GAME · 1996 · USA
Civilization II
23 archived facts 2 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
23 Interesting Facts About Civilization II
Interesting Facts (22)
- #001
The William Shakespeare passages read by the stage actor are the opening and closing lines of the Chorus's first speech in Henry V.
- #002
The Attitude Advisor resembles Elvis Presley, and nearly every line he speaks contains a line from an Elvis song, either verbatim or paraphrased.
- #003
The Pyramids are counted as a "granary in every city," reflecting the ancient tourists' misconception that they were grain storage buildings. Apart from the very small chambers where treasures were kept, they are actually solid rock; these were looted shortly after being placed there, which makes them one of history's most failure-resistant monuments.
- #004
When the Medieval Military Advisor is happy, he sings John Dyer's 18th-century song "Down Among the Dead Men."
- #005
The Statue of Liberty's theme music is John Philip Sousa's El Capitan march.
- #006
Isaac Newton's College music is the "Allegro" from Johann Sebastian Bach's Concerto for Four Harpsichords.
- #007
Adam Smith's Trading Company's music is George Frideric Handel's "Arrival of the Queen of Sheba."
- #008
When Sun Tzu's War Academy is built, the video shows the Terracotta Army, built around 210 BC for the tomb of China's First Emperor.
- #009
Four of the accepted Ancient Wonders of the World are among the game's Wonders: the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens, the Great Lighthouse and the Colossus. The three not in the game are the Statue of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum.
- #010
Cities in Civilization II occupy a single tile and collect food, trade and production from surrounding tiles. Units produce city improvements or World Wonders. Civilizations generally expand by founding new cities until the map is fully settled. Units, which resemble chess pieces, have varying roles and reflect historical soldiers and professions. Each unit occupies one tile and can move each turn. Most units take part in combat, while some serve non-military purposes.
- #011
Brian Reynolds and his team were initially hesitant to significantly change the original game's design and worried about being seen as "the guys who screwed up Civilization (1991)."
- #012
Civilization II supports mods that change the game's graphics or mechanics. "Scenarios" are preconfigured game files designed to recreate historical, fictional or unique situations for players to experience.
- #013
Civilization II had two expansion packs that gradually introduced new features. The first, Conflicts in Civilization, added 20 new scenarios: 12 created by the developers and eight fan-made "Best of the Net" scenarios. It also introduced an advanced macro language with enhanced programming capabilities for scenario writing, although most people found these features unnecessary; a bug in this expansion disabled the Encarta-style Civilopedia. The second expansion pack, Civ II: Fantastic Worlds, offered new scenarios with unique themes, including a Mars colonization scenario and a fantasy-themed Midgard scenario featuring civilizations such as Elves, Goblins and Mermaids. Fantastic Worlds also had a new scenario editor that let players customize unit stats, city improvements, terrain and technologies, and create event triggers and other game developments.
- #014
Scientific research is central to Civilization II. Players begin with primitive technology and limited options. As they advance from the ancient era to the modern era, progress in science and society unlocks new abilities and strategic advantages.
- #015
Civilization II: Test of Time (1999), released in 1999 after Alpha Centauri (1999), is a remake with a refreshed color palette and user interface. It introduced new elements such as animated units, a playable Alpha Centauri faction and additional campaign modes.
- #016
Civilization II was re-released on December 9, 1998 as Civilization II: Multiplayer Gold Edition. This version combined the previous two expansion packs and introduced multiplayer options, among other improvements. However, unlike the original Civilization II, which supported Windows 3.1, it required Windows 95 or later. Multiplayer Gold Edition was later included in the Civilization Chronicles box set released in 2006.
- #017
Stanley Kubrick tribute: when you win the space race and see your historical reign name, the soundtrack plays classical pieces featured in two consecutive Kubrick films. First comes Richard Strauss's 'Also sprach Zarathustra', the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), followed by Ludwig van Beethoven's 'An die Freude', the theme of A Clockwork Orange (1971).
- #018
The music of Johann Sebastian Bach's Cathedral is the composer's own Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.
- #019
The music of Adam Smith's Trading Company is George Frideric Handel's 'The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba'.
- #020
Civilization II's German translation is notoriously problematic. It was done by a MicroProse employee whose only qualification was 'having spent a few years in Germany'. This led to strange and incorrect phrases such as 'Russen einfangen Große Mauer' ('Russians catch the Great Wall').
- #021
Civilization II built on its predecessor with changes and additions to units, civilizations, wonders, tile features and technologies. New concepts introduced include diplomatic reputation and production waste. The world map shifted from a top-down view to an isometric view, and the artificial intelligence controlling rivals was improved.
- #022
The Pyramids are counted as a "granary in every city," reflecting the ancient tourists' misconception that they were grain storage buildings. Apart from the very small chambers where treasures were kept, they are in fact solid rock; these were looted shortly after being placed there, which makes them one of the most failure-resistant monuments in history.
Deeper Meaning (1)
- #023
A tribute to Stanley Kubrick: if you win the space race and then see your historical reign's name, the soundtrack plays classical music pieces featured in successive Kubrick films. First comes Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra, the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), followed by Ludwig van Beethoven's An die Freude, the theme of A Clockwork Orange (1971).