Is FreeCIV worth playing if I already have all the official CIV games?

[GloriaRedmond]

I know it's free and therefore there's no reason not to just try it, but what should I expect? 4 and 5 were my main civs, but I do have all of them and try all of them from time to time including playing CIV 1 on a 90's era-Macintosh II that I fixed up. What does FreeCIV offer gameplaywise that's interesting or otherwise different from the official games? Is it just a good free version or does it have it's own feel?

Edited by Geometry Vibes Unblocked 5 minutes ago

[johnfleck02]

You should not expect the presentation, AI polish,Cool Games or streamlined design of the official games. Instead, expect an old-school strategy atmosphere with a lot of depth and flexibility. If you enjoy classic Civ mechanics and experimenting with different rule systems, FreeCiv definitely has its own identity rather than just being a free clone.

[Corbeau]

Also, I don't know if commercial Civ games have such stable Longturn communities. Or anything resembling Longturn. I know for a fact that I would not be playing it if otherwise.