so a 1/18 chance for p1 and 1/17 chance for p2 etc.
Guys, the question is: if it's NOT random, then what?
Implementing a little script to choose from 18 civs one is a very basic thing in computer engineering, however there is always a chance to get the same civ all over again.
no such thing as truely random in a computerized setting
close nufRANDOM.ORG offers true random numbers to anyone on the Internet. The randomness comes from atmospheric noise, which for many purposes is better than the pseudo-random number algorithms typically used in computer programs.