14 DAY TRIAL // Freeciv, a free and open source turn-based multiplayer strategy game that is inspired by the Civilization series, has been upgraded to version 2.4.4 and is now ready for download.
The makers of Freeciv took the Civilization I and II as inspiration and it really shows. The original games were built by the famous MicroProse studio more than a decade ago.
This means that kids won't be able to really appreciate a title like this one, although they might like the sheer complexity and the complete gameplay. It might seem like straightforward game and you might not think that a title such as this one can pose any problems, but it will take a while to learn and master.
Freeciv was much more attractive a couple of years back when there were few options for Linux players, but now things have changed. Lots of titles from all kinds of genres are the fingertips of Linux gamers, with the advent of Steam, but the development of Freeciv seems to go on without a hitch. If anything, the updates seem to arrive at even shorter intervals.
Freeciv 2.4.4 is mostly a bug release
This is a highly complex game and you don't even need to play it in order to see it. Just take a gander at the changelog and you'll be amazed at the fine tuning of the gameplay, which occurs with each new release. The community has a very important contribution and most of the stuff you see in the new version usually stems from users.
"In Freeciv you compete against several opponents to found cities, use them to support a military and economy, and finally to complete an empire that survives all encounters with its neighbors to emerge victorious. Each opponent may be either another human or be controlled by the computer. All players begin at the dawn of history with a handful of units - typically with an explorer and a couple of settlers in 4000 BC — and race to expand outward from those humble beginnings."
"2.4.4 is a bug-fix release. Notable bugs fixed include serious issues in East Asian locales on Windows, occasional inability to switch governments in the Gtk client, research in games with teams, and premature nuclear explosion," is noted in the changelog.
You can download Freeciv 2.4.4 right now from Softpedia. Please keep in mind that this is the source code and that you will need to compile the game.
