Comparison table

Last updated: 03.10.2004.

If you want to mail me corrections, insults ;-) and such directly: webmaster@civilizacija.net. Thanks :-) ! 

The idea here is to compare large scale empire building games (what I arbitrarily call the Civ genre, although I acknowledge Civ 1 was not the first game in it) in as many ways as possible. I think both their statical features and their dynamics can be compared, but I haven't thought of a way to do the later yet. This table is about the statics and I have begun to build it with help of people who played the specific games (appreciated).Take a look and tell me if you have a addition/contribution/correction/suggestion, etc.

The criteria for introducing the game are not very strict. It has to be an empire building game, macroscopic and comparable to other games here.

         
Type of property -> (EXTERMINATE) (EXPLOIT) (EXPAND) (EXPLORE) (EXPIRIENCE)  (ELSE)   Contributed by
Units Politics and Diplomacy Map Research Gameplay AI Graphics Other special  Modability and Scenarios   More information about the game I am still  looking for...  
Title/Published

Click on the game logo for the official site (where I could find one), and see Info column for the community sites.

 Design own units/ships Penalty when switching production Settler / Colonist unit cost Complex or simplistic combat model Stacked combat Special unit for terrain improvement Types of diplomatic deals available

(Tribute, Peace, Trade Items, Declare war on X, Movement rights..)

 Multilateral diplomacy

(UN, Planetary Council, etc... exists?)

 Government types Internal politics

(Parties, senate, social engineering)

 Unhapiness managment Grid type ICS (Infinite city spread) solutions City/Base Radius (Is it constant or expands, how many tiles does it include, or is it non existand - Point based, like with planets) Can build bases on (Land, Water, Space, Underground) Type of tech research: is there a tech tree, are discoveries picked by hand or random? What is the tech rate? Number of techs that can be researched Game length in turns on standars settings. Multiplayer options (PBEM, Hotseat, one-on-one. How many max players?) Difficulty levels Maximum number of civilizations in any game session (pick from how many?) Unique Civ abilites Unique Civ units What kinds of victory are possible?

(Diplomatic, Conquest, Technology, Build project...)

 Type of turn resolution Random events Trade model City/Base Governors  Do different Leader AI personalities exist? Other Macromanagment features Replay available when game ends? Animated units Playing mode Features unique to the game  Scripting, custom units, graphics, custom AI behaviour... Scenarios and mods in existance Community sites and discussion groups Sequels planned, spinoffs? <- ...more columns Simun, LDiCesare

Sid Meier's Colonizaton

 Yes, partially (Equip with muskets, horses or tools) No any existing unit or 200 food surplus accumulated in colony  Simplistic

A/D, terrain bonus

 No Yes

(Pioneer)

 Make Peace, Declare War, Break Peace with another civ No Tory, Rebel Limited (tories or sons of liberty) Decrease the size of the colony or set a citizen to produce crosses. Squares

(pic)

 None const (9 squares) Land only Founding fathers elected to continental congress act as tech 25 ? None 5 (Discoverer, Explorer, Conquistador, Governor, Viceroy) 4 European (playable), 7? Indian (can't be played by human) Yes, one per civ. (Exploration, Trade, Cooperation, Conquest) No Conquest only (sucessful defense) Set Sequential order     Yes (rudimentary) No? Individual colonies are accessible through statistical listings, but have to be managed one by one No No 320x240x256 Resource model, Citizen specializations, Citizen/Unit dual functionality None None Colonization forum Open source colonization project  pictures Simun, Henrik, evyscr

Sid Meier's Civilization 

 No Yes

Units, structures

 

 40 shields + 1 pop Simplistic No Yes

(settler)(pic)

 Tribute, Join Crusade, Make Peace, Demand tribute, Give tribute No Anarchy, Despotism, Monarchy, Republic, Democracy Limited (senate always blocks new war if govt. type republic or Democracy) Wonders, Buildings, Global slider (luxury rate), specialists (entertainer) Squares None? constant (21 squares) Land only Linear tech tree. Constant tech cost, after 1 AD cost for each doubles ? 400 turns, 5 hours? None 5 (Chieftain, Warlord, Prince, King, Emperor) 7 (pick from 14) No. No Conquest, Project (Alpha Centauri launch) ?     Yes Yes (civilized, militaristic, expansionistic, peaceful) Only AI city governors Yes No 320x240x256  Water Color Cycling No (hex editing) about three (where to get-link?)

Civ 1 forum on Civ Fanatics

 No  pictures Simun

CivNet

 No Yes (units, structures, wonders) 40+1 Simplistic No Yes (settler) Tribute, Join Crusade, Make Peace, Demand tribute, Give tribute No Anarchy, Despotism, Monarchy, Republic, Democracy No ? Squares None? Constant (21 squares) Land only ? ? ? Yes 5 (Chieftain, Warlord, Prince, King, Emperor) 7 (pick from 21) No No ? ?     Yes ? ? No No Windows resolution, 256 colors Multiplayer with Civ 1 graphics? :-) ? None -  No data update and pictures Simun

Civilization II

 No Yes

Units, structures, wonders

 40+1 pop Complex No Yes

(settler)

 Cease fire, peace, Alliance, Join Crusade. Demand trubute. Exchange: tech, maps, units, cities. No Anarchy, Despotism, Monarchy, Republic, Democracy, Communism, Fundamentalism Limited Wonders, Buildings, Global slider (luxury rate), specialists (entertainer) Diamond Unhappiness increases with the number of cities depending on map settings and difficulty constant (21 squares) Land only Linear tech tree. Cost increases by 10 for every new tech discovered. Leadership further increases the cost, lagging decreases it. 99 ? MGE brings: Hotseat, IP and LAN play for up to 7 players. 6 (Chieftain, Warlord, Prince, King, Emperor, Deity) 7 (pick from 21) No. No Conquest, Project (Alpha Centauri launch) ? Schisms    Yes Yes Individual cities are acessible from statistical listings No No Windows resolution, 16 bit color Hitpoints and Firepower model Yes (Full scenario support: scripting language, moddable graphics and sounds) Too many to count :-) Civ 2 forum on Apolyton or Civfanatics  Civ2Evo   Simun, Henrik

Civilization II: Test of Time

 No Yes

Units, structures, wonders

 40+1 pop Complex No Yes

(settler)

 Cease fire, peace, Alliance, Join Crusade. Demand trubute. Exchange: tech, maps, units, cities. No Anarchy, Despotism, Monarchy, Republic, Democracy, Communism, Fundamentalism Limited Wonders, Buildings, Global slider (luxury rate), specialists (entertainer) Diamond Unhappiness increases with the number of cities depending on map settings and difficulty constant (21 squares) Land, Underground, Space ? ? ? Hotseat, IP and LAN play for up to 7 players. 6 (Chieftain, Warlord, Prince, King, Emperor, Deity) 7 (pick from 21) No. Yes ? ?     Yes Yes Individual cities are acessible from statistical listings No Yes Windows resolution, 16 bit color Different levels (underworls, orbital), time travel scenario ? ? Civ 2 ToT forum on Apolyton No   Simun

Civilization III

 No Yes

Units, structures, wonders

 40 + 2 pop Simplistic Yes Yes

worker (can't build cities)

 Cease fire, peace, Alliance, Join an attack. Demand trubute. Exchange: tech, maps, units, cities, gold. No Despotism, Monarchy, Republic, Democracy...? Limited Luxury resources, Wonders, Buildings, Global slider (luxury rate), specialists (entertainer) Diamond (pic) Unhappiness increases with the number of cities depending on map settings and difficulty, settlers cost 2 pop, cultural borders Two levels: starts with 9 squares, expands to 21 Land only ? ? ? Play the World: IP and LAN play 6 (Chieftain, Warlord, Prince, King, Emperor, Deity) 16? 32? Yes (two per civilization) Yes ? ? Disease outbreaks, culture flips...   Yes Yes Advanced city governors Yes Yes 1024x768x16 bit color Cultural borders, Leaders (hmm, is this unique?), introduces the concept of citizens of different nationalities residing in the same city, no ZOC ? ? Civ 3 forum on Civfanatics  Yes, Civ IV   Simun

Civilization: Call to Power

 No Yes? ? Complex Yes No, Public Works ? ? ? ? ? Diamonds ? Radius expands (16,21,30?) Land, Water ? ? ? Yes ? ? No No ? ?     Yes ? ? Yes? Yes 1024x768  Unconventional warfare ? ? CtP forum on Apolyton No   Simun

Call to Power II

 No No ? Complex Yes No, Public Works 37 types of diplomatic deals available No Lots? (I need a count or a short description of the system) No ? Diamonds Expanding city radius Radius expands (16,21,30?) Land, Water, Orbital? ? ? 600? Yes ? ? No No Diplomatic, Conquest, Build project ?     Yes ? ? No Yes 1024x768 ? Yes, SLIC in addition to moddable graphics and sounds Scenarios: Few. Mods: Several CtP II forums on Apolyton  Yes. CtP source code project   Simun, Peter Triggs

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri

 Yes Yes

Units, stuctures, wonders

 40+1 pop Complex No Yes

(former)

 Blood truce, peace, Pact of Brotherhood. Join an attack (coordinate tactics!). Demand trubute. Exchange: tech, maps, units, cities, gold and contacts. Yes (raise sea level, sanctions) SOCIAL ENGINEERING (4x4 table of preferences gives 256 posible combinations) Limited Wonders, Buildings, Global slider (luxury rate), specialists (doctor). Atrocity action (nerve staple) Diamonds

+3D-ish look

 Unhappiness increases with the number of cities depending on map settings and difficulty const (21 squares) Land, water ? ? ? LAN 6 (...Citizen, Thinker, Transcendi) 7 Yes No? Conquest, Economic, Diplomatic (planetary council), Project ?     Yes Yes ? Yes Yes 800x600x16 colors  Leader personalities, raise sea levels, social engineering ? couple SMAC forum on Apolyton or Planetacol? No   Simun, Henrik

Galactic Civilizations

 Limited (You can design Death Stars, special immobile unit for combat or bonuses) No for units. Yes for structures as no production is kept for the new struct, but the old one remains partially built 50 shields + X pop (in milion) Simple? Yes for  movement, no for combat Yes

(Constructor ship)

 Peace, war, alliance, trade embargo. Exchangeable: techs, trade goods (Items that can be built only once), money, ships, starbases, planets, influence. Ask to declare war on someone while in peace with all. Demand tribute and offer gifts. Yes (ship stats, trade agreements, various taxes) Imperial, Republic, Democracy, Federation Parliament exists, choose your party on start, if it maintains a majority, then bonuses, if not, penalties. If unhappiness too big or policy is evil, planets may break away One global slider (tax rate), a planet slider (propaganda), buildings, tech and resources. Squares (pic) There are very few spots where you can build colonies (viable planets) Point based Planets only (starbases can be built in open space, but don't house population) Tech tree with available tech in current game depends on playing ethics. 140 (pic (360KB) of the tech tree) 150 None 10 major (cakewalk, easy, simple, beginner, normal, challenging, tough, painful), tweaked by tweaking enemy strength 36 Yes Yes Political Victory,
Technology Victory, Cultural Victory, Conquest Victory		 Sequential turn based Rebellions,War outbreaks, Settling a planet sometimes gives a random event with three choices that bring bonuses and affect ethic alignment    Yes Yes Spending for each planet is the same as for all other planets, and its distribution is set by three global sliders No Few (Starbases) 1024x768 Civ customization as Good or Bad based on gameplay, internal politics. Starbases as trade bases and culture bombs. Minor races/major racs dichotomy. New ships, random events, techs, buildings. (Map editor and more are in beta) 'A lot' of mods, but most are not extensive Galciv official web board  No pictures Simun, LDiCesare

Master of Magic

 Limited (can design magic items for heroes) Yes? From ? to ? (depending on the race) Complex Yes Yes (engineers) War. Truce?, Peace, Alliance?. No None No Structures Squares Minimum space between cities. New cities take time to grow, don't become productive immediately and may starve and disappear if the terrain is bad or race has poor growth rate Constant (21 squares) Land only (Arcanus, Myrror - two maps) Everyone has arcane spells available, costing more or less research. Can research domain spells if you have the spellbooks (which can be found during the game). ? ? None 5 4 + player + neutrals Yes Yes Military or Spell of Domination ?     No Yes ? No No 320x240x256 2 pools for maintaining units (mana and gold + food). Different set of buildings available for each race. Possibility to keep enemy cities and build their units there. Spells, heroes, magic items None None MoM at Apolyton or Civfanatics  ?   LDiCesare

Master of Orion

 Yes ? ? Complex Yes ? ? Yes? ? No ? Pixels? ? Point based (city=planet) doesn't have a radius Only hospitable planets? Couple of techs can be researched in parallel. Costs are fixed. All techs not available in every session. Random branch width. ? ? None 5? (impossible is the hardest?) ? Yes No ? Round based     No Yes ? ? ? 320x240x256 Production levels adjustable with sliders ? ? Moo 1 forum on Apolyton  No   Simun

Master of Orion II

 Yes No Colony Base 200, Colony Ship 500 Complex Yes No Trade treaty, Research Treaty, Peace, War, demand tribute (5 or 10% per turn), exchange techs, demand gold / colonies / techs, ally. Demand to stop spying/ declare war on / peace with Yes Dictatorship, Feudalism, Democracy, Unification (Imperium, Confederation,
Federation,Galactic Unification)		 Limited (Planets populated by enslaved enemy may deflect if unhappiness is high) Unhapiness is integrated into the Morale concept Pixels (Parsecs) Increased corruption, fixed limit on number of allowed planets Point based Planets only (all except Gas Giants) All techs cannot be researched by one civ you get to chose which one to develop out of 2-4 in each "layer" of the tech tree. You can however trade for the others. 188 can be researched, 202 total ? Hotseat, null modem, modem, network (untried) 5 (tutor, easy, average, hard, impossible) 8 max in one game Yes No Diplomatic (vote), Conquest, Defeat Antarans (by going through a portal and fighting them) Sequential turn based Yes (can be turned off) None No Yes (industrialistic, pacifist, ruthless, technologist, militaristic,
xenophobic)		 None No No 640x480x256? "Command points" for unit upkeep No No Moo II forum on Apolyton No Some in game graphics would be cool (map..) Henrik, EmP

Master of Orion III

 Yes ? ? Complex Yes (unique - allies can join stack) ? ? Yes ? ? ? Pixels? ? Point based Planets only ? ? ? Yes? ? ? Yes ? ? ?     Yes ? ? ? ? 800x600  Detachement of data from presentation of data (bad, bad thing) ? ? Official board, Orion Sector board  No Complete description Simun

Imperium Galactica II

 Yes ? ? ? Yes ? ? No? ? ? ? Pixels? ? Point based Planets only ? ? ? Yes? ? ? Yes No? ? Real Time with pausing possible     Yes ? ? No No 800x600?  Planetary attack micromanagment ? ? Official forums Yes, IG3?   Simun

Space Empires IV

 Yes Yes, you lose ALL production spent on the previous project Depends on the design Complex Yes Yes Treaties (Non-agression to Alliance). Can trade techs, units, planets, resources. Can demand war declarations or request Empire A to make peace with Empire B No None None except planet happiness Increase Planet Conditions Squares Limited places to colonize depending on your home planet's atmosphere and colonization tech Point based Planets only, Space Stations can be built in any sector There is a tech tree, up to 12 hand-picked items can be researched at a time. Tech rate can be set as a game setting at the start. A lot? ? PBEM, Hotseat, LAN?, up to 20 players 9 (AI bonus and AI difficulty can each be set to 3 different levels) 20 Yes Yes Conquest, Diplomatic... ?     Yes Yes ? No Yes 1024x768 ? Game data is in normal txt-files, can easily be edited. AI behaviour can also be modified in txt-files, custom units and graphics are possible. Many Official forums  Official expansion packs still produced Game info, Graphics Lemmy, Simun

Imperium

Yes (pic) Can't switch Depends on design (pic)  Complex Yes (fleets) No Alliance (pic), Embargo and Trade screens allow construction of tailored agreements No None to choose (Default is a republic of a kind) Yes (Elections(pic) held every 50 years or on occassion. Must maintain popularity to win them)   Planets in a 3D space (pic) None? Point based Viable planets only Planets have endemic tech levels that can be increased over time with subsidies. Tech level increases are not limited 1000 None Fine tuning with 5 sliders (pic) 4 + player (pick from 5) No? No? Conquest, Longevity (maintain drug supply and live over 1000 years) Sequential with simultaneous combat resolution     Yes (one of jobs for Subordinates (pic)  No Subordinates can be assigned to planets, fleets or embassies. Military, diplomatic and economic subsystems can be automatized (pic).  No? No 640x200x16 (playing)

320x200x16 (begining and ending)

 Leader longevity maintained through a drug that must be obtained None None None No.  Comments Simun

Rise And Rule of Ancient Empires

No No 10 resources, 10 production + 3 pop (300 people). Max city size is 22 pop. Complex Yes Yes (Philosopher) Offer Greetings, Peace or War, each in two intensities (pic). Resulting Diplomatic States: Alliance, Trade, Unknown, Embargo, War, Human (pic) No None None Each city has an affinity for all civs in contact with it. Keep own affinity high through producing enough surplus food, creating merchant links and not stationing troops inside, knowledge 
sharing and roads.		 Squares (pic) None except affinity (see unhapiness column) Expands twice (from settlement to town to city) Land only 5 areas (General knowledge, Sage knowledge, engineering knowledge, medical knowledge, martial knowledge) Techs don't have names, bars representing area progress increase Unlimited Yes (2 over modem or null modem, up to 4 over LAN) None. 4 (Choose from 6: Greeks, Egyptians, Indians, Mesopotamians, Celtic, Chinese) Yes. Each civ starts with different tech levels, has different preferences (explore, conquest, build) Yes Conquest Sequential turn based Yes (Tidal waves, sea monsters, forest fires...)   Limited. (A Level 2 Town Hall helps with city management by regulating food production Yes (civs prefer expanding in a certain way and terrain) Autopilot can be engaged for the entire empire. He manages the whole turn. No. No. 640x480x256

Windowed mode

 Units practice foraging to get by and require population to be built. Disbanded units add to the city population. Buildings in cities can be upgraded three levels. World wonders have a range on map. Disease. Trading to connect cities into an empire Some graphics and sounds are in open formats, some text can be translated. Pretty extensive AI tweaking in .txt files. None None None a  drawing of the tech tree, depicting tech levels that make units available Simun

Reach For The Stars

No No                                                                          

Pax Imperia: Eminent Domain

Yes No Transports cost only money, no pop complex real time 2d model with individual ships yes (units can act together) No Three states each with two proposals possible: War (declare), Neutral (trade routes, supply lines), allied (share research, share info) No None None No unhapiness Pixelated movement within systems and in  orbits, and instantaneous between them No special considerations, need consider building priorities since only one thing can be built per planet at a time Point based Most habitable planets Parallel research in 5 branches between which points accumulated from planets are split with percentage sliders ?

(in the range of less than 100)

 Unlimited Yes, up to 16 players via LaN, Internet and modem 5 levels (1-5) 16, pick from 8 stock design races or design your own Yes No Conquest Real Time (pausing possible) None automatic. Trade routes autogenerated after reqired treaty is signed No. No. Preset building queues for plantes can be customized No. No, but combat effects are animated 640x480x256 Rather complex real time combat mode for this genre None None None No. Screen Captures, info Simun

Europa Universalis

No No (can't switch) Depends on how far target is from the capital Complex Yes No   military alliances Social engineering of a kind: switch between religions ? Maintaining Stability and managing the Religious Slider and not letting wars drag on too long Provinces None Point based (Provinces with predefined and fixed borders) Only claim preexisting provinces by war or colonizing "empty" provinces. 4 areas ( Naval, Trade, Army and Society). Paralel research,  money divided to areas each area with a slider for each area About 5? levels in Trade and Society, and over 30 in both Navy and Army ? Yes ? Every state in i.e. 1492. (Could be 100-150) Yes No Conquest, Economic Leader, Diplomatic Absorbtion of Nations Real time     No Yes (Leader personalities effect the bonuses that each civ gets) ? No Yes 1024x768?  Historical recreation Moddable, but difficult.  few. Country flags can be modified Official board at Paradox  No.   Simun, DarkCloud

Europa Universalis II

No No (can't switch) Generated based on political settings, can't be built Complex Yes No One time:Tributes (fixed value), Insult, Warrning, Throne Claim, Guarantee of Independence, Annexation
On/Off: Royal Marriage,Military Alliance, Vasalisation, Trade Agreement, Trade Embargo, Military Access		 multilateral military alliances (2 alliances at war with one
another)		 Social engineering of a kind: switch between religions ? Peace, Buildings, Promotions, National stability, Religion and
cultural differences		 Provinces None (Provinces with predefined and fixed borders) Only claim preexisting provinces by war or colonizing "empty" provinces. 4 areas (Land, Naval, Trade, Production), Paralel research,
Tech Cost depends upon many factors		 51?+41?+10+10 ? Yes No Every state in i.e. 1419. (Could be 100-150) Yes No  Conquest, Economic Leader, Diplomatic Absorbtion of Nations Real time     No Yes (Historical Leaders appear with distinct abilities)  ? No Yes 1024x768? Close to real history, Defenders of faith, Cultures, Great diplomacy options,
Complicated financial system		 Moddable, but difficult.  few Official board at Paradox Open source EU   Hrvoje O., Simun

Victoria

Hoi

                                                                                

Space left for games that were left out...

                                                          ?                    

Ascendancy
Supremacy
Pax Imperia

Spaceward ho!

Stars!

Age of Wonders

Warpath classic

Outpost
Starwars Rebellion
Malkari
Dominion
Conquest Earth
Deadlock
Fragile Allegiance
Birth of the Federation

                                                           ?