Kelli Rosellini

L@@K!! It's Civilization for Dummies! If you are new to strategy games and want to get the idea of concepts and have no real need to make decisions about long-term empire building, then this is the game for you. If you just enjoy looking at a few graphics and listen to the same droll upgrade voice every time something happens, then this is the game for you. It's a letdown for longtime Civ players I cannot begin to express my disappointment in the further devolvement of this once magnificent game. I don't completely hate it, the graphics are finally pretty enough to appreciate, but honestly, good Modders have been producing those since Civ IV and before. By the way, disallowing those Modders to continue massive overhauls of the game is waaaay disappointing. Instead of a full upgrade, of which the possibilities are endless, it seems developers have opted to slim down the game in favor of not confusing some new player who's just discovered strategy games. Hint: by version VII you definitely should be catering to your most longtime players. It seems like an upgrade that looks more like a scenario - Civ for dummies. WHERE IS EXPLORE????? Oh my gosh, I'm developing carpel tunnel syndrome with the needless clicking! You have no choices now as to what to build on your tiles and the shift to having a good city is no longer how good you can make do with what you have, but just receiving the hand that was dealt to you. Ingenuity and strategy removed, more like a card game now. Oh, and every era change you lose all your troops and have to restart a new set of civics! Yay, NOT. Your leaders don't seem to have any special characteristics anymore beyond a minor introductions and forming the MOST BASIC of relationships - gone are true spying, using Privateers to sabotage (lost that in VI to be honest) and manipulating other leaders to your will. Again, strategy removal. What the heck is up with trading? Wow, no more money there. Trading of all concepts! After 200 hours of play, so I can honestly say it's not initial blush, I've opted not to play the game because I was utterly bored with it at this point.