An Illustrated History of the Noyyau

[Noyyau]

I've wanted to do a write up of a game for a long time, but I always forget about it as soon as I start playing. This time it will be different. (Famous last words, I know).

I play Civ for fun, and I often tweak setting, values, resources and whatnot whenever I feel it'll make for a better experience (for me, that is). Usually I try to avoid abusing the worldbuilder, but I did get carried away a couple of times and basically “terraformed” a Large map for some epic power playing.
This is not the case, I'm just rambling here. (I'll be doing a lot of rambling. Beware.)

This whole thing happens on Civ 4 Beyond the Sword with the mod “Rise of Mankind: A New Dawn 2.2”, rev666.
I'll be using a custom civ I fused together from the two versions of it I had found on these forums some time ago: the Venetian Empire, historically known as the Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia. With two UUs and two UBs, it is kinda unbalanced, but I'm playing on deity so I don't feel too guilty about it. And anyway, see the previous paragraph.
The main reasons for using this civ are that I like having a navy and Venice had been the major power in the Mediterranean for a few centuries, and that I live nearby actual Venice.

Before even starting, I already changed some things in the mod's xml:

Spoiler :

-the religious promotions require only having that state religion, they don't need the attached warlord. This way they'll actually get used, and it's nicer for flavor as well.
-the maintenance cost of the buildings “paved roads” and “sewer system” has been removed
-the maintenance cost of the metropolitan and capitol administration has been reduced a bit
-engineers now give 3 production (instead of 2), and great engineers give 6. I like production. Production is goooood. It just speeds up things a bit, you don't get many engineers per city anyway (until the industrial/modern eras).
-religions have been modified a bit, generally they all give at least +1 money per city and their shrine gives +1 money per city as well
-the revolution index modifier has been doubled, for more trouble!
-max xp from fighting barbarians is now 50
-research and build/train percentages in the various eras have been tweaked, in the direction of longer research times from reneissance onwards, the later the era the bigger the cost.

If and when I'll reach them, I'll also do this:
-submarines act like privateers: their nationality is hidden and they can attack without declaring war. I always felt that having these awesome stealth units was pointless if I couldn't pester everybody else with them. This also means that anybody that can see them can (and will) attack them. I also changed their AI to “pirate”, but I'm not sure if it works (ais don't seem to make many subs anyway)

These are the game settings:

Spoiler :

Planet generator is such a great mapscript.

Why did I only put two other ais? That's because with the Barbarian World option there will be three barb cities already on the map (one per player), and the Barb Civ option will make them become new civs given enough time. And any other barb city which will spawn later also has that chance.
Not to mention that with more unexplored terrain there will be hordes of barbarians! Or so I hope.

There's a few more options that you normally don't see in RAND, again, I tinkered in the xml and made them visible. In particular I'm curious about the “Dark Ages” thing. I hope it actually works.

Finally, I can click on that "Launch" button!

Spoiler :

A wise suggestion.

The ancients legends tell us that everything began thousands of years ago, when our distant ancestors, nomadic since time immemorial, stopped their wandering and settled in a single place, lead by a legendary ruler. A winged lion, bearer of the will of the gods, was prominently used since first settling down.

Spoiler :

The area was fertile and lush, an easily defensible hill on the banks of a great river, near the shores of a mighty sea.
Herds of lumbering beasts roamed the nearby plains, drawing the interest (and hunger) of our savage forefathers.

Spoiler :

The original settlement was small, no more than a village, with survival being the main occupation of the population.

Spoiler :

Yet, some brave explorers went forth from their homes, driven by the desire to know more about the surrounding lands. During these travels, they met with other peaceful peoples, who generously shared their observations on certain kinds of edible vegetation.

Spoiler :

 

[baseballpie]

Welcome, young writer, to the land where the strong control all; where the weak "cultured" people burn, where the advanced destroy the primitive, where the UN is a tool for world domination, where democracy is just a means of building things quicker while communism is the most effective economy for large empires more often than not, where those who conquer the quickest and then keep control of their spoils are the most respected, where men love to start as cavemen on their trip 2 the cosmos, where the heavens fall twice with incantations of unbelievable power, where the ultimate religious authority is a white, radioactive rock that can burst forth sometimes with the radiance of a thousand suns [1], where the forecast is continued war in a hell-hole of eternal war against Eurasia East Asia with a 100% chance of mushroom clouds, or have been forced to abandon their own home due to thermonuclear warfare for the stars. All is at the dance of those voyaging writers, who place with the lives of trillions for the purposes of their game.

This is Civfanatics. Only the strong will flourish under its members of iron rule and titanium fists. The weak will be perished, the strong ganged on, the cunning survive.
Do you have what it takes, oh maybe wise and definitely greedy writer?

 

[Yagon99]

Subbed!

And don't let your it die

 

[GreekAnalyzer]

Dang you baseball pie. THAT'S MY JOB!

 

[Noyyau]

I suppose I can be greeted by more than one person?
Anyway, thanks for the welcome!

The next installment of An Illustrated History of the Noyyau will be out in a day or two (having a day job seems to consume a lot of my time), and will feature:
-new cities!
-barbarian hordes! (man, did I ever get what I asked for)
-the RNGod making me pay dearly for my luck in combat!
-new civs! And they're all jerks.
-Revolutions! Again, I got what I asked for!

Come watch how I almost got eliminated in the Ancient Era!

 

[baseballpie]

Dang you baseballpie. THAT'S MY JOB!

Not anymore.

I will now go back and correct numerous grammar mistakes in it.

 

[Noyyau]

A few notes before beginning:
-for some reason no religions were founded, even if the proper techs have been discovered. Probably because I tinkered in the religion file. I think I fixed it now, and might WB in a few holy cities, but... I don't really want to do that, it would spoil the exploration of the world. And yet, religions are quite important. What to do?
-good thing I save often, I had some crashes along the way but nothing major, still, a couple battles might have gone differently, who knows.


The ancient Noyyau, exploring their surroundings, discovered that, barring isolated villages, they were not alone. But it seemed that, whoever these people were, they were not interested in talking. Or anything, really, except killing us.

Spoiler :

Nature itself kept reminding the Noyyau that life was harsh. Still, not everything was trying to kill them: some of the minor tribes proved to be friendly and helpful, offering gifts to the explorers.

Spoiler :

During this time, judging by findings in the lower strata under Robertia, several discoveries were made. One of the most important was the production and use of dedicated stone tools, instead of simple rocks and bones.

Spoiler :

Another advancement was the use of local plants and extracts as remedies for various ailments. While this ultimately proved effective and raised life expectancy, the trial-and-error method used to determine which plants were useful was...well, not pleasant.

Spoiler :

To allow the population to grow, it was realized that simple subsistence farming and gathering was not enough. So, as the legends say, the wise elders formed a council to try and organize the people for the greater good of all.

Spoiler :

This was seen as an affront to the evil gods of death and famine, which sent invaders to stop the Noyyau. However, our warriors were brave and strong, and while the farmers labored to till the soil, the emissaries of the gods were defeated.

Spoiler :

And then the gods of growth and fertility smiled on us, and lo, the food was plenty and nobody was in hunger.

Spoiler :

While still incapable of making their own bows, the ancient Noyyau feared these powerful weapons, and struggled to find a way to protect themselves from them, until a new, larger shield began to be used: the tower shield, which was able to protect most of the warrior's body from arrow volleys. This shield would prove vital in the centuries to come.

Spoiler :

 

[Noyyau]

More to come probably tomorrow, and that will be the interesting stuff!

 

[GreekAnalyzer]

Nice!

 

[pole475]

Cool story,
Subbed...

 

[baseballpie]

Fascinating...... (Insert Spock picture here)

 

[pole475]

You insert too many pictures

 

[constantinople]

There's no such thing as too many screenies.
(Subscribed)

 

[Noyyau]

Well the screenshots are hidden under the

Spoiler :

spoiler

tags anyway, nobody's forcing you to click them
Also, I called it an "Illustrated History" for a reason!

Working on the next bit. Man I do take too many screenies though. Or simply too much stuff happens!

 

[Noyyau]

In those times, life changed very slowly, and generation after generation repeated the same activities with little to no change.
Still, innovations did happen, and the slow but constant increase in land use and the need to move resources prompted the invention of something to help, which nowadays we consider obvious. Something at the very foundation of almost every technology and activity: the wheel.

Spoiler :

Throughout all of our ancient history, there have been enemies trying to steal the fruits of our labor. From marauding bands of thieves to foreign organized armies, and anything in between, our lands have always been soaked in the blood of invader and defender alike.

Spoiler :

For the first time in centuries, dissent rose among the Noyyau people: some felt the need to move again, to leave the lands of their ancestors and brave the wilderness, looking for a place where to settle anew and write their own history.
Departing ahead of their families and friends, warriors opened the way and secured an area on the shores of a peninsula, surrounded by verdant forests and abundant with wild animals which would prove easy to domesticate (and tasty to grill).

Spoiler :

It would be decades before contact could be established between Robertia and Evron, as the new settlement was named. So long, that only a few robertian elders remembered that faraway day when the migrants left, and barely at that, being at the time no more than children sitting on their parents' shoulders.
Now the two shards of Noyyau civilization were united again, and communication and trade slowly but surely began moving along dirt paths and the shallows of the coast.

Spoiler :

The few brave explorers who kept ranging in distant lands found it increasingly difficult to return home. Indeed, “exploring” became synonymous with “disappearing” and “suicide”. “Explorers” were unhinged individuals with no sense of self-preservation.
Excavations in several areas of our continent revealed the presence of arrow heads and spear tips of probable Noyyau origin, dating from what is usually called “the exploration era”. Since virtually everytime they were found mixed with local weapons, the grisly fate of the Noyyau rangers is easy to infer.

Spoiler :

The first use of metals in Noyyau society dates from the 168th Turn, when some unknown tinkerer managed to melt copper containing minerals. These new materials were quickly recognized for their exceptional characteristics (compared to bone and stone), and copper tools entered widespread use virtually overnight. This jump in the quality of the tools sparked a shipbuilding boom: in Robertia the tool- and ship-builders gathered in an area which became known as the Arsenal (where later weapon manufacture would also be established). So many new boats were put to good use in the fishing of more distant locations, which proved bountiful in seafood.

Spoiler :

The discovery of metal casting happened at the best moment possible, as in the same timeframe our civilization found itself on the brink of extinction.
Before the ancient Noyyau began bothering to distinguish between their foes, they simply called “Barbarian” anything that moved and was hostile (and that was pretty much everything they encountered outside their settlements). At that time, the ancient Noyyau did not yet know how to write, so all culture and tradition was passed on orally, with the usual embellishments over the ages.
Because of this, we do not know exactly who were the “barbarian horde” that almost wiped out Robertia, or when exactly were they first sighted approaching Noyyau lands.

Spoiler :

Spurred by necessity, the elephant hunters tried to tame the great beasts for use in war. While they managed to tame some specimens, it would still be a long time before any of them would be trained and used in combat.

Spoiler :

 

[Noyyau]

Dating is approximate at best, with the chaos of this period, but a reasonable guess is that the major battles between the entrenched Noyyau of Robertia and the barbarian invaders took place around Turns 189 and 190, probably in several different engagements during the course of the years.
The defenders decimated their foes, but were themselves almost exterminated. Of the few survivors, epic ballads remember one Georgy Zhukov, supposedly one of the commanders, to whom are ascribed so many deeds, that several filologists believe him to be the personification of all of the commanders, and not a real person.
Still, one thing is sure: if it had not been for incredible bravery and luck in combat on that distant day, we would not be here today, and the world would be a very different place.

Spoiler :

After the major battles of the previous Turns, both combatants were reduced to mere bands of survivors, and the barbarians began their retreat. Emboldened by their successful, if costly, defense, the Noyyau pursued their foes until the last one of them had been slain.
This determination and revenge, even in front of overwhelming enemies, pervades Noyyau mentality to this day.
The historical consequence, as we all know, was that our culture developed around the core concept of “We will bury them.”, later better enunciated as “No matter how long or difficult it will be, any who attack us shall meet their doom.” (But for the layman, it's simply “Kill”).
Novels, movies, and any other form of entertainment are still set in that period. Here's an excerpt from “Bloodspear”:
[...]
This is our land. I know the stars above us from staring up from my cradle, and the woods and glades here from when I rode out with my first sweetheart, away from prying eyes. The men around me are thinking the same thing - hate and love burns in their eyes. Love for the land, and hate for the foul invader.
[...]
Midnight comes. An owl calls out - the old call for a night raid. I slip out of the bush, casting off the straw mat, and leap into action, slaying as quickly as I can. We know this is probably our last battle. I breathe deeply of the air of my ancestral lands, and charge at a man. My spear sates its hunger, but not mine. Not yet. More of them still draw breath, certainly aware they will do so only a short while longer.

Spoiler :

The veterans of the barbarian invasion took to exploration, as they could not or would not return to a life of peace after such experiences. More fighting awaited them, and new epic tales were sung of another great hero, Richard the Lion-Hearted, who single-handedy wiped out and entire village of hostile tribesmen (or so says the tradition). After his great deeds he returned to Robertia, where he took to training the new generation of warriors, imparting great wisdom and harsh lessons.

Spoiler :

A generation later, a new threat appeared on the horizon, this time from the sea. Ships laden with raiders approached our coasts, scattering and sinking the fishing boats and marauding the coast for years.
While the sea had become a dangerous place, this occasion was the baptism of fire for the tamed elephants, which proved to be a powerful and frightening weapon.

Spoiler :

 

[baseballpie]

Ooooooooooooooh.....

 

[pole475]

Barbs?

 

[Noyyau]

The raiders were finally chased away and the first Noyyau admiral took his rightful place in the annals of history.

Spoiler :

While Robertia struggled with a proliferation of vermin, which came close to causing famine, the concept of “civilization” was spreading among several settlements. The Noyyau, oblivious to what was going on in the rest of the world, would discover the effects of this wave of civilization in just a few short centuries.
The lands which had seemed so empty just a few generations before, now teemed with different cultures... and all of them wanted us dead.

Spoiler :

There were still plenty of “uncivilized” bands roaming the continent, though, so that the warriors had always someone to fight, be it on land or sea.

Spoiler :

In the rare times of apparent peace, or rather lack of enemies, nature itself provided targets to the bloodthirtsty Noyyau warriors.

Spoiler :

In Turn 248, when a second group of emigrants had just left Robertia to settle near a recently discovered large deposit of copper bearing minerals, another threat appeared: spear-toting barbarians calling themselves “Philistines”.

Spoiler :

Fewer in number than their predecessors, these Philistines however were better armed, but most importantly didn't blindly charge at the Noyyau fortifications. Rather, they kept to the woods and hills between Robertia and Evron, awaiting for the right moment to strike.

Spoiler :

And their patience was rewarded. Though losing about half their number to the famed Noyyau spears, the Philistines quickly decimated the over-eager town militia of Evron, who had left the city to “snatch some glory before the spearmen took it all to themselves”.
This fatal mistake would have dire consequencies, and the lasting effects would be felt for centuries.
The second spearmen formation, still tired from the fighting in the forests, rushed to the settlement, but they could only watch helplessy as Evron's doom approached.

Spoiler :

 

[GreekAnalyzer]

Noooooooo!