Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer Part 50: Dawn of Civilization
Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer Part 50: Dawn of Civilization
Publish Date: 2026-02-09 14:45:00
Source Domain: www.gamingonlinux.com
Return to Part 1: Dumpster Diving
Continued from Part 49: One More to Go!
Civilization: Call to Power is a curious cultural artifact in a number of ways. Developed without accreditation from Sid Meir, the game struggled for legitimacy, taking on a hulking scope and, crucially for us, being ported to as wide a range of platforms as possible, including Linux and even later BeOS. It would be the first port released by Loki Software in May of 1999, and through that, has a claim as the first Linux game ever sold at retail. So many firsts, and yet it remains the black sheep of the family.
Even among Loki Software’s other offerings Call to Power stands out, with it not using the standard Loki Setup tool, but rather one that more closely emulates the look of the installer on Windows, displaying concept art as it progresses. Freeciv was very much a thing by this point, so Call to Power did have to stand out with its presentation, showing off lavish cinematics that again required Loki Software to develop their own bespoke tools which they would continue to refine going forward.
Call to Power does struggle in other areas though, with much of the game being abstracted behind staid menus and prompts, from building up cities to talking to other nations. The result is a cumbersome user interface that buries important information, with big events such as wiping out a rival power only being heralded by unremarkable icon notifications. A tutorial is included to help wrap your head around all this, but even the game’s predecessors managed to appear more engaging than this.
Starting a new game with just the defaults, I took charge as Julius Caesar of the Romans. I waged a swift campaign against the Russians, but from there my futures would begin to diverge. The Greeks were also making war on me, and being my weakest rival, I decided to march on them next. Doing this angered the Nicaraguans, with whom the Greeks had good relations, leaving me challenged from all sides….
