Anno Domini for Civilization VII

[Rob (R8XFT)]

First off, the mod will definitely happen. However, there's a little matter about scope that I need to consider and I wondered what your thoughts were?

I could create Anno Domini as a single-era mod, keeping everything in an Antiquity-encapsulated game.

Alternatively, I could create it over three eras and have successive civilizations much like the base game, but for me, there really would need to be some historical accuracy in terms of the civilizations. There'd be no Harriet Tubman of Sparta...and that bit's easy to sort out. The thing is, when you try to break it down to three time zones all based in the ancient era, it becomes more difficult to match it up authentically. Civilizations evolved at different times.

The three time zones, I think, would be pre-500 BC ish, around 500BC - around 200AD, and from then on up to maybe even the Normans, but that might be a bit too far forward.

In that scenario, we could have Egypt becoming Ptolemaic Egypt, then perhaps the Abbasids. The Etruscans could become Rome, who could then become the Byzantines, the Lombards or even the Papal States. I certainly don't want to represent some of the civilizations as Roman provinces!

However, there's the first issue as lots of other civs could become the Byzantines!! I guess we have the first Bulgar empire in that time zone, so that could be used....

Another issue comes with Britain, where I'd like there to be some representation. In the second era, we could have some of the different Celtic tribes like the Iceni and Brigantia, that then become Mercia, Wessex, or even the Anglos, Saxons and Jutes.

So, there's some initial ideas. Any thoughts?

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

If anyone is unsure what Anno Domini is, it's a completely playable mod that replaces the core game, so that everything is in the traditional ancient/classical era. It has a new technology tree (and a new civic tree for those versions of Civilizations that have them). There's lots of new units, civilizations - you get to play otherwise obscure civs with their own uniques. There's already a version of it in Civilizations III, V and VI.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Just as an example of the art (I did some of the leaderheads and other art myself), here's Teuta of Illyria in Civilization VI. I'd be looking to have this artwork (and others from Civilization VI) in the Civilization VII iteration of Anno Domini, if (when really) the community or Firaxis create the facility to use 2D leaders.

 

[Goldflash]

Ah, new game, new Anno Domni. Another thing you could do, possibly in addition rather than in place of your plans, is have an Anno Domini version of the Antiquity age (new units, tuned up tech tree etc) that then feeds into the rest of the normal game. Have fun Rob and good to see you.

 

[Kurtbob]

I dont think you would need to push into the dark ages to use a three age system. The History of the world boardgame (2001 version) breaksdown the ancient world into three epochs. (see attachments for playable empires).

Each epoch also included a minor kingdom and empire as bonus cards.
3000bc -> 1400bc
Caananites and Hittites
1400bc -> 450bc
Phoenicians and Etruscans
450bc ->300ad
Mayans and Kush

A three age Anno Domini would rock

 

[dashazzard]

I'm always excited to see more anno domini, had a lot of fun with it in V. I love the three ancient ages idea, something like Age of Myths, Age of Classics, Age of Prophets comes to my mind. Maybe one of the age ending crisis could be a huge unknown foreign invasion like the Sea Peoples which led to the bronze age collapse. A victory condition around visiting/building and guarding oracles for the second age would also rock, maybe you could get to them by traveling philosopher units that travel the world getting tech and civic boosts by going to foreign districts, meeting other players philosopher units, seeing natural and manmade wonders, or witnessing battles, but they only have a certain xp cap before they can produce a great work and the unit vanishes, or keep traveling but never make a great work, or create a special temple/academy somewhere. Maybe their xp cap starts a clock which has a higher chance of killing them every turn, incentivizing you to choose quickly and in advance if you want him to come back and make a building, keep exploring, or just take the great work wherever you are.

I think the crisis for the second era should be nicknamed "platos cave," and it would have the game progressively assault you with text after events and masteries that questions why you're spending so much time playing video games, asks you what problems in your life you're dissociating from, asks you to check your civ playtime and asks if you've spent that much time this year talking to women, and so forth. the dialogues would be initially closeable but slowly they would take longer and longer to close. there is no gameplay challenge whatsoever, other than being confronted with the fact that life has infinite possibilities and we choose to spend our time alone in our rooms cosplaying the accomplishments of others. lol.

A massive Confucian style civic testing regime would be another cool second age win condition, needing to assign specialists in cities with certain civic buildings who every time the city grows "take the test" and have a random chance (partially improvable with certain conditions like if civ is at peace, city has garden or academy, etc) of "graduating" and becoming a new "government specialist" with improved bonuses (and maybe for history's sake also a special hat). Once you reach x number of government specialists you would meet the win condition. I also like the idea of a Silk Road win condition about resource number and diviersity, trade route range, and number of civs met that could be in both the second and third ages, giving the player more cohesion between playstyles in different eras. I like the concept of the ages in VII right now but I feel like its too much of a reset in every age, the reset mentality is amazing for declutter but it also needs to feel like your choices in one era set up opportunities in the next.

Third age religions acting as late game ideology factions would be cool too, the first half of the age would be about spreading your religion and then everyone gets locked in to a holy war at the end or something to finish the last age. Maybe there could be a harmony diplo path to not have to fight each other too. I think it would be cool if a few (2-4) great prophets would be born in total, and you would have to them set up with choices in the second era, with oracles, temples, traditions and so forth. Or maybe the third age would be Age of Empires (lol) and there's some emperor victory condition after you have a number of other civs captured settlements, fully destroyed/integrated someone, built a certain amount of wonders, and so forth. Massive aquaduct project would be cool too as a win con, and so would a house of wisdom style great library project where you have to find/steal/trade the previous eras great works.

im very much just spitballing and could never make mods myself, especially not like anno domini, and id be super flattered if you ran with even one of these ideas. or just found them amusing haha. cant wait to see what you cook up !

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

I love these ideas!!

The key thing is, if Anno Domini becomes a multi-era mod, to make sure that we have realistic options for civilization progressions throughout this. The main issue is that these transitions happened at different times, which makes it more difficult to make it a consistent, true-to-history mod.

 

[Auraiz]

The biggest thing for me is not needing to buy every single nation leader dlc just to play the base anno domini.

Also I dont think there needs to be contiguous separate ages if there aren't going to be separate mechanics. Just have 1 age and dont force transition unless it makes sense.

 

[Rob (R8XFT)]

Sometimes that's needed though Auraiz; resources can be limited.