I bought this game with no experience or expectations. The only other computer games I have played, other than card games, are Monopoly, Scrabble, and Chess. I gave up the two former due to the obvious and annoying advantage the AI gives itself. Chess, of course, does not cheat, the AI is just super smart, which is OK.

But, I was not prepared for the bewildering array of helter-skelter movement and rules, coupled with virtually no instruction, no tutorial, and worst of all, NO FUN! Just an enormous investment of time, slogging through endless movements of barely discernible figures groping through the dark. I am not instinctive about PC games and need some help getting acclimated. Civ3 gives you none. I particularly dislike smug instructions that assume you are a veteran of PC games in general and this game in particular.

Yes, I'm a newbie. But life is too short to become a polishied player at this; it's the law of diminishing returns.

Even at the bargain basement price I paid, it is not worth it. I just won't feel so bad when I throw it in the trash.

This game is addicting, as all Civ games have been. However, the biggest flaw, and rather important, is that battles play out the same way per turn. That is, if you battle, then reload game, the battle will be the same, unless you have other battles, or wait for next turn. It makes the game feel quite ridgid. Otherwise, the game is very good, and great for long travel, as time gets lost easily.

I bought Civ III Complete after playing it at a friends house. I find it highly addicting and suited for all types of players and skill levels. The bundle includes the original Civ III, plus the Conquests and Play the World expansions.
If you are not adverse to staying up late because you just can't turn it off, this is the strategy game for you. Re-playability is not an issue - every new game creates unique challenges.

Great strategy game, endless possibilies and play time. Since the game has been out for awhile, you can't beat the price.

I purchased this game for a classroom assignment. My class is studying to be Elementary Education teachers, and we are experimenting with this game to see the value of entertainment in education. This game has several important lessons to learn about social studies in general, but the added benefit of enjoyment helps motivate the students toward learning much more than any assignment which would not involve fun.

Back-up for previously owned Civ 3 game. Still prefer the old Civ 2: TOT version. Less graphics, but better play.

I really like Civilization III for several reasons. It is very fun and addictive, but can be frustrating here and there. All in all YOU HAVE TO BUY IT!! It can be frustrating because you have a very good chance of losing when you attack enemy units during wars. So lets say your Elite Musketman attacks an ememy regular, and even though you have more stamina and your foe has a lot less, the computer will still win. My advice is to resist the urge to attack during wars. If you wait until they attack, you will have a good chance of winning in most situations. For example, when your Regular Musketman is attacked by a stronger Elite Musketman, suprisingly, you win.

I recommend not to buy Civilization IV. I haven't bought it, but it's more expensive and I've heard it has alot of bugs. It may not work, especially if you have a 5 year old computer like I do.

In Civilization III it is very cool to run your country. You get to research technologies, defeat your enemies, and build your culture. There are many conquests [scenarios] that relive real events that occured in History, such as the fall of Rome. Frequenty in battle weird things will happen like this: Stone age men will beat your Rifle men, though over all it's a wonderful game! A final word: It's even educational! Go to the Civilipedia, and then go to tribes and click on one of the nations and it tells you all about the history of that nation.

I was first introduced to the Civilization series about 12 years ago by my ex-girlfriend. The girlfriend is long gone, but I still play Civ regularly. as a matter of fact, it is the only computer game that I play now. My wife is required to tolerate Civ.

It is a turn based game, so you don't have to worry about moving quickly.
It is a thinking person's game the strategy can get detailed and complex if you choose.
The games last very long, it probably takes about 24 hours of playing time to play a game from the dawn of civilization to the future. However you can save your games and pick up right where you left off.
It has a multiplayer function, but that is rarely used, it is hard to coordinate schedules with others for that long a period of time.
Civ 4 came out about a year or 2 ago, but I don't like it as much as Civ 3. There are plenty of resources on the internet discussing this game and its strategies. It has a significant cult following.

I'd recommend this game for anyone who is interested in strategy games.

For the Civ fans: definitely. CivIV has way too many annoying features and bugs in my opinion. That's why when my CivIII CD was crushed, I went again for the same version.

For the concerned parent: I love Civ. But I am way above my teens. The first "part" of the game is all about building cities, culture, doing research and keeping your population happy. At some point though (about after 1/3 to 1/2 of the game) your main occupation is fighting wars with your neighbours. Even the most determined player that wants to make a serious effort achieving only cultural victories will have to build weapons and fight a war or two. However, deaths are not graphic, there are no dead bodies lying around or blood splashed over the screen or anything disturbing. So if you are fine with the notion of war, then this is probably the best way for children you can have a war in a game. The game can be fully customised, but there are no parental locks that will force somebody go for the cultural victory rather than world domination. Over all, personally I would not be too concerned for people in their late teens; however, I do believe in the right of an informed parent.

Quite possibly the best RTS of all time. There are so many options and ways to win this game, the replayability is almost endless. I am not a big fan of how fast the beginning passage of time is however. In the beginning, every move made allows for many decades/centuries to go by, which puts pressure on you to build and develop immediately. Overall this game is awesome though. I have never played any of the previous versions of Civ, nor have I played Civ IV. I recommend this game to any RTS/strategy fan. You will not be disappointed.

I recently re-purchased this game due to nostalgia. I have subsequently forgotten to shower, eat, or go to work. This remains one of the best games in the history of gaming. I am currently playing the Romans, and I have practically destroyed the Greeks and am working on the Carthaginians. When playing this game, it is helpful to remember that the AI is stupid but it cheats. The AI knows where the resources are before you do, so in order to somewhat counter this, you must do as Rome does: build a massive military and lay siege on your computer foe. By constantly attacking his cities, he will spend gobs of gold in trying to rebuild them while you can get ahead by NOT having to rebuild your cities (just make sure you have at least 2-3 spearmen/pikemen etc. guarding each town). Overall, this game is just as much fun now as it was 3 years ago.

This game is so addictive that you should be prepared to give up hours of your day each day for time indefinite. I never get tired of this game. Like it much better than IV.

The latest research suggests that video games can be psychologically addictive and Civ 3 is no exception. I have spent weeks at a time playing this game, and have had to wean myself away just so I can get anything done in the real world.

Civ3 complete is much better than just the original and is very low in price. Save your money by buying this rather than Civ4, I found Civ4 to be boring and over the top in options and possible methods for victory.

The complete version has plenty more wonders, tribes, governments and units in case you were starting to get bored with the original civ3.

In short, if you like strategy games, buy at your own peril.

This game is by far one of the best strategy games I have played in a LONG time! I have spent HOURS playing and can't wait to play more. It's like sims meets risk, they really did a great job on this game. If you like strategy, turn based games, you will love this title.

Ok This game is prolly the funnest iv played for computer in a long time. And It really is fun to run your own country. The only downsides I have to it are:
1. It gets kinda boring after a while
2. The modes (easy to hard and a bunch in between) easy is to easy and the next one is too hard.
3. The computer players. man they are annoying. If one of them makes you an offer no matter what it is say yes. Or theyll get all upset at you and declare war on you.
4. The computer players. OK say you just declared war on someone. No matter how much they liked you or didnt like you. Or even better you accidently declare war on someone. You cant take it back. Well you could. If they agree to a peace treaty. And i've given away prolly millions in gold just so I can have peace (I wish it was that easy in the real world). Plus even if you have to declare war on someone its like they have soliders all around your city (you cant see unless one of your soliders is there.) So they just keep attacking you untill your dead.
Ok ive ranted long enough.
Oh ya and one last thing. The rule book is freakin long over 200 pages. I mean thats as long as a short book. Oh ya and one last last thing. Veteren Civ Players: If you like numbers 1 and 2 and part of your stratagy is to bribe your enimies units. You cant do that in this game.

Peace Out

Civ 3 was a great product. The expansion packs, however, were a failure of monumental propoprtions! Nothing about them was entertaining. They didn't add anything to the Civ experience for me. I settled for merely playing "Same old Civ 3", uninstalling the expansion packs because, in my opinion, they hurt the game more than they helped it.

Graphics were an upgrade from previous Civs. Plot was pretty much the same as before. But the game was entertaining as all civ products are. My only knock is the same knock I've had for all Civ products. It takes place over 5,000 years. You should have to change your leader's name every 50, 60 or 75 years or so. Your leadership should be structured more like Romance of the 3 Kingdoms where you pretty much build a dynasty. You have kids and grandkids. Marry and make relationships that will ensure the survival of your dynasty. Some have said they thought it would make the game more complicated. Personally I believe it'll make the game more realistic. It'll be the ultimate tweak.

With the exception of embassies and some small combat graphics, not much different that Civ 2. An engrossing game if you aren't burnt out from the older ones.

Civilization III is probably the best 4x game (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) ever created. And the complete version makes it even better. The learning curve is a bit steep. But the payoff is well worth it. A complete game also takes a while. But there is so much "stuff" in the game that it never gets boring. It also gives one an understanding of why empires rose and fell.

I've been playing Civ 3 for 5+ years now, in a single player competitive mode. See [...]. For those reviewers that lost and thus gave this a low rating, shame on them. Give yourself a low rating.....this game can be played at sand lot or level 8 (Sid).....something for everyone. This game has been patched and the above website will raise your game and you can become the best player in the world at different levels of difficulty, map size and victory type. I know because I did. Be careful, it's addictive.........for a long game, you can spend 200+ hours; a short game, 10 minutes!!

This is an awesome game. I love playing this at any level. Another reviewer said this was "not engaging"..was he playing the same game I've been playing? I doubt it. This game absolutely rocks. I was never confused or baffled not even on my first game (which of course I lost) It's a learning experience. It is after all a Strategy game. You develop skills. This is the best game I have ever played.

start playing this game!!! With the CIV 3 complete, i now get to see how much time i've spent playing (when you 'retire', it will tell you) - unbelievable how much time i spend on this game - but i just love it. For now i'm just playing a game w/ the regular huge map but i think its awesome that i can customize my map in so many ways - also there are some new leaders in the complete version - which makes it fun. i would highly recommened this game. Not too bad of a learning curve to get up and running - just start w/ the lowest level and work your way up. i've played for years and stil haven't been able to win a game at the hardest level.

I can't beleive i blew that much money on the Civ3 collection, thinking i would save more money, only to find that if I got Civ3 and Conquests, I'd be good. Also, the computer's AI is insane. It makes more illegal moves than I do on a boring session. Since I couldn't take Civ3 back or sell it, I gave it away in excahnge for some books. I still love my Civ2:Test of Time edition. That I don't mind so much. Even tho Civ3 does come away with major improvements, the game should not be that difficult. Also, I miss my sci-fi and fantasy elements... I am not planning on buying Civ4 or any other title afterwards given what's being presented now... Also, I just can't run those games on my Windows98 machine (tho it does have pentium3 processor and 128 of ram, it's just too slow).

I haven't yet tried Civ4 but I've loved Civ3 for years. I had a new computer and wanted to get up and running on Civ3 as soon as possible, and Civ3 Complete let me do that without having to worry about installing a lot of patches, etc.

It was not engaging and I often lost -confused and frustrated!

Great game, I have been playing Civ 3 for about 3 years, around the time when it first came out. Fun game, while u can't just swamp your enemies, the game takes actual strategic skill.

Pros:
Great game overall
decent graphics
realistic
fun to play
Conquests scenarios are awesome, espicially, WWII and the Napoleonic war

Cons:
May sometimes run slow
the computer is tough (but you don't see me whining)
Not very many units

First things first:

First, as Mr. Dusel pointed out, this is just Civ III plus Civ III: Conquests. Conquests includes Play The World, so in a sense there is only one expansion. I myself posess Conquests and the Civ III Game of the Year edition or some such nonsense, which has a few extra maps and the map editor.

Second, as someone else pointed out, the computer cheats to a ridiculous degree on even the moderate difficulty levels, and it is the worst kind of cheating, because the computer will turn away numerically and statistically superior units in preposterous streaks of wins while your own units infuriatingly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory time after time. This is the game's single biggest flaw, and it is, in my mind, unforgivable. In short, the Civilization I problem of phalanxes turning away battleships is back, (although as ships can no longer attack land units in the normal fashion, that's not literally true).

Pros versus Civilization II:
More units (slightly)
More logical tech tree
Settlers auto-management improved (though still annoying in that the computer has a particular way of management which isn't always the most efficient)
Unit animation is cute the first time you play
Bombardment was a good idea, though it's been implemented in too many units and is a time-consuming process with large numbers of units, and is too hard to do effectively
Easier to move unit groups, pathfinding improved somewhat
Resources are a smart idea
More sophisticated diplomacy options
Civilization-specific units
Cultural value a good metric and asset
Detailed scenarios

Cons:
Flagrant computer combat cheating to the point of ruining the game
Geographically large states still almost invariably win (personal issue, but I think this should not always be the case)
Unit animation quickly becomes annoying and useless
Time consuming end-game armies
Corruption plagues all states regardless of government. While some corruption is understandable there is no reason for a state to become unmanageably large in the late game
Bombardment wastes time and does nearly nothing (cheating computer again?)- on a related note the single most aggravating bug is the non-functional coastal fortresses, which only attack during the player who owns the fortress's turn; the computer consistently circumvents this by bombarding and retreating, acknowledging the bug and rendering the fortresses useless.
As mentioned by others, resource placements often screw the player over from the get-go. Furthermore there is little motivation to trade an opponent strategic resources like iron and oil, so the unfortunate player is doomed to defending against battleships with arrows because there is no iron or oil on his entire continent.
Computer sees resources (indeed, the entire map before it is explored) before it gets the tech to do so, further tipping the scales against the player
Diplomatic AI is miserable
No way to force the computer to respect borders (computer players will build pointless, obstructive cities in isolated places within your territory and constantly cross over your borders and will declare war if you ask them to remove their units, yet regard your units crossing into their territory as cause for war.)

Do not listen to the cheerleaders writing reviews here. The computer DOES cheat (and I don't understand how anybody could not see this), the odds are frequently stacked overwhelmingly one way or the other, and the computer cannot negotiate in anything like a rational way. This is a truly awful game, because it can suck you in for hours only to crush you when you realize that you had no chance to begin with. Deeply flawed and pointless. Civilization II is much better.

Since I love strategy games, this one fills the mind with lots of possibilities. There's more multi-player options, more city and cultural advancements and wonders with details shown play by play, more scenarios and overall adventures with better audio-visual enhancements and fewer bugs noted from previous versions. This game will have your full attention but be prepared to dedicate a lot of your time on it.

Civilization III is the best yet of strategy games. It has so much going on in it at one time, it is like playing multiple chess games at once. With all the different civilizations to play against - each with their own special advances and unit - there are unlimited combinations of scenarios and outcomes. If one can master this game, they truly are a master of strategy. All government officials should have to play this game before taking office - they might learn something!

The package contains the basic Civ3 game plus the Conquests expansion set.
When loaded, the first disc is still required to be resident in the Reader and the default game is the Conquests expansion. You have to select the original game from a subdirectory in order to play it.
The game is an improvement on the baasixc Civ 3 game, with new races and additional wonders. However, the cheat algorithm in this version is really over the top, which is why I only gave it 4 stars

If you like Civ, you will love this game. I play when ever I get a chance.

Warning: This game is totally addicting. Prepare for marathon play as you enter into another world. Civ III is a consuming hobby that offers years of enjoyment.

I originally bought this for the whole family. I thought maybe I'd get to try it out as well, but unfortunately it's been constantly in use by either my 13 yr old or my 8 yr old, who both love it.

So while I can't vouch for it personally, it sure has kept my kids happy.

Civ 3 is a great game. Civ 4 doesn't do much better, except for some graphics - not needed for a civ type game. Civ 3 is the best of the civ line, hands down.

This game really rocks!!! It is definitely the best strategy game that I have ever played. Hours and hours of fun gaming, and a great price. If you have someone who loves strategy and conquering the known world, this would make a great gift!!! Not just for kids, it's fun, educational, and really works the mind. I recommend it for anyone who loves a good challenge.

Civ 3 Complete is an extremely addictive game with a lot of features. I originally started out playing a demo version of Civ 2 and Civ 3 is vastly improved. It's very entertaining to watch the leader you are playing as change outfits over the course of history. I haven't gotten around to trying out any of the campaigns yet, but anyone who's played Civ 2 will find it very easy to adapt to the new elements in this version of the game.

In late 2002, I took a second job at a major electronics retailer and decided to use my employee discount on what looked like a cool game: Civilization III. That game changed my life... in the gaming sense. It was everything I ever thought a computer game should be: turn-based strategy with multiple avenues to test my ego and self-promoted genius. Above all features of Civ3, however, my most favorite was the customization of the game through the map editor and the wonderful online resources of the Civ community. (I've downloaded more Civ3 files than MP3s.) This allowed me to express my self-proclaimed genius with new rules, technologies, and units (and all the accompanying chronologies and requisites) at my discretion. Nothing could get any better, I had thought.

When Civ4 was being talked about, however, I couldn't imagine on what grounds they could improve - except perhaps making the game even more customizable and thorough. Well, you've already read about the differing features of the game: less micro-management, more diplomatic and trade features, new technology trees, enhancing popular mechanics found in previous Civ titles, and of course, going 3D with it all.

When playing Civilization IV, you sense an overwhelming POTENTIAL to be a really great game. In my mind, that potential has not been fulfilled, and I hereby advise you to purchase Civ3 Complete instead and forego Civ4 if you haven't chosen so already. If you have already purchased Civ4, let's send a message to Firaxis Games that they need to do better - let's stop purchasing Civ products until they are actually without so many bugs, that aren't rushed to be released for the holidays, and that don't insult our intelligence by requiring expensive "expansion packs" which merely add content that should already have been included in the original release.

Here is a list of comparative reasons to only own Civ3 and not Civ4 and boycott future Civ titles until something changes for the better:

1. There is no map editor in Civ4. Instead, they included a "World Builder" which is so awkward and strange. It is not like Civ3's map editor where you can set starting positions, resources, civilizations, and terrain BEFORE you play the map. The "World Builder" of Civ4 only allows you to alter scenarios from the installation or randomly generated maps. You cannot create maps from scratch - you can only change what has already been created within predefined parameters.

2. Who needs 3D graphics for a turn-based strategy game? Civ4 is not fully 3D; it merely allows a tilting view from ground level to overhead. That can be cool, but consider the offset: it is unnecessary for this genre, it diverts computer resources from other cool and more thorough features, and it makes the game extremely difficult to modify. For Civ3, there are well over 1,000 things you can either download or make yourself and put right into the game. You don't have to know XML or Python programming languages as you would in Civ4. Civ4 requires advanced education (like a graphics design or computer science degree) to simply alter things like governments, units, buildings, and game rules. Waiting for others to design them (like the amateur online community or the professional expansion packs) isn't so fun anymore.

3. Expanding content for more money? This was a problem with Civ3, as well - its first expansion pack was a total waste of money because everything was later put on the second expansion pack. People bought the first expansion pack because they loved Civ3 so much and didn't know it was a waste. (Many video game makers are taking advantage of gamers in this way, not just the Civilization makers.) My point here is to fight back. We already know what they are going to pull: Civ4 has an expansion pack out there titled Warlords. It basically includes elements intentionally left out so as to somehow formulate a "new" product. In the base version of Civ4, you have the Great People: artists, scientists, merchants, and prophets. Hmmm... now we get the warlords, eh? Oh, and a few other civilizations and buildings left out from before. Nice try... Boycott this type of marketing out of sheer principle. Play Civ3 Complete until Civ5 comes out if you have to. Maybe Civ will be less of a cheap shot then.

4. The last reason why you should be content with Civilization III and completely forget that Civilization IV was ever made is the most simple. Purchasing Civ3 Complete right now (1) will cost you less than half of Civ4; (2) is fully expanded while Civ4 is still looking to make more money off of us; and (3) Civ3 has the very same level of addictive game play as any other Civilization title. If you have already dropped the cash for Civ4, simply do not support Civ4 any longer. In fact, uninstall it and put it in your drawer as a sad chapter of shameless marketing. Yes, Civ4 is fun, but it is does not live up to its potential in most ways. Playing Civ3 will take up your time quite nicely until they release a REAL title that doesn't take advantage of us so blatantly.

To conclude, my overall point to stick with Civ3 and forego Civ4 is this: without an easy, efficient, and overwhelmingly powerful customizing interface (like an awesome map editor that allows FULL customization), we are simply asking for "re-tread" products. The fact that Firaxis did not include a kick-butt map editor proves in my mind that they expect us to wait for their "expansions" to come out and spend at least $150 each before they move onto Civ5. Hold out with Civ3 Complete and wait until Civ4 goes away.

Played the basic Civ3 for awhiel I ove to new stuff in the addons