I found this club at the right time. Tie Fighter and now Civilization, my favorite and most played games as a kid!
I just wanted to share a few thoughts on which version of civilization to play.
For the original Civilization experience there are 2 versions I suggest besides the DOS version. They’re almost the same game, graphics, loop, stats, etc. With additional features that enhance the experience.
First is Civilization for Windows (16 bit or 3.1 Windows). This is the one I recommend doing your main play through because it’s interface is easier to use and over all a better experience. (Still play the DOS version for a bit!)
For those who want the multiplayer experience there’s also a lesser known version called CivNet, which is Civilization 1 with multiplayer and also runs in Windows.