Freeciv Totally Explained

Everything about Freeciv totally explained

Freeciv is a multiplayer, turn-based strategy game for workstations and personal computers inspired by the commercial proprietary Sid Meier's Civilization series. The latest stable version of Freeciv is 2.1.4, released on April 21, 2008. The game's default settings are closest to Civilization II, both in gameplay and graphics (including the units and the isometric grid). Freeciv is available for most desktop Linux distributions. Released under the GNU General Public License, Freeciv is free software.

Description

Players take the role of a tribe leader in 4000 BC and have to guide their people through the centuries. Over time, new technologies are discovered, which allow the construction of new city buildings and the deployment of new units. Players can wage war on one another or form diplomatic relationships.
The game ends when one civilization has eradicated all others, accomplished the goal of space colonization, or at a certain deadline. If more than one civilization remains at the deadline, the player with the highest score wins. Points are awarded for the size of a civilization, its wealth, and cultural and scientific advances.

Design

Freeciv is very configurable, down to the specific rules, so it can be played in Freeciv (default) mode, Civilization, Civilization II, or in a custom mode. One or several players act as game administrators and can configure the game rules. Typically modified rules are:

Number of players required before the game can be started
Speed of technological development
Whether there should be computer controlled players
Whether (computer controlled) barbarians should invade player settlements
How close cities can be built to one another
How continents and islands are generated and distributed over the map
Map size
Map topology (rectuangular or hexagonal tiling; whether it wraps horizontally and/or vertically)

The graphics system is very configurable as well: originally, map display was always in overhead mode (like in Civ I), which many players found rather crude; isometric mode (like in Civ II) was added later. In both modes, look can be further customized by switching to an alternative set of graphics (called a tileset). The sounds can be replaced as well.
   Freeciv supports human-to-human multiplayer gameplay and artificial intelligence (AI) computer players. While the game is turn based, human players move simultaneously. The AI players move separately, partly at the start of a turn, partly at the end.
   In releases before 2.0, AI players couldn't engage in diplomatic relationships with human players. Under the current release, AI players will engage in a very predictable, rules-based diplomacy.
   In order to play a game of Freeciv, a user must start up a Freeciv client and connect with that client to a Freeciv server. Initially, the server is in pre-game phase; in this phase, clients can connect and game configuration parameters can be changed. At some point, the server may be ordered to start a game; in response, it creates game players (nations) and the game map, and assigns every player to either a Freeciv client or a computer player, as specified by the configuration. From that point on, the game will run until it ends or is terminated; the server can never get back into pre-game state.
   The user can also start a game directly from the client: this automatically starts a Freeciv server, connects to it and starts the game. Freeciv has a map and scenario editor called Civworld available as a separate download. Civworld is being integrated into the main release for the planned 2.2 version, and development snapshots as of 2007 already have some map editing capabilities built-in.
   Gameplay in Freeciv mode resembles Civilization II, with some improvements. For example:

Multiplayer capability (available on Civilization II Gold)

Queued production

New units (Workers, AWACS)

Improved "go" command with intended route shown

Ability to view city production and turns to growth without opening the city screen

The concept of national borders (much like the "culture" borders used in Civilization III) Freeciv omits some features available in the original Civilization II, including:

Disasters

Ability to zoom in/out from map

Music

Throneroom or palace construction subgame/prize

Movies for wonders

Ability to view city

Advisors

Compatibility

Originally developed on IRIX, Freeciv has been reported to run on Linux, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Solaris, along with a large number of other operating systems including Ultrix, QNX, OS/2, Cygwin, AmigaOS, ZETA, SkyOS and various BSDs. Freeciv is included with many popular Linux distributions.

Further Information

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