What Happens When You Play the Same Game of 'Civilization II' for 10 Years?

It's the year 3991 A.D., the three massive super nations, the Celts, Vikings and Americans, are locked in a 1,700-year war, the ice caps have melted 20 times over, and one Reddit user is now a decade older than when he or she started this game.

It's the year 3991 A.D., the three massive super nations, the Celts, Vikings and Americans, are locked in a 1,700-year war, the ice caps have melted 20 times over, and one Reddit user is now a decade older than when he or she started this game. "I've been playing the same game of Civ II for 10 years," writes Reddit user Lycerius, who posted about his/her findings early this morning. In case you aren't familiar, Civilization II is about building empires, constructing cities, and using technology, but at its core, it's about turn-based (you go, then computer goes, then you go) world domination. You win by being the last civilization standing or the first one to get into space.

To be clear, this isn't 3,650 days of straight playing--it's more of a fun time killer for our Reddit poster. Lycerius says he/she does have a life and comes back to the game "when I'm not doing anything and carry on." Here are some of Lycerius's dystopian findings (apocalyptic political and foreign policy wonks have at it):

-The ice caps have melted over 20 times (somehow) due primarily to the many nuclear wars. As a result, every inch of land in the world that isn't a mountain is inundated swamp land, useless to farming. Most of which is irradiated anyway.

-As a result, big cities are a thing of the distant past. Roughly 90% of the worlds population (at it's peak 2000 years ago) has died either from nuclear annihilation or famine caused by the global warming that has left absolutely zero arable land to farm. Engineers (late game worker units) are always busy continuously building roads so that new armies can reach the front lines. Roads that are destroyed the very next turn when the enemy goes. So there isn't any time to clear swamps or clean up the nuclear fallout.

-Only 3 super massive nations are left. The Celts (me), The Vikings, And the Americans. Between the three of us, we have conquered all the other nations that have ever existed and assimilated them into our respective empires.

-The military stalemate is air tight. The post-late game in civ II is perfectly balanced because all remaining nations already have all the technologies so there is no advantage. And there are so many units at once on the map that you could lose 20 tank units and not have your lines dented because you have a constant stream moving to the front. This also means that cities are not only tiny towns full of starving people, but that you can never improve the city. "So you want a granary so you can eat? Sorry; I have to build another tank instead. Maybe next time."

-The only governments left are two theocracies and myself, a communist state. I wanted to stay a democracy, but the Senate would always over-rule me when I wanted to declare war before the Vikings did. This would delay my attack and render my turn and often my plans useless. And of course the Vikings would then break the cease fire like clockwork the very next turn. Something I also miss in later civ games is a little internal politics. Anyway, I was forced to do away with democracy roughly a thousand years ago because it was endangering my empire. But of course the people hate me now and every few years since then, there are massive guerrilla (late game barbarians) uprisings in the heart of my empire that I have to deal with which saps resources from the war effort

And there are pictures (above) of Lycerius's 10-year domination as well as some uploaded here. Of course, at this point you have to wonder if Lycerius really wants to beat this thing or keep this novelty going. (Several posters have already recommended Fundamentalism as the path to victory.) We've contacted Lycerius to see what he/she says about this whole thing.

For the full Reddit thread, click here and for the Reddit subforum on how to win this 1,700-year-war click here.