Is it possible to play on play the world without conquests and if so how? I can't seem to find the option. Needed to do it for a GOTM attempt on gog.com but can't seem to load without conquests being selected on here. Prefer to not have to install Civilization III again off my original CD just to do this...anyone have an idea?

The original release of Civ2 is a 16-bit application and it can't be run in a 64-bit operating system. You have two options:

1. use a virtual machine running a 32-bit operating system and install it there (I run it flawlessly on Win98)

2. get Civilization II: Multiplayer Gold Edition, then apply the official 1.3 patch for the language you get, then apply the unofficial 64-bit patcher (which fixes a crash with text boxes in both the game and the editor)

As for Civ3, the best you can do is get a no-CD EXE for vanilla (the latest version is 1.29) and Play The World (the latest version is 1.27). Don't know exactly why 2K never distributed the appropriate EXEs (the same thing is on Steam), but I think it may have to do with the fact that they were too lazy to re-brand all three parts with 2K Games logos and legal stuff instead of Atari's when the IP changed hands.

I think he typo'd the title and meant to say Civ 3 judging by his post talking about play the world and conquests haha

There's a 2020 thread with a similar name that have a 64 bit workaround for Civ II Vanilla, with the complete download.
Just trying to signal boost for those who might not have seen it.