Civ design challenge

[Howard Tafty]

Maybe the Marcomanni perhaps? I'm pretty sure we have established its some sort of tribe and not established state I'm assuming.

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

Its complicated. The transition from tribe to state is a key factor in the history and importance of these people. They were state builders but not a state in themselves. Also, if the Alans were too boring 'generic' barbarians, you can bet the Macromanii are too.

I'm thinking of just starting the next phase today, unless there are any objections? There haven't been any votes for a while and a week honestly feels like too long.

 

[Natan35]

Yeah. Can't wait for the next challenge...
(I get the feeling those are the Illyrians or other enemies of Rome)

 

[ldvhl]

Yeah. Can't wait for the next challenge...
(I get the feeling those are the Illyrians or other enemies of Rome)

Ambrox already did Illyria.

 

[Danmacsch]

Yeah, but that's way outdated. Is it even BNW compatible?

 

[ldvhl]

Yep, I'm running the BNW packs of his Mediterranean and Greek civs.

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

So I'm happy to announce that this weeks winner is Gpuzzle! Congratulations, an excellent design all round!

Delhi Sultanate​

Leader: Alauddin Khijli

UA: Anwatan
Upon capturing a City, all Religious Buildings in that City are destroyed and you receive Gold and Faith for it. Constructing Religious Buildings and converting Cities yields Faith - doubled on Conquered Cities.

UB: Lats (Replaces Temple)
The lats, unlike the temple it replaces, eliminates all unhappiness from occupation in cities following your religion.

UU: Jagirdars (Replaces Longswordman)
Available at Civil Service rather than Steel. May be used to convert Cities. Takes 25% less damage from Ranged Attacks if adjacent to a City following your Religion.

 

[COF]

Congratulations! What is the next civ?

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

The Varangian Khaganate ​

870 - 922 AD​

To understand this civilisation, which dominated the waterways of Ukraine and European Russia around the end of the 9th century, we have to go hundreds of miles west, to Scandinavia and one of the most infamous peoples in European history - the Vikings. A land which had once been relatively barren, home to a few minor Germanic tribes, had been witnessing a population explosion which, coupled with cold winters unsuitable for sustaining large cities and a patriarchal society in which sons would grow up expecting their own land, left thousands of unlanded Norsemen itching to strike out and make their own destiny. Famously, many of these men flung themselves across the north sea in their longboats - settling down across Britain, France and the islands scattered across the North sea, some even heading as far west as Iceland and North America.

However, less well known are those intrepid sons who launched themselves East - now known as 'Varangians'. The huge rivers which criss-crossed Ukraine, Russia and Finland were perfect for the Viking longboats. These explorers pillaged as far south as Contantinople, referred to in Norse as Miklagarðr (The Big or Great City) where many were invited to stay on as part of the emperors personal bodyguards. Like their western counterparts who settled states in Normandy, Britain, Italy and the Atlantic, the Varangians eventually settled down as the slavs who lived in the region, bizzarely, invited the Norsemen to stay and rule over them, creating a short lived empire known as the Varangian or Rus' Khaganate. Eventually, the mingling of Slav and Swede created the modern Russian and Ukranian identities and formed great and powerful river based empires such as the Kievan Rus. Indeed, the most prolific and powerful of these maurauders, Rørik, founded the city of Holmgard, later Novgorod and went on to found the mighty Rurikid dynasty which ruled in Muscovy and Novgorod well into the 17th century!

Vicious pillagers, overlords of a foreign and diverse slavic population, river warlords and state-builders, the Varangians are an enigmatic people who certaintly left their mark on history, even if their short 9th century beginings in the Varangian Khaganate remain a ill-remembered mystery.

So, half Viking, half Russian - all the institutional and trading power of the Kievan Rus combined with the exciting bloodlust of the Norse! I really look forward to seeing what you guys do with this!

 

[GPuzzle]

Nice!

The Varangian Khaganate

Leader: Rurik

UA - Tale of Bygone Years: While at War, Great General generation is increased by 5% for every Trade Route you have. Units within 3 Tiles of a Trade Route gain double Gold from pillaging tiles and capturing cities, as well as a +10% Combat Strength bonus.

UB - Tserkov': Shrine replacement. Melee and Gun Units built here gain a promotion, "Varanginian Guard", which makes them 20% more effective outside of your own land, as well as making Pillage not cost movement. Produces an additional +1 Faith, increasing to +2 Faith if adjacent to a River.

UU - Varyag: Great General replacement. May be used to estabilish an additional Trade Route, going over the value if necessary.

 

[Natan35]

"If necessary"? Wouldn't it simply increase the trade route count? And is that permanent? 'Cause that would be a bit OP.

 

[GPuzzle]

"If necessary"? Wouldn't it simply increase the trade route count? And is that permanent? 'Cause that would be a bit OP.

No. You know Canada's Voyageur?

It's literally that.

 

[Howard Tafty]

Well I'm not sure what to say, its a bit fuzzy:

Varangian Khangate
Rurik
UA: Waterways of Dnieper
River Connections generate an additional +1 Gold and +5% Gold for every adjacent Trading Post, +1 Faith for every adjacent River Tile, Units do not suffer Movement Penalties when crossing Rivers.
UB: Runestone (Monument)
+1 Faith for every active Trade Route, has a unique Writer Specialist Slot that upon being filled generates small sum of Culture for every advancing Era.
UU: Waregang (Longswordsmen)
Much more expensive than the Unit it replaces, has the Unique Promotion "Mercantile Guardians" allowing it to build Trading Posts equivalent to number of Promotions it has adopted, generates a "Cenatoph" within the nearest City yielding Culture since the first 5 turns of the Units death.

 

[Hoop Thrower]

Varangians
Leader: Rurik
UA: Come to Rule: No City State Trespassing Penalty. Gain Influence when Killing units in City State Territory.
UU: Bodyguard: Replaces Londswordsman. Can Enter other civs territory without need for Open Borders. Gain Gold and Culture from kills in territory from another civ you're not at war with.
UU: Oathsworn: Replaces Great Merchant. Ignores Difficult Terrain and can combat as an unit. Its Strenght being the amount of Gold Generated per turn. Cannot make Custom Houses, instead creating Trelleborg, which provide the Unique Luxury Resource Tribute, which gives +5 Gold when worked, and +50% Defense of units stationed in the tile. Trelleborgs can be founded on other Civ's Territory, Granting a Lump sum of Gold and a Diplomatic Bonus if major civ, Influence Increase if Minor. Cannot Perform Trade Missions.

 

[Natan35]

@Hoop: that unit(oathsworn) would have 200 strength by the end of the industrial era, or during golden ages.

Anyway, my turn:

The Rus' Khaganate(Rørik)

Spoiler :

UA: Viking Heritage
Rivers may act as city connections and grant double trade route modifier. All units receive the longboat promotion and you receive a free unit per each trade route you have with other civilizations. Influence modifiers from trade routes and open borders are doubled.

UU: Varangian Warrior
Replaces longswordsman. Does not require iron and come earlier at metal casting. Cheaper and weaker(18 ), it fights at full strength when damaged, and gains +1 strength per each trade route you receive.

UB: Runestone
Replaces Amphitheatre. Much cheaper to build, the Runestone grants a small amount of culture and great writer points upon sending a trade route from any city. Additionally, it generates +1 culture per each trade route sent from the city.

*Longboat: ignores terrain costs in river tiles, and has +1 movement if starting the turn on river\ embarked.

I might change this...
(Even though it looks beautiful )

 

[Hoop Thrower]

I know, but I thought it'd kinda make up for being a somewhat weaker replacement for the Great Merchant in an already kinda oddball civ, besides, it's not that difficult to dent a civ's gold income. So I doubt it'd get out of hand except for very ocassional corner cases.

 

[Uighur_Caesar]

The Varangians

Leader: Rurik

UA: Invitation to Rule: Cities adjacent to rivers are instantly connected to the capital and have 25% more trade range. Cities have a random chance of spawning melee units depending on the number of trade routes to and from this city.

UU: Kol-Beki: Replaces the Swordsman. Does not require iron. +1 movement when starting a turn adjacent to a river and has no attack penalty when fighting across one and ignores river crossing penalties. Cities captured by a Kol-Beki get a free Caravan (once per city) even if you are at your trade limit.

UU: Companion: Stronger than the Pikeman it replaces. Companions gain +3 XP when gifted for every trade route with that civ. Gifted Companions give you +1 Gold for every level they are and give you Culture from kills.

No format because doing this from my phone is a b***h. Kol-Beki means "lake prince" and is what the Turkic peoples called Norse warlords. Companion was another term for the Varangian Guard. Let me know if it needs any nerfs.

 

[Natan35]

@Uighur: its... Kinda useless giving a unit +1 moves near rivers, since rivers consume all movement points when you move through them. Might wanna change that. Other then that, your design is balanced.

(Norse warlords replace swordsman... Just saying )

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

Lots of great submissions, thanks Gpuzzle, Natan, Howard, Hoop and Uighur! Very pleased to see so many submissions - hope to see a couple more before the challenge is over guys!

 

[Howard Tafty]

Wow, I can already tell this is going to be pretty hard vote that's for sure.