Sid Meier Interview on the 30th Anniversary of the Civilization Series: Always keep the game fresh

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The Civilization series, which debuted on PC in 1991, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021.

If you describe the Civilization series in one sentence, it is a work that has sold more than 51 million units worldwide and stands at the top of the pyramid of turn-based strategy games themed on human history and civilization. Players can choose to play the leader of any civilization in the game, through a long period of time from thousands of years BC to the 21st century, trying to make their country grow step by step.

From the launch of the first work in 1991 to the release of civilization 6 in 2016, which has made many changes to the demands of players, the series has launched a total of 17 titles, including spin-off games, which is one of the great series representing video games.

Civilization is a household name for its creator in the long history of video games, that is, Sid Meier, who appears in the prefix of the game's title. Sid Meier became one of the co-founders of MicroProse in 1982, and has since developed games such as Civilization, Sid Meier's Pirate (1987), Railway Tycoon (1990), and founded Firaxis Games in 1996, which can be said to be one of the representatives of the game industry. Sid Meier was directly involved in the development of Civilization 1 and Civilization 2, and as a supervisor in subsequent Civilization works, and for the Civilization series, he is definitely a "spiritual pillar".

I've listened to Mr. Sid Meier at GDC 2017 in the past, and I still remember the pomp and circumstance of the venue vividly.

Incidentally, Firaxis Games, founded by Sid Meier, was acquired by 2K and was not only the developer of the Civilization series, but also the latest work in the UFO series, while Sid Meier served as creative director in the current Firaxis Games.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Civilization series, the editorial board of FamiTong had the opportunity to interview Mr. Sid Meier and chat with him about the 30th anniversary of the Civilization series and the journey of participating in the development of the game.

Sid Meier (hereinafter referred to as Sid)

▲ The biological father of the "Civilization" series, and currently the creative director of Firaxis Games.

Follow your own inner 30 years of game development

| Q: Regarding the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Civilization series, I would like to ask you what is your most direct feeling about this?

SID: I'm very happy to be involved in game development for so long. Because it's a lot of fun to build games, and I love it. I am sincerely grateful to continue on our career path in game development and thanks to the continued support of our fans for our work.

As you can see, the game industry can be said to be an unpredictable and extremely competitive world, ranging from established development companies that have always stood firm to new companies that are eager to enter the game. And the reason why we can persist to this day is absolutely inseparable from the help of fans. In this way, the "Civilization" series can last for 30 years, which is indeed a great thing.

| Q: Of course, it is remarkable that an IP can last for 30 years, what do you think is the reason why the Civilization series has been able to continue to this day?

Sid: In a sense, we're really lucky. Because we developed Civilization at a time when games were not yet bound by a particular genre and could challenge anything, it was arguably the right place at the right time to create the genre's original creations and to find ways to keep the game fresh for the next 30 years. This is the secret of the enduring Civilization series.

We haven't wavered in 30 years of making the series better and better, and I'd love to continue that.

| Q: What exactly was the approach that allowed the Civilization series to evolve over the course of 30 years?

SID: Good question. In order to keep the game fresh, we have been following a development "philosophy" for 30 years, which is to split the game into 3 parts and conceive it separately.

The first part is to enrich the turn-based gameplay that is the basis of the game, such as the construction of diplomatic, economic, military and other elements and systems.

The second part is to further refine the popular new elements from the previous game and optimize the game mechanics.

The final part is to add new ideas and ideas. For example, we added the element of climate change to Civilization 4.

▲ The game screen of the original "Civilization"

| Q: As it is, the content creation is divided into 3 parts to be carried out independently. Then again, what impressed you the most in those 30 years?

Sid: We were always in an environment where we could freely create all kinds of things when we were developing Civilization. Looking back now, this is really important. This allows us to incorporate new ideas in the game that have not been seen in many other titles, and while no one knows if it will succeed, creating this "new content" is really exciting in itself.

So the thing that impressed me the most was "being able to create freely", which is one of the reasons why the Civilization series has been successful. Only in this way can we bring you a revolutionary work of a new genre that has never been seen in the world before.

| Q: What is your most impressive work in the entire series?

Sid: Sure enough, it was the first one that gave the most unique experience. Despite many experimental attempts, I have never developed such a game in the past, so I enjoyed it. At the time, I spent months with Soren Johnson (game designer) exchanging opinions and trial and error. This time was really, very special for me.

Since Civilization 2, I have made works based to some extent on past development experiences. Civilization 2, however, was headed by Brian Reynolds, and with my and his concerted efforts, this generation gave birth to many classic MODs that further expanded the fun of the game. This game makes the game no longer just a game for one purpose, but also gives players the freedom to build their favorite gameplay.

Perhaps it is symbolized by the MOD of Civilization 2 that civilization works have begun to add new elements and continue to evolve.

▲ Civilization 2 game screen

| Q: There have been countless historical civilizations in the "Civilization" series, which civilization do you personally want to live in the most?

Sid: Hahaha (laughs). It's a question I've never been asked before. Well...... I personally love Chinese food, and I love Japanese games, but at the same time I like the coast and the sun, and there are many places I want to visit in person... It's so hard to choose! I like basically every civilization of every era.

| Q: Indeed (laughs). In the 30 years you've been working in the gaming industry, do you have any favorite gaming hardware devices?

Sid: I love all types of games, so I'm looking forward to every piece of hardware, and in my personal experience, I've used the Xbox and PC platforms a lot. If you're specific to your own games, it's pc-centric, with more C+ languages and Unreal Engine.

Since I haven't bought the PS5 yet, I can't play GT Racing 7, which is a shame (laughs).

| Q: I can tell you really like the game. At the beginning of the interview, you said that you love game development very much, but which part of it do you like?

Sid: My favorite is the first few months of game development, the stage of conceiving new game ideas from scratch. In this part, I will be working on all kinds of ideas, and at this time, not only may I have a very groundbreaking idea, but I may also go through the process of making experimental demos and so on... I like this stage because "constantly coming up with new ideas and trying new things" is so interesting.

| Q: What qualifications does Mr. Sid think has allowed you to work in the game industry for 30 years?

Sid: I can take on many different positions during game development. For example, as a designer, responsible for building the entire game structure, or becoming a producer, to look at the entire project from a slightly overlooked perspective.

In addition, I can also make judgments such as "this is a good design" and "it would be better to do this there" after the avatar player experiences the game for himself, and then return to the designer's point of view and reflect these elements in the game.

This is because I can understand what other people think and feel about it, and I can find the strengths, weaknesses, attractiveness, and annoyances of the game from the perspective of others, which are reflected in the actual work as fun and beneficial elements of the game.

Since I love trying new things, I'm often able to take a different stand and ask, "Is this interesting enough?" Can it be accepted by the public?" And so on, and I feel that this personality trait seems to fit very well with game development.

More importantly, I never give up! That is, to have a never-say-die personality qualification. No matter what kind of difficulties I face, I will not escape. As long as you can think of a good idea, you will definitely find ways to put it into practice.

| Q: Very interesting insight. Looking back on the 30 years of in the game industry, how do you feel?

Sid: Over the past 30 years, more and more people have started to get involved with games, and in that sense, the game industry has grown steadily.

Originally, only users with a personal computer at home were able to access the game, but now anyone can easily enjoy the game. On this basis, the category of games has become more and more abundant, and types such as action games, RPG games, adventure games, and strategy games have emerged in an endless stream.

30 years ago, I thought "games will conquer the world, and it's a pleasure to witness that (laughs). I actually got involved in it myself and made more friends through the game.

I heard that the "Civilization" series is often used as an educational tool by parents to play for their children, and it is good to see that so many fans can enjoy the fun of the game.

| Q: Last question, what are your plans and plans for the future?

SID: I'm really enjoying what I'm doing. Although from time to time I am asked, "When are you going to retire?" But now I don't have that plan. If you ask me about my life after retirement 20 years ago, I would definitely think of it as "a life where I can really do what I want to do", but now I am engaged in a career that I enjoy, so there is no need to retire, and I will continue to follow the current path as always.

▲ The game screen of the latest work "Civilization 6"

Compile: Bluestoon