# CIV IV vs CIV V vs other mac-playable game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 31, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896 "2011-05-31T21:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/1 "2011-05-31T21:16:49Z")
So, Portal and Portal 2 are done. What next? Civ? I played Civ 1-3 years ago. Now I can get IV for $20 on Steam, and V for $50. Which is better? I’ve heard grumblings that V isn’t as good a game. Or, should I try some other game, or maybe go outside in the sunlight? ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/2 "2011-05-31T21:26:00Z")
Oooh, I just realized that Civ III is still available on Steam. How would it stack up? ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/3 "2011-05-31T21:27:37Z")
The answer is IV. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/4 "2011-05-31T21:28:43Z")
Wait for the steam summer sale in a few weeks, you’re likely to get Civ 4 complete (with expansions) for $10 and Civ 5 probably for $25 or less. Civ 5 isn’t a total upgrade to Civ 4 - there are things Civ 4 does better. 5 is more streamlined and more accessible to new players, not sure how much experience you have with them. 4 has better city management, more stuff to keep an eye on, generally more strategy and planning. But it’ll be really hard to go back from 5 to 4, even if it does some things better, because the combat is so much better in 5. I’d wait for the sale, grab both for cheap, and see which you like better. Edit: For the post asking about Civ 3 - don’t bother, Civ 3 is possibly the worst of the civ games … relatively speaking, and not worth your time when you could get 4 which does pretty much everything better. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/5 "2011-06-01T16:57:39Z")
> [@sachertorte](#): > > The answer is IV. Huh. So far I like V more than IV, mostly for the combat, but having only very recently bought the latter I admit this is a superficial impression. What did you like more about IV (or what didn’t you like about V, if that’s more to the point)? ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/6 "2011-06-01T17:35:43Z")
IMO, IV complete with add-ons like Fall From Heaven is probably a better game than Civ V at release. At release, Civ V was better. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/7 "2011-06-01T17:58:06Z")
Best thing ever done to the Civ series is getting rid of the Stack-of-Doom. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/8 "2011-06-01T18:12:37Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > Huh. So far I like V more than IV, mostly for the combat, but having only very recently bought the latter I admit this is a superficial impression. What did you like more about IV (or what didn’t you like about V, if that’s more to the point)? I feel that IV chugs along better than V and is more complete than V at this point. Perhaps in some time V will patch things up and get past IV, but for now, especially for someone who hasn’t played IV before, IV is a better place to be. V will always be there down the road. The two are different enough that one does not necessarily preclude the other. Might as well start with the cheaper one that has all the bugs squished. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/9 "2011-06-01T18:20:55Z")
Also I should note that the Mac port of Civ V is kind of sucky. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/10 "2011-06-01T20:16:18Z")
It this actually a dope thread that is sliding towards a consensus? Surely a sign of the end times. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/11 "2011-06-03T01:29:09Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > It this actually a dope thread that is sliding towards a consensus? Surely a sign of the end times. No, it isn’t. Just so you know we’re out there, I’m a Civ3 addict who never quite cottoned to IV, but am fully enthralled by V. It’s like Doritos. Sometimes you want Flamin’ Hot, sometimes you want Nacho Cheese, and sometimes you want Ranch. It’s all good/deadly. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/12 "2011-06-03T03:22:46Z")
I wouldn’t say that Civ V is _better_ than IV, but I find it more compelling. Civ V’s combat is definitely _definitely_ better, though. As **SenorBeef** said, Civ IV should be dirt cheap on Steam within the next few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/13 "2011-06-04T00:27:37Z")
If you can get the user-createdmods and scenarios to work on a Mac then Civ IV is the way to go. Some of the best - like the already mentioned Fall From Heaven II, are like totally new games. Personally I’m waiting for Civ V to come out in a complete or gold addition with all the Firaxis upgrades before I’ll move on to V. Oh and I thought III was pretty good, except for the retarded corruption mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/14 "2011-06-05T15:04:15Z")
When When When is Steam going to have Civ on sale? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/15 "2011-06-09T19:57:28Z")
Civ 4 complete is $7.50, but it’s a 24 hour deal, so be quick - expires tomorrow at 10am PST. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/16 "2011-06-09T23:56:26Z")
Got it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/17 "2011-06-10T00:08:52Z")
Go out in the sunshine - it’s not like we don’t have eight months of winter to play video games in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/18 "2011-06-10T00:46:25Z")
The light. It hurts my eyes. There’s bugs. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civ-iv-vs-civ-v-vs-other-mac-playable-game/583896/19 "2011-06-11T23:50:21Z")
I bought civ 4 during the daily sale. I have it on disk somewhere but I haven’t played it for years. Going back to play it is hard - the squares, the crappy combat, the less streamlined interface… I acknowledge that some of the strategy and city management has more depth, and some of the mechanics are more interesting, but damn it’s hard to go back after you’ve been spoiled by the good parts of civ 5. I guess if you want to end up playing both, play civ 4 first so you don’t know what you’re missing yet.