Marla_Singer
United in diversity
Since the original 1994 release, Sid Meier's Colonization has always pictured a rather "romantic" vision of the New World History as pictured by North Americans : rather weak Natives gently accept to get destroyed by the Europeans, Spaniards are dirty Native murderers, Portugal has never put a foot in the Americas and of course Slavery never existed.
TAC, then RAR, are the results of gigantic modders efforts to correct this and better fit with real History. And yes, even triangular trade hasn't been ignored, which I believe was simply unavoidable considering its Historical significance.
However, I still believe that slavery being brought in the game doesn't serve any purpose if it wouldn't serve a side quest which would be the road to its abolition!
Indeed, slavery has been abolished in most territories of the New World when they were still colonies, before their independence. So it should be also achievable this way in the game. Probably the whole concept of slavery would be more "bearable" for the Human player if the only source of salvation for the slaves wasn't to flee from the colonies. As it is now, I see absolutely no point in having slaves, and when it turns out I end up with some, I just let them flee.
As always, I'm not a programmer, so I can't do really more than throw some ideas and see how you feel.
A NEW UNIT: FREEDMAN
What makes slavery so unbearable to me in the game is the fact that slave you are, slave you will stay. There's no way out. Of course it was in a large way true, but not completely. With generations, manumission got more and more widespread and the population of freedmen never stopped rising.
Freedmen could be civil units with a status a bit similar to the one of Indentured servant : they can go to school and learn a profession from the natives. The way I see it, slaves should be able by work to become freedmen exactly the way servants can become free colonists, by using the "learning by doing" mechanism.
A NEW NATIONAL WONDER: ABOLITION
As I see it, Abolition could take the shape of a national wonder being built in colony rather late in the game. It could be materialized by a statue. Once abolition is "built" in a colony, all the slave units of the Empire are immediately changed to freedmen.
NEW FOUNDING FATHERS
History of the New World is filled with African-American Heroes that should be honoured in the game. Here are some ideas:
What do you think of these ideas? First, do you believe it would bring something to the game and second, do you believe it would be hard to code?
Of course if you have better ideas, I'm all open.
TAC, then RAR, are the results of gigantic modders efforts to correct this and better fit with real History. And yes, even triangular trade hasn't been ignored, which I believe was simply unavoidable considering its Historical significance.
However, I still believe that slavery being brought in the game doesn't serve any purpose if it wouldn't serve a side quest which would be the road to its abolition!
Indeed, slavery has been abolished in most territories of the New World when they were still colonies, before their independence. So it should be also achievable this way in the game. Probably the whole concept of slavery would be more "bearable" for the Human player if the only source of salvation for the slaves wasn't to flee from the colonies. As it is now, I see absolutely no point in having slaves, and when it turns out I end up with some, I just let them flee.
As always, I'm not a programmer, so I can't do really more than throw some ideas and see how you feel.
A NEW UNIT: FREEDMAN
What makes slavery so unbearable to me in the game is the fact that slave you are, slave you will stay. There's no way out. Of course it was in a large way true, but not completely. With generations, manumission got more and more widespread and the population of freedmen never stopped rising.
Freedmen could be civil units with a status a bit similar to the one of Indentured servant : they can go to school and learn a profession from the natives. The way I see it, slaves should be able by work to become freedmen exactly the way servants can become free colonists, by using the "learning by doing" mechanism.
A NEW NATIONAL WONDER: ABOLITION
As I see it, Abolition could take the shape of a national wonder being built in colony rather late in the game. It could be materialized by a statue. Once abolition is "built" in a colony, all the slave units of the Empire are immediately changed to freedmen.
NEW FOUNDING FATHERS
History of the New World is filled with African-American Heroes that should be honoured in the game. Here are some ideas:
- Zumbi dos Palmares: leader of the Brazilian first free maroon state of the Palmares. In-game, He could reduce by half the time needed for a slave to become a freedman.
- Jean-Baptiste Belley: former slave, Belley ended up as representative of Saint-Domingue at the French revolutionnary convention. He played a decisive role in the abolition of slavery in the island in 1794. When Belley is on your side, abolition can be built twice faster.
- Toussaint Louverture: leader of the Haitian revolution, the second country emancipated from Europe in the New World. When Toussaint Louverture is on your side, you could get additional military units for the Revolution (maybe a free great general?)
- Henry Ossian Flipper: after studying at West Point, Flipper was the first freedman to become officer in the US army, in a regiment of the Buffalo Soldiers. When Flipper is on your side, freedmen becoming soldiers get a free promotion.
What do you think of these ideas? First, do you believe it would bring something to the game and second, do you believe it would be hard to code?
Of course if you have better ideas, I'm all open.