Serious question: I haven't played Civ (due to my then, younger age, although I have heard of it), I'd like to give it a go. Which one should I try out? Why?
P.S: I would really appreciate one which favors/fosters learning over "dumb" playing.
P.S: I would really appreciate one which favors/fosters learning over "dumb" playing.
Civ 5 certainly changes a few things compared to earlier versions, but at its heart it's still the same basic idea.
I think I'd recommend Civ 5. The lack of doom stacks makes it more tactical, and it cuts down on micromanagement by introducing puppet governments for excess cities. Every civilization has its own special units and special abilities that give a subtle but noticeable twist to the flow of the game.
Humble Bundle has a lot of Civ sales so if you're patient I'm sure you can grab a lot of the Civ games all at once for a small price.
6 is my favorite.
Sorry, I can't offer a why. The differences are complex. There's much written online, but I suppose trying different ones is a better time investment than reading opinions.
(Beware: you'll be "investing" a lot of time if you do like it.)
Roll a dice if you have to.
If time is limited, get Civ IV and buy all of the expansion packs play on Settler with advisors on and you'll learn it quickly.
They are all learning based, with that effect being slightly less as the series has aged... but still great games through and through.