From: mperry@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games
Subject: Re: Do you like Civilization ?
Date: 9 Nov 92 13:14:39 +1300
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

In article <BxBsoL.EK1@netnews.jhuapl.edu>, bandy@netnews.jhuapl.edu (Mike Bandy) writes:
> I think the mouse handling is VERY bad.  The slow mouse response tends to
> aggravate my carpal tunnel syndrome like no other game or application
> ever has.  But in spite of that, I continue to play it in several hour
> stretches ("just until I kick this Bozo's ass...") and have turned a few
> lunchhour "short games" into completely wasted afternoons.  It's a very
> complex game that requires a significant effort to learn.  Having played
complex? It is childs play to learn.

> both the IBM and Amiga versions of the game, the only differences I can
> see are:
> 	1) The Amiga version crashes in the city display when the advisor
> 	   can't find a suitable choice (the solution is to turn off
> 	   auto advisor from the option menu).
> 	2) The IBM version allows a cheat by typing <SHIFT>12345678
> 	   that reveals the entire world.  The F1-F10 keys have special
> 	   powers, too.  Anybody know of a similar Amiga key sequence?
> 
> 	Mike Bandy
> 	bandy@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu
> 	Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Lab
Get a brain, or manual (or both) for your (pirated?) game. (a small assumption)

Under the menus (ibm/amiga) it explains what F1-F10 do, as it also does in the
manual. Shift 12345678 only works on early versions. The crashing problem 
happens on the earlier versions. If you think F1 has special powers try
<ctrl><alt><del> (on the ibm), or <ctrl><amiga><amiga> (on the amiga), this also
has a special power. The game is good, no, it is great. The object of the game
is simple, have the best civilization. Achieving the object can be as complex
as you make it. You can play the game totally with the mouse, or do most of the
movement (8 direction keys) and ~7 actions keys. Take a flight simulator - how
many of these can you use totally with only a mouse? I've been playing wing
commander II lately so I'll use it as an example. It uses keyboard or mouse for
general moving, (quite simple), you use the + to increase speed, - to decrease
speed, tab for afterburners, w to select weopons, g to select guns enter to
fire a missile (or right and left mouse buttons), space to fire guns (or left 
mouse buttons), d for damage report, <alt>d for wingmans damage report, c for
comunication, a for auto pilot, f1-f10 for varios views, r for action replays,
v for turning on/off vid com, <ctrl>e to eject, you can use up to three gun
turrets (on the bomber), t to target, l to lock onto target, j to jump,
backspace to reverse thrust till stopped, numeric 0 to roll left, numeric . to
roll right, ... and I have covered about 60% of the keys. This is a more
complex game - but I find it quite simple to use.

I do not find civilisation a complex game to play, it is simple. You have no
time restrictions - you can take 5 days between updates. It has everything well
documented in the menus, and the civilapedia, and the manual. WCII, it has most
things in the manual, but there are areas diliberately left out so the player
learns the hard way (almost burn/burn a few fighters) - it is well documented
but their is nothing on line - but you don't need anything on line with the
manual. If you make a mistake in civilisation, it won't be that important, make
a mistake in WCII and you will probably lose your ship (have to try the mission
again). I find both great games. I find civilisation quite simple to play with
a mouse and a few keys and no time restrictions. I find WCII quite simple to
play with a mouse and its many keys with interative dogfighting restrictions.

Civilisation took me about 5 minutes to learn. It is simple to use.

WCII took me about 10 minutes to learn the basics, several hours to use it
well (but it was fun learning, toasting all those enemy fighters). Both are
good simulators, but I wouldn't call civilisation complex to play. Just like
with a game of chess - the game is simple, but you can make your moves as
complex or simple as you want (except the board and number of pieces are
larger and greater in civ than chess)