Product Description

SimCity™ 4, features new simulation and graphics engines, new regional game play and thenew ability to track the lives of individual Sims as they go about their daily routine, SimCity 4 isthe most realistic, powerful and personal SimCity experience ever. Lay the groundwork for theircities by molding mountains, carving valleys, seeding forests and laying rivers. Build a worldclasscity with stadiums, airports, universities, and real-world landmarks. Feel the rhythm of thecity: peaceful protests and rowdy riots, noontime crowds and nighttime calm. Control everyaspect of your city and see the results for better or worse.

• Sculpt mountains, gouge valleys, seed forests, and bring forth animals to create a world allyour own.
• Summon volcanoes, release tornados, and call down meteors and lightning.
• Build a world class city with stadiums, airports, universities, and real-world landmarks.
• Deploy emergency vehicles and join in the action as they battle blazes, mobs, and more.
• Place your Sims in your city to get the inside scoop on what's going on around town.
• Connect a massive region of SimCities, each sharing and competing for resources.

Features

• Create and control the most life-like metropolis you can imagine
• Take your Sims from "The Sims" into your SimCity
• Dispatch police cruisers to fight crime, send out the Mayor's limo to quell a rioting mob, or cap an erupting volcano threatening your citizens
• Form mountains, carve valleys, plant forests, raise oceans, and more
• From mellow traffic flow to commuter hell, noontime crowds to nighttime calm, partygoers to troublemakers, the movement in your city is ever-changing and unpredictable

Reviews (28)

Should be Crash City not Sim City
I bought this game for my son and I am now spending many minutes a day rebooting his MAC computer. The game locks up the entire system and requires a hard reboot each time. If this was an automobile from GM of Ford the roads would be littered with wrecked cars. Don't waste you money.

Great game, but you need a patch to fix a performance issue
I played all the previous versions of Sim City back in my bad oldWindows days and really enjoy the game.But for some reason this version will paralyze even a fast Mac.I'm running this on an iMac 1.8GHz G5 with 1GB of memory, and after about 10 minutes of play I have to quit and restart the game because the response becomes impossibly slow.Very frustrating.Haven't tried the updater yet, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

UPDATE (Apr 05): Installed the updater and it appears to have fixed the slow response problem.

Very Good...if it has update!
I have noticed many people have said just how bad Sim City 4 is. The thing to solve these problems is to get the updater It will make Sim City much better!

Graphics not a problem...if you fix them!
Lots of these reviews complain about the graphics on this Mac version.I had the same problems too - unexpected crashes and VERY slow game performance, on a pretty new G5 tower.

Doing two things will fix these issues.In the game's video/display options panel, switch off the page scrolling, and reduce the graphic detail.That's all it took to have this game running great.The manual should cover these quirks but it doesn't.

One final tip - learn the keyboard commands (found on the back of the manual) as it will speed up gameplay hugely, and totally compensates for no scrolling.

Not worth it!
Ok so i was a fan of Sim City 2000 which I found a demo of on a CD I didnt know i had. So I put it in and played Sim City 2000...and played and played and so on so I soon got the full thing. I became addicted to it. When Sim City 4 came out, i wanted it so much but I only had a mac. When it came out I bought like the first day! When I played I was sooooo dissapointed. nothing seemed to work right, the airplanes shadows became square and the streams on the airplanes was stretched all the way across, it kept crashing, and the industrial zone turned white, edge scrolling messed up sooooo slooooow. When I played it on a PC at my friends house, it was beutiful! Not a single bug! I ditched the game and played 2000 again finding it much better. Now I only play for like 10 minutes before getting bored. Seiously on this, NOT worth spending $40-$50 on this pathetic game. Maxis should be ashamed of themselves to take so much care in the PC games then throw it on a mac bugs and all. NOT worth it! Keep your money while you can! In other words, it doesn't take good graphics to make a good game. So get with it Maxis!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Ever wonder what happened to the explorers launched into space at the end of Civilization 2? This game has the answer: they landed on a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri, and quickly divided into feuding factions, each bent on reshaping the new world according to their particular philosophy or culture. But the human colonists are not alone. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri Planetary Pack bundles together the full version of Alpha Centauri with its official expansion pack, Alien Crossfire.

Alpha Centauri employs the same basic game play, rules, and concept as Civilization 2, but features enhanced diplomacy and a new, slicker interface. Players begin by assuming leadership of one of seven colony factions, establishing a base on the unexplored world. Conquering territory, developing technology, expanding the faction's population, and dealing with native life forms are critical priorities that must be correctly balanced for survival. If a faction's military output is low, it may be vulnerable to attacks by others or by dangerous mind worms that roam the landscape. On the other hand, building war machines at the expense of scientific research may result in trying to manage a massive but obsolete war machine or a rebellious population.

Within the game, you can now automate tasks that--in the earlier game--were repetitive and dull. The factions also have a better mix of leaders; three of the seven factions are headed by women. The computer AI for the other groups does a good job of making decisions in accordance with each faction's particular philosophy and world view, and will often surprise a human player with an offer of strategic alliance or a sudden double-cross.

Alien Crossfire, the official add-on pack for Alpha Centauri, expands on the original game by adding seven factions, new facilities, additional secret projects, and new branches to the elaborate technology tree. The pack also provides new enhancements to Alpha Centauri, including play-by-e-mail multiplayer mode, hot-seat multiplayer mode, and numerous tweaks to the interface and unit properties. Alien Crossfire's new factions include cyborgs, drones, pirates, and two sets of alien societies. Factions are balanced by a set of predetermined statistics and characteristics, such as bonuses for particular government and production styles.

This easy-to-learn and thoroughly absorbing game takes the best features of the classic Civ 2 and sets them in a brave new world. The addition of Alien Crossfire's expanded features, missions, and multiplayer capabilities ensures that players will be exploring the fascinating world of Alpha Centauri for a long time.

... Read more

Reviews (21)

The zenith of strategy gaming. kudos to Reynolds.
This game is the only turn-based strategy game one would ever need.
It has everything one would want out of a strategy game and SO much more.
The story is epic. The world is fully realised. The gameplay is deep. The literary references(not only Sci-Fi but philosophical and ethical and social) are many and profound. The factions are compelling. The possibilities are endless.

The including of multiplayer as well as 7 extra factions in the expansion pack only sweetens the deal.

The only (minor) flaws here, which only present themselves to the diehard gamer, is the apparent lack of challenge from the AI, as well as the seemingly lacklustre graphics(but given the budget of Firaxis at the time, the art direction is still amazing).

Get This Game. It's one of those classics which you will keeping coming back for more. Even having owned this masterpiece for more than 5 years, I still play Alpha Centauri every 3 months or so, and it STILL retains its freshness and playability. This one is adefinite keeper.

Also, as a parting word, I want to make it clear that, despite the "Sid Meier" name on the package, designer Brian Reynolds(who has since left Firaxis I believe) was the man behind Alpha Centauri and as such deserves the kudoes.
It is THIS game which deserves the title of "true sequel to Civilization II", and not Civ III which has none of the depth that this game has in spades.

Buy it.

Extraordinary game
This game is probably the best I've ever played, and perhaps the best game I will ever play.It has all of the features you could want in a turn based game.

The automation of funtions is incredible.Based on your wishes, you can designate tasks for units to perform, instead of dealing with the monotony of reissuing the same command turn after turn.For example, you can just say tell a unit to "build road", and it will only build roads... and will do so in places that make sense.Truly amazing AI...

Add to that the rich cultures and philosophies of the characters, ability to customize units any way you'd like, great sci-fi, and you're left with a game that is still a force to be contented with 4-5 years after its release.

However, because of the wide range of possibilities, the game can be quite complex.

If you're not intimidated by having to think, this game is definitely for you.I look forward to a sequel, should they ever develop one.

Still the best thinking person's game
As titled.

The game's other principle designer, Brian Howard went on to do Rise of Nations, a worthy game but without the incredible story-line and in-depth richness of ACAX.

ACAX was a delight not just for the gameplay but for the entire experience: the cultural references, the well-developed factions, the whole mind-worm experience.

One could get immersed in ACX the same way one could in Balder's Gate, Everquest, etc: but at the same time play a Risk/Age of Empires-like military campaign.To be sure, the Starcraft seriesis classic; as well as the first two Myths.

But AC and ACAX, from the same era, set a standard for a total gaming experience that very few strat games since have approached.

Great stuff.I'd love to see a new version with many of the old characters.

Complex, intelligent and don't take your eyes off the domes
There are so many features and so much entertainment to be had I don't know where to begin.It's great that there actually is a story behind the strategy, building, managing, feeding people, keeping populations happy...It's a lot like Galactic Trader, which ranks right up there with this as a time-vaporizer.Warning: this game may cause you to lose sleep and sense of perspective.I actually had to uninstall it...that's how much fun it is.The graphics are terrific.

Don't neglect the supplies to your domes and put in plenty of airponics bays, creches, theaters, tree farms and other amenities.

Get it for less
There are moneygrubbers who are going to kill me for this but for all of you wanting this game for a reasonable price this is for you.

Don't bother buying in secondary market for an overblown price. Pick up the laptop collection by EA games, $20 for both main game and expansion and some other strategy games to boot, some of which are quite good.Save yourself some cash and get some great games. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Electronic Arts' Alien Crossfire--created by legendary designer Sid Meier, maker of such landmark games as Civilization and Pirates!--is the official add-on pack for a brilliant turn-based strategy game,Alpha Centauri. The pack expands on the original game by adding seven factions, new facilities, additional secret projects, and new branches to the elaborate technology tree. Fans also receive many new enhancements to Alpha Centauri, including play-by-email mutiplayer mode, hotseat multiplayer mode, and numerous tweaks to the interface and unit properties. Alien Crossfire's new factions include cyborgs, drones, pirates, and two sets of alien societies. Factions are balanced by a set of predetermined statistics and characteristics, such as bonuses for particular government and production styles.

Game play means creating and maintaining a flourishing society on a hostile alien world. Players must juggle dozens of civilization settings--such as government style, unit production, and pollution prevention--and discover the best means of conquering enemies through a powerful economy, research and development, or military conquest. Alternatively, players and computer-controlled factions can become allies instead of enemies and trade technologies and unit designs to further bolster scientific advancements and economy.

With an exciting new story line, dozens of enhancements, and tried-and-true game play that adds hours of life to the original game, Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire is a must-have expansion pack for Alpha Centauri fans. Remember that you'll need Alpha Centauri in order to play and enjoy Alien Crossfire. --Doug Radcliffe ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Still fun after all these years!
I was one of the beta testers on SMAC and SMACX and sank far more hours into it than I'd ever want to admit to. Burned out, immediately after the retail release I set it aside for a couple months but came back to it and never left. I've probably spent more time with SMAC/SMACX than any other game and I'm still playing. Why? Because it's truly a classic piece of work--a story within a game and a game within a story. I know of no other game in the genre that is quite like it. And guessing at the amount time, effort and money that went it making SMAC, I don't expect to see another one like it either. If you're a fan of the TBS genre, then for that reason alone you should have a copy of this--its a reminder of just what can be done by a talented, dedicated crew of artists working in pixels and code.

If you've not experiened this game, then there is really only onequestion you need to answer to know if you should get it: do you like turn-based strategy games? If so, then you need to try this one. A few people are put off by the Science Fiction setting but unless that's a fatal flaw for you then find a copy of this and enjoy. Some things you need to know:

* This game isn't new so don't expect state-of-the art graphics and eye-candy. However, the graphics hold up pretty well tho' and they serve the purpose extremely well.

* Yes, it will play on the latest machines running WinXP. At least it does on machines I've tried running P4 processors and Win2000, WinXp Home and WinXP Pro. There are a couple of tweaks you may or may not need available to make it fully compatible and with a P4 processor the game will warn you that 'your CPU isn't supported' but it plays just fine.

* Don't rush through this one. Play the game like you're reading a really good novel--read everything, look at stuff, watch the cut scene videos, etc. There's an incredible amount of 'back story' for the game and its easy to miss just how rich it is.

There aren't many things, much less games, that can be called unique but I think SMAC/SMACX is one of them.

Even with it's flaws it's a great expansion!
Alpha Centauri is such an absorbing game that completely outpaces anything similar that has come out over the last 12 years.The Alien Crossfire expansion adds enough to the game that it surely is worth owning and using.Be sure to get the patch though as the game has a lot of bugs!

The new human factions (Pirates, Drones, Consciousness, Planet Cult, and Datatechs) are fantastic fun!The alien factions are overpowered, irritating, and suck the life out of the game in my opinion.Fortunately you can play without them. Too bad you can only have seven factions max in a game as playing with the 12 human factions would be incredible fun!

The new planetary features are worth having for sure. The Manifold Nexus is mysterious and worth fighting over.The crash site of the Unity spaceship has lots of goodies to dig up, and the borehole fields are nice to build near.

The new technologies add a lot of excitement to the game along with new base installations like the Aquafarm which gives you more food from kelp farms or the Flechette missile defense which gives you better defense from missile attacks.Brood pits make even bigger and more dangerous mind worms, spore launchers, sealurks, and isles of the deep.New Technologies like marine detatchments can be added to ships so you can board and capture enemy ships!Four new secret projects are also made available:Planetary Energy Grid (energy bank in every base - nice!), Cloudbase Academy (air complex in every base - definitely the most valuable secret project!), the Nethack Terminus (probe team bonus - yawn!), and the Manifold Harmonics (nice for extra food and energy but the game is almost over!).

Once you play with the new factions and buildings, it's doubtful you'd go back to playing just the original as much if at all.

It took me forever to find this
This is one of those, 'don't ask us about' it addons.Seems the owner and a head developer when seperate ways.If you really only want to play the game and are not stuck on collecting it, or the box artwork, do a search for 'The Laptop Collection', and just buy the thing for 19.99 along with Alpha Centauri and like 2 other games.If you need to show the box to your friends, or want to resell it on e-bay, you'd better buy it used for like $75 to $125 here.Whatever you need.Cool game.Next time I won't wait so long to get what I wanted.Collectors glut just about ruined getting a hold of this one.Barely made it.Notice, I don't need the pretty box. :)

Great!
If you manage to get your hands on a copy of this, hold onto it as strong as you can!It was discontinued maybe five years back, but it still holds strong with nowadays games.Alien Crossfire gives you a larger diversity in factions, along with the ability to make your own.The only downside is it sells for $$ or more.The new units and technologies, not to mention factions, are great!

A great expansion to a great game
So you thought Alpha Centauri is all there was?Well, get ready for an even bigger game experience.

Most companies just add a few frills to a computer game with an expansion.But the Alien Crossfire expansion not only adds the frills, it adds totally new thrills.In addition to the new human factions and their units, it adds two Alien races to the mix - making this one of the most original colonization / civilization games available.

There are new secret projects to build.There are new units to add to your already full arsenal.There are some new features on Planet that make exploration more interesting.Add to that the alien races - one which is bent on recovering "their" world at all costs, and one that is more interested in working with the humans that have colonized this new world.

My favorite new faction is the Nautilus Pirates.They start with a unique advantage - they build their first city in the sea, and they can very quickly achieve dominance of Planet's oceans.

If you liked Alpha Centauri, it might be worth your effort to try to find a copy of Alien Crossfire.My only dream is that both discs will be released as a single package someday. Still one of my most played discs.One of my very highest recommendations. ... Read more

Features

• Expansion to Sims 4 allows god-like control over city infrastructure
• Players take complete individual control of roads, rail, air, waterways, and even vehicles
• Choose from modern European or three historical architectural eras
• Introduce new disasters into your city
• For 1 player

Reviews (25)

They will gladly take your money...again.
Since the makers of the original SimCity 4 never actually fully patched that version, they tell you to buy Rush Hour to solve the issues existing with that main version. Throwing in a few additions that could have been made available for download, you must buy this expansion in order for the game to even work with ANY future elements they may provide. Newer building tools or the rare new structure will simply not work with the stand alone version.
But the "situation" even goes much deeper than that-
Problems were not only not fixed, but were actually HIDDEN by the game designers. Observant players of the original SC4 would notice cars driving in circles or driving a highway,leaving and re-entering it at each exit! With Rush Hour, they merely lowered the amount of time automobiles would be displayed so players would think there are no problems. Very sneaky Maxis! Many gamers are none the wiser. It is truly amazing the game developers could get away with such practices... and laugh all the way to the bank.

god like powers
This is the best game since GTA. The best thing to do is name streets and roads and neighborhoods and districts. I wish you could make a ethnic neighborhood then it would be really fun. You can make suburbs like the big city can be very blue collar and crime ridden and bad schools and one suburb can be white collar with mansions and excellent schools depending on what neighborhood you pay most attention to, just one of the best games ever made.

A Must Buy... if your conscious is flexible..
This expansion is a must purchase.It's more than the features they describe, they've refined and improved just about everything is seems from the regular Sim City 4.

My issue however is that there are so many aspects that you get in the expansion that were missing without it (such as say, the ability to click a button to make a certain building historical, which you could do in previous Sim Cities), it really kind of left a bitter taste in my mouth buying this.The ORIGINAL Sim City 4 should have had many of the polished aspects of the expansion.This isn't just a ton of cool new features, this expansion makes the game complete.

Kinda clever.. sell an incomplete game, then make you buy the expansion to get the full product.So it's a must purchase, but I blow my nose at you so called "computer coders", you and all you're silly kinnigits... pbhhhhhtthhh....

Sincerely,

A Frustrated Gamer Who Knows He's Not Going To Be Sleeping Tonight Because of the Darn Game

(or just Graham will do)

A tremendous improvement
I have been waiting for Maxis to improve the transportation features, and finally they've done it!!!I can now control traffic more efficiently in my city by knowing what paths citizens take to and from work.This allows me to determine where I should place new roads, mass transit lines, stations, etc.The monorails allow you to have a much more futuristic city, only you can't build monorail lines over elevated freeways.The surface freeways and elevated trains also make city transportation systems much more realistic.If you have SC4 and don't have Rush Hour, I highly recommend that you buy it now.It is worth every cent.

All the bells, whistles, and sirens a city should have!
After purchasing SimCity 4 and hearing of the Rush Hour expansion, I didn't know what to expect--after all, I just payed $40 for the stand alone version.Yet, to my surprise, RH added a tremendous ammount of gameplay and realism that wasn't available with SimCity 4.While the U-Drive it features are alright, I am extremely impressed with the tremendous addition of ground level highways, (I wanted these for a while now) Chicago-style "el" lines, monorails, and a new slew of roadway tools.Mayors should also take note of the new building sets, greatly improved gameplay performace, and more realistic play.Rush Hour is more than a simple add-on, it's a sequel to a great game. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Toga party, anyone? Now your Sims can do that and more withThe Sims: House Party Expansion Pack, which makes it easier thanever for characters from The Sims to make friends and quicklyrise to the top ranks of their professions.

They'll need all the extra money they make from promotions to pay forall the cool goodies included in this expansion. Party themes rangefrom Wild West campfire cookouts to Hawaiian luaus and room-shakingraves, with plenty of objects provided to keep guests entertained.There's a costume trunk to guarantee everyone will be dressed for theoccasion, and it's even possible to hire a caterer to keep the food anddrink flowing. If you're really lucky, a famous star may pop in for aguest appearance. Every party is packed with surprises, and theinclusion of extra neighborhoods ensures there's always a bash to plan.This is one expansion that no fan of The Sims should be without.--T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• More than 100 new objects and characters
• Guaranteed social interactions can really help a Sim's career
• Great music and fun themes
• Plenty of surprises

• Takes time away from real parties

Features

• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Strategy
• Mission: Party hard with your Sims using a dance cage, mechanical bull, and hookah
• Platform: Windows 95/98/Me/XP

Reviews (197)

Having a big bash!!!
It's cool to have parties when a lot of people come.I have a huge party room where people dance and be the D.J. It's fun when you get a big cake and hire a male or female dancer and they pop out of the cake and do a dance,but watch out because sometimes they come up to you and make out with you or flirt with you.If you don't have this game you should buy it.

House Party!
The Sims House Party is one of the few expansion packs that I can't do without apart from Hot Date and Livin' Large (And to some extent Vacation, and Superstar). It truly enhances Sims' lives by inviting each other for costume or themed parties, but it has it's disadvantages as well.

You want to make sure that your Sims really know the people around you for the party to go well or the dreaded Mime'll arrive. He doesn't do much apart from get in the way and annoy people. While on the other hand, if your party's a success you get a surprise visit from a celebrity! It's never happened to me yet, but then again I've done the sad mistake of signing up with the Talent Agency too quickly.

Also, if your Sim isn't on good terms with any other Sim in the neighborhood, using the phone to declare a house party'll automatically invite them as well. This can get nasty sometimes. In cases like these, it'd be "safer" to use the phone and manually select who you want to invite over. Then of course, you can always buy the turkey and the Christmas tree.

Parties are even divided into adult or kiddy parties, with dance entertainers popping out of cakes for the former but a purple gorilla usually stuns the kids for the latter. Some of the additional items that come along with this expansion pack are DJs, Caterers and costume wardrobes!

Recommended.

Great New Stuff!!!
Want some new skins, objects, walls, and floors for your Sims?Look no further than House Party!There is some great having-fun-potential here!!!Whether you want an entertainer to pop out of a cake or you want to sit around a campfire to sing songs and roast marshmallows (this is so cute... when they sing around the campfire, someone pulls out a guitar and they all sing real melodies but with Sim lyrics), House Party is for anybody!
Don't stay up too late! And go easy on the alcohol! ;)

One of the best expansion packs.
If you love the Sims you'll love this expansion pack. If you want all the Sims expansion packs make sure you purchase Livin' Large first so you don't have to uninstall House Party and any other expansion packs. House Party is the third one in the series. This game is GREAT. It allows you to have a party. Depending on if your party is good or not you may get a visitor. If you party is bad you will get a clown who will not leave you alone but it is fun to slap him. If your party is good than certain celebrities will visit you. I have had Drew Carey visit. The game gives you more options and more neighborhoods. Enjoy the game!

Funest toy ever
It is very fun because you can make people that are fanous,make people that look like you, or just make a stranger. You can also make your dream house or you can marry your crush!
... Read more

Amazon.com Review

SimCity 3000 is back, and it's bigger than ever! Maxis pulled out all the stops for this new version of the bestselling game, adding enough new customized graphics to re-create cities from around the world. The new European and Asian building sets serve up hundreds of new buildings that match the architecture of these diverse environments. From the Great Wall to the Berlin Wall, it's in there. Of course, you can still mix and match--freedom to run a city as you choose has always been the name of this game.

No addition to the SimCity family would be complete without some new methods for destroying your creations, and SimCity 3000 Unlimited has four more devastating disasters than the old version. You can re-create the movie Armageddon by unleashing large chunks of flaming space debris, smite your populace with a buzzing swarm of locusts, destroy seaports and coastal developments with a whirlpool, or uncork some toxic clouds.

The Building Architect, formerly available as a free download, is now packed on the CD-ROM. This 3-D architectural program lets users create the buildings of their dreams, from dilapidated outhouses to towering skyscrapers to works of modern art that are intended for pure decoration. Don't worry if you don't feel like using this powerful tool to create things yourself--the game comes with dozens of new ways to make your cities unique, and you can always head to the SimCity Exchange to download imaginative add-ons created by other users. The infinite expandability and infinite replayability of this game should keep would-be mayors completely occupied until they move to the suburbs of The Sims. ... Read more

Features

• All-new Asian and European building sets with hundreds of new buildings to choose from
• 13 challenging scenarios or create your own custom, goal-based adventure
• 4 new disasters to inflict: plague of locusts, toxic cloud, space junk, and a whirlpool
• 23 new landmarks: Helsinki Cathedral, Japan's Himeji Castle, and more
• Customizable terrain with scores of new options, such as snow, rolling hills, and a desert

Reviews (124)

Very Addictive
I find this game very addictive, and considerably better than 2000. I really like the News Ticker, which gives you great advice on how to run your city. It does take up a lot of memory, though, so it's a good thing my computer has so much. I've heard that it tends to destroy your computer, so if you don't want that to happen, here's my advice: Don't take out the CD until the program is done being exited, don't install it if your computer can't handle it, and when you do take out the CD, be sure to press Ctrl, alt, and Delete and close all tasks that sound anything like "SimCity."

My only complaints are this: it makes your computer run slowly, and when locusts hit your town, the sound effects don't ever go away.

Happy playing!

Great game in its day; rather old now.
This was a great game back in its day. However, it is old and dated now. It was a vast improvement over SimCity 2000 and the original SimCity, offering larger cities and maps and improved graphics and other details.

For all the reviewers who are being so negative, look at the system requirements. This game was designed for Windows 95 and 98, not 2000 or XP. Most games like that will not run properly under 2000 or XP (if at all). For those of you with 2000 or XP, I recommend SimCity 4 (Rush Hour or Deluxe Edition) instead.

Technology marches on, and it is critical to verify that your system meets the requirements of the software programs (and understanding that old programs may no longer work on newer PCs and operating systems).

4 stars for win 98, 0 for others
Like other reviewers, I've had problems with this game on both Win 2k and Windows XP. On 2k, the game installs and loads, but stalls on the first screen. On XP, the game installs but does not load.
I originally bought this in China (legally) and thought that this may be the reason. I used to play it on a Windows 98 machine until that machine crashed, and I had to upgrade to 2k, and have not played it since.
I also contacted EA Tech Support who insisted that this game is/was designed for Windows 98. They suggested I run the compatibility wizard but this was a failure.
Why they're still selling this game escapes me. Maybe they've corrected things on later versions though.
If you can get it to run, this really is a fun game. There are plenty of improvements from Sim City 2000 that I enjoyed, especially the more logical traffic and crime patterns, and the huge increase in map size.
All in all though, don't buy this.

simy 3000
this game is a city.you build roads etc.How is it that no one likes this game anymore?duh!the next one.It is sad that this game is not enough for people anymore.it should be.

Computer Problems
Do not buy this game. I was really, really excited when I bought it, but when my dad and I tried to install it, it didn't work. It just, instead, sort-of-ruined our computer. That made me and my sister not able to buy any more Sims games, which really stinks. Do not buy this computer-breaking game! I'm hoping that this reveiw will save your computer from Sim City 3000 Unlimited's horrible software (when I say horrible software, I mean horrible software). ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Politics, economics, standard warfare, trade, diplomacy, religion--these are just a few of the issues brought up in Civilization 2, a turn-based strategy game created by Sid Meier. Become one of many legendary leaders and re-create history to your own preferences. With more than 100 technological and political advances, 28 Wonders of the World, and a variety of rival countries and tribes to interact with, Civilization 2 is as enthralling as it is addictive.

Begin the game in 4000 BC, and choose your country's fate. Will you be aggressive in your technology or in your military tactics? Will you concentrate on trade or focus on exploring new worlds? Whatever your decision, you must take over the world or colonize Alpha Centauri by the year 2040 AD. Choose your first settlement and you are off! Explore new civilizations or destroy them, plan spy attacks to steal their information, and advance through four different architectural eras. This game prompts you to develop your nation with intelligence and ingenuity--whatever your political tactics may be.

There is only one glitch in the game play: If you let the video for the discovery of Oracle run to the end, the game crashes. We recommend that you do watch the video portion of Wonders of the World--it is a fascinating part of the game. However, if you prefer to avoid the videos, you can click your mouse to bypass them. Besides the minor technical flaw, Civilization 2 is an excellent strategy game that appeals to the tyrant or the pacifist in all of us. --Madeleine Miller ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Still in the top 3 of all time games -- nothing like it
This is one of my favorite games in the world, i am in my 20s and still play this game.it is so time consuming and fun that i go to sleep thinking of it after playing for hours.Sid Meier is a genius.i have a ps2 and play that as well but Alpha Centauri and Civilization are still the most fun.

Absolutely addicting and lots of fun!
This second Sid Meyer's game is absolutely one of the best computer games that has ever been made. I at first was completely dumbfounded by the whole nature of the game but gradually learned how it was done and now I absolutely love this game.

You start in the year 6000 B.C. as a single settler and found your capital city and then as you start building warriors (At the beginning of the game, your civilization is primitive and tribal), explore the continent and found new cities to expand your civilization's borders.

As the game goes on, settlers, military units will inevidently encounter individuals from other civilizations. Be very careful though because you may have no idea of the other civilizations are friendly, neutral, or hostile so be prepared for anything. After that, there are many options for forging alliances between civilizations and playing the game by dove politics or world domination and conquering the entire planet!! I once in fact did just that, conquer the entire planet on this game!

This game comes with 28 Wonder of The WOrld some of which aren't really all that much to write home about except to raise your city (cities) to the Top 5 list but others however will benifit your civilization for the rest of the game. Three architectural styles also are in this game as well. My favorite style is the old fashioned Medievel castles(Pre-industrialization) styles especially when playing the VIkings, English, Spanish, or the Germans. I do love though the big cities by the end and are amazing to look at.

The graphics even if a bit crude by todays standards are really amazing even by 1996 standards. The music is mostly ho-hum in my opinion but at least you can run the game without the CD-ROM which is a big plus if you want to listen to a music CD while playing! The game runs quite well on my computer even if the computer is of an older model and I've never experienced any bugs while playing.

Watch your civilization evolve from a one-village tribe to a gargantuan military empire over the 'years' and have a swell time! For all we know, it would be useful if there was a magic trick that could transfigure one into a pocketwatch because once you start playing, you just might end up losing track of time and will be playing for hours on end.

Sid Meyers truly created a timeless game for all ages. A pity the third installment came nowhere close to this.

Highly addictive
I found this game a few years ago, and my seminary career almost suffered a mortal attack of neglect due to the addictive nature of this game.

I am on a Mac G3 at home, which is fairly fast, perfectly adequate for this game. The game itself is a fascinating look at and convolution of history. This game has an element of learning in it (which shouldn't discourage you from trying it -- it is pure fun despite the educational element!), in that one must become acquainted with a general stream of history, and in particular, the progress of human history charted through technological acquisition; this takes two peripherally related tracks, that of military technology acquisition, and of civilian or societal technology acquisition. One must keep a careful balance of these two in development to be able to grow as a civilisation and be able to defend oneself against competing civilisations.

The various civilisation types (Egyptian, Babylonian, Russian, Chinese, American, etc.) have particular outlooks (some are militarily aggressive, some are not so; some can be trusted in diplomacy, other cannot be), and particular aims. To grow as a civilisation, one must either take over other civilisations or maintain reasonable relationships with them to avoid conflict. However, like most of history up to this point, sooner or later there will be conflict.

As history develops, too, one gets more options in the way a government can be run. Choices run between anarchy and despotism, monarchy, republic, communist, democracy, or religious fundamentalism. Each of these governmental types have advantages and disadvantages (for instance, who can do dastardly deeds toward other nations, even allies, as a fundamentalist regime, with impunity because it is expected).

The real action consists in the military conflicts, which can be as simple as two chariots clashing in the desert to full air/sea/land invasions complete with nuclear weapons and stealth fighters. Defensive technologies develop at a somewhat slower pace than offensive technology, so it is important from a defensive standpoint to be well-funded in research. Technology becomes critically important here -- one tank could overrun an entire horse-centred city, and a few stealth fighters can wipe out an entire early-technology civilisation.

Civilisation also includes the opportunity to construct Wonders of the World, which include ancient, medieval, industrial, and modern wonders. These wonders add special aspects to the civilisation that holds them (for instance, the builders of the Pyramids can forego building granaries in their cities). The effects of the Wonders lessen over time, and if the cities in which the Wonders are built are captured, their benefits accrue to the conquering army. A Wonder destroyed is lost forever, much like the real Wonders of the World.

Exploration is important in the beginning phases of the game -- the player can opt for a known world (in the form or Europe, or the Pacific, or the entire Earth) or for a unknown world -- these are more fun, for one has to discover the contours of the land and navigate the seas much as early civilisations had to.

The two ways to win the game are to create technology to build a spaceship to take settlers to a planet near Alpha Centauri Prime (which then can yield scenarios in the next Civilisation-based game), or to take over the entire world by being the only remaining civilisation.

With the CD-ROM enhancement, sound effects and video clips that accompany major developments, this is a real treat, and very addictive. Beware, and be brave!

A nice idea but a horrible implementation
One of many branches of Civilization, this series is made by the company that bought the board game rights to the original Civilization.

Some added/new features to Civilization are sea and space development, separation of infrastructure and unit builds, expanded trade and trade routes and a much greater variety of items to build.

The addition of sea and space environments are a great idea.The original Civilization series sufferd from a "Y2K" problem in that once you reached present-day technology the game play sputtered to a halt.New environments greatly extend gameplay.

The different trade rules are a nice addition.Showing trade routes (and allowing piracy) make ocean forces more necessary.In the original Civilization you could pretty much ignore naval unit development.Not so in Call to Power.Piracy can shut down an empire.

However, the game has a couple of fatal flaws.First and most damaging is a bad AI implementation.It is ridiculously easy to win this game, even at more difficult settings.Secondly, there is no provision for obsoleting military units.I've had enemy musketmen "shoot down" my stealth bombers. (!)These flaws make the game unplayable.

My advice: don't waste your time with this series unless/until they correct the AI and obsolete military unit problems.

Civ 2 for the Mac is great!
This is a great strategy game.The graphics are sparse - more like an old-style board game where you move pieces rather than the snazzy 3d graphics we have come to expect (and that slow a game down).Civ 2 is an open-style game - there is no set path the game will take.You can try to peacefully build a society based upon trade, democracy, and commerce or you can devote your efforts towards military conquest.The choice is yours.

The AI is pretty good and game speed is fine.Try it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Nile calls once again as the Queen of Kings takes center stage in Pharaoh Official Expansion: Cleopatra, with four new campaigns for Pharaoh. Offering a completely new story line, starting with the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, this expansion pack includes the mysterious and exotic time of Cleopatra VII. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Addicting, very addicting...
I can spend five hours playing this game and not get bored. That's how I feel about most of these city-building games like Zeus: Master of Olympus and Caesar 3. The only thing I didn't like about this game was that you always had to put the industrial buildings very close to the homes or else there'd be no workers. Unfortunately that brings down the neighborhood appeal, and then your houses devolve. Also the gods can be somewhat hard to please. Of course, since the mission editor comes with this game, you could always edit a custom mission and limit the gods to 3 or so. Overall, this is a great add-on to an already fantastic game.

CleopatraOfficial Expansion
I enjoyed this game.Of all the sim games I prefere the ones like Pharoah, Cleopatra, Zues and Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom.

Shameless Cleopatra plug
I play many city building games but I always come back to this one.

Its pretty good
First of all you need egyptian background. you love the game for the first 2 months but after that youll have no intrest. It is a great game though its so real you trade with other cities and built monuments and basically build an egyptian city. 1 word of advice always keep seth happy

Great Game!
Addictive, fun, great lesson in foreign AND domestic economics, ancient Egyptian history.I absolutely love this game, and never get sick of it!Lots of different choices, and ability levels. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The best ever!
I have quite a few modern games (Empire Earth, Age of Mithology, Rise of Nations, you name it!) but the aging Caesar3 is still my favorite, it is relaxing, fun, enjoyable. It is true you won't find zoom capabilities or fancy graphics or complicate interface, it is just the best! By the way, Sierra, where is Caesar4?

good city sims
cleopatra and pharo are some of my favorite city sims.I found ceaser 3 chunky and hard to play.But getting 3 games in one is a great value.Get ready to lose some major time here!!A good value.

Time-travel the easy way.....
I've played both Caesar III, and Pharoah, and enjoyed them very much. The graphics and sound are quite satisfactory, and the gameplay is very absorbing. The key to playing successfully is managing your resources efficiently.
If you fail to do so, you will have difficulty meeting your objectives. In one early mission, I made the emperor so angry that he sent legions to arrest me and destroy my town. I was given a different assignment.....pulling an oar in the hold of a galley : ( Challenges with the potential for glorious success or miserable failure is what makes the game interesting. If the game were too easy to win, then it wouldn't be interesting. The degree of difficulty is easily adjusted on a menu in the 'Options' if you wish to reduce the challenge.
So, build what you need in order to meet your goals, i.e. usually producing goods either to export profitably, or meet your own needs, and thus allow construction of facilities which raise the quality of life in your city. Just don't build too fast before you have a solid financial base.
I find that I tend to become very involved with the welfare of 'my' citizens. I love being able to do things which make my cities prosper, enhancing the quality of their housing, and providing a higher standard of living, etc, and likewise feeling badly for them when I forget to provide something, and they suffer as a result. The audio contributes greatly to this, when the population is happy, you hear them laughing and cheering, but when a plague strikes the city, they cough and moan piteously. Also, the sounds vary depending on what you are looking at, if your view is centered on a gladiator school, you will hear swords clanging against armor and lions roaring. If you are looking at a fountain, you may hear water trickling, etc.
Generally, detail on the buildings, and the animations for the various activities taking place are good. There are many different characters, each with distinctive costume, from the little kid happily skipping around the neighborhood of the school, to the long-bearded priest associated with the various temples.
Each mission in each game takes place in a different city. In Pharoah they also take place in a slightly different time, beginning around 3000 B.C.E, and moving forward through time.
When I play, I become very immersed in the games, feeling transported back to these eras, which to me indicates that Sierra did a great job in the overall design and implementation of the games. These are very worthy games by themselves, and expect to be spending a lot of time with them. I also look forward to playing Sierra's other games, Zeus and Poseidon.

Ron

Very good
The great Empires Collection is over-all a good buy.I would have rated this game four & 1/2 stars, but this was not an option.

The Games are a good mix, but all three games are basically the same.

Caesar III is difficult to an extent, and may get boring.The combat system is good, but it is hard to keep your houses from de-moting.

It takes a week or so, but Caesar III is easily to pick up.

Pharaoh is the same with the exemption of flood plains, roadblocks, and archers, chariots, and inpenterey instead of leagens, spearman, and mounted spearman; also you could build things like pyramids.

Cleopatra is the same as Pharaoh, but there are zoos, some new industries and pyramids building speed-up.

S.S.M.

These are the best challenging scenario games - They rock!!
I bought the Empire Collection just about a week ago now, and so far I have only played CaesarIII, but let me tell you, this game is exactly what one wants in a game: Great graphics, challenging scenarios, smooth running with your computer. CaesarIII is very addictive, as I realised one day when I woke up and spent from 9:30am till 4:00pm playing it. I was not even conscience of the time but even after all that time I still hadn't got bored. Personally, one thing I like is that it doesn't cause your computer to "stick up" even after playing it for hours on end. The graphics and sounds are like real life and it is really amazing how a game with such good graphics and sounds doesn't cause your computer to freeze after extended play. The only "con" I see in this game is that it is very time consuming and in many scenarios Caesar's demands seem impossible to met. You either have runned out of space or don't have enough money.
However, if you think you're a pro when it comes to strategy games, then I highly recommend you to buy "The Empires Collection". ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

An unknown land unfurls before you. In this strategy game, to become one of Europe's great powers, you'll have to parlay this discovery into conquest. You'll be called upon to exploit the New World's exotic resources and, in doing so, swing the balance of power to your advantage. An anchor in the New World means this: the riches and resources to dominate Europe once and for all.Strengthen your power base back in Europe. Deploy spies to help stay ahead of the technology curve. Build a formidable military, because you can get more with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone. And don't forget, the object is to unite Europe under one flag--yours! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Addictive, One that survives the times
I got tired of the first-person shooters I was playing and went to the archive of my gaming library to play this very addicive game.When it is time to take a break you just have to go one more turn.A complicated game of solitaire as I can find no current game support for multiplayer, yet this does not take away from the fun as you can't play the detailed battle scenes in multiplayer anyway.It is cheap and with low specs. I also recommend the strategy guide.

What a Great Game this Was
Up until OS 9.1 this game was a favorite. But it is no longer supported and will no longer play.

Okay but could have been much better
The game puts you on the throne of a European empire around 1600 A.D. You get to discover, explore, and conquer the new world, while fending off imperialist rivals and vengeful tribesmen. Usually, a certain number of provinces need to be conquered to win. These are taken from neutral states in Europe, from other empires, and from natives in the New World. The oversees provinces bring some new resources like tobacco, sugar, and precious metals, which are important in the technological and industrial trees. Meanwhile the metropolis pulls standard resources like coal, wool, wheat, and wood from the homeland provinces and converts them into skilled workers, weapons, and ships.

Pros:
- excellent baroque music and atmosphere
- balanced overall model where compromise, combined arms, technology, and strong economy are intimately related
- okay technology tree
- nice drawings of ships and ground units
- nice details in shipping and naval blockades
- entertaining turn-based battles with okay combat system

Cons:
- Civ-like boring and old land-development system.
- The diplomacy model is substandard. Alliances mean nothing. Declaring war and shifting allegiances in a trice is ubiquitous. In such chaos, diplomacy is virtually meaningless, as is anybody's word, which turns the game into a perpetual clawfest among crabs in a barrel. It is exceedingly hard to reach critical mass. Bribes are very ineffectual too.
- There are no psychological factors like grudges, animosity, and obstinacy. Very bland and uncharacterful.
- The economic system is tedious and repetitive. There is pretty much one good way to win, so once you learn it, there is no replay value in terms of economy. It gets tedious and boring after a few games to spend all this time worrying about number of fabric rolls and cigars in one's stores, while one would want to deal with general strategy and geopolitics.
- Spying does not reveal any strategically significant information.
- Armies are not difficult to maintain, but are horribly expensive to use. The opposite should have been done for far more playability and historical accuracy.
- Little European neutral states are armed to the teeth with state-of-the-art weapons. Later, the same is true for natives too. Ridiculous, since the player has seen how hard it is to research and build these weapons even for a mighty empire. Proper maintenance fees would have fixed that in passing.
- Graphics is mostly outdated, even if most units are beautifully drawn.

Overall impressions are positive, but there was clearly potential for much more with proper design choices. I sold back my copy for store credit after playing it for a month or two, so it comes to show.

Outstanding!
Perhaps I'm a stickler for playability.One of the design challenges of any empire-building game is that the more territory you conquer and govern, the more details you typically have to manage.If you (and the designers) are not careful, you can eventually get swamped with them-- especially if you are a perfectionist.

An outstanding feature of Imperialism II is that this does not occur nearly as much as in other games of its type.It is, instead, a true strategy game.You are not a paper-shuffler, you are the pilot of the great ship of state in a multi-dimensional ocean.You need to think carefully under ever-changing conditions to decide where to chart your course and keep it in good trim.If you are going in the wrong direction, heaven help you if you don't realize it soon and face the facts: and then you need a sharp lookout and patience, because a ship of state doesn't turn on a dime.

A key concept is balance.You can never do everything you want or need with available resources.At every turn you face policy decisions:Should you increase your road and port building?Your food production?Develop forests, mines, or plantations? Build transport ships-- oops, not enough food for the sailors, but how do you get more food without more ships?Do you sell goods to get money to buy various raw materials?Do you buy raw materials because you need them, or can you afford buying something just to curry favor with a potential colony or ally?Invade Indian territory, or invest in it and try to keep your rivals from invading?Build up your armies, even if it seems that you never have the funds to send them into battle?Join alliances and risk being drawn into a war before you're ready?Or stay aloof and risk the rest of Europe's ganging up on you?Do expensive research yourself out ahead of the pack, or spend less (usually) money and resources for spies, forever playing catchup learning what others already know?The choices are innumerable and the relationships among them infinitely subtle.

I do not place a lot of stock in fancy graphics, but must say that the colorfol look of this game, compared to the muted and vaguely depressing colors of Imperialism [I], is another attractive feature.The sugar... the tobacco... the spices, gold, and gems in the New World:they make your mouth water with the desire to reach out and grab'em.It's hard to remember that they are just means to an end, as territory in the old world is the key to winning or losing.

I've played many such games, and aside from Civilization, I think Imperialism II has gotten the most things right to date.

a really cool game
it's a greatgame filled with suspence and excitement.
When you play this game you never know what could happen.
Hang on to your seats.
P.s. I know my boyfriend would really love it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Discover, build, and rule your own new world. The year is 1602, and your future at home is uncertain. On board a ship, a small band of courageous explorers have decided to set sail to begin a new life and seek their fortune in far-off lands. As their leader, you must explore undiscovered coasts, establish new settlements and diplomacy, conduct trade, and sometimes battle to ensure the survival of your new colony. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Call to Power II is the sequel to Activision's problematicCivilization: Call to Power of a year and a half ago. In many ways it'sthe spiritual successor to the famous and beloved Civilization andCivilization II from MicroProse. The good news is that Call to PowerII is streamlined, improved, and overall a much better game than itsimmediate predecessor. But it still doesn't hold a candle to the originalCiv classics.

Call to Power II is turn based and challenges players to begin a tinycivilization in 4000 B.C. You take your empire through the millennia toapproximately A.D. 2300, passing through all sorts of social and technologicaleras and guiding your civilization into a vast world empire. The game lets youmanage technology, diplomacy, trade, and warfare through well-laid-out screensand information bars. Everything is easy to read and follow once you get thehang of the very complex interface. But the complexity yields tremendousdepth,making it all worthwhile.

Fans of the earlier Civilization titles may be disappointed, however,asActivision has once again failed to capture the magic for which Civdesigner Sid Meier is known. This game just feels static and lacking inpersonality, particularly in the all-important diplomacy component. ButCallto Power II is deep enough and strong enough to provide a satisfyingstrategy meal for anyone anxiously awaiting the upcoming Sid Meier'sCivilization III. --Bob Andrews

Pros:

• Attractive graphics and improved controls
• Deep gameplay that'll last hours and hours

• Lacks that evocative feeling Civ is known for
• Some balance problems with certain units and concepts

Reviews (37)

CTP and CIVIII
CTP (call to power) will give you a long game filled with many many choices. I will compare CTP with CIVIII. These games are very similar. They are almost exactly the same in how a city is managed. Each city has the 20 nearest squares from which to draw resources for its livelyhood. Buildings and units are built based on the amount of production harvested and the types of factories and power-plants used. Like CIVIII units in CTP wonder around a grided map and encounter each other on the terrian of the defending unit. Like CIVIII there are resources and techknodgies that enable the building of units, buildings, tile imporvements, wonders, and other stuff. In CTP there are more tile imporvements. There are three types of food boosting improvements each more expensive and higher tech than the last. Ther are also 3 types of production boasting improving imporvements. The method of imporving terrian in CTP is vastly superior in realism and ease. An infrastructure "tax rate" is set for the entire nation, from which production is siphened for the purpose of imporving the land. The tax is utilized when you select a tile to be improved. Thus the whole thing with dozens of "workers" having to be managed and moved is illiminated. The CTP combat is also superior to CIVIII. In CTP units do not simply go head to head, instead attacking units combin into a two layered force that has the effect of giving an advantage to the larger force. The first layer utilizes their attack/defense power against the opponent's attack/defense while the second layer exchanges ranged power attacks. Thus some types of armies are better than others. I found for instance that a efficient middle age force could be made of (x) pikeman (x/2, round up) musketeers and (x/2, round down) cannons. This force could defeat more expensive forces because it takes advantage of the cheapness of pikman while utilizing the ranged attack of musketeers and then of cannons. The chosen governemnt of your civilization has a much more profound effect, especily when combined with the ability to adjuest the wages, workday, and rations. The combination of these effects can cause your nation to focuse on growth, techknolodgy, production, war fighting or some combination of each. Ectopia for example is not great for production or growth but is great for science and war, combined with this you can adjust the food/wage/workday settings to stress growth, thech, or production further. My advise is to make sure that you are growing but also to maximise production above all other things.
In CTP you can garner many cities, i usualy acrue over 80 and often so many that i must abandon some. At about 110 cities you must abandon some our else be punished by a stupid feature of the game. But it is a mixed curse, managing 100 cities can make each turn take 30-60 min if you don't utilized efficiencies offered in the game (boring).It is thus essential to take advantage of the AI govonor, or the ability to line up a series of things to be build in every city, or to get a bunch of cities on the same path and treat them as a group. All these features are either not as good or lacking in CIVIII. On the other hand CIVIII's AI is much better as it has a much simpler game to manage and CIVIII games seldom get as boring as CTP games can. In CTP the AI does not emphesise tile imporvements enough and often fails to construct efficient formations. In CTP you are likely to command more units, more cities, have longer turns, and spend more time working adjusting tax rates and such. The way the game advantages larger armies creates a cascading effect in war. When you attack an enemy he brings his armies foward for the big several battles, you then win and stopm all over the rest of his nation because he is unable to garner a large contingent of troops at one spot. This of course adds to the realism but turns excitment in to despair or boredum. To make up for this CTP has a large number of non-combat units; lawyers, spys, cyber-spys, franchises and more. These units can do anything from plant nuclear weapons to free and capture slaves to steal production and wealth; they add a fun demention to the game although i wish that they could occupy the same space as an enemy combat unit as they are supposed to be stealth but are always discovered when they are bumped into, which is dumb on realism, i mean when was the last time a kinght slew a law firm? I digress. In short CTP is more complex and offers a better multiplayer expierence due to longer turns and multiple methods of attack. CTP is a great game for those who are hard-core strategy gamers, at the same time though the AI is not good enough to really challenge the hard-core gamer enough. CTP is great for those aspiring hard-core strategy folks out there, high school aged types. For a very challenging yet one dementional style of play i would chose CIVIII hands down. I enjoyed CTP alot until i discovered how to reliably whop the AI.
Hint: At the very begining of the game build a slaver in all your cities, of course defend you cities, then build little scouting parties of a few offensive units and a slaver, keep them close to home and kill all the puny units that come your way. With this method you will capture scores of slaves and be the most powerfull empire in the acient world hand down. I once played a game where i built every wonder out of 8 players.

I bought Civ3 and went back to CTP2!
Yes, this game is quite old now, however, I dig it out and play it every 3 months or so.I have also been able to get several friends into it... even recently!They didn't mind that the graphics look a bit out-dated, especially compared to the ("fisher-price" looking) Civilization 3.

I have played Civilization 3, and was severely disappointed that it was not multiplayer (CTP2 has always been multiplayer).The first expansion pack to Civ3; "Play the World" made the game multiplayer... and added some interesting variations (like not having to wait for other players to finish - something that was not implemented into CTP2).But at the end of the day, we did not enjoy it as much as a good old multiplayer game of Call to Power 2!

Also CTP2 you can eventually build under the sea, Civ3 can't!The technology in CTP2 is far more evil than the tame Civ3... it feels that CTP2 covers 3x more technology than Civ3.Also, armies can be configured to attack as one group, in Civ3 everything has to attack separately... This is only a taste of what is missing in Civ3, compared to abundantly featured CTP2!

Why play the latest game, if it is far less fun than the previous version?

Beware: In multiplayer; Once every 1-4 games or after about 20 hours of play, the game crashes, and you may have a challenge getting back the multiplayer (auto-save) game... really annoying after 15 hours of constant play to have to start it over, totally from scratch again!So _manually_ save often!

Buy this for $10 or so, then hire Civ3 and be glad you saved your $60... you'll see what I mean. ;-)

*The* simulation game
While this game is getting a bit old (and thus, cheaper :-)), it remains one of the best simulation games that I've played.Activision does have a nasty habit of rushing games out the door and then posting patches online (get the patch!) but CtP II features solid gameplay for hours of enjoyment.

I gave this a 4 because it's missing a few features I'd like to see, such as different civilizations having different capabilities, and the AI could be better.Still, the first Call to Power was surprisingly addictive, and this one builds on Activision's previous success.If you like simulations, get this one.

It takes a while!
I bought this game about a year ago. I brought it home and played on it for a while however I lost intrest and that was that. Months later I got it out again and became addicted. The graphics are NOT brilliant but it is brilliant stratigic wise and lots of fun. I notice the other reviews contrast each other! I believe that the good reviews are done by the people who gave the game time and the bad ones are done by the people who gave up on the game as soon as they got it.
In conclusion to this I highly recomend this game and once you get it give it time to grow on you!!!

very good
I liked CTP2 but there were things that I didn't like.I would like to give it 4 and a half stars but I couldn't. Another thing that was depressing was how long it takes for the trn to elapse. Maybe it's just my computer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

If building and managing cities is your passion, then Pharaoh is the game for you. It puts you in charge of building the ancient Egyptian civilization, complete with work camps, temples to Bast, and, of course, pyramids.

Unlike some games of this type, where you build one city indefinitely and watch the population climb, Pharaoh is divided into missions. Players are given a goal--a desired population, food storage targets, and cultural achievements. Play continues until the target is met, unless the city succumbs to plagues, debt, or outside invaders first.

Pharaoh is loads of fun. The mission goals are tough but attainable, and city building for a finite time span will appeal to players who find unending development a bore. The usual juggling of civic needs for water, food, entertainment, and jobs is well balanced. The range of industries, religious practices, and municipal services is engaging, and the graphics are clear enough that it is easy to tell what's going on in the city. The mission-by-mission format allows the game to present a few challenges at a time, providing novelties for new levels of play.

Take charge of the Nile Valley and become a legend! --Alyx Dellamonica ... Read more

Reviews (96)

This is the jewel of the sierra studios games!
"Build a kingdome.Rule the Nile.Live Forever." It said on the cover, but what was in the disk was so much more. You have to build a city and keep it from going into ruin. It was kinda hard at first-*spoiler/tip warning*- but as long as you put up medical buildings, architect's posts,fire houses, and the like, you'll be fine! This game does take a long time, but just be patient, it's worth it.

bu du du dut da i'm lovin' it!
i don't think they had McDonalds in egypt but this game STILL RULES!!!!!!!! YEAH!

Too exhausting to be enjoyable
Pharaoh is every positive thing mentioned by the other reviewers. I wouldn't argue with any of them. It is a great game: "great" in terms of magnitude and scope. But it fails to be "fun." It's one of those bizarre instances where a game is addictive and enthralling but also infuriatingly difficult. I've just spent eight hours on a particular mission only to have a glitch in the behavior of the bazaar traders wreck everything. A few more courses to go on the pyramid...oops, so sorry, start over. Unfortunately problems like these have been commonplace since I started my campaign. Even when things go smoothly, most missions require four to eight hours. I'm sorry, I can't spend my life building cyberspace pyramids. Pharaoh is definitely a case of "more is less."

Pharaoh
This game is great fun for anyone interested in Geography. As well as being great fun its also educational. I used this game to help me pass my Geography exams, it taught me what people need to live and what facilities help to create a better place to live, for example good healthcare and religious facilities, as well as shops and recreational places such as bars and festivals. You can also create parks and gardens.
The down side to this game is the time it takes to build monuments. It takes forever to build things such as pyramid complexes and temples. On the whole this game is a good investment, it provides hours of in-depth fun and education

Better than sim city
This game is a bit like sim city, where you build and controll a city as the mayor, or god, because you can cause fires and tornados and stuff, but its better because you have an objective. Its cool because it's based on real facts about Eqypt, and I like it especially so because I've been to eqypt and seen the real pyramids at Giza, and gone a cruise down the Nile. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Enter the realm of Fantastic Worlds, the lands of dinosaurs and dragons, monsters and elves. Fantastic Worlds supplements Civilization 2 with 19 new fantasy scenarios. You can also dream up and create your own scenarios using a rich art portfolio and 10 scenario-creation tools. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Civilization in the lands of the Fantastic.
I prefer this expansion to the previous one (Civilization 2: Scenarios).This is probably because I am a fan of fantastic literature.

These are not your classic historical scenarios.You will not be trying to recreate Alexander, Caesar, Genghis Khan or any other such history.Instead, you will be traveling more fantastic worlds such as the world of Jules Verne or play the part of an alien invader (my personal favorite of the bunch).

Like any scenario, the lands and goals are fixed so you must plan your strategies accordingly.Play is similar to historical scenarios, but with a nice dash of the fantastic.

It was an ok game.
When I went to the store, I was looking forward to getting this great add-on for my civ2.When I got home, I was totally disapointed with how the add on worked.It still was pretty good but it wasn't the "AWESOME" game it was advertised as.It still is worth your money but don't get all hyperventalated over it!

Long, Strategic, and Involved
This review focuses mainly on the game, not the add-on.This game has room for many strategies, but takes at bare minimum 10 hours to complete.Essentialy, you control a world power in a randomly generated planet.You control diplomacy, city management, government, and much more.There are so many things that must be controlled, and it takes a while to get the hang of it.Each unit, quite unrealistically, takes at least 10 one-year turns to encircle the globe.It's mainly a game of military dominance.The add-on includes several scenarios, with different units, technologies, etc., and a scenario builder.The scenario builder takes a long time and never seems to work.I recommend Civilization 2: Fantastic Worlds for people who enjoy strategy and have a LOT of free time on their hands.

Mediocre at best
Although we loved civilization, we found this add-on difficult to work with.The scenarios weren't clearly layout out.We tried all of the scenarios and didn't find a single one we enjoyed.We've since returned tothe original game but never to this supplement.Definitely not worth themoney. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Both the fantasy and the real-time strategy genres are so worn out that it is nearly impossible to think of a way to freshen things up, but that's exactly what developer Cyberlore Studios did with Majesty. More of a simulation game than anything else, Majesty lets you tinker with your own kingdom. Its main elements are in building a city and populating it with heroes recruited to expand and protect your kingdom's borders.

You don't control characters and events in Majesty so much as you influence them. Players used to more conventional strategy games like Starcraft will be a little perplexed when they click on a hero, order him to move somewhere, and watch as their commands are ignored. Characters in Majesty have unique agendas and personalities and operate on their own in accordance with those characteristics. If you want the avaricious Greedheart Thistlebottom to slay that large green beast that's approaching the village, you'll have to put a price on the monster's head. When the job is finished you can watch the hero squander his reward on warm beer, cheap women, and newer weapons. The entire game plays out like a fantasy soap opera, with you as the director and your minions as the actors (with a lot of room for improvisation).

The game's graphics and sound effects aren't too spectacular, but frankly they don't need to be. Majesty's unique and addictive gameplay overcomes any multimedia gripes we can level at it. Our bet is that fans of games like SimCity--as well as open-minded strategy aficionados--will agree. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Unique gameplay style
• Watching recruits become heroes and cowards is a treat
• Many missions and scenarios for hours of play

• Lack of direct control may not appeal to everyone

Reviews (20)

fun for a little while.
This game was very novel, you don't have direct control over you units and you have to use other methods to motivate them (such as bribes). Eventually the novelty wears off and it gets a little boring to not be able to just take control in certain situations.

Basically, you should buy this game if you want to have fun with it for a week or so (it is cheaper then a dvd, so it pays in comparison). Don't expect very much long term intrest in it though.

cool game
This game is cool because it is more realistic then other
games.Like your hero's gain levels and when they kill monsters they get money and puchase items or weapons.

Some hero's are greedy or ,will do any thing for treasure.
Others are loyal.There are two kinds of hero's that steal
from your kingdom.

You have choices elves, dwarves or, gmomes I like the
dwarves.

buy it then go against me
this game is the best game ive played on pc you have to buy it so i can beat you down

Great Game!
This is a great game. If you like sim city or the sims you'll probably like this. You have different quests where you explore land and fight evil creatures. Guys would love it but YOU are playing the Majesty so obviously its cool for girls too!

worst game i ever purchased
I can't believe that I was excited to get this game.I've had it only 24 hours and I am already bored with it.I have beaten most of the pre-set quests and I am not a hardcore gamer.Where is the challenge?It should take me longer than an hour to beat this thing.There is very little to do with this game.The quests are generic and unchallenging.I'm sorry I wasted my money on this.It is great for my 8 year old nephew, but anyone over the age of 12 will be bored senseless by this game.No wonder gamers switch to pc.I love my mac, but it is games like this that drive people away. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

all wrong!!!!!
this didn't install properly, after i got it installed 2 of the games didn't work!!!! sim golf and sim theme park.. totally waste of money and time i feel sorry for my mom who bought this! i wonder what sim mania 3 will include?? if you thought it would be cool to ride your rollercoasters and make them on sim coaster you were wrong. there is not enough power over your coasters and the challenges are hard to beat on sim coaster.
sim golf was pathetic!! i couldn't even play sim theme park it didn't work so good!!! golly gee why couldn't they put other sim games in it.

Way To Skip The Best One, EA Games
I give this 2 stars for benefit of the doubt because I have not played Sim Coaster.

Sim Theme Park and Sim Golf did nothing for me, not even fun in an initial sense, but I confess I've never played a Golf video game I liked.Golf for me is being there.

Sim City 3k, when it came out and I rushed to buy it, I thought was a step up in detail, capability and graphics from its predecessor, but it was a step down in gameplay, stability and music (though many couldn't care less about the latter).

This visit to Amazon was actually to see if there was a Sim Mania package that had SimCity 2000, because I'd love to have that game compatible with my current system.THAT was a heck of a game.SimCity Classic was popular, but it was 2k that really put Maxis (the developer at the time) on the map.It wasn't as advanced as SimCity 3k, but it was an all around superior game.

The reason why I'd rate SimCity3k at only 1 star is not because it's a terrible game.It's okay.But I just think it's a waste of time.SimCity 2k is worth playing, and if you really want the best SimCity game all around (that's currently out), I can't imagine an arguement against SimCity 4, as long as you get the Rush Hour expansion pack too.

My Op
Maybe they did not work on your computers because simply your computer is outdated. It workered great on mine no problems i even ran with Xp. This game is ok but i prefer other EA games. And to anyone who thinks EA is a bad company is wrong. This company is making millions and is making the games i love. I suggest anyone read up on them they are not some unqualified team of dummys but one team of experts.

sim coaster sucks

want to do rides
not how much revenue fromsnow cones etc

didnt install correct had to reinstall

this is about simcoaster part only

simcity3000 better than previous versions

I LOVE THESE GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These games are so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's all there is to say.........Just wonderful. And very creative- they think of EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Northern Expansion Add-On Pack picks up where the first Majesty left off, with the kingdom of Ardania at peace and its citizens enjoying a period of prosperity. Outside the kingdom, however, is the unexplored Northern region, which is presented here in 13 all-new quests. In addition, there are new enemies, monsters, and spells. New buildings include the Embassy, which will automatically recruit heroes from other lands into any open guild spots and allow players to share their ally's views of the map in multiplayer games. The Hall of Champions will keep a list of all the types of creatures killed at least once by your heroes. From this list you can pick any one type of creature and place a bounty it. At the Magic Bazaar you can buy new magic items for your heroes to use, including the Elixir of Regeneration, Fire Balm, and Invisibility Brew. The Mausoleum holds a certain number of your slain heroes, whom players may bring back to life for a price. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

bad game
i hated this game, i strongly recommend people to not to spend $30.00 on this bad game. don't buy it. Sorry,
Anonymous

Great Game!
The original Majesty was fun and after you beat all of the missions you could still make freestyle games.Then they put out the expansion, which is a great add-on, which gives more missions, more freestyle opitions, more buildings, and more spells! I highly Recommend this game.

Under amagic spell...
The expansion pack came out about a year later after Majesty was released. This game added in 12 quests with an additional, internet-downloaded quest....This challenging add-on is proved to be much more difficult than those of the former expert's levels, which required a great strategy skills. The graphics are excellent, but the slow-down frames can ruin the fun of your game. Moreover, the hilarious voices will not lighten up your mood from the serious gameplay. At any rate, the controls respond well if your computer surpass the recommended spec. Nevertheless, if you buy the gold pack, the gold pack will not allow you to play the free quests on the internet. Therefore, you might prefer to take the advantage by buying this add-on. :)

Best game-very addictive.
I played Majesty and was still working on a few quests when I got the Expansion Pack.Went back and forth between the two until I finished all the original Majesty quests.I am now on the last Master quest-Spires of Death.What a challenge.I thought Day of Reckoning was hard.The other Master quest-Vigil for a Fallen Hero was actually not that hard.I have hardly played anything else since I loaded these on my computer.I beat both The Siege and Legendary Heroes in the same day and was very proud of myself.I would have paid more for these games, but luckily didn't have to.Majesty 2 is coming, but I don't think for a while yet.Pick Majesty and the Expansion Pack up, you will not be disappointed.In January, Majesty Gold is coming, but it is just the two games packed together.It will probably be cheaper than buying separate.Not sure if Strategy Guides are included or not.The main challenge of Northern Expansion Pack was no strategy guide.Best games I've played in a long time.

The Northern Expansion....
This expansion is the best I have ever seen, baecause it actually improves the game, adding a QUEST- maker, and giving you tons of new creatures, the powerful wendigo, the villanous Greater Gorgon, as well as 4 new unique monsters! The expansion also lets you in on many new buildings, and the quests are challenging and enjoyable. To sweeten things...! ....

And, this expansion also "eqalizes" heroes, beefing up the "underdogs".

Bottom Line: Coool in both aspects of price and challenge, a MUST for Majesty Fans! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Seven races colonize a virgin planet. Only one will survive. Build your province's structures. Conduct research to advance your race. Devise the perfect strategy of diplomacy, intimidation, and warfare to ensure your survival. Play against the computer or a live opponent in this innovative turn-based strategy game. Start as one of seven races and grow your colony as you build farms, factories, power plants, and military bases. Succeed through economic and cultural domination as well as brute strength. Deploy your sea, land, and air troops into battle against enemies across the entire planet. Command more than forty different military units as you battle in vivid 3-D. Develop devious strategies to outwit enemy leaders. Negotiate alliances and pacts with rival nations until you are prepared to attack. Research powerful new technologies to build advanced military units, new sources of power, and devastating weapons of destruction. Challenge the computer's sophisticated A.I. or play head-to-head against up to seven players with full multiplayer support for modem, serial, LAN, and Internet play. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Prove Your Worth on an Alien World
I have just begun playing Deadlock: Planetary Conquest.This game owes some of its elements to games like Civilization, Master of Magic, Colonization and Sim City.

You and six other races are trying to colonize a rare habitable planet.You pick a landing site and set out to establish a thriving colony thus proving you have the right to the whole planet as per a treaty.

Like Civilization et al, you must build buildings, build military units, research technologies (although it is really teaching technologies), build an economy and pay attention to the morale of your people.

Morale is a big difference in this game.As colonists, a simple temple is not going to improve morale.No, other factors are the key such as available food, cheap housing and culture.Unlike the other games a riot can break out and buildings will be damaged.These then need to be repaired.

Also unlike the other games if you have the resources (credits, iron, wood, labor, energy, etc.) you can work on building more that one building at a time in a single town.

Warfare is not as important in this game as the others but it does play a part and the combat scenes are very entertaining.

Like Colonization, you must assign work tasks for your population.How many will work in the mine, attend university, build the new housing or raise food for example.The more units you assign to a particular building (up to capacity) the more it will produce.

Unlike other games, you can set the output of each building.A factory may spend some of its workforce on turning iron into steel, trade, and upgrading to a more efficient factory type.

You win the game by being the first to build five City Centers or, much less likely, driving the other colonists from the planet through military might.

All in all this game gets my full approval even though I haven't quite figured out how to properly improve morale.

Perfect Game
I first downloaded the demo off the internet, and could not believe how fun it was. The graphics are perfect, not too amazing and not Pacman style. It has parts where your colonists are 2D and not very interesting, but when it shows what your race you have selected in detail, the graphics are amazing.
The downside to deadlock is the battles. It is rather stupid how you cannot actually control your troops in battle. as you watch from the sidelines, who wins is determined by a lot of ratios and junk that hurts my brain to think about. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give deadlock about a 9.

Good for what it is and how much i got it for....
I got this in a game pack that was 29.99 for this, Civ 2, MOO 2, and Starcon 3. I must say though, as long as not too high a price, this game is definitely worth it.

You assume the role of a particular faction: each has special abilities and bonuses. You build a City Center to annex a territory to your 'empire'... areas are something like 8x8 squares or something like that, dunno, I havent played in awhile, but you can build a myriad of structures when you get better technologies. You also have to mine and stuff to get metal and wood, and you get different structures which mine better than others or can mine different metals, etc.

Essentiallya very involved, but a bit simpler, space-age game of Civilization.

And military is also decent, although it's a bit hard to manage. You can have tank-like units and ground troops, as well as ballistic missiles, my favorite (3 kinds). It's cool when you attack a territory, because it's like in Civilization, except they actually fight in the city. You see the units move around and fight each other... fairly realistic, but still fun.

Quite addictive
A moderate learning curve (the game easily lets you set playing levels so it's fun while you're learning)... you must gradually "research" technologies, then build & develop them.A very, very well-balancedgame; you're always debating whether to invest in armaments & try toattack (or need to defend!) versus putting your investment into research todevelop stronger weapons, faster factories, power plants, farms, etc. tosupport them.You can also research to expand your ability to research. You get the idea; well-designed strategic elements.

The result is very,very good game play.And if the game gets easy, you can just"up" the computer opponents' features making them quite tough(I've played this for years, & still find it quite challenging andquite addictive at its highest settings!)I've never played network play,so I can't comment on it.

This is one game I've periodically had towipe off my hard drive just so I could get some work done.

As enjoyable as it is charming
I enjoyed Deadlock for one major reason: its humor. In the world of such games like Alpha Centauri and Command and Conquer, the gory blood-shot games that take themselves completely seriously, Deadlock gives you allthose games offer but also presents everything in such a unique way thatjust can't resist a chuckle. Let's look at the game's elements:

1.Graphics - not cutting-edge, but not too shabby. I agree, your lands dolook a bit board-game like, but this just adds to the charm. Maybe it wasmeant to be this way. All the structures are original and interesting, mostare animated in some way. The menus are easy to read. One gripe: thecolonists are flat and barely detailed. But I'm sure you can take allthis.

2. Sound - marvelously ambient and soulful, it's perfect for a gamelike this. The hum of the machinery at the settlements of the sickly Maugtechies, the chants of the mystic Cyth, the chattering of the insectoidCh'ch't, it all is so... magical. The score is not that great, but it isn'tloud either, so it does not become annoying.

3. Controls - tight andingenious. You rarely have a chance to make a mistake as the game isturn-based and you get plenty of chances to change your mind in the middleof things.

4. Concept - great. Incredible. The game gives you the controlof a game like Sim City, it is as relaxing as a slow game of Monopoly ( notto say it doesn't get just as frantic at times). The world you have tocolonize is randomly generated each time you begin anew. The technologiesare interesting and innovative.

Overall, this is a neat little game, evenif it didn't score a runaway hit, it still has its tight little circle offollowers. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Updating a legendary game franchise is tricky business, but Civilization: Call to Power successfully revitalizes an old favorite with revamped art, interface, and concepts.

Completely redesigned in gorgeous full color, the new artwork bears as much resemblance to its predecessors as primitive man's cave scrawls do to the Mona Lisa. The animated units prove that turn-based strategy can have some flash, and new movies celebrating the completion of civilization-boosting wonders are equally stunning.

The goal of the game hasn't changed much (create a civilization that can stand the test of time), but the playing field has been greatly expanded to include ocean and space colonization, with more technological advances, wonders, diplomatic options, and government types than ever before.

Generally, the new interface successfully simplifies control while keeping you close to the action. The occasional awkwardness (it's easy to carelessly mis-click and send units in the wrong direction) is counterbalanced by welcome game-play enhancements, such as the ability to group units together, tile improvements being funded from a pooled public works budget, and view a pathing line that shows you where (and how far) you can move your units.

Boldly improving on where Civilization II has gone before, Call to Power stays true to its heritage and makes the struggle for civilization come alive as never before. --Jack Gardiner

Pros:

• Beautiful, new animated art
• New units, advances, and government types
• Challenging, turn-based strategy is a worthy addition to the Civilization lineup
• Mac vs. Mac and Mac vs. PC Local Area Network or Internet play

• Interface, though improved, is still occasionally awkward

Reviews (48)

Still in the top 3 of all time games -- nothing like it
This is one of my favorite games in the world, i am in my 20s and still play this game.it is so time consuming and fun that i go to sleep thinking of it after playing for hours.Sid Meier is a genius.i have a ps2 and play that as well but Alpha Centauri and Civilization are still the most fun.

Absolutely addicting and lots of fun!
This second Sid Meyer's game is absolutely one of the best computer games that has ever been made. I at first was completely dumbfounded by the whole nature of the game but gradually learned how it was done and now I absolutely love this game.

You start in the year 6000 B.C. as a single settler and found your capital city and then as you start building warriors (At the beginning of the game, your civilization is primitive and tribal), explore the continent and found new cities to expand your civilization's borders.

As the game goes on, settlers, military units will inevidently encounter individuals from other civilizations. Be very careful though because you may have no idea of the other civilizations are friendly, neutral, or hostile so be prepared for anything. After that, there are many options for forging alliances between civilizations and playing the game by dove politics or world domination and conquering the entire planet!! I once in fact did just that, conquer the entire planet on this game!

This game comes with 28 Wonder of The WOrld some of which aren't really all that much to write home about except to raise your city (cities) to the Top 5 list but others however will benifit your civilization for the rest of the game. Three architectural styles also are in this game as well. My favorite style is the old fashioned Medievel castles(Pre-industrialization) styles especially when playing the VIkings, English, Spanish, or the Germans. I do love though the big cities by the end and are amazing to look at.

The graphics even if a bit crude by todays standards are really amazing even by 1996 standards. The music is mostly ho-hum in my opinion but at least you can run the game without the CD-ROM which is a big plus if you want to listen to a music CD while playing! The game runs quite well on my computer even if the computer is of an older model and I've never experienced any bugs while playing.

Watch your civilization evolve from a one-village tribe to a gargantuan military empire over the 'years' and have a swell time! For all we know, it would be useful if there was a magic trick that could transfigure one into a pocketwatch because once you start playing, you just might end up losing track of time and will be playing for hours on end.

Sid Meyers truly created a timeless game for all ages. A pity the third installment came nowhere close to this.

Highly addictive
I found this game a few years ago, and my seminary career almost suffered a mortal attack of neglect due to the addictive nature of this game.

I am on a Mac G3 at home, which is fairly fast, perfectly adequate for this game. The game itself is a fascinating look at and convolution of history. This game has an element of learning in it (which shouldn't discourage you from trying it -- it is pure fun despite the educational element!), in that one must become acquainted with a general stream of history, and in particular, the progress of human history charted through technological acquisition; this takes two peripherally related tracks, that of military technology acquisition, and of civilian or societal technology acquisition. One must keep a careful balance of these two in development to be able to grow as a civilisation and be able to defend oneself against competing civilisations.

The various civilisation types (Egyptian, Babylonian, Russian, Chinese, American, etc.) have particular outlooks (some are militarily aggressive, some are not so; some can be trusted in diplomacy, other cannot be), and particular aims. To grow as a civilisation, one must either take over other civilisations or maintain reasonable relationships with them to avoid conflict. However, like most of history up to this point, sooner or later there will be conflict.

As history develops, too, one gets more options in the way a government can be run. Choices run between anarchy and despotism, monarchy, republic, communist, democracy, or religious fundamentalism. Each of these governmental types have advantages and disadvantages (for instance, who can do dastardly deeds toward other nations, even allies, as a fundamentalist regime, with impunity because it is expected).

The real action consists in the military conflicts, which can be as simple as two chariots clashing in the desert to full air/sea/land invasions complete with nuclear weapons and stealth fighters. Defensive technologies develop at a somewhat slower pace than offensive technology, so it is important from a defensive standpoint to be well-funded in research. Technology becomes critically important here -- one tank could overrun an entire horse-centred city, and a few stealth fighters can wipe out an entire early-technology civilisation.

Civilisation also includes the opportunity to construct Wonders of the World, which include ancient, medieval, industrial, and modern wonders. These wonders add special aspects to the civilisation that holds them (for instance, the builders of the Pyramids can forego building granaries in their cities). The effects of the Wonders lessen over time, and if the cities in which the Wonders are built are captured, their benefits accrue to the conquering army. A Wonder destroyed is lost forever, much like the real Wonders of the World.

Exploration is important in the beginning phases of the game -- the player can opt for a known world (in the form or Europe, or the Pacific, or the entire Earth) or for a unknown world -- these are more fun, for one has to discover the contours of the land and navigate the seas much as early civilisations had to.

The two ways to win the game are to create technology to build a spaceship to take settlers to a planet near Alpha Centauri Prime (which then can yield scenarios in the next Civilisation-based game), or to take over the entire world by being the only remaining civilisation.

With the CD-ROM enhancement, sound effects and video clips that accompany major developments, this is a real treat, and very addictive. Beware, and be brave!

A nice idea but a horrible implementation
One of many branches of Civilization, this series is made by the company that bought the board game rights to the original Civilization.

Some added/new features to Civilization are sea and space development, separation of infrastructure and unit builds, expanded trade and trade routes and a much greater variety of items to build.

The addition of sea and space environments are a great idea.The original Civilization series sufferd from a "Y2K" problem in that once you reached present-day technology the game play sputtered to a halt.New environments greatly extend gameplay.

The different trade rules are a nice addition.Showing trade routes (and allowing piracy) make ocean forces more necessary.In the original Civilization you could pretty much ignore naval unit development.Not so in Call to Power.Piracy can shut down an empire.

However, the game has a couple of fatal flaws.First and most damaging is a bad AI implementation.It is ridiculously easy to win this game, even at more difficult settings.Secondly, there is no provision for obsoleting military units.I've had enemy musketmen "shoot down" my stealth bombers. (!)These flaws make the game unplayable.

My advice: don't waste your time with this series unless/until they correct the AI and obsolete military unit problems.

Civ 2 for the Mac is great!
This is a great strategy game.The graphics are sparse - more like an old-style board game where you move pieces rather than the snazzy 3d graphics we have come to expect (and that slow a game down).Civ 2 is an open-style game - there is no set path the game will take.You can try to peacefully build a society based upon trade, democracy, and commerce or you can devote your efforts towards military conquest.The choice is yours.

The AI is pretty good and game speed is fine.Try it! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Forge an empire to span a universe. Colonize unknown planets and trade with other races for their knowledge. Conquer alien star systems by war or diplomacy to secure their resources. Only then can you guarantee your galactic supremacy. Multiple game settings let you select such factors as your adversaries' intelligence, the size and age of the galaxy, and the level of civilization. There are multiplayer options for up to eight players. You can play using modems, a network, a hot seat, or TCP/IP. The game also includes 13 predesigned races, each with its own abilities, and the means to create your own. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Lots of fun
I love games that make me think but don't require me to do a lot of little steps and remember a lot of details; I'll take an other college class for that.This game is constantly changing and you can plan out the big things yet still need to make adjustments so it doesn't get dull.That alliance you once had has been broken, not what do you do and still get to your next tech advance?I've decide I prefer to be the Spartans even if the Gaians are more in line with my own political views -- the goal is to win afterall.

Cool interactive empire building concepts
There are about eight species you can chose from including humans or you can make up your own species.I like the graphics especially when you talk to other races or your own advisors.Remember to save it though and make sure you've save it before you quit or you'll have an unpleasant surprise waiting for you when you get back.

What OS are you using?
What a great game it was until OS 9+. Then, no support and no operability! Beware!

Those damned Alkari!
I played the original MOO (that's Master of Orion for those of you not in the know) and was instantly hooked to that venerable classic. But with no multiplayer support for the original I simply had to await the next installment. And then in 1996 it came. I love this game. I love this game, this constant source of irritation, glory, happiness, grief, anger, sorrow, and consternation all in one. Starting out as one of several races, each with it's own unique characteristics (Humans are good at diplomacy, Psilons are good at research, etc.), you start one one small planet in an huge universe, research your way to building better, and fully customizable ships, to both explore and conquer the other races. Along the way you'll meet the other races and either ally with them or oppose them. And when one crosses you by dropping bio bombs on your planet, rendering it almost uninhabitable, you'll seek the nothing short of the very destruction of thier race. I will make the Alkari bird beaks pay for thier insolence...with thier very existence! *Sigh*...it gets to you after a while, but you'll just have to trust me when I say that it is a very *good* addiction that you won't regret!

Emphasizes Tactics, but Weak in Diplomacy & Multiplayer
Master of Orion II is a title offering a rich experience in very particular areas, emphasizing technological and military aspects of the creation of a galactic empire over elements that require more more character interaction and development.It is a strategy game in the purest sense of the genre, and therefore learning its intricacies and more subtle features can be of paramount importance in a long game or campaign.

In Master of Orion II, you direct the construction of a galactic empire.In this turn-based game, you guide your colonies, command your space fleets, and dictate which technologies your scientists will research.You can win the game in one of three ways: crushing all the other civilizations in the galaxy, building up the technology and military might to crush the powerful Antarians, or gaining enough allies to vote you galactic ruler at a council meeting.

Master of Orion II has no storyline of its own.While the conquests and trials your empire faces in each game could be considered a story that you generate, events that alter the course of galactic history are frequently random and unpredictable.No story elements, characters, or mission goals persist from one game to the next.This is in direct contrast to strategy games with a rich, evolving storyline, such as Blizzard Entertainment's spectacular game Starcraft, which prove that utilizing deep characters and missions that link together does not preclude a focus on strategy in gameplay.

Storyline aside, Master of Orion II has an interesting and powerful interface.You are given complete control over almost every aspect of your colonies, and assign crews of workers to either farm, research, or work on the construction of the colony's project.Levels of progress in the different areas are represented graphically; players of Civilization II will find this interface very familiar.However, its simple look belies the potential for automation that can be employed.Up to seven or so build orders can be queued for each particular colony, allowing you to monitor areas of greater activity without worrying about lesser colonies for long periods of time.When your empire grows gigantic, you can chose to allow a "colony advisor" to decide what to build and produce, saving you the large amounts of time that would be required to check each colony individually, again and again.

Another enjoyable interface, starship design, was an element pioneered by the Master of Orion series, and still provides one of the keys to success in the game.You design your own starships, choosing what hull design, weapons, computers, shields, systems, and special devices are to be incorporated in each ship.You are limited by the amount of space inside the hull, and should keep the production cost in mind when designing huge, powerful battle cruisers.There are even more subtle factors to take into account: you can modify the firing arcs of each weapon, choose how many reloads of each type of torpedo your ship can carry and how many can be fired in each salvo, and even chose special modifications to existing weapons, increasing their power, accuracy, firing rate, durability, or other qualities.Perhaps the best interface in the game, the ship design screen takes what could have been a dauntingly complex task and makes it intuitive and convenient by providing information about each option's function and cost on-screen.

The research interface is visually interesting, but annoying.You chose which technology to work on, and the amount of research required is shown.What is not shown is what the technologies do, making it absolutely necessary to look each technology up in the manual every time you want to research anything (until you get them all memorized).

Diplomacy is a weaker area, where your interactions are constrained to a highly limited set of commands.Besides declaring war and a few basic agreements, there is next to nothing you can do in cooperation with any of the other civilizations.Soon you will wish you could coordinate attacks, interact with more than one other civilization on the same project, or make more complex deals and demands.More or less, you take on the galaxy alone.

Multi-player capabilities, a strong point in many games, are remarkably poor in Master of Orion II.Being a turn-based game, there is the fundamental constraint that every player in the game must wait for the slowest player to finish his/her turn before moving on.Worse still, space battles happen in between turns, in sequence, so everyone must wait for every player to complete every space combat before moving on.Because space battles can last over 10 minutes if large in scale, or longer if you use an attrition-based battle plan, the wait can be utterly unbearable.Additionally, while you are executing your turn, there is no chat feature.You are isolated until you finish your turn, and even then your communications are limited.Whoever is done with their turn sees a dialogue box, where everyone can type and everyone can see what you type.So much for secrecy... your opponents can see everything you say as easily as your allies.In a two player game, it is even worse.As soon as the second player ends his turn, the next turn begins, so there is practically NO time to talk at all.Between the long waits and the isolation, it is clear that Master of Orion II is not a viable multi-player game.

Master of Orion II is an interesting game, and may be ideal if you wish to focus on a few aspects of empire building (colony management, ship design, and space combat) while ignoring nearly everything else.Overall, however, it is possible to get tired of the repetitive gameplay and long time periods in between big battles.Because multiplayer games are next to impossible, and diplomacy with the computer is so limited, expect play to have a solataire-type feel to it.Ruling an empire is a lonely job. ... Read more