Does anyone remember Civilization the board game, Avolon Hill 1981?

  • '12

    I still have my game from the early 80s!  There were 9 nations that could be played in the mediterranean area.  Usually 5-7 people playing was perfect.  You would get trading cards for each city (up to a max of 9), each city would give you a trading card for 1 ordinal position, ie, 3 cities, 1 card each from the first 3 piles, 5 cities, 1 each from the first 5 piles.  Each pile and an ever increasingly valuable commodity.  Getting more of 1 commodity would increase your hand in multiples.  Ie 1 grain is worth 4, 2 grain cards is worth 16, 3 might be 48 (it was never an even multiple every increase).  You would then purchase ‘civilization’ tiles which were required for your nation to move up on a chart.  No dice, combat was symple attrition.

  • 2024 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17

    I actually played that a week ago! Advanced Civilization with the Western map, five players, but we didn’t use the whole board. Took us 11 hours. But we finished it and had a great time.

    The trade card values run like 1 squared, 2 squared, 3 squared, etc, multiplied by the number of the deck, so for grain it’s 4, 16, 36, 64, 100, etc.

  • '12

    Yeah right, that’s how the values increased.  Very rarely did we finish games, it’s tough to hold somebody back who gets ahead unless everyone piles on!


  • Sounds likes a fun game.


  • I rmember seeing that game all the time, but I never bought one or played it. Was it good?


  • @Brain:

    I rmember seeing that game all the time, but I never bought one or played it. Was it good?

    Played it a few times… but only a few times because of the daunting length of the game and its best with a table full of people.

    Enjoyable though and one of those “world conquest thru other means” games that seem to appeal to the ladies.

    #518

  • '12

    To be honest, I am not sure that we EVER completed a game.  Those trading rounds just seemed to last and last and linger.  Would be interesting to try a PBEM if possible!

  • '12

    As far as being good, I liked it, but I like OV beer so……  Battles had no chance component, but trade cards could introduce some nasty events that can set you back.  Diplomacy and trading were how you won for the most part.  Optimizing your country for the geography and national goals were what I liked best.  But I am an optimization junkie.

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