That is a very nice list.
If we're just thinking of deserving but unused civs in general, Minoans are excellent, but if we're thinking for Civ5 specifically it would be somewhat of an impossibility due to the whole leaders speaking own language thing. A couple of the others may have the same issue.
As for additions to it, I would go with Maori. Though 'Polynesians', they're much more distinct than that to the point they could have their own civ.
1. Firstly, not astoundingly important in terms of global history, but not without merits. The Treaty of Waitangi was perhaps the first to be conducted with a native peoples on an (ostendably) equal basis, the fact that there was a treaty in its own right at all was telling.
2. About 600-700 years of independance, mostly due to geographical isolation. While linguistically/culturally/religiously similar to other Polynesian groups, they're distinct with their own mythical heroes and legends (i.e, Maui).
The culture and religion is perhaps especially different due to the nature of the land, compared to the rest of Polynesia, New Zealand (or Aotearoa/Te Wai Ponamu) is massive, far more capable of housing a population, enabling material developments, etc.
Even with official British settlement c.1840, 'Maoridom' was still effectively independant for most of the century. In modern times Maori is still culturally distinct.
3. This one is quite easy, if you just go for historical figures:
Hongi Hika - . While in England he helped codify into dictionary form the Maori Language along with the missionary Samuel Lee, as well as studying agricultural techniques among other things that could be useful. He also brought back a large supply of muskets, and then set out to conquer most of the upper North Island.
Te Rauparaha - Effectively a Maori Warlord, similar to the above he acquired muskets and conquered the lower North Island and Upper South. From Kapiti Island he ran a sort of Maori-English trade hub. Later on (again similar to the above) he repulsed various attempts by the settlers to assert sovereignty over the Maori.
King Potatau te Wherowhero or King Tawhiao - Basically as British settlers continued to...settle, a 'pan-tribal' movement gained momentum in order to provide a combined ability to negotiate with the English Crown/Settler government rather than allow them to divide and conquer. Te Wherowhero was elected King based upon his 'mana' (sort of like the latin auctoritas). His successor Tawhiao had to contend with a literal invasion of 14000 British soldiers (British Army + Colonial volunteers).
- City List, yes, easy
- UB -
Pa - Varies from a hiltop fortified village, to a more defensive fortress orientated around guns. The later could be erected extremely quickly and caused the British Army no small amount of grief.
- UU - More difficult to give a name, maybe 'Toa' (Warrior). Depending on historical perspecitive this could be A: Replacement for Warrior, similar to Aztec Jaguar, or B: A unit that replaces Musketman or Rifleman with a forest/defensive bonus.
4. - Relatively 'famous'. Most people in the Western World would have at least a dim conception of what a Maori is (Tattoo's like Robbie Williams, Massive Jade Clubs, Sticks out tongue alot, does Haka, eats you)
- I expect Commonwealth nations would enjoy playing as/playing against Maori, though I somewhat expect Americans/Germans/Non-Westerners might not give a flying
. French might like to play out a historical what-if though (if the British didn't stake a claim to New Zealand, the French most likely would have, they had already had an (unplanned) colony called Akaroa in the South island).
- Definately an underepresented region
- It would definately add something 'out of left field' to the game, would play out a lot of historical 'what-ifs'.
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