Suddenly Mbande Nzinga leading the Kongo isn't as terrible anymore. Not that I thought it was.
pre-release info Aksum - Antiquity Age Civilization Discussion
- Thread starter Laurana Kanan
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pre-release info
Bonyduck Campersang
Odd lookin duck
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Yeah but Hatshepsut is a Historical Choice for both Egypt and Aksum, and she's definitely not an Aksumite leader.
Which makes me think Leaders are totally decoupled from their civs, like Ed Beach was saying in the showcase (and I thought he was being hyperbolic), so you could have Ashoka lead Egypt too (though he wouldn't be a Historical Choice (one of the developers stated that Historical Choice is for those players who don't like mixing and matching, so I'm guessing it doesn't have any gameplay effects)).
If true this could be big. Combined with Leaders no longer being political figures, we could see a lot of historical figures that otherwise wouldn't make it into the game. Sayyida al-Hurra, for one, who doesn't make sense as a Leader, or a Great Person, or a Governor. I'm also thinking of Isabella of France who wouldn't be a great choice for a leader pre-Civ7 but is a dramatic figure who deserves greater representation in media.
SeelingCat
Prince
I think we can assume that they are decoupled - the DLCs mentioned in the various bundles mention adding 2 leaders and 4 civs, which implies some leader-less civs
Can't wait to see Alexander leading Mongolia and the Zulu (if they end up being modern) or Germans.
Bonyduck Campersang
Odd lookin duck
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I don't know if that condition will be necessary; in the trailer Ben Franklin leads the Greeks
Bonyduck Campersang
Odd lookin duck
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Or those whose leaders can't be depicted. Pueblo civ upcoming! The question is whether Firaxis dares to make a Rashidun one
I think the reference could be to the conquest of Himyar by Aksum instead of necessarily representing Himyar as well, but who knows?
We have an Aksumite Dhow after all now…which is very much Indian/Arabian, though at least Aksum and the Dhow are both associated with the Red Sea…
Mudokon Pop
Warlord
I'm very please to see Aksum represented in the game as a classical civ - previous games associated the ancient stele with much more modern leaders. It will be nice to see the stelae in their historic context. Also the distinction between the different stelae types, the more common stele (Hawilt) versus the so-called 'House Stele' (Great Stele) which appears to be a wonder now is very welcome. However I have a few concerns.
I'm not completely sold on the city art style.
Other concerns - Dhows. There's a tendency in English to refer to any sewn plank ship as a Dhow regardless of whether is Arabian, Indian, Persian or East African. Using indigenous terms such as Hawilt for the stele is one step forward but calling the ships Dhows seem like 3 steps backwards. Additionally Dhows are typically seen as trade ships not military ships.
Lastly Book of the Himyarites - clearly this is a reference to Ethiopia's invasion of the Himyarites. But why reference an Arab literary source for the expeditions? The Ethiopian General Abraha left several inscriptions in Yemen celebrating his victories.
This does give a clue as to who the leader will be - Kaleb.
I'm not completely sold on the city art style.
- Aksumite buildings are frequently built on raised platforms or podia, with stairs leading up to the first floor. At Adulis, many commoner buidlings have this as well as elite structures. Most of what we know from Aksum's urban architecture comes from the remains of those foundations. Right now I can only see this on one building - which might be the palace. Behind the palace there's a residential compound which looks very accurate.
- Round houses as well as L-Shaped Houses are well documented in excavations of commoners houses as well as rectangular ones.
- Aksum was noted for it's many bronze statues. Sadly none have survived. I guess it's hard to reconstruct something that's never been seen.
Other concerns - Dhows. There's a tendency in English to refer to any sewn plank ship as a Dhow regardless of whether is Arabian, Indian, Persian or East African. Using indigenous terms such as Hawilt for the stele is one step forward but calling the ships Dhows seem like 3 steps backwards. Additionally Dhows are typically seen as trade ships not military ships.
Lastly Book of the Himyarites - clearly this is a reference to Ethiopia's invasion of the Himyarites. But why reference an Arab literary source for the expeditions? The Ethiopian General Abraha left several inscriptions in Yemen celebrating his victories.
This does give a clue as to who the leader will be - Kaleb.
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I will say that at least one good thing about the changing civ mechanic is it means that we get a specific focus on a new-to-the-series culture like Aksum.
Interesting also to see an African civ depicted as a naval and trade power, which is quite fitting given their role in Indian Ocean trade.
Interesting also to see an African civ depicted as a naval and trade power, which is quite fitting given their role in Indian Ocean trade.
Navelgazer
Emperor
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Of the five Antiquity civs we've seen so far, I think Aksum is currently in the lead for the one I'll pick to start my first game with. I love my rich coastal trading empires, and I love playing with new African civs. And yeah, it looks like there's no associated leader for them, which I'm not disappointed by, since "more civs than leaders" means that they can just give us more civs, since leaders are the more time-and-resource-intensive aspect of that.
Mudokon Pop
Warlord
While it's great to see a naval focused African civ - i think it reduces the possibility of the Swahili civilization appearing.
The possibility of niche civs like Nabataea, Aksum, and the Normans has done more than anything to warm me to Civ7's approach to civs and ages.
This, for sure. There’s so many possibilities now.
Thenewwwguy
Deity
definitely doesn’t. if anything, it would increase the chances since the swahili would be an exploration era civ that could serve as a “successor” alternative that’s more slightly more geographically appropriate than songhai and continues similar themes, even if an Abyssinia civ would be the *most* appropriate
Mudokon Pop
Warlord
I hope your right. There's a lot of potential to this system.
I have added various screenshots to the 2nd post.
Please let me know if I forgot any.
I am right now unsure.
Please let me know if I forgot any.
Could please someone comment if they think this is the Great Steele?
I am right now unsure.
Navelgazer
Emperor
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This is neither here nor there, but it clicked for me today that one reason I’m so excited about Civ7 as it’s been revealed so far is that it will let me finally fulfill my dream of building a sort of Sim Ankh-Morpork, and I think Aksum might end up being the best Civ option for starting that saga as well.
Aksum looks pretty cool. I love 
Civs. 
I shudder what Firaxis considers "Historical" choices, though.
Civs. I shudder what Firaxis considers "Historical" choices, though.
