Bruce sat down to play, leaving constructive comments from time to time, and then they called me to the living room, and I left him. After some time, they asked me where Bruce. – Ah, ”I answered, looking around,“ he probably is still in the back room, plays in Civilization. I looked at my watch. From the moment Bruce sat down at the computer, six hours have passed.
4x strategies genre is incredibly complex and complex. It is filled with amazing games that send players to different continents, historical eras, planets, galaxies and invented worlds.
I love these games. No matter how difficult it is to manage all the problems that stand in the way of the great ruler, who decided to lead his people and conquer everyone else. Hundreds of hours of fascinating gameplay, unpredictability of events, the feeling that you are creating history, war, trade, diplomacy, religion, management, development, planning. All this has repeatedly forced me to sit at the monitor from early morning to late at night. And of course, I had to throw everything in the most interesting place when the body reminded of basic needs, and the brain of responsibility.
I owe all this to one series of games that originated the basics of the genre, introduced me to the world of global and 4 strategies, and the new parts of the series are still coming out.
For 33 years now Sid Meier’s Civilization and her branches are pleased with millions of players around the world. She survived many competitors, the decline of the whole genre of strategies, the studio where she was invented, and in a sense, the departure of the person who created it.
In the beginning there was a word.
More precisely, two words: "Sid Meier’s".
Sid lived an unremarkable life. Born in a Canadian family, which then moved to the USA. Like many American children, played soldiers, board and card games. Having matured, he entered the University of Michigan, where he met a computer and played Space Invaders . After studying, he began working at General Instrument, where he programmed cash register. It seemed that Meyer was prepared for the usual life of an ordinary person, until a fateful meeting happened in 1982.
– How did you succeed? Why, I’m a real pilot! How is it possible that you beat me?
– While you played, I remembered the algorithms
– I remembered what?
– I’m a programmer. If desired, I could make a much more interesting game in a couple of weeks
– So do it! And I will take on its sale
At a corporate party in Las Vegas, a cash register programmer met a former military pilot Bill Style. Sid easily beat the pilot in the Red Baron aircraft system, just remembering the play algorithms, adding that he can make a more interesting and complex game. Bill was so impressed by Skill and self -confidence of the guy that he proposed to create his own air system.
The styles were seriously configured. When he received the first version of the game from Sid, he wrote a list of code errors and inaccuracies of military operations. This approach only inspired the developer. Closer to the output of the project, there was a need to create a company for legal and financial amenities.
I proposed my option – Microprose, because the software code seemed to me no less elegant than good prose, and the word Prose sounding in the title was not superfluous.
Sid Meyer
Hellcat Ace I went out and became quite successful. Partners understood that the achieved should not be dwelled. Subsequent releases turned out to be no less successful in terms of profit and as games, being interesting and fascinating. The number of fans and positive reviews only grew.
To Meyer’s surprise, of which two turned out to be a great team. He was engaged in all advertising, financial and organizational things, and Sid calmly made games. This approach allowed him to grow as a programmer in all areas. So far, at one point, he did not understand that he wanted more creative freedom.
– This is madness! We have never done in detail anything like that
– I know, but it’s great
– But nobody will buy this
“Pirates!" – exclaimed the game designer. The idea for a new game was born, but Bill did not like it. He considered that the fans of the company would not recognize the new project and simply will not buy it. That is why he decided to make the name of the main developer to the name of the game. Meyer, in turn, did not even listen to a business partner. All his thoughts were absorbed in a new project. Thinking everything well, I wrote down thoughts and ideas on a leaflet. Then he selected the best of them.
The main rule was taken to the head of the development: fun! Therefore, the game does not go into historical meticulousness, where real pirates lived up to 30 years, were not successful robbers and existed in poverty. Therefore, the best features of romanticized books and films migrated to the game, where the gameplay came up from scratch. Sid wanted to give the players an adventure, and the adventure games of those years for the most part were textual and stingy at spectacular and dynamic moments. Therefore, the developer did not like this genre.
As a result, Sid Meier’s Pirates! I went out and became very popular. Meyer’s little prank not only was a success, but also paid off well, which was already pleasing to Bill.
The creative experiment was followed by another aircraft system – F -19 Stealth Fighter . He is interesting in our history by the fact that a newcomer of the company, Bruce Shelley took part in his development.
He was one of the people who work on the problem until it is solved.
Sid Meyer
Being introverts and creative people, they became friends, albeit not immediately. Their close relationships, perhaps, were not emotional, but they understood each other well. During the development of SID Meier’s CoverT Action, Sid realized that the creation of a contract under the contract is too constraining it, it does not allow to make a truly interesting game. Bruce also understood this, supporting his colleague. Then Meyer went on vacation.
Spy games exhausted Sid, so he realized that he needed a "reboot". Distract from everything, relax morally and physically. The trip reminded him of childish love for trains. Therefore, having returned from vacation to the office, he first gave a prototype of a new game about the train Bruce, which quite by accident also turned out to be a fan of train.
The work boiled. Friends did not ask the studio for a lot of resources to create a train simulator. One artist and a couple of programmers were enough. In the later stages there was a problem that irritated Bruce. Bridges in the game washed off with a flood. Meyer decided this by adding different types of bridges. So he gave players the opportunity to control the risks.
And when my bridge is demolished for no apparent reason, I don’t get pleasure from the game.
Bruce is shatt
Do not forget about Simcity, released shortly before the first prototype of the game Sid. Willa Wright strategy struck, inspired and gave confidence to Meyer that his small simulator about trains would be no less interesting and popular.
Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon was released in the 1990s and became the next hit of the developer.
– This game was quite interesting to do, – remarked Bruce.
– That’s for sure, ”I confirmed. – We need to make one more.
Something larger.
– And what can be larger than the history of railways?
– History of all human civilization!
We laughed at the absurdity of this quite logical answer.
Sid Meier’s Civilization
When I was 28 years old, in the user’s guide to my very first game, I wrote that one day “create an ideal computer strategy”.
Sid Meyer
Starting with Railroad Tycoon, the workflow of Meyer and Shelley, who was nicknamed “Team A” in the company, passed something like this: SID programmed the game in the morning, in the second half he came to the office, gave the Floppy Disk Bruce with the words: “Play it, and we will talk tomorrow”. Bruce worked on the task, and the next day he evaluated all aspects of the project within an hour. Sid came at 10 o’clock, and they discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the game together, what to throw away and what to leave and add. Shelley was the only one who saw the early versions of Meyer’s games, who trusted only the critical remarks of his protege.
So on Bruce’s table in one day was a real -time strategy. All features of the genre in place: time is non -stop forward, Huge The map is divided into zones, workers are building the fields and mines from which resources are extracted, after which the player had to wait for something interesting to happen. In addition, the project was very similar to other strategies of those years, which means that there was no uniqueness in it. However, the worst was that It was just boring to play it.
Both SID and his faithful partner understood that a prototype called “Civilization” needed serious processing, which.
Within six months, “Team A” was on the ambitious game, where Meyer wanted to “pack the whole history of mankind”. The sticks in the wheels were inserted to Microprose, which was due to which had to be distracted by other developments. As a result, the authorities still learned about the new pranks of Sid, which was not approved. Even the new prototype did not impress them. Then Bill Styles, as the owner of the company, decided to personally talk to the game designer.
I heard Bill said that he does not understand this game, but trusts Sidu, so he will allow her.
Bruce Shelley
Civilization received the right to exist. Perhaps not only Vera Bill in Meyer played, but also the very position of the developer. Shortly before the release of Railroad Tycoon, he sold his part of the shares of style, becoming a contract. The game designer did not receive any salary or premium, but received advance payments for the development of games, a large lump -sum payment during release and percentage of copies sold, as well as the opportunity not to postpone any of its projects. Work CID further by a full -time employee, then Microprose would have full control over the budget and for themselves.
The only condition under which the strategy could live is finally finished the CoverT Action, which was previously postponed due to a train simulator. Without enthusiasm, but the spy action was still released. The game, unfortunately (or fortunately), was not very interesting. What proved the players, having bought not a lot of copies.
Having fulfilled the promise, “Team A” returned to its project, remaking it almost completely. They were inspired by a little. Railroad Tycoon, Simcity, Empire, Populous and Risk table game helped to determine the orientation of the strategy.
It turned out in parallel that the game should be made in 10 months, otherwise everything would be canceled. The partners began to crane as the last time, but their strength was not enough to release the game on time. Microprose is reluctant, but highlighted several employees. Ten people programmed, painted and checked the game. And even so the time was not enough. Then Sid and Bruce donated premium in exchange for an additional month, saved the project from the unrealization of many things. The final budget of the game amounted to about a hundred thousand dollars.
And how Damocles the sword over all this was hanged by the board game Civilization, threatening the change in the name of the project. It doesn’t matter! Sid and Bruce came up with others: Call to Power, Rise of Nations, Age of Empires (familiar names, true? A couple of them will play a role in the history of the series). That’s just the original word was perfect. It was simple, concise and gave a complete picture of the game.
It was decided to leave Civilization in the hope that there will be no problems. The company went to meet and bought the right to release the same name.
From here the question appears: how much the board game Civilization has influenced the video game? Most likely, nothing. Meyer at first denied that he was generally playing it. Shelley, in turn, claimed that they played together, but it almost did not affect the final product. Later, the leading game designer of the fourth part will give its rating of the board game.
The board game is quite linear. The difference between computer civilization is in branching, and I think this has no time.
Soren Jensen
Having passed through such a difficult development, Civilization is released in September 1991 on MS-DOC.