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Whence the Scenario League? The Past and the Future

The end of April will mark the six-month anniversary of the Civilization II Scenario League. As we enter that sixth month, it seems like an appropriate time to begin looking back at how far we have come, and to start looking ahead at the shape of the League for the rest of 1999. I hope this will bring back some memories, and serve as a fond thank-you to everyone who has made this site such a success. You know who you are and "Sleeg" wouldn't be here without you. Looking Back... The Civilization II Scenario League opened in early November of last year, a relative latecomer to the Civilization II web family. El Khan had accepted the challenge to create a place where scenarios would be commented on by a lot of different people interested in scenarios. I agreed to serve as web editor, figuring hey, how hard can it be? The two of us managed to piece together a "League" from a few die-hard scenario creators and, to the surprise of naysayers who thought we would never get anything going, started a web page over on Geocities. That first page was ugly, no doubt about it. The color scheme was nasty and the page was tough to navigate. A number of people really contributed to the look and feel of the SLeague, adding navigation tools, suggesting buttons and layouts, and designing the artwork. No one is going to give us a graphic design award, but the site sure looks better than it did back then! After six months, we now have a thriving message board getting dozens of posts per week, a library of over FIFTY reviews of higher-quality scenarios, one of the largest and the most up-to-date scenario design tip collection of any currently maintained page, a successful contest that produced some excellent scenarios, and the start of a second contest. From comments I have seen, a favorable review on the SLeague can make a scenario that otherwise would go unnoticed into a popular download. Not every SLeague venture has been a success, or even lifted off the ground. But overall, I would say we have had a phenomenal start! ...and Looking Ahead So, what is still coming? The most obvious answer is "more of the same". We have more reviews and some new Civilization II design tips on the way. Some authors may also start responding directly in a "Letters" column to comments on their designs. Plus, we will obviously be running the second design contest. Beyond that, there will be some minor cosmetic changes to improve site navigation. We're also considering adding a section for holding unfinished scenarios (submissions are being accepted now). Perhaps the biggest challenge to web sites is that they must change with the times. New sites can quickly capture peoples' attention, especially when a new game in the same genre is released. Civilization II's "imminent demise" has been predicted for quite some time now by the local net.prophets. We aren't worried. If Call to Power and Test of Time end up with good scenario editors, we will adapt and allow those games space here. If not, then the rumors of Civ2's demise may turn out to be greatly exaggerated. In any case, we will never abandon Civ II for good, but we will also adapt with the times. The new logo for the Call to Power Scenario League is already done, and is just awaiting Activision's announcement that the scenario editing pack is ready for download. So rest easy. SLeague is here to stay. We will continue to have a Civilization II section, but we will also be looking ahead at other Civilization-like games and adapting accordingly. Like Civ II, we expect to be around for a few years yet. Blackclove April 02, 1999