Common Era Mod

Sharule · Feb 11, 2006

This is a really simple mod. Let me start with a short introduction.
I havent used the terms BC or AD since lower high school. My junior and senior years I was encouraged to use BCE(Before Common Era) and CE(Common era). In my higher education I have never heard a grad student of professor utter the terms BC or AD.
Therefor I found Civ IV's use of the archaic terms very unprofessional, as well as a little religious, in a game that tries so hard to present the religions equally.
This mod is simple.
It changes the years from BC and AD to BCE and CE, both in game and in the save game files.
I hope you like it, and please comment.

Mauritania · Feb 11, 2006

I always thought CE stood for Christian Era, oh well you learn something new everyday.

QuoVadisNation · Feb 11, 2006

Well.. archaic and religious? Normally, this is where I'd fly off on an tangent.

Either one's good really; any one that can't tolerate the other is probably just overreacting.

At any rate, cool addition. Very practical.

TheLopez · Feb 11, 2006

QuoVadisNation said:
Well.. archaic and religious? Normally, this is where I'd fly off on an tangent.

Well then I'll do it for you.

Sharule said:
I havent used the terms BC or AD since lower high school. My junior and senior years I was encouraged to use BCE(Before Common Era) and CE(Common era).

Mauritania said:
I always thought CE stood for Christian Era, oh well you learn something new everyday.

I have used them used both ways. But honestly,"Common Era" was only introduced to promote diversiiiiiity and toleraaaance, nevermind all of the revisionist history that was introduced during that time. Forget that the rise of Christianity was a shift in the geo/social/political structure in the "western" world.

I feel that by using BC and AD the game creators are closer to historical fact only because those terms have been used since 525, created by a Scythian monk named Dionysius Exiguus in Rome. Anyways, that's my $0.02.

BTW here's the link to the BC and AD history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anno_Domini#History_of_Anno_Domini

Sharule said:
In my higher education I have never heard a grad student of professor utter the terms BC or AD.

Well, if they did then they wouldn't be real grad students or professors would they?

QuoVadisNation said:
Either one's good really; any one that can't tolerate the other is probably just overreacting.

This is very true, you should be able to use either one, but that should be left up to you.

A Silly Goose · Feb 11, 2006

I've never used BCE and/or CE, and I've never known anyone that does.

EDIT: Err, I of course mean no disrespect by saying so, though. Anyone who does use BCE and CE will most likely be grateful for this mod component.

Robo Magic Man · Feb 11, 2006

I've heard both used, and I would have to agree with Sharule. I'm not saying it's really offensive to anyone to use BC and AD, but BCE and CE are just more universal.

@TheLopez
Personally, I think diversity and tolerance are a good thing. Without diversity or tolerance, you're basically a Nazi. It doesn't hurt anyone to use BCE and CE, so quit complaining.

TheLopez · Feb 11, 2006

Robo Magic Man said:
@TheLopez
Personally, I think diversity and tolerance are a good thing. Without diversity or tolerance, you're basically a Nazi. It doesn't hurt anyone to use BCE and CE, so quit complaining.

I too think that diversity and tolerance are a good thing, as long as it doesn't involve forcing one to do or believe things one way over another just for the sake of diversity and tolerance. That in itself is intolerance. Oh, BTW, since you brought up the whole Nazi thing, I say all of this as a non-Christian in case anyone though that I have a religious bias towards this notation.

Anyways, I don't see where I was complaining and did say at the end of my message:

This is very true, you should be able to use either one, but that should be left up to you.

Half Fast · Feb 12, 2006

Robo Logic Man no one is complaining. I think its a good idea for this mod to be available simply because there are civ players from the east.
If you want my opinion on the secular initials (well maybe you don't but i'll say anyway) its silly. It just shows some iratability from liberals over the fact that western dating system is based on the birth of a christian figure. Even if they rename the duration of time after Christ's birth to "common era" (which doesn't make much sense) its still based on that same event in history. Why don't they do it by ages like Tolkien did? Im joking here but it would be cool.
What I think is actually a practical calendar for a civ game is the hebrew calendar, because it starts at the beginning of relevant history. Our savior's birth isn't an event in a normal game, so its kinda strange that a historically inaccurate random civ game based on it. Maybe if christianity couldn't be founded until then? Maybe not. I don't know there.

Robo Magic Man · Feb 12, 2006

I do realize no one was really complaining, I guess I just overreacted a little. I just want to clarify that while I slightly prefer the CE system, I do realize that it doesn't actually remove Christian influence, but just tries to disguise it. It really should be up to the user which system they want to use.

Sharule · Feb 12, 2006

If anyone wants more information on the Common Era dating, there is a wikipedia article about it.
Common Era
I hope it might clear some things up.

Rabbit_Alex · Feb 12, 2006

All my professors use BC/AD, but then again I go to a somewhat conservative school (Michigan Tech Univ.).

RogerBacon · Feb 13, 2006

This mod was also posted over at apolyton.
http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148508

Over there the poster's avatar is a Israeli flag. In my mind that casts doubt over the claim that this mod's purpose is only to remove "archaic terms [that are] very unprofessional" and maybe more about removing a Christian element that the poster found offensive. Either way, I don't really care; more options are always better but I think people should be honest about their intentions (not saying he wasn't but just raising the possibility).

Roger Bacon

RED DIAMOND · Feb 13, 2006

Honesty is always the best policy.

Sharule · Feb 13, 2006

I am Jewish. Im not offended by the use of AD or BC, I just find them archaic.
My avatar here is the Jewish Missionary, so you can derive the same thing.
I did not forsee that this would cause controversy. I made this mod to present the game more proffesionally. If you dont like it, dont use it.
I didnt know that so many people were attached to the BC-AD system of dating. I know I live in a liberal enviroment, but I didnt think that it was that liberal.
I mean, even my Christian friends use the Common Era dating.
However controversial it might be in some places, Academically it is quite standard, so take it or leave it.

Rabbit_Alex · Feb 13, 2006

Sharule said:
I am Jewish. Im not offended by the use of AD or BC, I just find then archaic.
My avatar here is the Jewish Missionary, so you can derive the same thing.
I did not forsee that this would cause controversy. I made this mod to present the game more proffesionally. If you dont like it, dont use it.
I didnt know that so many people were attached to the BC-AD system of dating. I know I live in a liberal enviroment, but I didnt think that it was that liberal.
I mean, even my Christian friends use the Common Era dating.
However controversial it might be in some places, Academically it is quite standard., so take it or leave it.

Well said Sharule.

Alcatraz · Feb 16, 2006

Half Fast said:
If you want my opinion on the secular initials (well maybe you don't but i'll say anyway) its silly. It just shows some iratability from liberals over the fact that western dating system is based on the birth of a christian figure.

I'm a left wing bleeding heart liberal and I wouldn't be the least bit offended by having a dating system based on the birth of a Christian figure. Since the BC/AD system is not actualy based on the birth of anyone, we have instead a dating system that merely contains the name of a Christian figure, and that doesn't bother me either.

I'm sure that there are a very small number of hardcore anti religious liberals living in a bunker somewhere that believe the BC/AD system is somehow depriving them of an essential liberty, but contrary to neo-con Rush Limbaughism, most of us are rather reasonable folk.

zeise · Feb 16, 2006

EH? well ive never even heard of this CE system, never mind anyone that uses it. I'm an Atheist and i use AD and BC, and always will. Though i always did think it was a bit silly using it in civ, can you imagine the people?
"what year is it bob?"
"3980"
"Why we counting down?"
"i dunno, maybe we'll find out in the year 0"

Perfect_Blue · Feb 18, 2006

Sharule said:
However controversial it might be in some places, Academically it is quite standard, so take it or leave it.

Well put. Regardless of whatever politics people want to bring into the discussion or whatever the views held may be, I for one am glad to see the CE dating. No reason other than the one quoted, its the academic standard with a bit less religious trappings. Call it being PC or what have you, but I think its nice to clear the unitary religious context off of the calendrical system and set it to the current understanding.

Moving on to something else that was mentioned... Is there any way to change the progressions of years (counting down to 0 and back up)? It'd be fun to run off different calendrical systems for different societies.

Sharule · Feb 19, 2006

Moving on to something else that was mentioned... Is there any way to change the progressions of years (counting down to 0 and back up)? It'd be fun to run off different calendrical systems for different societies.

It is possible, in the XML\GlobalDefines.xml file, there is a set starting date, which is -4000, if you changed it to -3000, the game would run from 3000 BCE to 3050 CE. I am working on a Hebrew Calender, but here is my dillema:
It would have to start at 0 and run through 5810. I have to figure out how to syncronize the dating, since 2050 is equal to 5810, however 4000 BCE would be before the Hebrew calender starts. I would either have to have it start at 1240 Prior to anno mundi(Anno Mundi meaning 'In the Year of the World), or I would have to rework the turns so that there are only 5810 years.
Im not quite sure which to go with.

I would like to work with some other calender systems too, perhaps the Islamic calender, with BH and AH(Before and After the Hajj).
I dont know if there is wide support for it, but I think other calenders are fascinating.

Darkhour · Feb 19, 2006

lol... yeah this was one of the first things i changed in my mod a while ago.. cant stand the AD BC classification when it's supposed to be a worldly game changing history with no cultured leanings..

Common Era Mod

Chieftain

Attachments

Warlord

keeping your angel alive

Deity

Goose of Silliness

Prince

Deity

fat slob in a bar

Prince

Chieftain

Prince

King

Prince

Chieftain

Prince

Chieftain

Lord Emperor

Yume Senshi

Chieftain

Warlord

Similar threads