![]() ![]() There were many instances in playing Civ2 where I found myself missing the features and functionality I enjoyed in Civ2 's heir to the strategy throne. Since Alpha Centauri was designed to be a multiplayer game from the very beginning, I found its multiplayer suite to have nearly every option I could possibly want. Internet play is sponsored on the MSN Gaming Zone - I haven't played on the net but when I checked the site it was midnight (west coast, USA) and there were at least 20 people still playing. Considering the included expansion packs and the excellent single-player value, though, that's still worth the price of admission. About the only really negative thing that can be said of the multiplayer suite is that it doesn't spawn - each human participant will have to shell out $29.95 (US) for his or her own copy of the game. You can also re-load the game at any time and swap a human in for AI players, which means that someone who crashes (and has the AI take over for him) has a chance to join back in right away. Saving and loading works for multiplayer games, and if the host crashes then the AI takes over the player slot and server duties are passed on to someone else. The multiplayer-specific portions of the interface are pretty basic, but they are solid and they work right out of the box. ![]() Lite or not, though, Civilization 2 in multiplayer mode is still a lot of fun. (In a challenging game filled with human players, every moment you spend in planning between turns usually pays off.) All in all, the turn system works well enough that it's renewing my interest in the multiplayer aspects of Heroes of Might and Magic III, which is allegedly going to have a turn-based system very similar to the one found in Civ2 Gold.Īfter playing many hours of Alpha Centauri, Civilization2 Gold Multiplayer seems a little bit like 'strategy lite'. I could really find something worthwhile to do like spending a little extra time in the Civilopedia to figure out what sorts of research would get me to that next crucial Wonder of the world. When I did find myself becoming a little restless I usually came to the conclusion that, well. It's a slightly different story as you add more human competitors - with four players you may start to find yourself idle for a few seconds between your turns at bat, and with a full seven human players the game may seem a little slow (depending on the time limit) for the impatient gamers among us. Civilization is such a complex game world that there is almost always something useful to look at or do while you are waiting. Before long you grow accustomed to moving your units during your turn and handling everything else - including diplomacy - during someone else's. I played a large number of multiplayer games on a LAN and found that for three players or fewer you rarely find yourself watching the timer and waiting for your turn. Somewhat surprisingly, this works out pretty well. In the end, though, there are no real losers in this comparison - it's a great blessing to strategy gamers everywhere (and perhaps a big problem for their employers and spouses) that both of these games hold up so very well. While this is supposed to be a review of Civ2 Gold and not a preview or review of Alpha Centauri, I'll warn you right now that I don't think I'll be able to discuss Civ2 Gold without mentioning the game that many people think of as 'Civilization 3'. Having just wrapped up involvement with the Alpha Centauri beta program only a week or so before receiving my copy of Civ2 Gold for this review, I found it impossible not to compare the two in great detail. Microprose has recently released Civ2 Multiplayer Gold, a multiplayer version of the classic game that made Brian a widely-recognized name in the gaming industry, and it's likely that by the time you read this we'll be seeing the full retail release of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, a 'Brian Reynolds Design' that picks up where Civilization 2 left off. There is no doubt that this is a fantastic time for Brian Reynolds fans. ![]()
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