Freeciv
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Freeciv.jpg
Freeciv is a multiplayer, turn-based strategy computer game, inspired by Sid Meier's commercial Civilization series. It is free software under the GNU General Public License and developed collaboratively—code, graphics, sounds etc. have been contributed by many people from around the world.
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 complex diplomatic relationships.
The game ends when one civilization has eradicated all others, when one people has 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.
Freeciv is quite configurable, so it can be played in Civilization I, Civilization II or Freeciv mode, or in a custom mode. Graphics and sounds can be replaced; there are isometric, two-dimensional and hex graphics packages (tilesets).
Freeciv uses TCP/IP networking. Players have to connect to a server, which can be run locally but is usually remote. Freeciv can be played solo against AI opponents, or as a multiplayer game against other humans. Playing solo is done as a special case of multiplayer where only one human player connects to a locally run server; Freeciv 2.0 can automatically set up a server for solo games.
One or several players act as game administrator 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 to one another cities can be built
- How continents and islands are supposed to be distributed over the map
While the game is turn based, players move simultaneously. Computer players move separately.
In releases before the 2.0.0 release, AI players could not engage in diplomatic relationships with human players. Under the current release, AI players will engage in a very deterministic (not random) diplomacy.
Freeciv has a map and scenario editor called Civworld available as a separate download.
Freeciv runs on Unix variants with the X Window System and some other platforms, including Microsoft Windows, Amiga, and Apple Macintosh.
External links
- Freeciv homepage (http://www.freeciv.org)
- Freeciv downloads (http://www.freeciv.org/index.php/Download)
- Freeciv manual (http://old.freeciv.org/manual)
- Freeciv contributors (http://www.freeciv.org/index.php/Special:People)
- Public Freeciv server list (http://meta.freeciv.org/metaserver/freeciv.html)
- Freeciv mailinglists (http://www.freeciv.org/index.php/Talk)
- Freeciv IRC channel (http://www.freeciv.org/index.php/Talk)
- Civworld homepage (http://old.freeciv.org/civworld/)
- Freeciv.org forum (http://forum.freeciv.org)
- Apolyton forum (http://www.apolyton.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=111)
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