I think that Civilization is a large part of the reason I'm a scientist today.
What's the winning strategy in Civilization? Science! As much of it as you can! Everything else in society exists only in order to create the resources which scientists consume (or to defend your borders to enable your scientists to work unmolested by Aztecs and Zulus). Yep, everyone else in society is doing a thankless, pointless job, quickly forgotten as soon as they die, but the contributions of scientists live on forever, slowly advancing society down the tech tree. Is there any better feeling than making a new discovery? Hells no! Each discovery lets you make new and better stuff, as well as putting you forever closer and closer to blasting off to Alpha Centauri. Cities and fields and wonders of the world can burn and almost inevitably do, but nothing can ever take away your scientific knowledge.
Suffice it to say that too much Civilization in my formative years may have crystallized these sorts of values in my impressionable mind. I still see the world as divided into "scientists" and "support staff".
What's the winning strategy in Civilization? Science! As much of it as you can! Everything else in society exists only in order to create the resources which scientists consume (or to defend your borders to enable your scientists to work unmolested by Aztecs and Zulus). Yep, everyone else in society is doing a thankless, pointless job, quickly forgotten as soon as they die, but the contributions of scientists live on forever, slowly advancing society down the tech tree. Is there any better feeling than making a new discovery? Hells no! Each discovery lets you make new and better stuff, as well as putting you forever closer and closer to blasting off to Alpha Centauri. Cities and fields and wonders of the world can burn and almost inevitably do, but nothing can ever take away your scientific knowledge.
Suffice it to say that too much Civilization in my formative years may have crystallized these sorts of values in my impressionable mind. I still see the world as divided into "scientists" and "support staff".