On July 4th, 2004 I made a thread on a different Utopia website talking about interviewing Alliance leaders and sharing it for the Utopian world to see. I thought I’d post a few of them so people can have a read. The thread was very popular and after a while, several people came in to help me.

Enjoy my 2004 nubness.

Episode 1 - Ulrick, leader of the Civilisation Alliance (CiV)
Date: 06 July 2004


Since the re-creation of Civilisation it has attracted a lot of new members and attention on a whole how do you think CIV is doing thus far and compared to when it was first created?

I might say firstly Civilisation when it was first created was just a concept that being said I was never apart of any alliance, you might say that I have done what other people have tried and failed and that being said it is still standing now so I am more then pleased.

As any new alliance, or an alliance of our age I believe we are doing well. I implemented a few things that other alliances may not have done at the start of things.

I created controversy before we were even know as an alliance, intentional or not it was all publicity and as a whole the publicity has served the growth of civ well.

Sure I would like certain aspects of the alliance to change, but as a machine I would say with out a doubt we are well known as a mid sized alliance. Right now we are strong and confident, without confidence and purpose alliances fail.

Now, compared to the early stages of the alliance I would say we are more stable as a unit. I trialed a few things and some of those things failed. I’m not going to name names, but you get the drift.

Times change people, people move on, people come through. The council I have now is by far the most loyal to me then at any stage of our existence.

What urged you to re-open Civilisation? Was it friends, power etc?

Quite the opposite...
It was personally in honor to everyone that helped me learn this game

My work mate, Andrew and my first monarch who spent countless hours teaching me angel and the basics to the game I have grown to love.

I know I come off at times as power hungry that comes with the territory, as much as alliance leaders don’t wish to say there is a percentage dedicated to having some form of power in the alliance community. But the greater percentage is there to help those who want to be helped, to teach those who want to learn. That is the major driving force for me. I do not feel I would be good at this job....

You were the creator of CIV and the first member, how long did it take to open to the public?

Civilisation was a concept in the back of my head for about 2 years. It was implemented over a period of two months

It was public after those two months; I started to use utopiatemple and other IRC chat rooms to get to know people. I was rather new to the scene. I eventually came up with my first council. Peterbald, and Sharz


Have you ever been a member of another alliance/s if so name them and you position in them?

I have never been apart of any other alliances. The only thing to note was that the only alliance I have ever applied to was UA. I was not accepted because my ideals were not the same as there’s


Where do you see CIV heading towards in the future?
I am not a foreseer, and I do not wish to guess, one of the reasons is I cannot predict the future. ....

At this point in time we are in the back ground are programming a more user and public friendly website.
Hopefully that should be up in the near future


At this point in time we are in the back ground are programming a more user and public friendly website.
Hopefully that should be up in the near future


Could you ever see CIV becoming an invite only' sort of alliance?

Most definatly yes. With the upmost certainty. Over the past few ages we have been caught in the trap of
1. Accidentally messaging tagged kingdoms
2. Receiving spies from people who claim to be looking for an alliance
Particularly in the last age or so we have been subject to spies, and people who want to know what’s going on in the walls of Civilisation.
In which case we have revoked our previous methods and are infect leaning towards the invite only. Will it stunt our growth. In the short time yes. But at least our private stuff will remain that, Private.


CIV is liked by most other alliances, has there ever been an alliance in which CIV has frowned upon and or gone to war with?

Ben, oh yes we have, oh my the publicity from that not so good. We all know the going to our friends help of HUN in there war against MF and shortly after that nearly became the target of Muaddib. Other then that there was the misunderstanding of war games with the confusion of thinking it was a full on war. All has been resolved I believe and friendships have grown from these conflicts

How is CIV coming along with ambassadors and embassies?

Slowly. We have a hand full and we have sent out a hand full. I have myself filled the embassies at the more important alliances myself as I feel that, it’s a better way to get in the door and show respect for that alliance.

On that note we do invite alliances to send their consul's to our site http://civalliance.2.forumer.com


Lastly is there anything you wish to say or set clear to the Utopian world at this time?

I think what I really want to say is that I could be that bench mark for those people willing to create an alliance. I was never apart of an alliance. I never had many friends from other alliances. And you can be sure I didn’t know half the things I do today on the topic of alliances. But anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Everyone can change their stars.

Anyone can be somebody in utopia if you put the time an effort into the creation of your project. Many times at the start I heard you won’t be successful. Give up. And to this day I still hear these things. I don’t pretend to know everything about alliances and that’s why I believe I was lucky. The nights I spend writing in my notepad. The late nights I stayed up to talk to new members that we....
recruited has paid off.

If someone had tapped me on the shoulder and said to me you will make it I would have laughed and said "yes, that would be nice". In the end I have to thank my members past and present. For they are the bricks and cement that has made Civilisation, they are the ones that have shed there virtual tears and blood for my alliance. To those who helped in the creation and the building of the alliance...
I thank thee the most. All I had was a concept and they believed in it and I went ahead with it. Blind and ware full that this could make or break me. 3 ages on and well while some people say your averages are crap. We aren’t in it for you to go wow look how big they are. We are here in the essence of the people who started me on this road. To those people I shouldn’t have to name names, but I salute each and every one of you.