This Will Consume the Great Person

Now, if you guys have ever played Civilization IV, you recognize the title of today's post. And you know the game will consume you. I am a below mid-level player of this game. But it's addicting, and for a strategy game which should be boring for the first 100 turns or so, it's downright fun to play for hours (and hours, and hours) at a time.

My favorite civs so far are Russia (Catherine), France (Napoleon), and Rome (Julius Ceasar). I managed to win some time victories, a space victory, a domination victory, and a backdoor domination victory, but none of them above warlord. We also have the BTS expansion game, but DH has dibs on that game most of the time, so I end up playing the *vanilla* version. Which is okay with me, as I'd never played a Civ game until IV came out, and I'd like a little more experience under my belt before tackling BTS.

And, this type of game is great for my writer's imagination. I love worldbuilding and creating the mythology for my alternate dimensions and universes. Games like Civ IV where you have to build a civilization almost from the primordial slime up make great playgrounds. How do you build a warrior nation without starving everyone to death? How do you build an peaceful, intellilectual nation while still protecting your borders? How do you create culture? Religion? Who are these people and where did they come from?

A fantasy writers wet dream.

Of course, it takes days to actually complete a game, sometimes weeks depending on your level of play.

In that respect, it's a lot like writing. You build on an idea, protect some aspects. Let others go. Work the theme and each situation to to its fullest advantage, and beat up on the weaker elements until they either go away or build up some viable defenses.

So, in the midst of the crazy tax season, and other non-tax related days of hell, I found escapism in Civ IV. Now, I'm back to my writing. The first draft of Stygian Prophecy is complete, and I'm going through the second draft now. Should be complete by the end of the month.

Here's a little snippet - the opening paragraph. Let me know if you think it works.

The Paegus Realm
Daegnan knew the price of duty all too well. He paid the toll with every breath, and perhaps with his last breath this day. When he’d joined the Royal Guard, his family had turned away from him, refused to speak his name, and his heritage made him an outcast amongst the warriors. His so-called brothers in arms neither liked nor trusted the dragon soul hidden inside his human shell and spared no sympathy for his plight. He scented the sweat of their malicious anticipation and fought to control the part of him which craved the taste of their fear and savored victory by bloodshed like a sweet wine on the tongue.

Also, I'm gearing up to give away a copy of Phaze Fantasies, Vol. VI next week. Check back for details.

Have a Great Weekend!
Jessie