A Free Civilization

No, this is not a political post.

I do my best not to openly participate in politics, frankly, because it all seems like a fool’s game.  On the other hand, simulation games have been known to unduly entertain me for embarrassingly extended lengths of time.  For a lot of my childhood, I played role-playing games.  For those of you familiar with my chosen profession probably won’t find that too surprising.  It seems like all the middle-aged professional geeks I know played RPGs as a kid.  And, I mean the pen-and-paper versions, not the video-game versions.
But, today, I’m sharing something a little different.  I’ve had more than one person tell me that I’d enjoy a simulation game called “Civilization”, but Sid Meier.  Basically, it’s an empire building simulation where you try to take over the world.  I’m not going to read too much into those suggestions, though I have actually listed a career goal as “Take over free world with an army of flying monkeys.”  I’m sure they meant that the challenge of the game would appeal to me.
So, today, since I’m out of work still and a lot of other gamers are as well, I’m bringing you a link to a free, open source attempt to capture the same idea and game play called “Freeciv“.
I’ll be perfectly honest and admit that I haven’t downloaded it and played it in ages, mainly because I’m still very focused on my job search, but, for those of you who need the distraction and don’t want to shell out a fist full of cash right now, this might be a fun alternative.

And, hey, it is free, after all, so why not take a break this weekend and give it a try?