Bonyduck Campersang
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Weird they're going for the Abbasids instead of Arabia
Not so much. As soon as the early Moslem armies left Arabia they began to take on cultural and other traits from the much larger populations they conquered, so that a 'pure' Arabia would be almost impossible to separate from the earliest Caliphates, which were really the early 'Arabian' power blocs.Weird they're going for the Abbasids instead of Arabia
No, I mean it's weird in the sense that they could be Arabia. It would be like having the Ming or Qing instead of China. And China is in the game.Not so much. As soon as the early Moslem armies left Arabia they began to take on cultural and other traits from the much larger populations they conquered, so that a 'pure' Arabia would be almost impossible to separate from the earliest Caliphates, which were really the early 'Arabian' power blocs.
Besides, using Harun as a leader gives them a chance to go for a Science/Knowledge-based Arabian Abbasids, which would be a nice change from the eternal Religion/Militant Arabia.
I would not read too much into it: the list has a number of inconsistencies at the moment, which I suspect, if they are paying attention, will be addressed before Release.No, I mean it's weird in the sense that they could be Arabia. It would be like having the Ming or Qing instead of China. And China is in the game.
I haven't played a lot of the older games, and I certainly don't have a playing experience as vast as your own, but we did get a Religion+Science Arabia in Civ 6, and a Religion+Mercantile Arabia in Civ 5. And the Umayyads were a pleasant surprise in Humankind.Besides, using Harun as a leader gives them a chance to go for a Science/Knowledge-based Arabian Abbasids, which would be a nice change from the eternal Religion/Militant Arabia.
Especially since, given the examples of Jeanne d'Arc and Sappho, they are not limiting themselves to actual political leaders - they could have used any of the iconic Italian artists of the Renaissance, for instance, most of whom are far more recognizable to the general gaming public than Beccaria.I also find Beccaria's choice as Italian leader interesting. I would have gone for someone like Leonardo da Vinci or Matilda of Tuscany or Garibaldi myself
Back when Sappho was the only non-political leader confirmed in the game I made a list of potential non-political leaders for other nationsEspecially since, given the examples of Jeanne d'Arc and Sappho, they are not limiting themselves to actual political leaders - they could have used any of the iconic Italian artists of the Renaissance, for instance, most of whom are far more recognizable to the general gaming public than Beccaria.
Sappho as a choice for leading Greece is weird, considering she never held any political power, and it's not as if Greece has a dearth of leader options similar to Nefertiti or George Washington. Even if the developers are going for 'important cultural figures as leaders' (which is fine by me) there are more obvious choices for Greece such as Archimedes, Plato, Homer etc. The cynical part of me (which is admittedly the greater part of me) sees it as a marketing ploy influenced by the ideological trend on the Internet...
But that isn't the point. What's the point is that Sappho's inclusion can become a precedence for similar figures to lead civilizations, something that we might not see in the Civilization series considering how the ideas of 'leader' and 'political figure' are inextricably linked in the series. So we can expect – and should expect – more unconventional leader choices in 'Ara'. I've drawn up a list of possible candidates that probably wouldn't make it into Civ but wouldn't be out of place in Ara:
Ferdowsi - Persia
Leonardo da Vinci - Italy
Voltaire - France
Juana Inés de la Cruz - Mexico
Richard Wagner - Germany
Edgar Allan Poe - America
Rabindranath Tagore - India/Bengal
Fernando Pessoa - Portugal
Rembrandt - Netherlands
Germany getting the 'yes there's a faction called the "The Holly Roman Empire" and not Germany
As said, the Leader portraits look pretty bland to me, which is why I am hopeful that the Leaders themselves are not yet finalized and can/will be improvced before Release.Germany getting the 'ArabiaAbbasids' treatment too
God that Elizabeth I is so terrible
Isn't the model for Cesare Beccaria the exact duplicate of George Washington's?
Glad to see my girl Amanirenas in the lineup
I would rather have Hatshepsut than Nefertiti, for what it's worth
There is indeed a Religion system built in Ara, it even seem to have some kind of denomination/sect aspect based on nationality, but they didn't get into it much just yetAlso no mention of a Faith-like resource. Maybe Religion is not featured in Ara?
Wu Zetian? The only other notable Chinese Empress I know of is CixiAra will gain news on the Developer_Direct on January 18 together with other games from Xbox
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PS: Another new leader shown here, I think... But who is she?
Someone like Sorghaghtani or Mandukhai (as I think was suggested earlier in this thread)?
If you're referring to this, I was only expressing my preferences.Not expecting much from ARA, but I really hope they (or someone else) go for another Mongolian leader besides Genghis Khan. Someone like Sorghaghtani or Dayan Khan/ Mandukhai.
Cixi ruled as Empress Dowager, not de jure Empress Regnant. Wu Zetian was the only formal Empress Regnant. Other than the short-serving, acting Chairwoman of the PRC Soong Ch'ing-ling (pinyin Song Qingling) (fun fact, the title translated in the West as, "Chairman of the PRC,", that was held by Mao, Liu, Dong, and Soong, and the title translated in the West as, President of the PRC," held by Li, Yang, Jiang, Hu, and Xi, are EXACTLY THE SAME, unaltered title in Chinese and the PRC Constitution - as I recall hearing, a triple superlative of the word for a village headman, given Maoist political theory), and, if giving recognition to Taiwan's claimed, oficial name as Republic of China (carried by Chiang Kai-shek from Governance on the Mainland from 1924-1949 after he fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War - a claimed title and national that is why Taiwanese independence is complicated even on Taiwan's side), their incumbet President, Tsai Ing-wen, have been the only three de jure Chinese female heads of state.Wu Zetian? The only other notable Chinese Empress I know of is Cixi
Ah yes, sorry! Meant 'suggested' as like a potential idea, not as a prediction.If you're referring to this, I was only expressing my preferences.