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While it may not have the shine and polish of Sid Meier’s Civilization 6, at least FreeCiv doesn’t force glitchy unwanted advertise-- er, launcher updates that

While it may not have the shine and polish of Sid Meier’s Civilization 6, at least FreeCiv doesn’t force glitchy unwanted advertise-- er, launcher updates that break the game years after release: https://www.reddit.com/r/civ/comments/nkdh4d/follow_up_to_the_2k_launcher_issue_thing/ https://www.reddit.com/r/civ/comments/nkdh4d/follow_up_to_th... Truly can’t describe how aggravating it is to have Civ 6, my after-work happy place, effectively torn from my hands years after purchase by some MBA manager and bargain-bin programmer. Bypassing the launcher only sort-of works on my PC. Can’t roll back to an earlier version because Steam. At least we’ll always have FreeCiv.

zenlot 4y ago
I play Civ 6 on PS5 and haven't had a single issue with launch or gameplay.
- nkozyra 4y ago
  On platforms it launches without issue but if you haven't crashed it once I'm impressed. It crashes on every computer or game system once every 5-6 hours of gameplay for me.
oefrha 4y ago
Wait, you can bypass that shitty launcher? Thank goodness. It's been taking forever to start, or flat out refusing to start for me since about a year ago. What a useless piece of garbage.
- Nition 4y ago
  Yeah, see the guide here from the linked thread: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/how-to-bypass-the-stupid-launcher.639325/ https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/how-to-bypass-the-stu... I had crashes with the launcher, and bypassing it fixed it completely.
nmarinov 4y ago
> Can’t roll back to an earlier version because Steam. I haven't tested it with Civ 6 cause I don't have it, but it works for several other games I've tried: How to Download Older Versions of a Steam Game https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=889624474 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=88962...
- nkozyra 4y ago
  In theory I can see the mental graph search in play but civilization's AI is too dumb to need that. It's like playing with the most predictable chess player.
oblak 4y ago
Damn, is that a recent development? Because I can recollect buying the game but don't remember actually playing it. It's very likely that have spent less than 2 hours on it. Would Valve let me return the game? Don't want ads, and additional launchers in my steam games. I returned Crysis 3 a few years ago (because the Origin client wouldn't work correctly on my Linux machine) and have been steadily avoiding EA ever since. Thanks for sharing.
- deepdriver 4y ago
  The ads are only in the launcher, but the addition of the launcher has caused major crashing and stability problems with the base game.
- messe 4y ago
  > It's very likely that have spent less than 2 hours on it. Would Valve let me return the game? Don't want ads, and additional launchers in my steam games. I'm not 100% certain, but I think you can only return it if it's during the first two weeks after purchase AND you've played under 2 hours.
- MaxBarraclough 4y ago
  > I returned Crysis 3 a few years ago (because the Origin client wouldn't work correctly on my Linux machine) EA market the game as being for Windows only, no?
  - oblak 4y ago
    I am sure the game works just fine, as Crysis 2 works without any issues but it does not require the launcher. So yeah... Their loss, not mine.
ricardo81 4y ago
Thanks for sharing. Had noticed some weird slowness creeping in over time with the startup, random hangs but no crashes.
mtlmtlmtlmtl 4y ago
I still stick with Civ 5 myself. Never really cared for Civ 6. Although Civ isn't really my type of strategy game anyway. It's fun, but man the games take forever(and I play classical chess...). And for single player, the AI is so dumb, annoying and belligerent it kinda saps the fun out of it for me. The difficulty levels in Civ 5 are actually all the same dumb AI, just with varying levels of cheats enabled. I believe on Diety it starts with 3 settlers or something bonkers like that, and a huge production multiplier to boot. And yet the AI is still so dumb that a strong human player can win a game against 5 diety AIs on the same team. If Civ 5 had a somewhat passable AI I would play a lot more I think, because then I could actually get practice put of single player mode. Additionally there's so much busy work(micromanaging tiles/workers can get pretty tedious). I feel like strategically and tactically the game is pretty simple. In games against much more experienced players where I get a lucky start and we're even entering the endgame I tend to win because I'm just a better tactician due to studying chess. But they usually get much better early games because they know all the mechanics more intricately, which is basically rote. I'm kind of more partial to Risk for that reason. The rules are dead simple, yet it is still tactically very complicated.
- kingkongjaffa 4y ago
  I wouldn’t mind but diplomacy is broken still. Civs stay mad at you for invading a neighbouring civ for the entirety of the game. Things like denouncement and warmongering issues don’t fade away nearly as fast enough to allow varied gameplay. Usually a civ will start expanding into your land, cause a war, then you take them out but of course everyone else is now mad at you and it stays like that for the rest of the game.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- distances 4y ago
  With Civ5 you probably want to use Vox Populi. It really improves the game to a completely new level, including the AI. It's not a human opponent but much better than any Civ version ever shipped officially. Vox Populi is a DLL mod though so Windows only. This mod is basically the only reason I keep Windows around. Edit: and forgot to say that the development and community is very active, 12 years after the game originally shipped. New versions come out regularly.
smallstepforman 4y ago
There is NO successor to Civ4 BTS, the other games with the Civ name are a different more boring game. One unit per tile games are not Civ games. Having vented, a decade ago I made a hex tile based “we-go” version of Civ (with stacks if units), got bored with the AI and never finished it. Had A* path finding, 3d terrain, economic and production models all working. Maybe in a decade I reignite the passion.
- 29athrowaway 4y ago
  The Normandy landings, Battle of Stalingrad and other major battles in history cannot be recreated in Civ 6 because you cannot stack units. It's an artificial restriction that not only is annoying, it makes things less realistic.
- indigochill 4y ago
  > There is NO successor to Civ4 BTS, the other games with the Civ name are a different more boring game. One unit per tile games are not Civ games. I share this sentiment, but mostly because of the incredible total conversion mods. "Fall From Heaven 2" is still my favorite fantasy strategy game, even compared to other strong contenders like Endless Legend.
  - Spellman 4y ago
    FFH2 even has it's own rebalance mod, Erebus in the Balance
- levesque 4y ago
  I've grown quite fond of the one-unit-per-tile paradigm. It brings a strategic element of a different nature to besieging a city, I don't mind it.
- NoboruWataya 4y ago
  For better or for worse, Civ games are now one unit per tile. You might think they are more boring but IMO they bring interesting new challenges to gameplay. Such as the challenge of moving a large army through an area with difficult terrain, or of not letting your city be completely surrounded.
duxup 4y ago
My issue with Civ 6 was the AI.. It would sort of “rage quit”, declare war and just do nothing (not build any units, not move units) so often that I realized I could play for hours only to discover that one or more of the AI was effectively not playing at all.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
the_only_law 4y ago
This does kinda annoy me. I’m sick of seeing updates on stream games and getting excited only to find “launcher update”.
prox 4y ago
There is actually a way to roll back steam versions. I had to do it for Skyrim. Not sure if that works for Civ ofcourse. You have to access the depot. Here is a little thread for Skyrim : https://steamcommunity.com/app/489830/discussions/0/3247565033752181895/ https://steamcommunity.com/app/489830/discussions/0/32475650...

zenlot 4y ago

I play Civ 6 on PS5 and haven't had a single issue with launch or gameplay.

nkozyra 4y ago
On platforms it launches without issue but if you haven't crashed it once I'm impressed. It crashes on every computer or game system once every 5-6 hours of gameplay for me.

oefrha 4y ago

Wait, you can bypass that shitty launcher? Thank goodness. It's been taking forever to start, or flat out refusing to start for me since about a year ago. What a useless piece of garbage.

Nition 4y ago
Yeah, see the guide here from the linked thread: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/how-to-bypass-the-stupid-launcher.639325/ https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/how-to-bypass-the-stu... I had crashes with the launcher, and bypassing it fixed it completely.

nmarinov 4y ago

> Can’t roll back to an earlier version because Steam. I haven't tested it with Civ 6 cause I don't have it, but it works for several other games I've tried: How to Download Older Versions of a Steam Game https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=889624474 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=88962...

nkozyra 4y ago
In theory I can see the mental graph search in play but civilization's AI is too dumb to need that. It's like playing with the most predictable chess player.

oblak 4y ago

Damn, is that a recent development? Because I can recollect buying the game but don't remember actually playing it. It's very likely that have spent less than 2 hours on it. Would Valve let me return the game? Don't want ads, and additional launchers in my steam games. I returned Crysis 3 a few years ago (because the Origin client wouldn't work correctly on my Linux machine) and have been steadily avoiding EA ever since. Thanks for sharing.

deepdriver 4y ago
The ads are only in the launcher, but the addition of the launcher has caused major crashing and stability problems with the base game.
messe 4y ago
> It's very likely that have spent less than 2 hours on it. Would Valve let me return the game? Don't want ads, and additional launchers in my steam games. I'm not 100% certain, but I think you can only return it if it's during the first two weeks after purchase AND you've played under 2 hours.
MaxBarraclough 4y ago
> I returned Crysis 3 a few years ago (because the Origin client wouldn't work correctly on my Linux machine) EA market the game as being for Windows only, no?
- oblak 4y ago
  I am sure the game works just fine, as Crysis 2 works without any issues but it does not require the launcher. So yeah... Their loss, not mine.

ricardo81 4y ago

Thanks for sharing. Had noticed some weird slowness creeping in over time with the startup, random hangs but no crashes.

mtlmtlmtlmtl 4y ago

I still stick with Civ 5 myself. Never really cared for Civ 6. Although Civ isn't really my type of strategy game anyway. It's fun, but man the games take forever(and I play classical chess...). And for single player, the AI is so dumb, annoying and belligerent it kinda saps the fun out of it for me. The difficulty levels in Civ 5 are actually all the same dumb AI, just with varying levels of cheats enabled. I believe on Diety it starts with 3 settlers or something bonkers like that, and a huge production multiplier to boot. And yet the AI is still so dumb that a strong human player can win a game against 5 diety AIs on the same team. If Civ 5 had a somewhat passable AI I would play a lot more I think, because then I could actually get practice put of single player mode. Additionally there's so much busy work(micromanaging tiles/workers can get pretty tedious). I feel like strategically and tactically the game is pretty simple. In games against much more experienced players where I get a lucky start and we're even entering the endgame I tend to win because I'm just a better tactician due to studying chess. But they usually get much better early games because they know all the mechanics more intricately, which is basically rote. I'm kind of more partial to Risk for that reason. The rules are dead simple, yet it is still tactically very complicated.

kingkongjaffa 4y ago
I wouldn’t mind but diplomacy is broken still. Civs stay mad at you for invading a neighbouring civ for the entirety of the game. Things like denouncement and warmongering issues don’t fade away nearly as fast enough to allow varied gameplay. Usually a civ will start expanding into your land, cause a war, then you take them out but of course everyone else is now mad at you and it stays like that for the rest of the game.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
distances 4y ago
With Civ5 you probably want to use Vox Populi. It really improves the game to a completely new level, including the AI. It's not a human opponent but much better than any Civ version ever shipped officially. Vox Populi is a DLL mod though so Windows only. This mod is basically the only reason I keep Windows around. Edit: and forgot to say that the development and community is very active, 12 years after the game originally shipped. New versions come out regularly.

smallstepforman 4y ago

There is NO successor to Civ4 BTS, the other games with the Civ name are a different more boring game. One unit per tile games are not Civ games. Having vented, a decade ago I made a hex tile based “we-go” version of Civ (with stacks if units), got bored with the AI and never finished it. Had A* path finding, 3d terrain, economic and production models all working. Maybe in a decade I reignite the passion.

29athrowaway 4y ago
The Normandy landings, Battle of Stalingrad and other major battles in history cannot be recreated in Civ 6 because you cannot stack units. It's an artificial restriction that not only is annoying, it makes things less realistic.
indigochill 4y ago
> There is NO successor to Civ4 BTS, the other games with the Civ name are a different more boring game. One unit per tile games are not Civ games. I share this sentiment, but mostly because of the incredible total conversion mods. "Fall From Heaven 2" is still my favorite fantasy strategy game, even compared to other strong contenders like Endless Legend.
- Spellman 4y ago
  FFH2 even has it's own rebalance mod, Erebus in the Balance
levesque 4y ago
I've grown quite fond of the one-unit-per-tile paradigm. It brings a strategic element of a different nature to besieging a city, I don't mind it.
NoboruWataya 4y ago
For better or for worse, Civ games are now one unit per tile. You might think they are more boring but IMO they bring interesting new challenges to gameplay. Such as the challenge of moving a large army through an area with difficult terrain, or of not letting your city be completely surrounded.

duxup 4y ago

My issue with Civ 6 was the AI.. It would sort of “rage quit”, declare war and just do nothing (not build any units, not move units) so often that I realized I could play for hours only to discover that one or more of the AI was effectively not playing at all.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

the_only_law 4y ago

This does kinda annoy me. I’m sick of seeing updates on stream games and getting excited only to find “launcher update”.

prox 4y ago

There is actually a way to roll back steam versions. I had to do it for Skyrim. Not sure if that works for Civ ofcourse. You have to access the depot. Here is a little thread for Skyrim : https://steamcommunity.com/app/489830/discussions/0/3247565033752181895/ https://steamcommunity.com/app/489830/discussions/0/32475650...