Sid Meier’s Civilization II

Game Description

MicroProse developed and published Sid Meier’s Civilization II, a turn-based strategy video game in the Civilization series. It was first released for PCs in 1996, and Activision later ported it to the PlayStation.

Players create a civilization from a primitive tribe, competing against rival computer- or human-controlled civilizations (in some editions). They manage cities and units in order to ensure their civilization’s dominance, either by conquering all other civilizations or developing advanced space technology.

Civilization II was a commercial success, selling around three million units by 2001, and has won numerous awards and been named to lists of the “best games of all time.” Civilization III came after it.

[title] Gameplay

Civilization II, as a turn-based strategy game, accurately depicts the historical development of human civilization. When creating a game, a player may select one of 21 historical civilizations or a custom-named civilization. Multiple rival civilizations will be intelligently controlled by the computer. Until the release of the Multiplayer Addon, there was only a single-player mode available.

Sid Meier’s Civilization II takes place on a tile-based map. A human player can either generate a random map based on his specifications or choose a pre-made map. On different tiles, different terrain types, special resources, and improvements such as irrigation are present. In 4000 BC, players begin with one or a few units, including settlers to establish their first cities. Except for the immediate vicinity of the starting units, the entire map is unexplored, and exploration is a top early-game priority.

Cities occupy one tile and reap the benefits of nearby tiles’ yields: food, trade, and production. They may construct units, city improvements, or world wonders. Typically, each civilization will constantly expand by establishing new cities until the entire map has been settled. The many different units, similar to chess pieces, vary in their functions, mirroring historical types of soldiers and occupations. Units occupy one tile at a time and are free to move at any time. The majority of them can attack others in battle, while a small number have non-military functions.

After civilizations make contact, diplomatic relations are established. During a war, one civilization may conquer the cities of another civilization. When a player’s cities are all conquered, he is removed from Sid Meier’s Civilization II for good. Two players may promise peaceful relations to end the war.

The game’s focus is on scientific research. Players begin with primitive technology and, as a result, limited options. Civilization advances, both scientific and societal, offer numerous benefits when grouped by eras from ancient to modern.

There are three paths to victory: conquering all other civilizations, building a spaceship that uses advanced technology to reach the Alpha Centauri star system, and surviving until 2020 AD. After completing Sid Meier’s Civilization II, a player’s score is computed.

Other features

Mods that alter the game’s graphics or mechanics are supported in Civilization II. “Scenarios” are pre-programmed game files that simulate historical, fictional, or other scenarios.

Differences from Civilization

Civilization II is very similar to its predecessor Civilization, with a few changes and additions to units, civilizations, world wonders, tile “specials,” and technologies. Diplomatic reputation and production waste are two entirely new concepts. The world map has been converted from a top-down to an isometric representation.  The artificial intelligence of the human player’s opponents has also been enhanced.

Download [title]

We might have Sid Meier’s Civilization II download available for more than one platform. Sid Meier’s Civilization II is currently available on these platforms:

Windows (1996)

How to play on Windows

1. Download and extract Sid_Meiers_Civilization_II_Win_RIP_EN.zip
2. Find the file called “civ2.exe” – double click it to run the game.
3. Enjoy the game!

[title] Screenshots

Windows

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