Review of Civilization 6, published in March 2013

I think it would be interesting to have civs without UU's and UA's, and only have cultural differences like colors/patterns. Would be sort of like Spore, where you develop your traits free of inherited abilities.
 
I'd hate to see far-spread civilizations die.

Maybe I'm just a crazy Prince mode offline player, but I like to build Spain as a tall Empire with a city for each wonder I find- which means getting spread everywhere.

I'd like to see city-spamming addressed in a better way than forcing ugly, congested Empires.
 
Equipment in Civilization VI: Heroic Epic
Plate Armor (Iron Working): +4 against Melee and Archery units
Unit classes: Melee, Mounted, Archery - Cost: $30

Greek Fire (Alchemy): Collateral damage, nullifies entrenchment, obsoleted by Grenades
Unit classes: Archery, Siege, Naval - Cost: $40

Sapper (Fining): Entrenches instantly, can build Roads
Unit classes: Gun, Siege, Armor - Cost: $40

Sniper (Thermodynamics): Destroys promotions and small units when attacking
Unit class: Gun - Cost: 50 :c5gold:

Equipment in Civilization VI: Blitz
Winter Gear (Crop Rotation): Less attrition and more healing in Tundra, Podsol and Taiga
Unit classes: Gun, Naval, Armor, Siege - Cost: $40

Enhanced Armor (Heavy Equipment): +6 strength, less risk to lose Equipment
Unit classes: Naval, Armor, Siege - Cost: $80

Equipment in Civilization VI: Balance of Power
Poison Gas (Refrigeration): Damages Gun units and population within 1 hex, consumed after use
Unit class: Siege, Air, Missile - Cost: 40 :science:

Ballistic Armor (Plastics): Takes less damage from bombardment
Unit class: Gun, Siege - Cost: $80

Rocket Launcher (Rocketry): Deals more damage to Armor and Air units
Unit class: Gun, Siege, Armor, Naval, Air - Cost: $80

EMP (Semiconductor): Incapacitates high-tech units and equipment within 1 hex
Unit class: All - Cost: $80

Hydrogen Bomb (Photonics): Damages everything within 2 hexes, consumed after use
Unit classes: Missile, Bomber - Cost: 300 :science:

Neutron Bomb (Mobile Networks): Destroys all population and units on target hex, some splash effect, consumed after use.
Unit classes: Missile, Bomber - Cost: 200 :science:

Bioweapon (Applied Genetics): Contaminates a hex. Contamination spreads to adjacent hexes, damaging units and population. After contamination, the hex is immunised for the same contamination. Consumed after use.
Unit class: Siege, Air, Missile - Cost: 100 :science:

Remoting (Cybernetics): Experience recovered when unit is lost, immune to Shock
Unit class: Armor, Siege, Air, Naval - Cost: 120 :science:

Equipment in Civilization 6: What If
War Drum (Leather): +2 attack for all units within range 1, obsoleted by Music Corps
Unit classes: Melee, Siege, Naval - Cost $30

Canine (Selective Breeding): +1 Vision on land, stronger against Beasts
Unit classes: Melee, Archer, Mounted, Gun - Cost: $40

Music Corps (Acoustics): +3 attack and interception for all units within range 1, obsoleted by Signal Corps
Unit classes: All - Cost: $50

Grapeshot (Steam Power): +4 strength vs non-fortified units
Unit classes: Naval, Siege, Armor - Cost: $60

Leaflets (Replaceable Parts): Damages Discipline in target city - Cost: $20
Unit classes: Siege, Air

Signal Corps (Radio): +4 attack and interception for all units within range 2
Unit classes: All - Cost: $50
 
Promotions
Scavenger I (The Wheel): Some healing or :c5gold: from combat victory, can take prizes
Unit class: Melee, Archer, Mounted, Gun, Naval

Scavenger II (Alchemy): More healing or :c5gold: from pillage/combat/razing, increased prize chance
Unit class: Melee, Archer, Mounted, Gun, Naval

Scavenger III (Replaceable Parts): Razes cities faster, pillages instantly, heals during movement
Unit class: Melee, Archer, Mounted, Gun, Naval

Marine I (Sailing): No amphibious assault penalty, can defend when embarked
Unit class: Melee, Archer, Gun

Marine II (Compass): Can disembark and cross rivers without penalty, can do ground interception when embarked
Unit class: Melee, Archer, Gun

Marine III (Mechanics): Can disembark as on a Road, can attack naval units when embarked
Unit class: Melee, Archer, Gun

Flanker I (Breeding): Can move after victory, withdraws if losing an attack, if movement points remain
Unit class: Melee, Mounted, Armor, Naval

Flanker II (Horseback Riding): Always withdraws if losing an attack, can displace when defending
Unit class: Melee, Mounted, Armor, Naval

Flanker III (Horse Tack): +1 movement, immune to ground interception
Unit class: Melee, Mounted, Armor, Naval

Shock I (Bronze Working): Chance to displace an enemy unit when attacking and winning, damage increased if defender cannot retreat
Unit class: Melee, Mounted, Siege, Armor, Naval

Shock II (Iron Working): Displaces an enemy unit when attacking and winning, can attack same hex as long as movement remains
Unit class: Melee, Mounted, Siege, Armor, Naval

Shock III (Fining): Splash damage, can attack as long as movement remains
Unit class: Melee, Mounted, Siege, Armor, Naval

Geographer I (Parchment): Does not slow down when exploring unknown terrain, no negative bonuses fron huts
Unit class: All

Geographer II (Paper): No attrition due to terrain
Unit class: All

Geographer III (Geology): +1 vision, can select hut bonus
Unit class: All

Technician I (Simple Machines): 1 more Equipment slot, repairs nearby Siege and Armor units
Unit class: All

Technician II (Printing Press): 1 more Equipment slot, can provide Equipment for itself and nearby units
Unit class: All

Technician III (Electricity): 1 more Equipment slot, nearby units never lose Equipment
Unit class: All

Police I (Philosophy): +2 to city, nullifies Structure stealth
Unit class: Archery, Mounted, Gun

Police II (Sociology): Another +2 to city, decreases Purge cost in city
Unit class: Archery, Mounted, Gun

Police III (Psychology): +1 vision, can expose Moles
Unit class: Archery, Mounted, Gun
 
Great thread!
Some great civs are missing from your list though
I absolutely agree with this post:
About the civs:
You mention these civs in later expansions/DLC packs:
- Zulu, Carthage, Ethiopia, Kongo, Persia, Babylon, Mongolia, Songhai, Korea, Siam, Indonesia, Netherlands, Portugal, Iroquois, Celts, Poland, Sweden from the obvious (and definitely worthwile) civs
- Dravida, Bengal, Harappans, Berbers, Cherokee, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa??, Canada??, Australia??, Colombia??, Romania??????????

Some of the second category are highly controversial (wtf, Romania? really??), but that's your subjective opinion, I'm not here to argue with that


On the other hand, what got to my attention, is that you speak of 15 original civs
Spain, England, Egypt, France, Russia, Germany, Rome, Greece, China, Japan, USA, India, Arabia all has at least some small hints in your articles and/or highly expected to be in the first 15

My problem is that it leaves only 2 free places, and there are a LOT of great civs missing:
Byzantium, Denmark (Vikings), Sumer, Hungary, Ottoman, Aztec, Maya, Inca, Austria
This means only 2 of these 9 would have made into Civ VI in your thoughts?? Sounds a little strange to me. IMO all of these are must have, at least through the DLCs/expansions...

I could even go further with a couple potentional expansion civs (which are in a lesser category than the previous 9, but still could make it through DLC in my eyes):
Sioux, Apache/Navajo, Khmer, Mali, Assyria, Phoenicia, Hittite, Armenia, Scythia, Khazar, Tibet, Vietnam, Israel/Hebrew, Bulgaria, Morocco, Nubia, Zimbabwe, Swahili
All of these are a probably more viable options than most civs in second category of your listed expansion/DLC civs

Most of these civs should definitely be in: Byzantium, Denmark (Vikings), Sumer, Hungary, Ottoman, Aztec, Maya, Inca, Austria
I simply cannot choose 7 to be left out
 
Civilizations
Inca
Capital: Cusco
Ruler: Pachacuti
Preferred Doctrines: Empire, Warrior Class, Manorialism, Polytheism
Habitats: Tropical (+1 :hammers: and less attrition in Jungle and Savanna), Arctic (+1 :hammers: and less attrition in Tundra, Podsol and Taiga)
Religion: Hanan Pacha

Civilizations in African Dawn DLC pack

Ethiopia (registration bonus for core game, also included with African Dawn DLC pack)
Capital: Addis Abeba
Ruler: Haile Selassie I
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Leader Cult, Emancipation, Geopolitics
Habitats: Tropical, Pastoral (+1 :hammers: and less attrition in Steppe and Desert)
Religion: Tewahedo

Congo
Capital: Kinshasa
Ruler: Nzinga Mbande
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Warrior Class, Police State, Socialism
Habitats: Tropical, Hydraulic (+1 :c5gold: from River hexes, nullifies river crossing effects)
Religion: Kimbangu
Successor: Zulu
Great Prophets: Kimpa Vita
Civilopedia: The Congo was settled in the 7th and 8th centuries AD by Bantus from present-day Nigeria. The Kingdom of Kongo existed from the 14th to the 18th century, as the dominant force in the region until the arrival of the Portuguese. According to Kongo tradition, the kingdom's origin lies in the country of Mpemba Kasi, located just south of modern-day Matadi. A dynasty of rulers from this small polity built up their rule along the Kwilu valley and were buried in Nsi Kwilu, its capital. Traditions from the 17th century allude to this sacred burial ground.

European exploration and administration took place from the 1870s, first under the sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium. In 1885, Leopold made the land his private property and named it the Congo Free State. Colonists brutalized the local population to produce rubber. The Force Publique usedn the practice of cutting off the limbs of the natives as a means of enforcing rubber quotas, and millions died from exploitation and disease. In 1908, the Belgian parliament took over the Free State, and achieved considerable economic and social progress, though the white colonial rulers maintained a patronizing attitude against the indigenous peoples. France colonized a smaller area, north of the Congo River, today known as Congo-Brazzaville.

Belgian Congo achieved independence in 1960 under the name "Republic of the Congo". The southern provinces seceded, leading up to the Congo Crisis, where Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba got support from the Soviet Union to preserve the nation. Mobutu Sese Seko staged a coup d'état in 1965 with aid from the USA, renamed the country Zaïre, and ruled as a dictator for 32 years. In 1997, a civil war brought rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila to power, leading to another war in 1998, involving most nations of Central Africa, shattering the country again through campaigns of murder, rape and torture. Though vast natural resources, the Congos are today among the world's poorest countries.

Swahili
Capital: Zanzibar
Ruler: Barghash bin Said
Preferred Doctrines: Republic, Evangelism, Federation, Competition
Habitats: Tropical, Maritime (+1 :hammers: from sea, faster sea movement)
Title: Sultan
Progenitor: Persia
Great Merchant: Barack Obama, Sr.
Civilopedia: The Swahili language began to take form around the 10th century, due to the Persians and Arabs creating trading settlements along the East African coast, mixing with the local Bantu people. The period from the 10th to the 15th century in East Africa is often referred to as the "Shirazi Era" as many Shirazi Persians settled the area. The culture was further enriched with influences from the Far East across the Indian Ocean. Beginning in Kenya and Tanzania, the swahili culture eventually spread to Mozambique. During the Shirazi Era, several city-states flourished; some examples are Kilwa, Malindi, Gedi, Pate, Comoros, and Zanzibar. These early Swahili city-states were Muslim, cosmopolitan, and politically independent of each other, competitive in trade, exporting slaves, ebony, gold, ivory, and sandalwood. These city-states declined towards the sixteenth century, mainly as the Portuguese entered competition. Eventually, Swahili trading centers went out of business, and Afro-Asian trade routes collapsed.

Civilizations in 1492 DLC pack

Cherokee
Capital: Kituwa
Ruler: John Ross
Preferred Doctrines: Nomadism, Warrior Class, Polytheism, Nationalism
Habitats: Hydraulic, Pastoral
Religion: Keetoowah
Progenitor: Iroquois
Great Artists: Will Rogers
Great Engineers: Sequoyah
Civilopedia: Unlike most other peoples in the American Southeast, the Cherokee speak an Iroquoian language, endemic to the Great Lakes region. The theory that the Cherokee migrated South from that region is supported by the Cherokee oral history tradition. Cherokees might have came to Appalachia as late as the 13th century. Over time they moved into Muscogee Creek territory and settled on the sites of Muscogee mounds. Several Mississippian sites have been misattributed to the Cherokee. Pisgah Phase sites are associated with precontact Cherokee culture, and historic Cherokee villages featured artifacts with iconography from the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex.

They established contact with European traders in the 18th century. The Cherokee Nation existed from 1794–1906. In the 19th century, white settlers in the United States called the Cherokee one of the "Five Civilized Tribes", because they had assimilated numerous cultural and technological practices of European American settlers. Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith, developed a writing and printing system based on Latin script. In the 1830s, the US Government deported most Southeastern tribes to present-day Oklahoma, in a traumatic event called the "Trail of Tears". According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the Cherokee Nation has more than 300,000 members, the largest of the 565 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States.

Maya
Capital: Tikal
Ruler: K'inich Janaab' Pakal
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Heroic Epic, Polytheism, Warrior Class, Mercantilism
Habitats: Tropical, Hydraulic
Progenitor: Aztecs
Great Merchants: Felipe Carrillo Puerto
Great Generals: Jacinto Canek

Civilizations in Asian Empires DLC pack

Bengali
Capital: Kolkata
Ruler: Akbar
Preferred Doctrines: Republic, Evangelism, Free Speech, Universal Suffrage
Habitats: Hydraulic, Tropical
Progenitor: India
Great Scientists: Satyendra Nath Bose, Radhanath Sikdar
Great Engineers: Fazlur Khan
Great Prophets: Atiśa
Great Generals: Subhas Chandra Bose
Civilopedia: The first recorded independent king of Bengal was Shashanka, reigning around early 7th century. After a period of anarchy, the native Buddhist Pala Empire ruled the region for four hundred years, and expanded across much of the Indian subcontinent into Afghanistan during the reigns of Dharmapala and Devapala. Islam made its first appearance in Bengal during the 12th century when Sufi missionaries arrived. Later, occasional Muslim raiders reinforced the process of conversion by building mosques, madrassas and Sufi Khanqah.

Portuguese traders arrived in 1498, once Vasco da Gama found the sea route around Africa. European influence grew until the British East India Company gained taxation rights in Bengal subah, or province, in 1757. The Bengal Presidency was established by 1766, and Calcutta was named the capital of British India in 1772. The Bengal Renaissance and Brahmo Samaj socio-cultural reform movements had great impact on the cultural and economic life of Bengal. The failed Indian rebellion of 1857 started near Calcutta and resulted in transfer of authority to the British Crown, administered by the Viceroy of India. Bengal has played a major role in the Indian independence movement, in which revolutionary groups were dominant. At independence in 1947, Bengal was partitioned along religious lines. The western part went to India, while the eastern part joined Pakistan as a province called East Bengal, giving rise to Bangladesh in 1971.

Dravida
Capital: Vijayanagara
Ruler: Harihara
Preferred Doctrines: Polytheism, Warrior Class, Manorialism, Socialism
Habitats: Maritime, Tropical
Successor: India
Great Artists: M. S. Subbulakshmi
Great Prophets: Adi Shankara, Ayyankali
Great Scientists: Srinivasa Ramanujan
Civilopedia: Southern India has been known by several other historic names. Adi Shankara coined the name Dravida in the 8th century as he called himself Dravida Shishu, meaning "a child from South India". South India was a crossroads of the ancient world, linking the Mediterranean and the Far East. The late medieval period saw the rise of Muslim power in South India. The defeat of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal by Tughlaq forces of the Delhi Sultanate in 1323 CE heralded a new chapter in South Indian history. The struggle of the period was between the Bahmani Sultanate and the Vijayanagara Empire with its capital in Vijayanagara in modern Hampi.

In the middle of the eighteenth century, the French and the British initiated a protracted struggle for military control of South India. Shifting alliances between the two European powers and the local powers marked the period with mercenary armies being employed by all sides causing general anarchy in South India. The four Anglo-Mysore wars and the three Anglo-Maratha Wars saw Mysore, Pune and Hyderabad allying themselves with the British or the French. Following the independence of India, the 1956 States Reorganisation Act created four new states by reorganising parts of British-era Madras State along linguistic lines.

Civilizations in Blitz DLC pack

Poland
Capital: Warsaw
Ruler: Anna Jagiellon
Preferred Doctrines: Warrior Class, Manorialism, Evangelism, Nationalism
Habitats: Pastoral, Arctic
Progenitor: Russia
Great Scientists: Nicolaus Copernicus, Marie Curie
Great Prophets: John Paul II
Civilopedia: The Slavs settled on Polish lands in the early Middle Ages. The Piast dynasty adopted Christianity in 966. The Jagiellon dynasty period brought close ties with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, cultural development and territorial expansion, culminating with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. The Commonwealth in its early phase constituted a continuation of the Jagiellon prosperity, with its remarkable development of a sophisticated noble democracy. From the mid-17th century, the huge state entered a period of decline caused by devastating wars. Reforms were introduced during the late 18th century, but the reform process was not allowed to run its course, as Russia, Prussia and Austria through a series of invasions and partitions terminated the Commonwealth's independent existence in 1795. The opportunity for freedom appeared only after World War I in 1918, when the partitioning empires were defeated by war and revolution.

The Second Polish Republic was established in 1918, but was destroyed by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II, where millions of Poles perished. The Polish government in exile kept functioning, and Polish soldiers contributed to the Allied victory. The Soviet Union captured Poland in 1945, and created a satellite state. By the late 1980s Solidarity, a Polish reform movement, became crucial in causing a peaceful transition of Eastern Europe to democracy.

Italy
Capital: Rome
Ruler: Victor Emmanuel II
Preferred Doctrines: Mercantilism, Manorialism, Federation, Police State
Habitats: Pastoral, Maritime
Religion: Catholicism
Progenitor: Rome
Great Artists: Dante Alighieri, Antonio Vivaldi, Luciano Pavarotti, Giuseppe Verdi, Federico Fellini, Grazia Deledda
Great Engineers: Leonardo da Vinci, Alessandro Volta, Guglielmo Marconi
Great Generals: Giuseppe Garibaldi
Great Merchants: Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Lorenzo di Medici
Great Scientists: Enrico Fermi, Galileo Galilei, Rita Levi-Montalcini
Civilopedia: The earliest records of Italic tribes were divided into Oscans, Umbrians and Latins. Later the Latin culture became dominant, as Rome emerged as a powerful city-state around 350 BC. The Roman Empire later dominated Western Europe and the Mediterranean for many centuries. After the fall of Rome in AD 476, Italy remained fragmented in numerous city-states for much of the following millennium. As these were prosperous, with Genoa and Venice controlling commerce in the Mediterranean, and Florence giving birth to the Renaissance, much of Italy was annexed to the Spanish, the Austrian and Napoleonic France, while the Holy See maintained control over Rome.

The unified Kingdom of Italy, established in 1861, quickly modernized and built a colonial empire in Africa and around the Mediterranean. However, many regions of the young nation remained rural and poor, originating the Italian diaspora. Italy suffered losses in World War I, though belonging to the winning side. Soon afterwards, the fragile democracy collapsed, as the Fascists, led by Benito Mussolini, took over and set up an authoritarian dictatorship. Italy joined the Axis in World War II, falling into a bloody Civil War after a monarchist coup ousted Mussolini in 1943, defecting to the Allies in 1943, eventually winning the war against Nazi Germany in 1945. In 1946, a referendum abolished the monarchy. The Republic of Italy saw three decades of rapid modernization and sustained economic growth. The country, coming back to international politics among Western democratic powers, joined the European Economic Community, NATO, the G7 and OECD. Shaken by terrorism, organized crime, and a series of corruption scandals in the 1990s, Italy saw rapid succession of cabinets. In the debt crisis of the 2010s, Italy struggles to maintain its status as a European great power.

Civilizations in European Kingdoms DLC pack
Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
Ruler: Gustavus Adolphus
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Homesteading, Career Army, Nationalism, Social Security, Civil Rights
Habitats: Arctic, Hydraulic
Religion: Forn Sed
Progenitor: Germany
Great Artists: Jenny Lind, Selma Lagerlöf, Greta Garbo, Ingmar Bergman, Stieg Larsson
Great Engineers: Christopher Polhem, Alfred Nobel
Great Generals: Jacob De la Gardie, Lennart Torstensson, Georg Carl von Döbeln
Great Merchants: Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, Raoul Wallenberg, Dag Hammarskjöld
Great Prophets: S:t Bridget, Emanuel Swedenborg
Great Scientists: Carl Linnaeus, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Anders Celsius
Civilopedia: Norse mythology presents a line of kings back to the last centuries BC, and the first written reference of the Swedish people was made by Tacitus in AD 89. Between the 8th and 11th centuries, Swedish Vikings sailed the rivers of East Europe, reaching as far as Baghdad, also believed to have founded Kievan Rus, the predecessor of Russia. Sweden was christened during the 12th century, and Swedish kings christened and annexed Finland during the 14th century. In 1319, Sweden and Norway were united under King Magnus Eriksson, and in 1397 Queen Margaret I of Denmark effected the personal union of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark through the Kalmar Union.

King Christian II of Denmark claimed Sweden's throne, and ordered a massacre in 1520 of Swedish nobles, stirring Sweden to resistance. In 1923 Gustav Vasa became Sweden's first independent king, later leading the nation through the Protestant Reformation. During the 17th century Sweden emerged as a great power under king Gustavus Adolphus, nearly encircling the Baltic Sea. As an alliance of Denmark, Poland and Russia sought revenge against Sweden in 1700, young King Charles XII led his army to several victories, until his offensive through Russia failed in 1709. After his death in 1718, many Swedish dominions were lost, and the Age of Liberty followed, with scientific progress. Carl von Linné founded taxonomic biology, and Swedes discovered a dozen of chemical elements. Russia seized Finland in 1809. Sweden engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, capturing Norway in 1814.

The late 19th century saw rapid development, with an industry based on famous inventions, such as dynamite, safety matches, the cream separator and the adjustable wrench. Norway seceded in 1905, and universal suffrage was introduced in 1921. Sweden was neutral in World War II, yet surrounded and influenced by Germany. Toward the end of the war, Swedes such as Raoul Wallenberg and Folke Bernadotte saved thousands of refugees. Today, Sweden holds a world-leading position in life expectancy, technology and human rights.

Denmark
Capital: Copenhagen
Ruler: Margaret I
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Empire, Free Speech, Social Security
Habitats: Maritime, Arctic
Progenitor: Germany
Great Artists: H. C. Andersen, Karen Blixen, Edvard Munch
Great Engineers: Ole Kirk Christiansen
Great Generals: Sweyn Forkbeard, Leif Eriksson
Great Merchants: Arnold Peter Møller, Fridtjof Nansen
Great Prophets: S:t Olaf, Sören Kierkegaard
Great Scientists: Tycho Brahe, Niels Bohr
Civilopedia: Denmark has been inhabited since around 12,500 BC and agriculture has been evident since 3900 BC. From the 8th century AD, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish sailors, known as Vikings, ventured as far as Canada (which they called Vinland). In the early 11th century Canute the Great won and united Denmark, England and Norway for almost 30 years. In 1397, Denmark entered into a personal union with Norway and Sweden, united under Queen Margaret I. The Protestant Reformation came to Scandinavia in the 1530s, and following the Count's Feud civil war, Denmark converted to Lutheranism in 1536. Later that year, Denmark entered into a union with Norway. After Sweden permanently broke away from the Kalmar Union in 1523, Denmark tried to reassert control over Sweden in several wars. The Danish dominance of the Baltic Sea ended in the mid-17 century with the treaties of Brömsebro and Roskilde, where Denmark had to cede much territory to Sweden.

In the early 19th century, Denmark allied with Napoleon, and was forced to give up Norway. The Danish liberal and national movement gained momentum in the 1830s, and Denmark peacefully became a constitutional monarchy in 1849. During the late 19th century, there was an unsuccessful movement to create a Scandinavian Union. In World War II, Nazi Germany captured Denmark within one day, and maintained a relatively humane occupation. After the war, Denmark became one of the founding members of the United Nations and NATO, later joining the European Union, and becoming an integrated part of Western Europe.

Romania
Capital: Bucharest
Ruler: Alexandru Ioan Cuza
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Homesteading, Nationalism, Police State
Habitats: Pastoral, Hydraulic
Progenitor: Rome
Great Artists: Marthe Bibesco, Constantin Brâncuși
Great Engineers: Henri Coandă
Great Merchants: Dimitrie Cantemir
Civilopedia: Inhabited by the ancient Dacians, today's territory of Romania was conquered by the Roman Empire in 106. The Romans withdrew two centuries later, under the pressure of the Goths and Carpi. During the Middle Ages Romanians were mostly known as Vlachs. In the Middle Ages, Romanians lived in three distinct principalities: Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania. By the 11th century, Transylvania became a largely autonomous part Hungary. By 1541, the entire Balkan peninsula and most of Hungary became Ottoman provinces. In 1821 and 1848, two rebellions occurred, and both failed; but they had an important role in the spreading of the liberal ideology. In 1859, Moldavia and Wallachia elected the same ruler – Alexander John Cuza and were thus unified de facto.

In World War II, both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union put pressure on Romania, and forced them to cede northern Bukovina and Bessarabia. King Carol II abdicated in 1940 and was succeeded by the National Legionary State, which made Romania join the Axis, supplying Germany with oil. Romanian troops took part in the German invasion of the Soviet Union, and the mass murders of Jews and Roma people. As the Red Army stroke back the invasion and captured Romanian territory in 1944, the Soviet Union imposed a Communist government, and forced King Michael into exile. Nicolae Ceauşescu became the head of the Romanian Communist Party in 1965 and his draconian rule of the 1980s was ended by the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007.

Civilizations in Civilization VI: Balance of Power

Brazil
Capital: Rio de Janeiro
Ruler: Pedro II
Preferred Doctrines: Manorialism, Federalism, Emancipation, Capitalism
Habitats: Tropical, Maritime
Title: Dom
Religion: Candomblé
Progenitor: Portugal
Great Artists: Machado de Assis
Great Engineers: Alberto Santos-Dumont, Cândido Rondon, Oscar Niemeyer
Great Generals: Luís of Caxias
Great Merchants: Sérgio Vieira de Mello, Ayrton Senna
Great Scientists: Ana Néri, Hércules Florence
Civilopedia: Most indigenous peoples of eastern South America spoke languages of the Tupi–Guarani family, and lived without metals and livestock before the Europeans arrived. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas gave Portugal right to colonize the area, and the first Portuguese fleet, commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral, arrived in 1500. The Portuguese assimilated some of the native tribes while others were enslaved, killed in warfare, or perished in European epidemics. The Portuguese imported African slaves for sugar production, which is still an important source of income for Brazil.

In 1808, the Portuguese royal family fled French Emperor Napoleon's invasion of Portugal to Rio de Janeiro, which thus became the seat of the Portuguese Empire. In 1815 Dom João VI elevated Brazil to sovereign Kingdom united with Portugal. After Napoleon was defeated, the Portuguese government attempted to restore colonial rule in Brazil. Prince Pedro supported independence, and was declared the first Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro I, in 1822. After a three-year war, Portugal recognized Brazilian independence.

Pedro I abdicated in 1831, leaving behind his five year old son, who became Dom Pedro II. Brazil won three wars during his 58-year reign, and witnessed economic growth, the consolidation of representative democracy, and abolition of slavery. When the monarchy was overthrown in 1889, Pedro II was at the height of his popularity. After four decades of general instability, it was possible for Getúlio Vargas to stage a successful revolt in 1930, resist three coup attempts, and institute a brutal dictatorship. With the fall of European fascism in 1945, Vargas's position became unsustainable, and he was overthrown. Vargas returned to power in 1950, but a political crisis in 1954 led to his suicide. President Juscelino Kubitscheck had the new capital city of Brasília built in the late 1950s. A new dictatorship rose to power in 1964, but due to the extraordinary economic growth, the regime had good popular support. General Ernesto Geisel became president in 1974 and began a decade-long process of re-democratization. Except a currency crisis in the late 1980s, Brazil has since then experienced both democracy and economic progress.

Indonesia
Capital: Jakarta
Ruler: Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi
Preferred Doctrines: Homesteading, Empire, Police State
Habitats: Tropical, Maritime
Progenitors: China, Netherlands
Great Artists: Andjar Asmara
Great Generals: Gajah Mada
Civilopedia: Fossils and the remains of tools show that the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by Homo erectus, popularly known as the "Java Man", between 1.5 million years ago and as recently as 35,000 years ago. Homo sapiens reached the region by around 45,000 years ago.

The Austronesian peoples, who form the majority of the modern population, arrived to Indonesia from Taiwan around 2000 BCE, and confined the native Melanesian peoples to the far eastern regions. Ideal agricultural conditions, and the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early as the 8th century BCE, allowed villages, towns, and small kingdoms to flourish by the 1st century CE. From the 7th century, the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished as a result of trade and the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism that were imported with it. Islam became the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century.

The first regular contact between Europeans and the peoples of Indonesia began in 1512, when Portuguese traders, led by Francisco Serrão, sought to monopolize the sources of nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in Maluku. The Dutch East India Company dominated the area until 1800, when the Netherlands declared the East Indies as their colony. Japanese occupation during World War II ended Dutch rule, and encouraged the previously suppressed Indonesian independence movement.
 
The last 2 games (4 and 5) have each started off with 18 civilizations in the base games, so it makes more sense to follow tradition and start off with at least 18 in 6.
 
Categorical Difficulty Levels in Civilization 6: Balance of Power
Military difficulty: A higher level increases barbarian presence, unit promotion cost for human players, and AI military strength.
Recruit (easiest)
Sergeant
Captain
Colonel
General (hardest)

Economic difficulty: A higher level increases Money, Culture and Discipline costs slightly for human players, and decreases them dramatically for the AI.
Intern (easiest)
Clerk
Mayor
Governor
President (hardest)

Scientific difficulty: A higher level increases technology costs for human players, and decreases them for the AI.
Freshman (easiest)
Bachelor
Doctor
Professor
Polymath (hardest)

Diplomatic difficulty: A higher level makes AI civilizations and city-states more hostile to human players, and more cooperative to each other.
Postman (easiest)
Attaché
Envoy
Ambassador
Secretary General (hardest)
 
Civilizations
Maya (1492 DLC pack)
Capital: Tikal
Ruler: K'inich Janaab' Pakal
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Heroic Epic, Polytheism, Warrior Class, Mercantilism
Habitat 1: Tropical
Habitat 2: Hydraulic

Congo (African Dawn DLC pack)
Capital: Kinshasa
Ruler: Nzinga Mbande
Preferred Doctrines: Monarchy, Warrior Class, Police State, Socialism
Habitat 1: Tropical
Habitat 2: Hydraulic (+1 from River tiles, nullifies combat penalty across Rivers)
Religion: Kimbangu

You didn't listed Maya in the 1492 DLC pack, nor Swahili in the African Dawn DLC pack. At least not on the first page
Why don't you just add all those most important missing civs somewhere?
 
The suggestions so far, as I see them--


Would convince me to try Civ 6:

  • New eras with more new techs.
  • More dramatic flash screens/music changes with each era.
  • More doctrines and compatibility rules.
  • Wildlife; other humans aren't the only enemies humankind has.
  • Land reacting permanently to human change.

Would not convince me to try Civ 6:

  • Religions requiring a particular doctrine and missions. Not all religions (especially not the early polytheisms) were spread by actively trying to gain converts. Maybe Evangelism could give that option, but otherwise I'd allow conquest or cultural influence to bring a new religion to others.
  • Discipline replacing Happiness. Brrr...even the name sounds as if the game favored strict totalitarian governments and increasing Productivity at the expense of everything else. As a doctrine, this might be OK; as a mandatory keep-it-high value, no thanks! Besides, even an emperor as cruel as Nero knew that the people needed their bread and circuses.
  • Letting any civilization settle in any environment by default. Geography plays a noticeable role in shaping culture: Arabia wouldn't have developed the way it did without deserts, or Denmark without seacoasts. Unless every civilization is a build-your-own with no parallel in real history, I'd prefer to keep default starting environments.
  • The same goes for unique buildings, abilities, and units. Why call your empire Greek if your army and building selection don't resemble Greece's at all?
  • Finally--losing my favorite civs from the official game would be a major disappointment. I bought G&K specifically because Denmark and Sweden were included; though I do play as other civs sometimes, they're still my default choices and I'd hate to see them go.
 
You should think bigger than what the Civilization franchise alone had in games 4 and 5, start looking at other strategy titles for inspiration.

If you seriously enjoy this type of thing, join me in my new community /r/Simulate, I want to tie together a lot of procedural elements. I think more than just "random" maps is needed for truly incredible replayability.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Simulate/

And my original idea that sparked the community
http://www.iontom.com/2012/08/25/game-build/

Cheers, I love your work!
 
Published in August 2014:

The Civilized War Goes On: Review of Civilization 6: Blitz DLC pack

+ The World War II-themed content fits well into the standard game
+ Several starting positions, most of them worth a shot
+ Combat system works fine
- Civ seems to have gone down the same way as The Sims with all these expansions
- Probably not sufficient detail to satisfy history buffs

World War II is arguably the most adapted historical event in video games. The epic time scale of Civilization VI, where wars usually stretch out for centuries of in-game years, might not be perfect for modern conflicts, where history buffs ask for realism. However, they have put down lots of work into this one.

Civilization VI: Blitz is not really a full expansion pack, though containing some material for regular Civilization games. The three new nations: Siam, Italy and Poland, are ruled by Ramkhamhaeng, Victor Emmanuel II and Anna Jagiellon, apparently none of them belonging to the 1930s or '40s. The unit arsenal is reinforced by Motorized Infantry, Interceptors and Rocket Artillery, and equipment such as Enhanced Armor, Winter Gear and Mortars, and new structures in the form of Polymer Factories and Naval Bases. With new technologies such as Radar and Plastics, they make a smooth addition to the regular game.

So, let us look at the scenarios. They are similar to the Road of War scenario of Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword in the sense that they contain a European and a Pacific theater. The player can also choose starting dates at '36, '39 and '41. Churchill, Stalin, FDR and De Gaulle are featured as new animations (available in the regular game as well), while the infamous Axis leaders diplomacy interface is either text-only diplomacy, or anachronistic faces such as Bismarck. While the game introduces the Hammer and Sickle as well as the Union Jack, Germans carry the Iron Cross in lieu of swastikas.

Doctrines and diplomacy are in most cases tied to events, off-hands for the player. A welcome feature is the difference in play-style between nations, where the Soviet Union and China need to rely on poorly-equipped infantry, while America has much of everything except actual units.

With recent adjustments, the combat rules work remarkably well. There are several diversions from real-world history which might appeal gamers more than history buffs; for instance, Italy and Siam are strong players (giving the Axis a good chance in both theaters), and several minor nations are represented by city-states or terra nullius. A few units, such as the T43 and the Hawker Hurricane have their own graphics and statistics, while more of them are flavored in name only. The game progresses until either the Axis, the Allies or the Comintern have captured a critical number of objective cities, or in 1950, by which time the tech tree should be exhausted. That might be long enough to make players want to resign.

All in all, Civilization VI: Blitz gives several hours of quality gaming time, but as owners of the core game already has access to the plethora of user-made scenarios and mods, they are not essential for the casual civer.
 
You clearly spend so much time on perfecting this
Why don't you fix the inconsistencies with the civs?
 
I love Civ IV because I like the larger scale of the game, therefore I am not a fan of Civ V and this style of play. I am hoping that Civ VI will be most like Civilization IV.
Does anyone know ?
 
Nobody can know anything about a game that they haven't even started yet. All we know is that it might be made sometime within the next decade at this point.
 
I read somewhere that Civ VI was projected to be out by June 2013 and with add ons
coming in 2014.
 
If you go by what's happened before, 80% of the time, there are both two expansion packs and 5 years between each game and its full sequel. The exceptions are that civilization 1 had no expansions and civilization 4 was released 4 years after civilization 3. However, there has only been one expansion pack so far, whic came out in 2012. I would expect another expansion pack towards the end of 2013 or the beginning of 2014, but I would not expect civilization 6 until at least 2015.
 
Review of CivCity, published in May, 2014

Two of the most successful strategy franchises are Civilization and SimCity, founded by legendaries Sid Meier and Will Wright. While Civilization games model the race between competing nations from the stone age, to first launch a spaceship or exterminate the enemies, the SimCity series has been a solo-player simulation in a contemporary setting, without a defined goal. The City Building series, with titles such as Pharaoh and Caesar, has been an interesting re-interpretation of SimCity, in an ancient context. In 2006, Firaxis released CivCity: Rome, based on Caesar, while the relationship to Civ was in name only. Now, Firaxis presents a new game named CivCity with a much broader scope, not restricted to a single era.

So, where do we start? For a customized game we choose a script-based map, with any starting year from 3000 BC to AD 1800, in Europe, North Africa or the Middle East. For more glamour and recognition, we could play a Historical Scenario featuring millennial cities such as Rome, London, Cairo or Constantinople, including pre-written events. There is also a Sandbox mode, where money, crime, disease and other challenges can be switched off.

Many city-building games have a serious flaw: a small town’s tax base is weak, barely able to provide for basic services such as law enforcement and water supply. The lack of money for expansion causes a catch-22, where the city cannot grow. Another problem for beginner players, is the overwhelming amount of available buildings and decisions. CivCity has an elegant solution to these problems: the Sovereignty ratio. The default starting condition is as a colony, with a Sovereignty rate of zero, which means that a nearby capital city sends troops, resources, immigrants and some financial subsidies, in exchange for trade monopoly, some high ground for an outpost fort, and control of most policies. The player can improve Sovereignty over time by building up a citizen army and training scholars, getting access to more buildings and decisions, finally reaching 100 per cent.

The capital, as well as other non-player cities on the World Map, are ruled by different AI personalities, Doves and Hawks being the most common. A Hawk generously lends his expeditionary force to stomp out crime, but strikes down attempts to raise Sovereignty above 50%. This might force the player to fight a glorious war of independence; the RTS element in the game is simple, ripped off from Age of Empires and other genre classics. More experienced players can choose to start at any Sovereignty rate. Playing as a County Seat, with Sovereignty rate from 50 to 75%, is a good trade-off for a peaceful player. A 100% sovereign city is more difficult, though more interesting, to play. Among other things, it needs a military defense to hold back enemy invasions. A defeat does not mean game over; the player just loses some tribute, or some sovereignty. This goes the other way though, as a player can subdue other cities, through diplomacy or force. One good reason to build an empire of provincial cities, is the improved access to exotic resources, each with their particular bonuses.

While SimCity games have several classes of zoning, CivCity has only three: Estate, Urban and Industry. While Estates contain farms, plantations, huts for the workers, and villas and gardens for the landowners, Urban zones allow multi-story housing mixed up with shops, and Industrial zones make room for tanneries, smelters, waste dumps and other foul-smelling buildings. The plumbing system is more difficult to lay out properly. Although citizens can survive on water fetched from wells and rivers, a system of aqueducts, reservoirs, baths and sewers lengthens their lifespans, and boosts farm output. Waterways are also important to the economy, as citizens independently build small general-purpose boats for fishing and freight, and the sea connects rather than divides. If not at a river, most maps at least have a narrow stream.

Shanty towns are a factor that is largely outside the player’s control, to display people’s individual struggle for survival. Shanties spawn in unzoned areas, wherever citizens can find a livelihood: be it hunting, farming, working for landowners, begging or stealing. Shanties are prone to crime and fires, but nevertheless contribute to the city’s economy. They can be removed by soldiers or town guards, but that makes them pop up somewhere else. When it comes to public buildings, the Classical Age is an early pinnacle of the game, with Basilicas, Amphitheatres and Hippodromes. The Medieval and Renaissance ages introduce Mosques, Cathedrals, Universities and Opera Houses as new centres of power and glory. The seven classical Wonders of the World (with the Ishtar gate as a realistic stand-in for the mythical Hanging Gardens), as well as seven newer ones, are available, each within a small time-frame. While minor service buildings are popped down instantly, Wonders and major government buildings take much time and labour to be completed.

As most strategy games, CivCity has a technology tree. To reduce clutter, research is automated by allocating a number of scholars to different faculties, much like Europa Universalis. With sufficient technology the player reaches the Industrial age, allowing Factories. They attract thousands of workers, with shanty towns spilling out to the edges of the map, combining tremendous wealth with all the troubles of working-class slums. Even though railroads, steamships and automobiles are absent, the Industrial Revolution brings a lot of drama.

The historical scenarios have their set win/lose conditions, as well as unique scoring criteria, such as counting the number of boats in the Venice scenario. Custom game success is rated by population, sovereignty, empire size, technology and wonders. Though the architectural variation is small (basically Roman/Frankish or Middle Eastern), and the abrupt ending at the industrial revolution might feel as an anticlimax, CivCity is very replayable.
 
Civ City's concept sounds boss as hell. I would love, love to play it. I liked the whole "sovereign" concept, but I think that it would be better to translate it into something more concrete rather than a generic percentage. Let me elaborate:

Initially, your city will have control over very little aspects of it. The central empire to which you beling will take care of research, army and the like, so you can devote your small resources into developing your city.

As your city expands, you will be able to claim soverignity over certain goverment areas rather than a generic fixed percentage. Some of them you will acquire them peacefully (say, to conduct research, industry policy, etc), while another ones will put you in a collision course against your mother empire (taxes, army).

By aquiring sovereign over certain areas, you will expend more resources (it will be costier to have your own scholars rather than borrow your empire's) but things will improove faster, meaning that you can regulate the game at your own pace, taking responsability over your city's matters only when you feel cappable of doing it so.
 
I want the ability to change leaders overtime, have emergent civs [like city state to civ], and I want to when completed the space program, go on to a new map like Mars or the Moon and colonize and switch back and forth, also I want better Diplomacy, if I want to call Theodora a whore, then let me.
 
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