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Poor gameplay and horrendous bugs

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 18 / 22
Date: November 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

From what I've read, all users with Intel's line of integrated graphics cards are encountering black maps and weirdly blank animations (the Cheshire Cat effect). This is supposedly because Intel's cards don't support hardware T&L, which is secretly a minimum requirement to play the game. Over the weekend the minimum hardware requirements listed on the official Civ 4 site were upgraded--the game now requires 512MB of RAM for users running XP.

I tried playing the game with the black map, but it was impossible. How can you explore when you don't know if you're in the hills, forest, or grasslands? Or even where the land ends and the water begins? Some people have suggested that there's a problem with the way the game renders Fog of War, but most people seem to think it's the T&L issue.

The game also runs SLOW SLOW SLOW (I'm running a Celeron 2.6 GHz with 512MB RAM, XP, Intel Integrated Video with 64MB VRAM). This is because it's all 3D, with the camera angle swooping whipping around all the time. I don't know what this is supposed to add to the game. Everything is extremely animated.

It seems like the game developers didn't understand at all why the Civilization series has such a strong following. It looks like they spent most of their development budget on the 3D engine, which just makes the game more difficult to play. If you're a hardcore strategist who enjoys large-scale, complicated games, this version will be unplayable and unenjoyable.

My recommendation is not to buy this game unless and until it's fully patched. And if you're a longtime Civilization fan, you might be better off sticking to Civ 3.

Rushed

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 18 / 22
Date: November 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I am heartbroken and only a downloadable patch can fix it.

The game was clearly rushed. My system meets the minimum requirements but I end up staring at a black screen and floating eyeballs after the game loads.

Don't take my word it, go read the Civ forums.

Sigh... and I wanted so much to like this game.

Civilization IV Culture wars or Space Race? Only you can decide.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 16 / 19
Date: August 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

As a long time fan of the Civilization series I can only say that I was somewhat disappointed with the release of Civilization IV.

The main gripe I have with this game is almost nothing happens military wise between opposing AI players. 90% of the time they sit there and demand that you cancel trade deals with one another. But rarely start any kind of larger war with one another. Unless you happen to be nearby then it's break out the troops and stomp headlong into the motherland.

Let me share one of my recent epics through Civ IV. I was the Spanish, carefully minding my own business on an island I shared with the French. Throughout the entire game there were no wars, except for when Civ's captured the barbarian settlements and when the Aztec's decided to obliderate the Russians. (Because they are so aggressive the Aztec's are the only civ that will go to war with another AI civ. As a friend of mine once stated "If the Aztec's could have a civil war they'd do that too."
But other than that nothing else happened except at one point the Chineese, The Romans and The Americans all decided that my Civilization was a threat to international security and simultaniously decided to invade. That's it. No other wars took place (even though I turned on AI aggression) - I even checked the logs at the end of the game to make sure.

So other than not declairing wars the Civilizations main goal is to build the rocket ship to go to Alpha Centuri as fast as possible and failing that they'll try to build a superior culture.

The really only other thing I don't like about Civ IV is the new government system. While it is a neat concept to be blending in different concepts such as a communist state with free speech and universal sufferage most times it really doesn't feel like you have a government at all.

I was a big fan of the old government systems, mostly because being the poli sci dork that I am I liked creating my own back stories to the changes in governments and interactions between civilizations. (In the year 1600 the Myan revolutionaries successfully over through the Smoke Jaguar dynasty and established a democratic state. With the singing of the Constitution of the 1600 in....) You see the point. For me it just seems like Civ's are on thier own islands in the world not really doing anything except scientific research.

That aside though the game is beautifully polished and fireaxis games has cut down on a lot of the tedium of Civ III. Most notably getting rid of some of the unfun things like riots and polution, and significantly speeding up the game play. A game of Civ III could take as long as 24 hours or more to complete from begining to end. While a game of Civ IV can be completed in less than three.

The multiplayer aspect of the game is probably it's best feature.If you play with a number of human opponents the game takes on a feel of what should have been evident when one plays with the computer.

Although I have not played the expansion pack my only hope is that the it address the AI nonagression problem. Otherwise despite the long game play I will most likely revert to playing long draw out games of Civ III to fulfil my global governing ways.

The End of Civilization

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 25 / 36
Date: April 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing Civilization since the first version came out in 1990. I have purchased every version and every expansion. I don't regret a moment of the time I've spent playing this series -- in all its incarnations -- over the past 15+ years. Until now.

I loaded this game on a computer that completely blows away the RECOMMENDED stats. It freezes. It crashes. After I've been playing for an hour or so the gameplay slows to an infinitesimal crawl. I don't care how 'pretty' the graphics are if it slows down the gameplay this much. If I just wanted a pretty view I'd download a screensaver for free. This is supposed to be a GAME.

The largest map is ridiculously small. One of the things I enjoyed most about every previous version of Civilization was exploring the map and choosing the best balance of a decent sized civilization without overextending my borders and garnering the disadvantages of a far-flung empire. Sometimes I'd get a set up with another civ close to me, sometimes it was a long time before I ran into other civs; this added to the variety and encouraged replay; every new game was different. ALL THIS is taken away in CivIV. The maps are all tiny, you can't select how many opponents there are and you run into all of them in the first fifteen minutes of play. This is an improvement?

I've read some of the other reviews on here about how much people like the addition of religion and other cultural features. I've always been the type to rely on trade, culture and exploration to build a winning civilization so I was excited to try this version but I can't get past the horrible flaws in order to experience the supposed 'improvements'. My high hopes have been dashed. I have uninstalled CivIV and reloaded CivIII: Conquests. I don't want this version besmirching my hard drive.

The most poorly programmed game I have ever played

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 44 / 77
Date: November 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I am a computer programmer, and this game makes me sick. I have never seen such a piece of trash thrown into a box and sold to people. I think the game itself is pretty interesting, but what does it matter since I can't play a game all the way through? Once I get to the 1800s or so, the game crashes every 2 or 3 turns. Firaxis and 2k Games (the companies responsible for this piece of garbage) should be ashamed of themselves. I want my $50 back until you finish beta testing!

Total beta garbage

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 21 / 29
Date: November 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have been playing Everquest 2 for a year so I am used to computer-devouring gaming. I am used to occasional system crashes and overheating that comnes with badly desgined games. I have had to continually upgrade my computer and give it an obscene amount of RAM just to continue to play EQ2. So you would think that the most demanding game in gaming history would not require MORE than a clunky little game like Civ4. Guess again.

This would could and should be a fantastic, thrilling new stage in the CIV saga. I have been looking forward to the latest chapter in this game I have been playing obsessively for a decade.

But as it is right now, this game is absolute crap. Over the last week CIV4 has crashed my computer no less the 4 dozen times. It is completely, totally worthless. Looks nice, but I have yet to be able to play longer than 15 minutes at a stretch without some fatal error, system reboot, driver collapse, etc. Do NOT waste the $50 on this junk. My NVidia graphics driver is being incincerated every time I play. I have come to dread construction of world wonders because those tedious "wonders videos" popping up crash the game.

In a few months they will presumably come up with a patch to make up for the awful, game-destroying bugs. Until then, don't bother. I sincerely hope Firaxis loses millions of dollars for this - their obvious greedy scheme to rush this broken game out to the market in time for Christmas shopping was a complete slap in teh face to every loyal fan.

Beta testing? Yes, you are.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 16 / 20
Date: November 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Still in Beta and I want my money back. I'm not paying $50 for a game that is constantly crashing. This game looks and feels great. Too bad it doesn't stay running for longer than about 5-10 minutes. When it goes, it takes the whole computer with it, too.

DO NOT BUT THIS GAME! IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 16 / 20
Date: November 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Teach Firaxis a lesson and DO NOT buy this game! I am one of the hundreds with the black map and no faces bug. My system meets all of the minimum recommended requirements to run this game, but who wants to play on a black map. See how many other people have this same problem by doing a search for "civ 4 black map" on the interet. This game is a Beta peice of crap!!! I wish I could get my $50 back. I have played Civ for 14 years and this is how they repay my loyalty. Sid Meier is the greatest game designer ever and he should be ashamed that his name is attached to this peice of garbage. BE WARNED....DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!

Civ 3.5

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 16 / 20
Date: November 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I had no issues playing the game as far as crashes and major bugs. With that said, this game is Civ 3 with better graphics. Right down to the space race win. There are many changes and tweaks to all phases of the game, but it is still the same as civ 3. I've seen expansion packs with more changes. I played one time. I doubt I will play again. A total disappointment.

Civilization IV doesn't require a Mega-Computer, but it does require LUCK as to whether you are able to run it or not!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 15
Date: June 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Let me start out by saying, I have experienced the joys as well as the keyboard smashing hardships with Civilization IV. Let me explain, I have 3 computers that I had to run this on (Dell, Gateway, and Self-built). Never in my life have I seen a game as unexpected as this when it comes to installing or running it. Now this is the key point, you do not need a super computer to run this game, but it won't run on any single computer as well.

I bought Civ4 when it first came out at my local bestbuy about a year ago, supprisingly they haven't lowered the price. There seems to be a reason for this: The people who produced Civilization IV seem to want to get every single penny out of it.

This is the first problem: After a long anticipated wait, Civ4 was released...way too early. As soon as it ran, the title screen wouldn't load. The leaders of the civilizations didn't have any skin either, it was both funny and sad. There were many people out there experiencing the same problem, so about 2 weeks later, they released a patch. Sadly, my gateway still seemed to slow.

Moving on to the Self-built computer. This was a joke! I tried installing it, and it froze. I tried a second time, blue screen of death! I tried about 5 more times and finally got it to settle on my computer. But alas, when I tried playing it, I recieved an error. This error was basically written on to their software which bsically said: Look, we don't trust you, so I'm not going to run. It seemed like the people behind Civ4 decided that their game was so revolutionary, that they'd decide to put the most thorogh, infuriating security device onto their disk. This is a proven fact, and was even mentioned on a popular video game review show.

Even on the Dell, I had many of the same problems, but in the end I could run it, and found that the gameplay was in a sence fun. I still laugh at the fact that the "Install" Disc is the play disc, and the "Play" disc is the install disc. It's just these small problems that show they did not care that they were putting out an unfinished games. Sure, some bugs are exceptable (look at World of Warcraft) but it was this huge collection that made it seem outrageous. At least the people at Blizzard encourage people to change certain things about the game to make it either more enjoyable, or to have something to ban.

On a final note: The Gameplay was fine, but the lack of customer service and their ability to give you an ulcer encouraged me to uninstall the game, take the discs, and toss them out the window. No game, in my oppinion, should be released with this many problems and definatly sways me away from buying any other games from them.

Civilization is like a bad date. Sure its pretty on the outside, but on the inside, it just frustates you; blocks any attempts for you to interact with it; and steals the $50 that you paid for it... :P

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