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Designer's Notes |
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In the 1990s, something very unique was happening in the world. Around a small |
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neighborhood in Wisconsin, children were simulating countries and economies. |
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Governments and businesses were established, kids were drawing currencies by hand, or |
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printing them with old computers using rudimentary software. Both inflation and |
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deflation occurred, including several instances of hyperinflation. Kids as young as 5 years |
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old were engaging in diplomacy and making business deals. The game was called City, |
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but the lines between reality and fantasy were often blurred. Physical battles were fought, |
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items and services were traded for play money, and social relationships were often |
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manipulated to improve one's standing in the game. Elections, rebellions, treaties, |
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business contracts, military conquest, taxes, government regulations, theft, investigations, |
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court, and more. It all happened in the game. It was a complicated phenomenon that never |
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happened anywhere else on the planet. |
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Kids, of course, can't fully understand every aspect of the game. Even most adults can't. |
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When I started designing the game at age 9, I only partially understood what I was |
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creating. As the years went on, more mechanics were added to the game, and rules were |
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updated as I learned about the world. Despite these complexities, young children can |
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understand some elements of the game that might surprise adults. Generally, I recommend |
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that kids can start playing at 5, though there have been several 4-year-olds that have |
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played. But kids often start getting very creative with the game around the ages of 11 and |
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12. And I have noticed that teenagers often come up with ideas that adults don't. Each age |
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group, as well as different personality types, adds their own interesting dynamics to the |
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game. Kids can both learn and contribute naturally in ways that fit their personalities as |
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they gain experience. MicroCiv is also more than complicated enough that adults can play |
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it among themselves, far surpassing the complexity of most other games. |
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With the new version of MicroCiv, I wanted to capture the essence of the original City Era |
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as much as possible. Obviously, things have changed since then, and some things can't be |
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reproduced in their pure form for various reasons. But it has also been improved in other |
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ways and is now more safe and structured than it was before. |
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