User Guide

corners, there is no future in complacency and stagnation. You must press
forward on all three fronts: spread your cities out to claim a significant share of
the world, increase the size and production of each city, and strive to acquire the
latest technology.
Your civilization cannot afford to lag too far behind your rivals in any one of
these three spheres. A sufficient number of powerful cities can maintain the
quantity of your military in any arms race. Keeping abreast of technology insures
the quality.
The Hittites of antiquity had a brief moment of glory because the technology
of their weapons was superior to that of their neighbors. But those neighbors had
much larger populations, and when they acquired the same new technology, the
Hittites were ushered off the world’s stage.
Cortez landed at the Aztec city of Vera Cruz with only a few hundred
conquistadors, but with the aid of superior weapons and diplomacy, he soon had
Montezuma crying in his chocolate. The Aztecs were deposed before they could
learn the technology of the Spanish.
Do what you can to keep your civilization growing in every area. More and
larger cities, better technology, and better armies mean survival. Each city must be
planned, managed, and protected so that it contributes to the power and glory
of your civilization.
By maintaining this pattern of growth over the years, you have the best chance
of avoiding the fate of the Hittites and Montezuma.
Successful wars can be very useful. Capturing cities is much easier than building
them up from nothing, and may provide loot in stolen technology and cash.
Weakening rivals reduces the threat they pose. However, long, costly wars may
allow neutral civilizations to expand and grow in strength while you spend
resources on arms.
To explore the unknown and contend with your rivals for the world, you can
build armies, navies, and other special units in your cities. Once an army or naval
unit has been built, it is available for movement and combat. These units extend
the power of your civilization around the world. When they enter hidden areas of
the world, the shroud of mystery is removed and that area becomes known. In
this way you uncover the world, finding suitable areas for new cities and
eventually making contact with other civilizations.
Three special units are available that can be useful to you as ruler. Settlers are
groups of your citizens who serve as pioneers. They may found new cities and
also build terrain improvements such as roads, irrigation, and mines that increase
the productivity of your cities. Diplomats are your emissaries and spies. They can
establish embassies with rivals and also perform a number of cloak and dagger
tasks. Caravans are bands of merchants that transport the produce of your cities
around the world to other cities, bringing in cash and establishing trade routes.
Trade routes increase the trade of the home city, resulting in more cash, luxuries,
and technology.
Wonders of the World are unique city
improvements, usually structures, that can only be
built once in the entire world. Once a particular
Wonder is built by a city, no other city can build
one. Each Wonder brings glory to the civilization
owning it, and some unique tangible benefit as well.
For example, if one of your cities builds the Oracle,
then all of the Temples throughout your civilization
become twice as effective in making the people
content.
The fundamental concepts for a successful civilization are the expansion and
growth of your cities, and the acquisition of new technology. In a word, you must
grow. In this dynamic world environment, surrounded by rivals in unknown
Banking
(Trade & The Republic)
Bank
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CIVILIZATION
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CIVILIZATION
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