Starting a new game (Civ3)

When starting a new game in Civilization III, you can choose from a number of options. 
== World setup ==
===World Size===
By choosing the size of the , you determine how much territory there is and, to a large degree, how long the game takes to play. 
*Tiny: This size map leads to short, intensely contested games. Tribes find each other quickly. 
*Small: These games are slightly less intense than those on tiny maps. You'll still run into your opponents quickly. 
*Standard: This is the standard size map. 
*Large: This sprawling map takes longer to explore and exploit. Consequently, games go on longer. 
*Huge: Games played on this size map allow plenty of development time before tribes meet one another. Wars tend to be prolonged and tough. You'll have to work hard to dominate this size world before you run out of game time. 
===Land Mass and Water Coverage===
This option sets the percentage of squares that are water versus land, as well as the form of that land. There are three Water Coverage settings, each with three potential Land Mass settings. 
*80% Ocean: Choosing this option gives your world a small number of land squares and a larger number of ocean squares. 
*70% Ocean: This option yields land and ocean squares roughly equivalent to that of our own Earth. 
*60% Ocean: This option produces a larger number of land squares and a small number of ocean squares. 
*Archipelago: This option produces large numbers of relatively small continents. 
*Continents: This option yields a few large land masses and a few smaller ones. 
*Pangaea: Choosing this gives you one large supercontinent. 
*Random: This option randomly selects settings for Water Coverage and Land Mass. 
===Climate===
This parameter sets the relative frequency with which particular terrain types — especially and — occur. 
*Arid: Choosing this option gives your world a larger number of dry terrain squares, such as and Desert. 
*Normal: This option yields about equal numbers of wet and dry terrain squares. 
*Wet: This option produces a larger number of wet terrain squares, such as Jungle and Flood Plain. 
*Random: Use this option if you want the Climate setting chosen for you. 
===Age===
This parameter determines how long erosion, continental drift, and tectonic activity have had to sculpt your world. 
*3 Billion Years: This option yields a young, rough world, in which terrain types occur in clusters. 
*4 Billion Years: This option yields a middle-aged world, one in which plate tectonics have been acting to diversify terrain. 
*5 Billion Years: This option produces an old world, one in which the tectonics have settled down somewhat, allowing erosion and other natural forces to soften the terrain features. 
*Random: This option selects an Age setting at random.
===Temperature===
This parameter determines the relative frequency with which particular terrain types occur. 
*Cool: This option produces larger numbers of cold and cool terrain squares, like . 
*Temperate: Choosing this option gives your world an average number of each terrain type. 
*Warm: This option yields a larger amount of tropical terrain, like Deserts and Jungles. 
*Random: This option selects a Temperature setting at random. 
===Barbarian===
You can also set the level of activity in the game. 
*No Barbarians: Players who really hate barbarians can choose to play in this ideal barbarian-free world. 
*Sedentary: Barbarians are restricted to their encampments. The surrounding terrain is free of their mischief. 
*Roaming: Barbarian settlements occasionally appear, but less frequently and in smaller numbers than at higher levels. This is the standard level of barbarian activity. 
*Restless: Barbarians appear in moderate up to significant numbers, at shorter intervals than at lower levels. 
*Raging: You asked for it! The world is full of barbarians, and they appear in large numbers. 
*Random: This option randomly selects a Barbarian setting. 
== Player setup ==
===Your Civilization===
Select the tribe you want to rule from the options available. Every tribe has different strengths, weaknesses, and one special unit. 
*: Base city squares produce 1 additional Food. Irrigated deserts produce extra Food. Cheaper city improvement costs on s, , and s. 
*: Cities with large populations produce extra Commerce. Levels of are lower. 
*: Begin the game with a . Barbarian villages are more lucrative. 
*: s complete jobs faster. Cities with large populations produce extra Shields. 
*: Military city improvements (like and es) are cheaper. Unit promotions (to regular, veteran, and elite) occur more frequently. 
*: Religious city improvements (like s and s) are cheaper. lasts one turn for Religious civilizations. 
*: Scientific city improvements (like and ) are cheaper. Gain a bonus civilization at the start of each new . 
*: Tend to start near the . Coastal cities receive bonus Commerce in the base city square. Ships move faster and have a reduced chance of sinking in the sea or ocean. Cheaper "water-based" city improvements.
===Your Rivals===
Along the right of this screen are slots for the other civilizations that will be in the game. Using these, you can control how many competitors you face and — within limits — who
they are. You can set each slot to one of three states: 
*None means that no civilization is in that slot. If you want to play against fewer than the maximum number of competitors, close a few slots. 
*A Filled slot contains the name of a specific civilization that you've selected. This guarantees that the tribe you chose will be in the game when it starts. 
*Random is the option to use when you don't want to close the slot, but you don't want to choose a specific civilization either. The game will choose an opponent for you. 
===Difficulty Levels===
Choose the level of difficulty at which you wish to play. There are a number of new features and adjustments that will not be familiar to players of previous versions. If you are used to playing the Civilization game at a particular level, we recommend that you start your first Civilization III game one or two levels of difficulty easier. (New players don't need to worry, as they have no bad habits to break.)
A number of factors are adjusted at each difficulty level, including the general level of discontent among your citizens and the average craftiness and intelligence of the AI leaders. 
*Chieftain: This easiest level is recommended for firsttime players. 
*Warlord: Warlord level best suits the occasional player who doesn't want too difficult a test. 
*Prince: At this difficulty level, everything comes much less easily and your rivals are significantly better at managing their empires. You need some experience and skill to win. 
*Monarch: Experienced and skilled players often play at this level, where the crafty enemy leaders and the unstable attitude of your citizens combine to present a significant challenge. 
*Emperor: This level is for those who feel the need to be humbled. Your opponents will no longer pull their punches; if you want to win, you'll have to earn it. 
*Demigod: For the seasoned megalomaniac who seeks a more challenging game but isn't quite ready for the ultimate Civ challenge. 
*Diety: Brutal, unforgiving and merciless: three words used to describe your competition at this level. You'll need honed skills and good fortune to conquer at this level. 
*Sid: For those who think they have what it takes, we offer the most punishing AI difficulty level ever seen in Civilization. Good luck, you'll need it. 
===Game Rules===
Tweaking the parameters of the game can change the whole flavor of the challenge. The custom rules offer several different possibilities. (If you mess up, you can reset to the default standards by clicking Standard Rules.)
*Allow : If this box is checked, players can win by conquering and controlling two-thirds of the world's territory. The other civilizations, or what's left of them, capitulate to your rule. 
*Allow : Unless this option is unchecked, leaders can win by purely diplomatic means. To be successful, a ruler must be elected Secretary-General through a vote of the . 
*Allow : Make sure this option is checked, and any civilization can win the game through overwhelming cultural dominance. For success, a nation must have achieved a certain level of cultural advancement. 
*Allow : When this box is checked, players can build spaceship parts and win the game by being the first to launch a spaceship bound for Alpha Centauri. 
*Allow : If this box is checked, players can win by eliminating all rival nations. If you're the last one standing, you rule the world. 
*Allow Civ-Specific Abilities: This option controls the diversity factor. When it's checked, each civilization has its own unique strengths and weaknesses (as listed earlier in this section). Turning this off is handy for leveling the playing field. 
*Culturally Linked Start Locations: When this option is checked, all civilizations start the game grouped on the map according to their culture groups — American, Asian, European, Mediterranean, and Mid East. In other words, all American civilizations start the game close to one another, all of the Asian civilizations start the game close to one another, and so on. 
*Respawn AI Players: When this option is checked, computer-controlled civilizations that are eliminated early in the game are "reborn" as new civilizations. If you don't want AI civilizations to reappear after you defeat them, uncheck this option. 
*Preserve Random Seed: When this option is checked, the state of the current game's random number generator is locked when you save a game, so that saving and loading have no effect on random events in the game. Here's an example: Right after you save your game, one of your units is attacked and destroyed by an enemy unit. You can reload your last save and allow the combat to occur again. If the Preserve Random Seed option is not checked, a new random number is generated when the game is reloaded, and the results of the combat might be different. If the Preserve Random Seed option is checked, the result of the combat is always the same because the original random number that governed the combat is preserved in each save. 
*Accelerated Production: When this option is checked, the number of food, shields, and commerce generated by cities each turn is doubled. Accelerated production speeds up the game by increasing the rate of population growth and scientific research and decreasing production time. 
*: If this box is checked, players can win by killing the enemy "king" unit. 
*: If this box is checked, players can win by killing all enemy "king" units. 
*: If this box is checked, players are eliminated when they lose a city. 
*: This option allows you to score points by occupying designated Victory Point Locations, killing enemy units or barbarians, capturing enemy cities, building Wonders, researching or capturing princesses. 
*: When this box is checked, players can score victory points by capturing another player's "princess"unit. 
*Allow for Cultural Conversions: When enabled, culturally weak cities adjacent to culturally strong ones might defect and join their culturally superior neighbor. Default is ON. 
*: This is not an option that can be selected. Certain Conquests and player-made scenarios will have this victory condition enabled. If it's enabled, you will see it highlighted. For example, the "Three Sisters Introductory Conquest" has this option enabled to allow you to return the artifact to the volcano. 
*Game Limits: Click on this to customize your victory conditions to meet your needs. Turn # can be reduced and many limits (indicators that the game is over) can be adjusted in this menu. 
*Adjustable AI Aggressiveness: Before starting the game, click how aggressive you want the AI players to be. Normal means that the AI acts based on the tribe's default aggressiveness setting. 
== See also ==
* Starting a new game in other games
Category: Gameplay
Category: Game concepts (Civ3)