Damn, meant to post this in c.s.i.p.g.action. I'm such a dope. Ignore
this post (or don't, if you find it interesting, but I expect there'll
be more activity on the other newsgroup than this one ;-)
I'll be forthright about it: the idea for this thread did not
originate with me. I saw it used on some youTube video and - while I
thought the video itself somewhat insipid - I rather liked the
conceit. So I'm re-purposing it for Usenet ;-)
So, what is a "space ark game"? Imagine the world is about to be
destroyed and you are only allowed to take one video-game with you on
a space-ark; what game would that be? Similar to the "stuck on a
desert island" thought experiment, it differs in that - in addition to
being a game you would enjoy playing - the title should also be
something you think worth saving as representative of our culture.
For me, the answer to that question was immediate and obvious:
"Civilization" is the game I would pick. More specifically,
"Civilization IV", even though on a personal basis I actually prefer
the original game slightly more.
Why "Civilization"? Of course, one reason is that I find it an
amazingly fun and addictive game; not having any other options - only
one game allowed on the space-ark, remember! - "Civilization" could
easily keep me happily occupied over the generations necessary to
reach the next star-system. It's remarkably open-ended; a world-sized sandboxed in which to play and experiment. Its continued good sales
suggest the game has wide-spread appeal as well, so I wouldn't be the
only one playing.
It is also a very optimistic game; "create a civilization that will
stand against the test of ages" is its goal. It is a game about
building up, not tearing down. I love shooters as much as the next
person, but in my heart even I have to admit that those games are
rather infantile. I'd rather something with a bit more meaning be our representative.
Why "Civilization IV" rather than the original? Well, the greatly
improved resonation certainly helps; going back to the pixelated
graphics (and fonts!) of the original can be difficult. Christopher
Tin's icon theme music - "Baba Yetu" - is another reason; it's such a wonderful song that encapsulates so much of the game in its audio. It
also has multiplayer; not the first game in the franchise to do so,
but something the original lacked. But "Civilization IV" has another
trick in its sleeves that makes it a shoe-in for inclusion; it is very
easily modded. It can be - with some work - transformed into entirely
new games, ranging from other 4X strategy titles - like Colonization -
to real-time strategy, arcade or role-playing. For the price of one
game, I potentially get hundreds! How's that for cheating the system?
(later "Civilization" games also included similar features, but I
prefer "Civilization IV's" gameplay over theirs, so #4 gets the nod
while the others are left to explode with doomed planet Earth).
So, that's my choice for a "space ark" game. I'm interested to hear
what games others might select, and why they feel their choice is a worthwhile one.
I'll be forthright about it: the idea for this thread did not
originate with me. I saw it used on some youTube video and - while I
thought the video itself somewhat insipid - I rather liked the
conceit. So I'm re-purposing it for Usenet ;-)
So, what is a "space ark game"? Imagine the world is about to be
destroyed and you are only allowed to take one video-game with you on
a space-ark; what game would that be? Similar to the "stuck on a
desert island" thought experiment, it differs in that - in addition to
being a game you would enjoy playing - the title should also be
something you think worth saving as representative of our culture.
For me, the answer to that question was immediate and obvious:
"Civilization" is the game I would pick. More specifically,
"Civilization IV", even though on a personal basis I actually prefer
the original game slightly more.
Why "Civilization"? Of course, one reason is that I find it an
amazingly fun and addictive game; not having any other options - only
one game allowed on the space-ark, remember! - "Civilization" could
easily keep me happily occupied over the generations necessary to
reach the next star-system. It's remarkably open-ended; a world-sized sandboxed in which to play and experiment. Its continued good sales
suggest the game has wide-spread appeal as well, so I wouldn't be the
only one playing.
It is also a very optimistic game; "create a civilization that will
stand against the test of ages" is its goal. It is a game about
building up, not tearing down. I love shooters as much as the next
person, but in my heart even I have to admit that those games are
rather infantile. I'd rather something with a bit more meaning be our representative.
Why "Civilization IV" rather than the original? Well, the greatly
improved resonation certainly helps; going back to the pixelated
graphics (and fonts!) of the original can be difficult. Christopher
Tin's icon theme music - "Baba Yetu" - is another reason; it's such a wonderful song that encapsulates so much of the game in its audio. It
also has multiplayer; not the first game in the franchise to do so,
but something the original lacked. But "Civilization IV" has another
trick in its sleeves that makes it a shoe-in for inclusion; it is very
easily modded. It can be - with some work - transformed into entirely
new games, ranging from other 4X strategy titles - like Colonization -
to real-time strategy, arcade or role-playing. For the price of one
game, I potentially get hundreds! How's that for cheating the system?
(later "Civilization" games also included similar features, but I
prefer "Civilization IV's" gameplay over theirs, so #4 gets the nod
while the others are left to explode with doomed planet Earth).
So, that's my choice for a "space ark" game. I'm interested to hear
what games others might select, and why they feel their choice is a worthwhile one.
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