Fundemental Conditions of Human Existence

Humans in all places and times interact with the natural environment

See the ways in which the farms (green squares) alter the environment

          In my opinion Civilization V does and excellent job of showcasing this fundamental condition of human beings existence on this earth. Right from the start of the game you are plopped down on a map on a piece of land aka the natural environment. From the get go you start to interact with the natural environment by altering it all to often like humans do today. The first priority for a lot of civilizations in the game and in real life is to find a place to settle. In the game you do so by building your capital city.

                        Humans interact with the natural environment in others ways as well. In the game there are animals placed sporadically. With this animals you gain resources but you also interact with the natural environment by building stockades around the animals. By altering the natural migration of these animals (though they don't move in the game) is another way in which humans interact with the natural environment.

                        

Example of a mine in Civilization V

Using a settlement as the nucleus for interaction in real life and game play civilizations build out from it with roads, trading posts, and farms to produce food stuffs. One of the most substantial ways in which one can alter/interact with the natural environment in the game is by building mines, construction a lumber yard, cutting down a forest or clearing a marsh. Like in reality this leaves the land barren and somewhat not aesthetically pleasing but it is something the is needed for, though not necessarily in the extent in which is sometimes happens, for humans to exist.

Humans in all places and time interact with one another

Diplomacy in Civilization V

Nazi Diplomacy in Vichy

          In the game no matter what civilization you pick there will be interactions with other civilizations. From the start and into the modern era civilizations in the game with interact by open borders, creating peace treaties and research agreements.In the game in particular one is approached quite often with requests by other civilizations to open their borders or show the world that you have entered into an open peace treaty. City-States in the game want allies against civilizations that they don't get along with and vice versa.

War in Civilization V

        The choices that you make in the game and the way in which you go about interacting with others can severely alter the way in which you civilization exists. Deciding not to become allies with someone or opening borders or disagreeing on a political or religious ideology can spark conflicts and even world wars with devastating effects. In my fist Civilization V game in which I played under Ramses II my entire civilization was destroyed by the Iroquois because I had decided to declare war on them. I was not prepared for battle and didn't really think it through which in the end caused my destruction. In the game as in real life one has to be extremely cautious with the choices that they make.

World War II

Humans in all places and times develop and act upon ideas

               Civilization V displays this fundamental condition of human existence as well. Through the technology and social policies trees a player in the game is able to develop ideas and after a few turns are able to act upon these ideas.

                   Thinking on this fundamental element of human existence one can also apply it to the development of certain ideologies that can lead a civilization to act upon them by declaring war, creating new economic policies or having systems of government different from others. Deciding upon a certain victory in the game, I believe, follows this fundamental element. The choice that one makes in which way they are going to play the game showcases that different peoples and cultures develop differing ideas and carry them out. In the game and sadly in life war is one of the most common ways in which to achieve victory. Like in real life though their are other ideas and choice that people are afforded and all come with the opportunity to come out on top.

Overall Experience and Effectiveness of Civilization V

        Overall I enjoyed playing the game for class. I will admit that in the beginning I was really just clicking around and didn't think to critically about my game play. I didn't pay attention to the different bonuses that each civilization had. I am not much of a video gamer and to have to play a game not for fun was hard for me to do. I am not saying that this is not a good idea I just think students should go into it with an open mind and realize that even though it is technically and assignment it is a game and you should have fun with it. I began to like playing the game more after listening to other students experiences with the game especially those that had played the game before.

          I began to play the game in vastly different way then I did before. Instead of just clicking around I read to see what my new civilization Catherine the Great's added bonuses were. I still wanted to achieve a cultural victory so I began to build a LOT of wonders to bust my culture.  After altering my game play and paying more attention I was able to get farther then I had ever imagined I could before with Ramses II.

         I would have to say the Civilization V effectively portrays the nature of historical change in the best way a video game can. Of course they are aspects that are overly generalized or just left out but that is understandable. Civilization V allows people to have fun with history and see what the world would have been like if things hadn't played out like they did in history books. It can also be looked at as a way for people to look critically at their own history and personal identities and think about the choice they would make if they were in charge. All in all I like the game and think its a great way for students to get involved in historical change on a more personal level.