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There is what I would call an impassioned debate happening as I step onto the tour bus. I wouldn't say it goes as far as an argument, since those involved are far too excited and not nearly belligerent enough towards one another, but it's clearly an intense discourse. That age-old, nigh timeless topic has reared its head once again: is Civilization 5 really better than Civilization 4?Of course, there can be no answer, no resolution for the Firaxis fans involved. Civilization 4 has problems with excess unit stacking, someone insists, but then Civilization 5 has the problem that you can't stack units. Civilization 4 is smarter. Civilization 5 simply looks better. It soon becomes obvious that, even if I did want to throw my hat in, there's nothing I can add. The conversation abruptly veers sideways into a variety of mods, some of them quite obscure, with all the qualities they bring. I'm way out of my league.
But this is Firaxicon, the first ever Firaxicon, and everyone present shares an enthusiasm for the studio's games of global domination or, occasionally, global defence. Just under 200 of Firaxis' most loyal fans have gathered at a hotel in Hunt Valley, Maryland, to meet with the the Civilization and XCOM developers - and while they've only paid 40 dollars for the privilege, it's not about the money. Some have journeyed thousands of miles across the country to do so. There's a chance to play an early build of Civilization: Beyond Earth and there's a chance to try out the forthcoming XCOM board game, but for most of the visitors the real excitement comes from the human element, from the opportunity to meet and mingle with designers like Ananda Gupta, Jake Solomon or even Sid Meier.
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