilization, or fail to score the most points by 2050. If the player has not lost the capital and has not lost another civilization, he can continue the game, but he will not win the game.

The new version also supports the achievement system , on the game page ^[6] on Steam - “Global achievements”.

Exit Game

The game was released on September 21, 2010 in North America , and on September 24, 2010 in the countries of the European Union and in the digital distribution service Steam ^{[9] [10]} . On October 22, 2010, a version localized in Russian language went on sale; A total of the game is released in eight languages: English , Russian , French , German , Italian , Polish , Spanish , Japanese . November 23, 2010 release for the Mac OS X platform.

Official supplements

Game Cards

• Cradle of Civilization - DLC Bundle ( Cradle of Civilization cards):
  • Cradle of Civilization - Americas : map of America with "real" starting positions. Includes mountains and jungles from Peru in the south to Mexico in the north - a kind of nursery of two distinctive cultures of the Western Hemisphere .
  • Cradle of Civilization - Asia : A map of Asia with "real" starting positions. Includes the Indus Valley - the birthplace of Harappa and the Yellow River valley, where early Chinese dynasties developed.
  • Cradle of Civilization - Mediterranean : Mediterranean game map with "real" starting positions. It includes the entire Mediterranean basin with peninsulas and islands where the city-states of Phenicia and Ancient Greece grew and flourished, and later the great empires of Rome and Persia .
  • Cradle of Civilization - Mesopotamia : the game map of Mesopotamia with "real" starting positions. It includes the lands of the Fertile Crescent , with the river valley of the Nile in the west, and between the Euphrates and the Tigris in the east, up to the Persian Gulf .
• Explorer's Map Pack ( Russian. Pioneer Map Set ): 10-card set — Amazonia , Bering Strait , British Isles, and others.
• Scrambled Continents Map Pack ( Rus. Map of Continent Scattering ): a set of 10 maps - Africa , Middle East , East Asia and others.
• Scrambled Nations Map Pack ( Rus. Map "Nations Scattering" ): a set of 10 maps - Australia , UK , Italy and others.

New civilizations

DLC: Downloadable Civilizations (additional “Downloadable Civilizations”) ^{[K. 2]} ):

• Civilization Pack: Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar II) : additional civilization to the game - Babylon with the leader Nebuchadnezzar II ^{[K. 3]} .
• Civilization & Scenario Pack: Mongols, Genghis Khan : additional civilization to the game - Mongolia with leader Timujin Genghis Khan ^{[K. 4]} . It also includes the “Mongol Rise” scenario with the powers of the Byzantine Empire and the Jurchen Empire of Jin .
• The Double Civilization & Scenario Pack: Spain and Inca : a double package of 6 additional civilizations and the “Conquest of the New World” scenario ^{[K. 5]} , which focuses on the events of 1492 - the year of the discovery of America . Units that are unique only for this scenario have appeared: the Treasure Peace Unit ( Caravan ) symbolizes the caravan of mules , and when loaded on board, the silver fleet ; combat unit " marque " ( frigate ), graphically - battleship . Added new technologies: " piracy ", " religious orders ", etc.
• Conquest of the New World Deluxe Scenario : addition to The Double Civilization & Scenario Pack: Spain and Inca , which expands the “Conquest of the New World” scenario (the additional scenario “New World - Luxury” appears). The number of civilizations increases to 10, and the number of moves to 150. Also, the scenario contains Religions, Trade Routes, Trade and Religious City-States, new buildings, wonders and resources related to the subject.
• Civilization & Scenario Pack: Polynesia : additional civilization to the game - Polynesia with leader Kamehamea I. It also includes the “Paradise Found” scenario: 4 Polynesian civilizations are fighting for dominance. The winner is the one who first takes all public institutions.
• Civilization and Scenario Pack: Denmark - The Vikings : Additional Civilization Package and Scenario. Includes Denmark led by Harald I Sinezubim with Viking Rage ability, which allows ground forces to navigate faster through the water and spend less time on and off the ship. Denmark’s unique units include a berserk , capable of easily attacking from the sea and across rivers and moving faster than the long swordsman he replaces. The Norwegian military skier replaces the usual shooter and fights better on the hillsides and in the snowy terrain. Danish troops can also ravage the terrain without spending movement points. Also included in the package is the Viking Destiny scenario, based on the events of 1066 , when Normandy captured England . In the scenario are four civilizations: England , Norway , Denmark and Normandy . The task is to create the Doomsday Book in London . In the scenario, it is impossible to change politics and attitudes towards other civilizations.
• Civilization and Scenario Pack: Korea : a package of additional civilization and scenario. Includes Korea , led by Sejong . Korea gains the “Sages of the Jade Hall” ability, which provides a significant research advantage. Korea’s unique units include the Hwacha , which is a more efficient version of the trebuchet , and the turtle-ship , replacing the caravel . The package also includes the Imjine War scenario: the invasion of Japan in Korea. In addition to Korea and Japan, the player can take the side of Manchuria and China .
• Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario Pack : A paid package that includes three new wonders of the world ( Temple of Artemis , Statue of Zeus and Halicarnassus Mausoleum ) and a new script "Wonders of the World Ancient World", where 5 ancient civilizations of the Fertile Crescent ( Egypt , Sumer kingdom and others) fighting for dominance. The winner is the one who first builds the seven wonders of the world .

Additions

• Civilization V: Gods & Kings - the first addition to the game. It brought back the system of religions and new civilizations ( Maya , Celts and others). It also includes 3 scenarios: “The World of Steam and Steel”, “Towards the Renaissance” and “The Fall of Rome”. In the first, five fictional civilizations fight for dominance in the alternative world of the Victorian era with elements of steampunk . In the second 12 civilizations wage religious wars. In the third 8 civilizations are fighting in the era of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire . In addition, 9 new maps have been added.
• Civilization V: Brave New World is the second addition to the game, officially announced by Firaxis Games on March 15, 2013. It presents 9 new civilizations with their leaders (Poland, Brazil, Assyria and others), including new “social institutions”. Also, the addition has made changes in culture and diplomacy: in particular, the player, assisting cultural workers of his civilization, will be able to win a cultural victory. It also includes 2 scenarios: " US Civil War " and "Fight for Africa." In the first player is invited to choose between the Unionists and the Confederates and either repeat or change the story, capturing the capital of the enemy. In the second 12 civilizations are fighting for domination over the Black Continent. The supplement was released on July 9, 2013 in North America and July 12, 2013 in the rest of the world. Ported by Aspyr Media on Mac OS X ^{[11] [12]} .

Through the game menu you can download a lot of modifications, scenarios and maps created by amateurs, including those that remain popular, ported from previous versions of the game.

A special SDK has been released to create modifications , scripts and maps. This software is also available through Steam only for owners of activated Civilization V. You can create and edit your map in the SDK WorldBuilder mode, and to load it into the game you need to create a modification in the ModBuddy mode ^[13] . It is possible to customize the game for themselves through editing files such as GlobalDefines.xml, Words.xml.

Since June 15, 2012, Civilization V has begun to support the Steam Workshop service ^[14] , through which users can create and install their own modifications, scripts and maps.

Sid Meier's Civilization V has generally received positive reviews. In a number of publications, however, criticism was also cited: complaints about the increased aggressiveness of artificial intelligence at the same time as its tactical weakness (bringing artillery forward to infantry units, etc.), lack of religious confessions, and practical lack of diplomacy.

Civilization V received a BAFTA award in the field of games in 2011 in the nomination “Strategy” ^[15] .

Comments

Sources

Reviews

• 
  - the official site of Sid Meier's Civilization V
• Official Russian site
• 2K Games Civilization V Wiki (unavailable link) (English)
• Official FAQ on system requirements (eng.)
• Official FAQ for "poppies" (eng.)
• Sid Meier's Civilization V on Absolute Games
• Steam for Civilization 5 Questions and Answers (rus.)