Roll the List #33: Kyle’s Take


Op-Ed Cult RTS/Strategy Video Game: Civilization Revolution

Civilization_Revolution_Game_Cover

Sorry for the delay on this week on Roll the List, it is shaping up to be a busy month! This week we are writing about our favorite cult strategy video games. I had a lot of trouble choosing games for this genre, as the definition of strategy as the industry calls it are not really strategy games. Things like Command and Conquer, Starcraft, and Warcraft are all vaguely strategic but not in the sense of long term heuristics of the game. This being the case I chose Civilization Revolution.

This game is pretty much a simplified version of most of the Civilizations games. the game has you take control of a ancient nation and take then through time. you can win a few ways including sending a space ship to another planet, taking over the all of other civilizations other capitol cities, or gathering famous people and building the UN  The game is strategic, plain and simple. there are goals you need to get to the win the game and there are the basic heuristics of the game that get you there. Every game has some use of tactics but these long term civilization games give you far more time to implement those game winning strategies. Most RTS games force you to make more on the fly, tactical decisions with far more detrimental consequences for not choosing the right one. Most of the time I compare these games to most miniature games. once you are on the table playing the game is mostly tactical decisions, the strategy having been decided upon before the model even hit the table. Civ-Rev can punish you but not to the extent of losing the game right as soon as you mess up on battle or economic choice.

The main way I played Civ-Rev was on the PS3. My roommate had the game and would play it for days when he got back into it. He was also able to play it with his buddies over the interwebs, what a future we are in! These games would last hours and hours. They would even put bets on them. This it a cult game. It is one of those games people have never heard about but when you find someone who has they will rave about it. They will likely attempt to take you to their home at that moment, set up their PS3, and make you play the game. That is how passionate people are about this game.

That is all I have to say this week folks. We will try to get these out more regularly I promise! As for this busy month, you all should come check out our sister site, Sickle & Efrit, at Fort Collins ComiCon this weekend, September 12th, from 8am to 8pm. Come see us!

Check out Cait’s take here!

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