Civ-style 4X fantasy game

[TyrannusRex]

If there were to be a fantasy 4X game in the style of Civ 6 (or really any Civ title, but I'll use 6 for the sake of argument,) using original IP (since licenses could make it vary wildly), what would you want to see out of it? What sorts of unit lines could develop with the inclusion of spellcasters, dragons, etc.? Would you want to see modern-day elves & orcs, or stick strictly to Medieval/Renaissance technology? What role could magic play in the game (as a resource, etc.)?
Basically, I'm curious what all of you would want/expect in the hypothetical instance where such a game gets made.

Edit: For clarification, I am talking about a hypothetical, completely separate game that follows Civ's 4X footsteps, not about addons for Civ 6.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

It's hard for me to envision them creating a whole separate world filled with well elves, orcs and dwarves etc.

That being said ideally I would want them to create a spin off game like what Age of Empires did with Age of Mythology.

Civilization: Mythology would basically play similar to the early game of civilization but have mythological gods, heroes and creatures mixed into the game.
For that reasoning I see a mixture of faith, culture and magic being integral to the game and less focus on scientific progress, except for military purposes

 

[Evie]

But theological research - new fods, new ways to please the gods, new rituals, etc would probaby matters.

Plus magic research, plus plus researching information about different kind of monsters, plus...

 

[PhoenicianGold]

No real interest, mostly because it would be pretty generic fantasy.

I would rather we just get an expansion to VI which forced the devs to come up with a unique fantasy unit for every civ. That way things wouldn't be 90 percent eurocentric pulp.

 

[AnonymousSpeed]

I'd like to see a unit line of Fire Emblem-esque wyvern riders. There's a fascinating aesthetic flavor to having a guy firing a musket from the back of a dragon, but I don't know for certain the level of technological development you'd want to include.

Part of me wants to say magic could correlate to a "mana" resource, but I'm not exactly sure what you'd do with it to distinguish it from gold or faith, which are already fairly similar.

Magic users themselves should probably have some unique functionality as units. Maybe they have spell charges, maybe they need special buildings to be trained, I don't know. They should probably probably die in one hit.

One of the unfortunate things about magic in popular fantasy is that the only mass scale application we see are combat related. There's not a ton of functionally distinct infrastructure that could be used for buildings, at least not in my experience. There may be a hospital full of clerics, but it's basically just a hospital.

Personally, I don't care too much for fantasy races. They tend to be pretty one note and I prefer factions that are actually interesting. An interesting elvish faction could be done, but I wouldn't particularly care for one over an equally interesting human faction.

 

[Henri Christophe]

I would like to play with QUetzalcoalt as a magic creature of the Aztecs.

 

[PhoenicianGold]

Another thought: 2K Games owns other properties.

I could see an Elder Scrolls variant. Or maybe even a Bioshock expansion for VI. And I wouldn't be completely unhappy with either.

 

[Duke William of Normandy]

Rip off Warhammer Fantasy, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, etc.

 

[TyrannusRex]

I'd like to see a unit line of Fire Emblem-esque wyvern riders. There's a fascinating aesthetic flavor to having a guy firing a musket from the back of a dragon, but I don't know for certain the level of technological development you'd want to include.

Part of me wants to say magic could correlate to a "mana" resource, but I'm not exactly sure what you'd do with it to distinguish it from gold or faith, which are already fairly similar.

Magic users themselves should probably have some unique functionality as units. Maybe they have spell charges, maybe they need special buildings to be trained, I don't know. They should probably probably die in one hit.

One of the unfortunate things about magic in popular fantasy is that the only mass scale application we see are combat related. There's not a ton of functionally distinct infrastructure that could be used for buildings, at least not in my experience. There may be a hospital full of clerics, but it's basically just a hospital.

Personally, I don't care too much for fantasy races. They tend to be pretty one note and I prefer factions that are actually interesting. An interesting elvish faction could be done, but I wouldn't particularly care for one over an equally interesting human faction.

One-hat races or stereotypical good/evil races are bad design.

But theological research - new fods, new ways to please the gods, new rituals, etc would probaby matters.

Plus magic research, plus plus researching information about different kind of monsters, plus...

Taking a note from Humankind, I can see the early game map having computer-controlled beasts wandering about it. Wild dragons, trolls, krakens, etc. that, once you kill one with your units, you get a research bonus towards magic/technology, maybe even units utilizing them or something about them. Like dragonscale armor for units.

 

[SandFli]

Fantasy would be good. An omen, perhaps, with all the Fantasy themed content in the New Frontier Pass.
I saw this last night and thought about it. As opposed to a mod or skin, I guess it would require quite some deviation in design from Civilization.
Age of Wonders 3 is sort of the Civilization of 'industry standard' Fantasy, while Endless Legend is another obvious comparison, were such a game to be an original world in keeping with 'fantasy'.
I imagine much potential in far more ancient history than the usual middle ages setting, & more up-to-date possibilities than orcs, elves, et al. Make up a whole new history!
Suspend disbelief now:

Concept: Mythologies & magic are real, learn to understand, control, & protect this wisdom through cycles. Play as a God in a world inspired by animism & other beliefs and legends.
Background: Maybe Worlds/Dimensions (e.g. Vedic Lokas, the underworld, etc.), or lost Advanced Civilizations (e.g. apocalyptic 'ages of man', Neanderthals, Atlantis, 'Ancient Aliens' stuff, etc.).

Spoiler An infinite rabbit hole of creative possibilities :

Dragons, dinosaurs, yetis, demons, silicon trees, crystal power, demi-gods, bloodlines, astral teleportation, ancient flying machines, vibrational harmonies, astrology, other worlds,..
*It's fantasy. I didn't make it up.

Terrain yields Mana (Strategic resource). Mythical creatures & varied terrains with effects on both magic & combat. More reliance (Food & Production) on resources over yields (touch of RPG).
'Science' gives knowledge and abilities. Less linear progress, not racing through historic eras, perhaps with completion of quests (?) in time to meet calendar cycles, or something.
Technologies might be your knowledge of species, items, buildings, abilities, projects, etc. 'Culture' might allow players to advance through non-physical magic, translation, diplomacy, ....
Districts that produce items, train friendly species, doorways that teleport units, ritual ziggurats that control weather, or pyramids that generate geomagnetic power, etc.
Units like Basic Humans, unique and allied species (naga, trolls, etc.), mythological heroes, magic support classes, summoning otherworldly entities with special abilities, etc.

Yes, the exact opposite of historical Civilization.

 

[TyrannusRex]

Fantasy would be good. An omen, perhaps, with all the Fantasy themed content in the New Frontier Pass.
I saw this last night and thought about it. As opposed to a mod or skin, I guess it would require quite some deviation in design from Civilization.
Age of Wonders 3 is sort of the Civilization of 'industry standard' Fantasy, while Endless Legend is another obvious comparison, were such a game to be an original world in keeping with 'fantasy'.
I imagine much potential in far more ancient history than the usual middle ages setting, & more up-to-date possibilities than orcs, elves, et al. Make up a whole new history! Suspend disbelief now:

Concept: Mythologies & magic are real, learn to understand, control, & protect this wisdom through cycles. Play as a God in a world inspired by animism & other beliefs and legends.
Background: Maybe Worlds/Dimensions (e.g. Vedic Lokas, the underworld, etc.), or lost Advanced Civilizations (e.g. apocalyptic 'ages of man', Neanderthals, Atlantis, 'Ancient Aliens' stuff, etc.).

Spoiler An infinite rabbit hole of creative possibilities :

Dragons, dinosaurs, yetis, demons, spirits, silicon trees, crystal powers, deities, demi-gods, bloodlines, astral teleportation, ancient flying machines, vibrational harmonies, astrology, dimensions,...
*It's fantasy. I didn't make it up.

Terrain yields Mana (Strategic resource). Mythical creatures & varied terrains with effects on both magic & combat. More reliance (Food & Production) on resources over yields (touch of RPG).
'Science' gives knowledge and abilities. Less linear progress, not racing through historic eras, perhaps with completion of quests (?) in time to meet calendar cycles, or something.
Technologies might be your knowledge of species, items, buildings, abilities, projects, etc. 'Culture' might allow players to advance through non-physical magic, translation, diplomacy, ....
Districts that produce items, train friendly species, doorways that teleport units, ritual ziggurats that control weather, or pyramids that generate geomagnetic power, etc.
Units like Basic Humans, unique and allied species (naga, trolls, etc.), mythological heroes, magic support classes, summoning otherworldly entities with special abilities, etc.

Yes, the exact opposite of historical Civilization.

...Okay, at first I thought this was crazy (it still is a little bit XD) but I like the idea of terrain passively yielding Mana (some more than others.) I also imagined something like the Bermuda Triangle (or Rl'yeh, if you wish) granting one player an Elder God-esque monster if they're the first to complete some objectives surrounding it (perhaps sending cultists to be sacrificed, etc.)
I also like the idea of starting off as a very, very primitive culture, witnessing all this magical stuff going on in the world around you and letting that influence your culture going forward, with whatever benefits/detractors. (Would worshipping dragons early on make your people eager to tame them or bond with them, use them for warfare? Or are they too frightened of incurring divine wrath?)

 

[SandFli]

Yes. So crazy, it might work! ..although the suggestions made by @PhoenicianGold & @Duke William of Normandy seem more likely.
Good questions. The role of 'Religion' could probably comprise a central mechanic. Perhaps Culture & Faith play a very different role than what we are used to (or just combine).

Uncover Natural and World Wonders that unlock powerful abilities (e.g. dimensional travel, summoning, etc.), but have to be activated with something similar to quest objectives or research projects.
As for primitive start, I imagined a world somehow combining a theoretical prehistory and antiquity (but not excluding, for example, later mesoamerican cultures for 'inspiration').
I too like the idea of using Science or Culture, perhaps with more focus on exploration, to understand the mystical stuff going on around you, creatures, terrains, resources, events, minor factions,..
Perhaps it is the Leaders/Players task to influence and protect their population, more than building it up and putting everyone to work?