Skip to content

GAMEPLAY.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
354 lines (281 loc) · 11.7 KB

GAMEPLAY.md

File metadata and controls

354 lines (281 loc) · 11.7 KB

Civilization I - Browser Clone

A faithful recreation of Sid Meier's Civilization I (1991) built with React, Vite, and HTML5 Canvas.

🎮 Game Overview

Build a lasting empire from 4000 BC to 2100 AD through urban development, technological advancement, diplomacy, exploration, and warfare. Compete against 2-7 other civilizations led by famous historical figures.

🏛️ Civilizations

Choose from 14 historical civilizations:

  • Americans (Abraham Lincoln)
  • Aztecs (Montezuma)
  • Babylonians (Hammurabi)
  • Chinese (Mao Tse Tung)
  • Egyptians (Ramesses II)
  • English (Elizabeth I)
  • French (Napoleon Bonaparte)
  • Germans (Frederick the Great)
  • Greeks (Alexander the Great)
  • Indians (Mahatma Gandhi)
  • Kazakhs (Dschingis Khan)
  • Romans (Julius Caesar)
  • Russians (Joseph Stalin)
  • Zulus (Shaka)

🎯 Victory Conditions

Conquest Victory

Eliminate all other civilizations by capturing or destroying their cities.

Space Race Victory

Build the Apollo Program wonder, then construct and launch a spaceship to Alpha Centauri before other civilizations.

Score Victory

Have the highest civilization score when the game ends in 2100 AD.

📜 Core Mechanics

City Management

Founding Cities

  • Use Settler units to found new cities on suitable terrain
  • City placement affects resources, defense, and growth potential
  • Cities cannot be founded adjacent to existing cities

City Growth

  • Cities grow by accumulating food surplus
  • Population size affects production and science output
  • Aqueduct required for cities to grow beyond size 10

Production

  • Cities produce units, buildings, or wonders
  • Production rate depends on terrain, population, and improvements
  • Granary building reduces food needed for growth by 50%

City: Production Basics

  • Resource: Shields (production points) — used to build units and improvements.
  • Rule: Each city can construct one unit or improvement at a time.
  • Shield Accumulation: At the end of each turn, the city adds its total production (shields) to the current project's progress.
  • Completion: When accumulated shields >= project cost, the unit or improvement is completed and spawned/applied in the city. Any excess shields carry over to the next project.
  • Surplus Completion: If the city produces sufficient surplus resources to complete the item the city is producing, that item is added to the city.
  • Unit Support: If your city does not produce sufficient resources to support all of the existing units for which it is the home city, units are destroyed until enough support is available. Units farthest away from the city are destroyed first.

Happiness

  • Citizens can be Happy, Content, or Unhappy
  • Too many unhappy citizens cause disorder (city produces nothing)
  • Temples, Colosseums, and Wonders improve happiness
  • Martial law (military units in city) can suppress unhappiness

Technology Tree

Research System

  • Choose which technology to research each turn
  • Research speed depends on total science output from cities
  • Technologies unlock new units, buildings, and wonders
  • Libraries increase science production by 50%

Technology Eras

  1. Ancient - Pottery, Bronze Working, The Wheel, Alphabet, Writing
  2. Classical - Iron Working, Mathematics, Currency, Republic, Monarchy
  3. Medieval - Feudalism, Chivalry, Theology
  4. Renaissance - Democracy, Invention, Navigation
  5. Industrial - Railroad, Steam Engine, Industrialization
  6. Modern - Rocketry, Computers, Space Flight, Nuclear Fission

Military Units

Unit Types

  • Settler (0/1/1) - Founds cities, builds improvements
  • Warrior (1/1/1) - Basic military unit
  • Phalanx (1/2/1) - Defensive infantry (requires Bronze Working)
  • Legion (4/2/1) - Roman heavy infantry (requires Iron Working)
  • Horsemen (2/1/2) - Fast cavalry (requires Horseback Riding)
  • Chariot (3/1/2) - Ancient mobile unit (requires The Wheel)
  • Catapult (6/1/1) - Siege weapon (requires Mathematics)
  • Trireme (1/1/3) - Naval transport (requires Map Making)
  • Pikemen (1/2/1) - Medieval defensive unit (requires Feudalism)
  • Musketeer (2/3/1) - Gunpowder unit (requires Gunpowder)

Combat

  • Combat strength = Base Attack/Defense × Terrain Bonus × Fortification × Veteran Status
  • Hills: +100% defense, Mountains: +200% defense
  • Fortified units: +50% defense
  • Veteran units: +50% combat strength
  • Cities with walls: ×3 defense

Unit Experience

  • Units become Veterans after winning battles
  • Barracks make all new units Veterans
  • Veterans have +50% combat effectiveness

Terrain & Improvements

Terrain Types

  • Grassland - 2 food, 0 production, 0 trade
  • Plains - 1 food, 1 production, 0 trade
  • Desert - 0 food, 1 production, 0 trade
  • Tundra - 1 food, 0 production, 0 trade
  • Forest - 1 food, 2 production, 0 trade (defense +50%)
  • Hills - 1 food, 2 production, 0 trade (defense +100%)
  • Mountains - 0 food, 1 production, 0 trade (defense +200%)
  • Ocean - 1 food, 0 production, 2 trade

Terrain Improvements

  • Road - Reduces movement cost to 1/3, +1 trade on terrain producing trade
  • Railroad - Reduces movement to 0, +50% production
  • Irrigation - +1 food on grassland, plains, desert
  • Mine - +1 production on hills, mountains
  • Fortress - +100% defense, heals units

Wonders of the World

Ancient Wonders

  • Pyramids - Granary effect in every city (cost: 200)
  • Hanging Gardens - +1 happy citizen in every city (cost: 200)
  • Colossus - +1 trade in every square (cost: 200)
  • Lighthouse - Safe sea travel for Triremes (cost: 200)
  • Oracle - Temple in every city (cost: 300)
  • Great Wall - Double defense vs barbarians (cost: 300)

Classical/Medieval Wonders

  • Great Library - Free techs discovered by 2 civs (cost: 300)
  • Copernicus' Observatory - +50% science in city (cost: 300)

Modern Wonders

  • Isaac Newton's College - Doubles science in city (cost: 400)
  • Apollo Program - Enables spaceship construction (cost: 600)

Government Types

Despotism (Starting)

  • High corruption
  • Free unit support
  • No bonuses

Monarchy (requires Monarchy tech)

  • Medium corruption
  • Low unit costs
  • Martial law more effective

Republic (requires Republic tech)

  • Low corruption
  • Medium unit costs
  • +1 trade per square with trade
  • Senate may prevent war declarations

Democracy (requires Democracy tech)

  • Minimal corruption
  • High unit costs
  • +1 trade per square with trade
  • Maximum citizen happiness
  • Senate strictly controls war

Communism (requires Communism tech)

  • Low corruption
  • Medium unit costs
  • No senate interference
  • Effective spy operations

Diplomacy

Diplomatic Actions

  • Declare War
  • Negotiate Peace
  • Sign Alliance
  • Trade Technologies
  • Establish Embassy
  • Demand Tribute
  • Exchange Maps

Diplomatic States

  • Peace - No hostilities
  • War - Active conflict
  • Alliance - Military cooperation
  • Cease Fire - Temporary peace

Barbarians

Barbarian Mechanics

  • Spawn randomly in unexplored areas
  • Frequency increases with difficulty level
  • Attack nearby cities and units
  • Defeating barbarians provides gold rewards
  • Great Wall wonder doubles defense against barbarians

🎮 Controls

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Arrow Keys - Scroll map
  • Enter - End turn
  • B - Build city (with Settler)
  • F - Fortify unit
  • S - Sleep/Sentry unit
  • Space - Skip unit
  • W - Wait (keep unit active)
  • I - Irrigate
  • M - Mine
  • R - Build road
  • Ctrl+S - Quick save
  • F1 - Info Menu (Tech Tree)
  • F2 - City list
  • F3 - Technology tree

Mouse Controls

  • Left Click - Select unit/city
  • Right Click - Context menu
  • Scroll Wheel - Zoom in/out
  • Click + Drag - Pan map

🏗️ City Buildings

Production Buildings

  • Barracks (40) - New land units are Veterans
  • Factory (200) - +50% production

Economic Buildings

  • Marketplace (80) - +50% gold from trade
  • Bank (120) - +50% gold (requires Marketplace)
  • Stock Exchange (160) - +50% gold (requires Bank)

Science Buildings

  • Library (80) - +50% science
  • University (160) - +50% science (requires Library)
  • Research Lab (160) - +50% science (requires University)

Happiness Buildings

  • Temple (40) - Makes 1 unhappy citizen content
  • Colosseum (100) - Makes 3 unhappy citizens content
  • Cathedral (120) - Makes 3 unhappy citizens content (requires Temple)

Infrastructure

  • Granary (60) - Growth requires 50% less food
  • Aqueduct (120) - Allows growth beyond size 10
  • City Walls (80) - Triple defense for units
  • Courthouse (80) - Reduces corruption by 50%

📊 Scoring System

Score Calculation

  • Population (1 point per citizen)
  • Land area (1 point per tile)
  • Cities (5 points per city)
  • Technologies (5 points per tech)
  • Wonders (20 points per wonder)
  • Future Tech (5 points each)
  • Peace years (bonus)
  • Pollution (penalty)

🎯 Strategy Tips

Early Game (4000-1000 BC)

  1. Build 2-3 Settlers immediately to claim prime locations
  2. Research Pottery → Bronze Working → Alphabet
  3. Found cities near rivers and resources
  4. Build Warriors/Phalanx for defense and exploration
  5. Establish contact with other civilizations

Mid Game (1000 BC - 1000 AD)

  1. Build Libraries in all cities for science boost
  2. Research Currency → Republic for economic power
  3. Construct Wonders like Great Library, Oracle
  4. Expand military for territorial control
  5. Switch to Republic government

Late Game (1000-2100 AD)

  1. Focus on Democracy for maximum productivity
  2. Build Factories and Research Labs
  3. Research toward Space Flight for space race
  4. Build Apollo Program + spaceship parts
  5. Or conquer remaining civilizations

City Placement

  • Rivers - +1 trade on river squares
  • Coast - Access to ocean trade and naval units
  • Resources - Bonus food/production/trade
  • Defense - Hills and forests provide defensive bonuses
  • Spacing - Leave room for city radius (2 tiles) to grow

Technology Priority

Science Victory: Alphabet → Writing → Code of Laws → Literacy → Republic → Democracy → Rocketry → Space Flight

Military Victory: Bronze Working → Iron Working → Mathematics → Gunpowder → Metallurgy → Conscription

Economic Victory: Pottery → The Wheel → Currency → Trade → Banking → Economics

🔧 Development Features

Current Implementation

  • ✅ Hex-based world map with 9 terrain types
  • ✅ 14 playable civilizations with historical leaders
  • ✅ City founding and basic management
  • ✅ Unit movement and combat
  • ✅ Technology tree research system
  • ✅ Minimap with world overview
  • ✅ Context menu for unit orders
  • ✅ Terrain examination modal
  • ✅ Adjustable UI settings

In Progress

  • 🔄 Complete city production system
  • 🔄 Building construction mechanics
  • 🔄 Wonder construction
  • 🔄 AI civilization behavior
  • 🔄 Diplomacy system
  • 🔄 Government changes and effects
  • 🔄 Victory condition checking

Planned Features

  • 📋 Save/load game system
  • 📋 Full tech tree
  • 📋 Animated unit combat
  • 📋 Sound effects and music
  • 📋 Multiplayer support (hot-seat)
  • 📋 Advanced AI strategies
  • 📋 Random events system
  • 📋 Barbarian uprising mechanics

🏛️ Historical Accuracy

This clone aims to faithfully recreate the original Civilization I experience while modernizing the interface for contemporary browsers. Game balance, technology costs, and unit statistics mirror the 1991 original where possible.

📚 Credits

Original Game: Sid Meier's Civilization (MicroProse, 1991) Design: Sid Meier & Bruce Shelley This browser clone: Educational recreation project

Glory to your civilization! May you build an empire to stand the test of time! 🏛️