Recent content by DukeTancred

I suppose realistically if there is to be a limit it should be based on the number of :food: that tile produces, augmented by access to food resources. But that would be overly complicated.

But not in a way that makes the comparison invalid. But were it to do that, would people stop using it because it morally offends them, because it causes a few citizens to be unhappy or because it is no longer beneficial to their overall strategy? Methinks mostly the latter. And when you...

..are sacrified to achieve the objective of taking over a fictional world. The villainy may be greater, but so's the greatness. The only difference is that people may define greatness and villainy differently in real life. We don't quibble about being a Theocracy or not because the objective...

Let us not forget that we, when we play Civilization, have the ability to do what many of these leaders have done. We can install a Police State, institute Slavery or enshrine Freedom of Speech at the click of a mouse. We can replace our farms with workshops and build factories and units in...

The root of the Question of Palestine is the denial of the ancient multidenominational, multinational nature of Palestine. It was divided by religious aliyah and pan-Arabists, foreigners who destroyed the Palestinian identity to support their Jewish and Arab nationalism. The conflict is often...

Ali didn't have an opportunity to achieve more because he didn't want to increase Muslim disunity by challenging the Sunni Rashidun who were elected before him. The fact is that most Sunnis agree that Ali was as great a man as Abu Bakr. Using Abu Bakr could be seen as endorsing the Sunni...

Ali the Caliph and Imam. Shi'ites believe that Muhammad expressed God's wish that Ali become the Caliph after his death, and resent Abu Bakr for becoming Caliph in violation of God's will. By contrast, Ali is both recognised as a rightful Caliph, by Shi'ites through divine appointment and by...

I think Ali should be in there instead of Abu Bakr for the Arabs. I would prefer for there to be a non-Muslim Arab in there, but in pre-Islamic times the Arabs were not a significant power. However, I'd also say Haile Selassie, who was probably as great as Zara Yabob but also far more widely...

I've been thinking they should be added since I played the 1000AD scenario and thought "Sarkel? Wtf is Sarkel?" and looked it up. :) Because it would deny that Jews today aren't the descendents of Jews that made up the population of the Kingdom of Israel 2500 years ago, which would deny the...

To achieve Scottish independence, Scotland must leave the United Kingdom. This opportunity cost, quite irrespective of whatever disadvantages independence itself brings (and so your analogy is not correct), is overlooked in the question. Simply asking "should Scotland be independent?" is a...

Since you seem so determined to example the veracity and bias of these polls, the question was actually "would you like to see the union continue as it is or would you prefer to see it come to an end?" and was conducted as a blind test to ensure neutrality, something which is not the case for...

There was a poll for Newsnight earlier this year, to mark the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union being passed, which gave support for independence, regardless of other factors, being at 32%, but this is in an election year, and an election year in which the SNP became the largest party for...

It's actually the other way around. At the election this year, 33% of people voted for the SNP, but half of them don't want independence. In fact, support for independence has remained constant around 20-25% over the past 30 years. So why is the SNP more popular than independence? Because...

Polynesia would be interesting. UU would naturally be a canoe (galley) that's like the old trireme, ie can cross oceans but will probably sink on the way. Eat your heart out, João.

One may argue that during the Stuart period that was the case, by virtue of Henry VII's daughter being married to James IV of Scotland under the Treaty of Perpetual Peace. However, Mary II, who replaced James II in the Glorious Revolution, while a Stuart, had never been to Scotland...