Leaderscreen Elimination Thread

Washington- 9
Harun al-Rashid- 23
Ashurbanipal- 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma- 25
Pedro II- 18
Theodora- 23
Dido- 22
Boudicca- 25
Wu Zetian 8
Harald Bluetooth -23
William- 19
Ramesses II- 11
Elizabeth- 12
Haile Selassie- 21
Bismarck- 16
Alexander-10
Attila- 16
Pachacuti- 21
Gajah Mada- 21
Sejong- 21
Pacal- 14
Genghis Khan- 17
Ahmad al-Mansur- 15
Suleiman- 2
Darius I- 11
Casimir III- 2
Maria I- 22
Augustus Caesar- 18
Catherine- 11
Pocatello- 18
Ramkhamhaeng- 18
Askia- 17
Isabella- 21
Gustavus Adolphus- 17
Enrico Dandolo- 21
Shaka- 22

Gustavus? Are we even sure?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus_of_Sweden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_XIV_of_Sweden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_III_of_Sweden
Looks like Eric to me. Even the picture in the background, who was that supposed to be? Drives me as crazy as the Civ IV Kublai/ Qin Shi mix up.

Elizabeth zoom in entrance just feels very grand. My favorite part of any leader screen.
 
Has Firaxis ever commented on the Eric XIV image? Have they ever denied there being a mixup?
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma - 25
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 23
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 8
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 11
Elizabeth - 12
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 21
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Suleiman - 2
Darius I - 11
Casimir III - 2
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22

It's true, Alexander's background is boring. However, Alexander himself is a very nice character. He was arrogant in real life and he's so in the game. He never takes you seriously and that makes this leaderscreen nice. Even when you destroy him he just thinks you are nasty cheater.

On the other hand Rammy looks so shy you can't take him seriously. He just walks in circle awkwardly.
 
Although it accurately portrays the warmonger that Shaka is in-game, I find the musical score to be really irritating with the way "Shaka" is repeated every other line.

Blasphemy!!! :)

The Shaka song is my favorite part of the Zulu civ... makes slaughtering other civilizations so much fun. :goodjob:
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma - 25
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 23
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 8
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 11
Elizabeth - 12
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 21
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Suleiman - 0 (ELIMINATED)
Darius I - 11
Casimir III - 3
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22

With two civs on the brink of elimination, I'll finish one off and do what I can for the other.

+1 Casimir: Definitely doesn't deserve to perish this early. His clothes are fantastic and that red coat looks beautiful in his surrounding. His animations are great too, especially when he walks towards you during his DoW. His voice did sound a lot more high pitched than expected, but then again there is no scientific proof that a beard makes your voice deeper.

-3 Suleiman: Said it before, not much happening in his screen. His jolly smile can't save him here.
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma - 25 + 1 = 26
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 23
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 8
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 11
Elizabeth - 12
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 21
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 11
Casimir III - 3 - 3 = 0
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22

:c5minus: to grimm.. and this Cas looks nothing like Cas from concept art poster..
:c5plus: what Cas did wrong Monty did that right..
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma -26
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 23
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 8
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 11-3=8, appropriate place for Ramesses, but doesn't really convey his achievements to me, I would rather see him observing the construction of one of his monuments, like Abu Simbel
Elizabeth - 12
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 21
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 11+1=12, Darius is in the appropriate place to greet a foreign ruler, the Apadana/audience hall in Persepolis, might not be interesting like later civ leaders, but it makes sense, and I like the colored Immortals relief
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma - 26
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 23
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 8
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 8
Elizabeth - 12
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 22 Pacha himself is passable, at least not bad. The background and setting are amazing.
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 9 He should look impressive and I know that's what they're going for but he falls short for some reason.
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma - 27 - "Ximicacan! Ximicacan!!! XIMICACAN!!!" Do I even need to add something here?
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 23
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 5 - see below
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 8
Elizabeth - 12
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 22
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 9
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22

Aaaand it has finally come down to the only screen I can rant about endlessly. I can see Firaxis trying to make Wu look grand and mysterious in her palace, but while doing so they have messed up much more. Where should I start...

1. The leader design is bland. I`m pretty sure Firaxis wanted to portray her as an empress, not as a concubine because it's a LEADERscreen. But we ended up either with a concubine Wu or an empress Wu in her sleeping dress. Any basic Google search for Wu Zetian will give you much more majestic designs. You could say that the developers were short of budget, but then we have Monty and Pacal with their ridiculous crowns. Don't get me wrong, Wu's model quality by itself is fine and I like how they managed to create a realistic feeling of silk. But it's not enough for the empress.

2. The "Palace". No, it's not a palace when it is so dark inside and you see two gongs instead of the throne. Add in the "too little gold and too much red" complaint and the bland dress from Point 1 and we can pretty much conclude that you are actually meeting Wu Zetian in her bedroom. And you thought Catherine was slutty.

3. Her voice......the voice that makes all Chinese players and players who are familiar with the Chinese culture cringe. Letting an emperor speak modern Mandarin is a huge no-no, and the voice actress should have watched just one minute of one episode of one of the gazillion Chinese TV series about ancient times to learn how Wu Zetian should speak. But even if she managed to use the proper language, her voice is just weak and not grand enough. And I`m not asking for a Broadway background, because most of other female leaders in this game sound fine.

I could also complain about the music, but its saving grace is the fact that it is strong enough at the beginning, which is what most players will usually hear.

Overall, my complaints can be summed up by this video (Chinese website, but hopefully you will handle it):
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XOTEwOTMwNjg=.html
 
Aaaand it has finally come down to the only screen I can rant about endlessly. I can see Firaxis trying to make Wu look grand and mysterious in her palace, but while doing so they have messed up much more. Where should I start...

1. The leader design is bland. I`m pretty sure Firaxis wanted to portray her as an empress, not as a concubine because it's a LEADERscreen. But we ended up either with a concubine Wu or an empress Wu in her sleeping dress. Any basic Google search for Wu Zetian will give you much more majestic designs. You could say that the developers were short of budget, but then we have Monty and Pacal with their ridiculous crowns. Don't get me wrong, Wu's model quality by itself is fine and I like how they managed to create a realistic feeling of silk. But it's not enough for the empress.

2. The "Palace". No, it's not a palace when it is so dark inside and you see two gongs instead of the throne. Add in the "too little gold and too much red" complaint and the bland dress from Point 1 and we can pretty much conclude that you are actually meeting Wu Zetian in her bedroom. And you thought Catherine was slutty.

3. Her voice......the voice that makes all Chinese players and players who are familiar with the Chinese culture cringe. Letting an emperor speak modern Mandarin is a huge no-no, and the voice actress should have watched just one minute of one episode of one of the gazillion Chinese TV series about ancient times to learn how Wu Zetian should speak. But even if she managed to use the proper language, her voice is just weak and not grand enough. And I`m not asking for a Broadway background, because most of other female leaders in this game sound fine.

I could also complain about the music, but its saving grace is the fact that it is strong enough at the beginning, which is what most players will usually hear.

Overall, my complaints can be summed up by this video (Chinese website, but hopefully you will handle it):
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XOTEwOTMwNjg=.html

Wasn't she like in her 60's when she became Empress?
 
3. Her voice......the voice that makes all Chinese players and players who are familiar with the Chinese culture cringe. Letting an emperor speak modern Mandarin is a huge no-no, and the voice actress should have watched just one minute of one episode of one of the gazillion Chinese TV series about ancient times to learn how Wu Zetian should speak. But even if she managed to use the proper language, her voice is just weak and not grand enough. And I`m not asking for a Broadway background, because most of other female leaders in this game sound fine.

Overall, my complaints can be summed up by this video (Chinese website, but hopefully you will handle it):
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XOTEwOTMwNjg=.html

Question Sagax: are you by chance Chinese? Just curious :)

Wasn't she like in her 60's when she became Empress?

She was 66...
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma - 27
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 24 - Beautiful, and it has a really nice background too. Easily my favorite.
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 5
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 5 - Very bland and generic. They could have incorporated the pyramids or some majestic vista into the leader screen instead of some boring throne.
Elizabeth - 12
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 22
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 9
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19
Montezuma - 27
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 24
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 2 I find Wu Zetian grating. Her haughty demeanor doesn't really match her surroundings or appearance; the gongs make it look like she's standing on a stage instead of in a palace.
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 6 Some voters cited Ramesses's mis-proportioned limbs as a fault. I think his weird proportions are an attempt at accuracy; some of the Pharaohs are known to have had skeletal disorders due to inbreeding or disease.
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 22
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 9
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 19 -3 = 16
Montezuma - 27
Pedro II - 18
Theodora - 24
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 2
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 6
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 22
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 17 +1 = 18
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 9
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22

This is getting tough, I like a lot of the remaining ones. My reasoning for downvotes will get a lot less rational.

-3 to Maria Theresa of Austria. I just hate seeing her pop up in my game. The haughty attitude, the total hypocrisy of her warmongering while despising you for shedding a drop or two of blood, and the fact that's she's so stuck up even when she's a solid contender for the title of world's crappiest warmonger. Screw you, Maria. Austria's getting annexed to Aztec lands.

+1 to Ghengis. Unlike many of the other "guy on a horse in a field" leaderscreens, it makes a lot of sense here and it looks pretty good. I'm not sure why Napoleon's always on a horse on a battlefield, but for the Mongols I feel like I've just found where he put the village down this week, and we've ridden out of the huts a bit for a chat.

(I couldn't keep voting Monty straight up no matter how much I like him. There's others worthy of an upvote too.)
 
Washington - 9
Harun al-Rashid - 23
Ashurbanipal - 26
Maria Theresa - 16
Montezuma - 27
Pedro II - 19
Theodora - 24
Dido - 22
Boudicca - 25
Wu Zetian - 0 - ELIMINATED
Harald Bluetooth - 23
William - 19
Ramesses II - 6
Haile Selassie - 21
Bismarck - 16
Alexander - 11
Attila - 16
Pachacuti - 22
Gajah Mada - 21
Sejong - 21
Pacal - 14
Genghis Khan - 18
Ahmad al-Mansur - 15
Darius I - 9
Maria I - 22
Augustus Caesar - 18
Catherine - 11
Pocatello - 18
Ramkhamhaeng - 15
Askia - 17
Isabella - 21
Gustavus Adolphus - 17
Enrico Dandolo - 21
Shaka - 22

Getting rid of Wu. Great Civ, and I love the Leader choice, but the screen doesn't do her justice and the mistakes in rendering have been explained before now. Perhaps the idea was to have her speech be accessible to any and all Mandarin-speakers who play the game, but to read it they sound like elementary mistakes that come off like having Elizabeth speaking Cockney.

Voting up Pedro because his screen feels immersive and warm. Like, in both senses of the word. It feels inviting and real in its details, and the details of the room (the glass lantern, the open blinds) are evocative of a continental aesthetic adapted to the jungle climate, and are just right.
 
Blasphemy!!! :)

The Shaka song is my favorite part of the Zulu civ... makes slaughtering other civilizations so much fun. :goodjob:

Maybe I'm slightly biased due to the couple of times he owned me on higher difficulties cause I didn't prepare enough, only to have that Shaka song come on later to give me a hostile taunt.

Shaka....oooh Shaka Shaka Shaka
 
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