If you liked the game Civilization II, you might be interested inFreeciv–a Free Software knock-off of the game.  According to the website:  “Freeciv is a multiplayer strategy game, released under the GNU General Public License.  It is generally comparable with Civilization II, published by Microprose.”  Linux and Windows versions are available, and since it’s released under the GNU GPL, full source code is available too.  I haven’t tried it yet.

I wonder if they’ve solved the micro-management problems that drove me away from Civilization II.  I suspect not.  But since the source is available perhaps I could get in there and add some more intelligent automation.  It’s an interesting thought, and would be tempting if I had the time for it.  By the time I finished, though, I’d probably be so sick of the game that I wouldn’t want to play it.