As the title of this posting implies, the gameplay experience in Civ IV is never the same in any two scenarios. Depending on the generated game in which the player finds himself or herself, there is always a multitude of variables to consider, and the combination of those variables is often difficult to consider big-picture. Indeed, this game is complicated. For some, like me, this challenge just makes it more fun to play, because the feeling that you start every game having mastered the game slightly more is incredibly rewarding. And, this ensures that the game always stays ‘new,’ besides the fact that every game is totally different.

There is a plethora of factors that a player must consider as the game progresses, in order to win. First and foremost, where in the world are we? Exploration of the surrounding land is crucial, because it establishes what climate the civilization is in and, furthermore, what resources are accessible. Also, it is important to find out which rival civilizations are nearby and to understand what characteristics their leaders tend to give their empires. Depending on how aggressive or creative those rivals are, it might be wise to become allies with them (or wipe them off the map as early as possible). Also, how important is it to maintain a large military? Is a neighboring empire threatening enough to require devoting most resources to an army and falling behind in technological progress, or is the player isolated enough to risk neglecting military expenditures? And is there a key resource that the player absolutely needs, to the point that they are willing to fight for it? These are some of the many considerations that take place right off the bat, and there are plenty more. It is the constant reconsideration of any and all of these factors that makes gameplay so involving and high-stakes.

To demonstrate these gameplay nuances, it helps to consider two contrasting situations (drawn from a map based on real-world geography and civilization placement):

The Greek Empire (in blue), led by Alexander, is literally in the middle of the civilized world, surrounded in all directions by rivals. If he has any hope of building an empire, he has no choice but to resort to military campaigns. Technological advances will likely be neglected, at least for a while, and the large number of nearby civilizations ensures a perpetually dicy relationship with pretty much everyone. Sounds like Europe, right?

The Japanese, however (in red, led by Tokugawa), occupy a strategically different position in the world. With China being their only real neighbor, and even them separated by water, the necessity of military advances is not as pressing. Even though Japan is a relatively small island civilization, there are sufficient resources present to essentially close off relationships with the outside world and focus on cultivating a distinct nation, perhaps striving for a ‘cultural victory’ instead, and possibly building up a powerful military over a long period of time. Again, this is reminiscent of the real-world empire in many ways.

Through these examples, it should be evident that there are so many factors to consider in a game that each playthrough could conceivably be an entirely different experience. That is part of the appeal of this game for me: it remains exciting and unique pretty much forever, ensuring endless replayability.