Prepare to accept history's greatest challenge: build the world's most powerful empire over a span of 6,300 years, reaching from primitive history to the future realms of science-fiction. Take your place beside history's greatest leaders as you master the intricate strategies of governing, warfare, diplomacy, trade and science. Sow the seeds of an empire as you cultivate a tribe of settlers in 4,000 BC. Hear the cheers of approval as you lead your flourishing society into the future of 2,300 AD.
Answer the Call to Power.
Age requirements: ESRB Rating: EVERYONE with Mild Animated Violence.
Minimum system requirements: Minimum system requirements: Windows XP or Windows Vista, 1.8 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM (1 GB recommended), 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (compatible with DirectX 9 recommended), 4GB HDD, Mouse, Keyboard.
Average customer rating 4.0 out of 5.0
Good civilization 2 clone
(by
Wolfling)
The game plays to a large point like civilization 2 - with its flaws and merits, even with rather similar graphics.
Some aspects of the game play are vastly improved - larger number of technologies, including futuristic ones, cities built not only on the ground, but also in ocean or in orbit (yes, futuristic technologies), there's some interesting micromanagement like a chance... full review to change the spending on army by choosing "readiness level" or fiddle with workday length and wages for worker, getting a payoff from high happiness, number of units withs special abilities (slavers, priests, diplomats)... Generally said, this is all good, much better then the old civ2 is.
The reason why it gets three stars rather then five is the interface which is... terrible. Only after playing CtP I've truly realized how clean and easy the civilization city screen is, with all information neatly laid in the same screen (rather then on taps like here), with resource imput easily understood. With units easily switched and cycled between, with pop-ups after city finished production. Here you will regularly discover huge armies of diplomats that brewed in a city, because you didn't notice production was finished, cities will stand idle for turns when they production queue runs out etc. Sure, it is possible to all the info - but where civilization presents it on silver plate, here you really have to deserve it. This, more then anything else, made me finish the game only a handful of times, as opposed to dozens in case of civilization.
Bottom line - if you like civilization and would like a richer tech tree and a bit of fresh air, go for it, twice so if you're hardcore type willing to check out several tables before each clicking of "end turn" button. If you look for streamlined, easily flowing game with user friendly controls, look elsewhere.
Call to Power is where Civ Should have headed
(by
Cor)
The Call to Power series is, basically a clone of the Sid Meier’s Civilization Series, it was even designed by Sid and the first itineration bore the Civilization title. However due to licensing that was stripped away as was any reference to Sid in the second installment.
Call to Power shows some vast improvements over the CIV system that CIV 5 would be wise to implement:... full review
• There is a limit to the number of units in square (12). This dulls the brute force of sheer numbers that AI in CIV typically throws at you. It is a big improvement in micromanaging and strategy. Instead of moving dozens of units every turn you have to move two or three stacks. Nice.
• You can automatically form armies. Armies work in a combined – arms fashion, meaning that you benefit by mixed ranged, close and support units together in a strategic way. This adds nice depth to the combat over CIV.
• One thing I hated about all the CIVs, during end game, you have dozens of workers that have nothing to do, they just set there waiting to clean up pollution. It is tedious micromanagement, and pretty unrealistic. Call to Power fixes this by getting rid of workers, instead you have a slider, much like research slider, that deducts from your gross national product. You get public works points that you can spend to upgrade your squares.
• Cities can now grow beyond the fat-x that restricts CIV. I love this.
• It has a streamlined UI with one click you can add a building to each and every city's production queue.
It is not all great, however. Call to power lacks the AI to really challenge anyone. I am no CIV master, mid range difficulty is plenty for me. But in Call To Power, I cranked up the difficulty to the hardest setting on my second game. I have never lost a game of Call to Power vs the AI. I think you would have to try to lose. So if you want challenge Multiplayer is where it is at.
In summary, Call to Power 2 is civilization with added freedom and significantly reduced micromanagement. If you liked Civ 1, 2, or 3 get this game, you won’t regret it.
Wolfling)
Cor)