In this section you can find reference guides related to Civilization II. Most of them cover the topic of Civilization II creation, whether that be maps, scenarios, or even utilities.

Most guides are available for online viewing and most of them can also be downloaded as a zipped HTML file. If the guide was originally written in some other text format, that is available as well. The difference between the originals and the HTML documents is mostly just the use of hyperlinks to make them more suitable for viewing on your computer. If you want to print it out, the original will probably be better.

Jorrit "Mercator" Vermeiren

Hex-Editing

Hex-Editing Saved Games v1.8
edited by Jorrit Vermeiren

A comprehensive overview of the structure of Civilization II savegames and scenarios. A must-read for anyone serious about creating Civilization II utilities, and recommended reading for the advanced scenario designers.

Civilization II Map Structure
by Jorrit Vermeiren

Description of the structure of Civilization II maps in both map files and savegames. Recommended reading for anyone trying to make a Civilization II map utility.

Hacking! Changing The Civilization2 In-Game Graphics
by Jorrit Vermeiren

A guide to editing the Civilization II graphics hidden within the game's DLL files, such as the king's portraits and spaceship parts. I wrote this back in 1998, so it's rather outdated now Gif Xtractor (works for all versions of Civ2) and Resource Hacker (works only for the multiplayer versions of Civ2, including Test of Time) have become available. But still recommended reading, especially for users of GifX.

Test of Time Sprite File Format
by Jorrit Vermeiren

Description of the format used by Civilization II: Test of Time (animated) sprite files. This is what I used for creating my utilities CivSprite and SpriteGen. Anyone else interested in creating sprite editors for Test of Time, or those crazy enough to try and hex-edit their way in, should find this to be of great use.

Map Making

Map Making. Creating Accurate Civilization2 Maps
by Jorrit Vermeiren

A possible approach to making accurate maps for Civilization II set out in detail. If you haven't been able to make any decent maps yet, try this guide. You can use the map resources in this site's links section to find good sources for your maps.

A Quick Guide to Making Accurate Maps
by Jorrit Vermeiren

This is another map making guide by me. It is very similar to Map Making, but is a little more systematic and written specifically for use with one particular map creation site.

Scenario Creation

Before you start reading the following scenario creation guides I have one important caveat. They all date back to 1998 and before. Many things have been discovered since then, and newer versions of Civ2 have hit the shelves (and disappeared in the bargain bins) by now.

You may find more up-to-date information at sites like the Scenario League, or for Test of Time, The Cradle of Civilization. You can even still find lively discussions at the Apolyton CS Forums and the CivFanatics Forums.

But that still doesn't mean they aren't compulsory reading material for any self-respecting Civ2 scenario creator. So here they are:

Radiospace's CIV 2 Scenario Design FAQ
by Patrick Williams

An excellent beginners guide to Civilization II scenario design. It explains the basic creation process, from choosing your subject and creating the map to the use of the cheat menu.

Advanced Scenario Making Ideas v2.1
by Harlan Thompson and Aleksei Andrievski

This guide builds on Radiospace's design FAQ and explains the uses of the text files, graphics and cheat menu. It also provides some tips and tricks to improve playability and how to use game quirks to your advantage.

Advanced Scenario Design v1.9
by Leon Marrick assisted by Harlan Thompson

The definitive Civilization II scenario design reference guide. A must read for scenario designers. This document is aimed at those with a firm grasp of the map editor and cheat menu. It provides in-depth information on all steps of the creation process, tips, tricks, and the do's and don't's of scenario creation.

Tile Metrics: Improving Terrain Graphics and Road Connectivity
by Jorrit Vermeiren

This is not so much a scenario creation guide as it is a guide for better use of graphics. It is an edited version of an old thread I posted on the Apolyton forums. It discusses the peculiarities of the tile shape and the overlap resulting from that. I propose a new tile shape to be used in all new Civ2 graphics, which results in less overlap of terrain and unit graphics, better road connectivity and smoother grid lines.

Strategy

Fire! Making War in Civilization II
by Marc Fisher

The same restrictions go for this document as for the scenario guides. This is an old document and Civilization II still has a dynamic community. But the basics of Civ2 don't change, even for later released versions of Civilization II. If you want to improve your Civ2 playing strategy, this is a highly recommended read.