[NFP] Can anybody explain what Tupac Amaru actually does?

[kaspergm]

I think he was a Great General added with NFP, if I'm not mistaken, but the description of his ability leaves me completely confused: What is an "Indefensible and undefended" district?

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Seems like every district that doesn't have a unit in it, that's not an Encampment or City Center (maybe an Oppidum) considering those districts can defend themselves, receives a musketman. I'm not 100% sure though but it seems the most reasonable explanation.

 

[Andrew Johnson [FXS]]

He subverts the system of co-opting indigenous leaders that the Spanish put in place over the highly-populated Andean highlands, re-claims the title of "Inca" and seeks to create an authentic postcolonial indigenous state in South America.

 

[Saxo Grammaticus]

He subverts the system of co-opting indigenous leaders that the Spanish put in place over the highly-populated Andean highlands, re-claims the title of "Inca" and seeks to create an authentic postcolonial indigenous state in South America.

Amazing reply! It reminds me of how much curiosity Civilization has inspired over the years. From NFP, I particularly enjoyed reading about Mandala states, material which I imagine you must have written. Many thanks!

 

[Andrew Johnson [FXS]]

Amazing reply! It reminds me of how much curiosity Civilization has inspired over the years. From NFP, I particularly enjoyed reading about Mandala states, material which I imagine you must have written. Many thanks!

That really means a lot to hear. Thanks! I've only written some of the tail end of NFP - anything that had to go to Sean Bean preceded me, for instance (the writer preceding me also asked for my input on Khmer and Indonesia). And design cred belongs to others. But that name certainly came from me.

Mandalas are, of course, a research specialty of mine outside of Firaxis-related work (you can search Andrew Alan Johnson + Thailand or + anthropology to find that stuff) and present a particular problem for 4x games. CivV's Siam design had some of that (an affinity for city-state alliances), and EU4's "plunder your neighbors to boost your captial's development" Southeast Asian design pulls from that theory. But to really model how states were sometimes distant, sometimes theoretical abstractions with varying influence on regular peoples' lives is beyond the scope of what would be playable or, really, what would be fun. But that said, I tried to nod to some of the political systems that might be unfamiliar to players - even players from former "mandala states" who have since internalized the idea of the nation.

Tracing the history of, for instance, the Emerald Buddha or its sister image, the Pra Bang, is a history of mandalas competing over prestige and, to put it in terms they were likely thinking through, magico-religious power. In Christian Europe, too, getting relics from the Holy Land to bolster the prestige of a dynasty was also a thing associated with the Crusades (but I don't know off the top of my head of, say, France attacking Burgundy to steal a Holy Nail).

 

[Zaarin]

Mandalas are, of course, a research specialty of mine outside of Firaxis-related work (you can search Andrew Alan Johnson + Thailand or + anthropology to find that stuff) and present a particular problem for 4x games. CivV's Siam design had some of that (an affinity for city-state alliances), and EU4's "plunder your neighbors to boost your captial's development" Southeast Asian design pulls from that theory. But to really model how states were sometimes distant, sometimes theoretical abstractions with varying influence on regular peoples' lives is beyond the scope of what would be playable or, really, what would be fun. But that said, I tried to nod to some of the political systems that might be unfamiliar to players - even players from former "mandala states" who have since internalized the idea of the nation.

You're right, of course, that the mandala model probably would not be fun to play...but I think that, more broadly, a 4X game that could somehow break away from the nation model would be fascinating. I'm not a game designer and have absolutely no idea how it would be done.

Tracing the history of, for instance, the Emerald Buddha or its sister image, the Pra Bang, is a history of mandalas competing over prestige and, to put it in terms they were likely thinking through, magico-religious power. In Christian Europe, too, getting relics from the Holy Land to bolster the prestige of a dynasty was also a thing associated with the Crusades (but I don't know off the top of my head of, say, France attacking Burgundy to steal a Holy Nail).

In Western Europe you have the added complication that, in theory, the Church is an entity independent from the principalities and states. Again, in theory, all churches and monasteries belonged to the Church and all clergy worked directly for the Holy See. Exactly how that worked in practice resulted in the spilling of a lot of ink and occasionally blood, but for the most part most Christian rulers would have regarded it as unthinkable to plunder a church because the Pope could (and on occasion did) excommunicate even the most powerful rulers, potentially making their lives forfeit and their rule illegitimate (and this was partly why the Vikings so terrified Christian Europe: they saw churches and monasteries as easy prey due to their wealth and lack of defenses). Off the top of my head, the only instance I know of in Europe that involved stealing someone else's sacred site was the plunder of St. Mark's from Constantinople by Venice in the Fourth Crusade, and the Fourth Crusade was an anomalous event that shocked all of Christendom. (And if you happen to get a Catholic and an Orthodox Christian in a room together, you can guarantee the Fourth Crusade will be brought up; 800 years later it's still a touchy subject.)

 

[Hellenism Salesman]

I feel a little bad for OP. Their question prompted some really good historical discussion (seriously, guys, you've shown to me once again why I always come back to this forum and never fail to find interesting posts )... but still no answer.

 

[Zaarin]

I feel a little bad for OP. Their question prompted some really good historical discussion (seriously, guys, you've shown to me once again why I always come back to this forum and never fail to find interesting posts )... but still no answer.

I suspect the answer @Alexander's Hetaroi gave is correct; at least, that is also how I would interpret it.

 

[Zegangani]

I feel a little bad for OP. Their question prompted some really good historical discussion (seriously, guys, you've shown to me once again why I always come back to this forum and never fail to find interesting posts )... but still no answer.

The Database Code for that Effect isn't clear either, because it's hardcoded. It's a Modifier that Grants Musketman Units in all Districts that aren't defensible, which is define as a bolean value "IgnoreDefensible", and it overrides (means, also applies to) Uniques, which are Unique Districts. So @Alexander's Hetaroi's Answer is reasonable I think.

 

[pokiehl]

The Database Code for that Effect isn't clear either, because it's hardcoded. It's a Modifier that Grants Musketman Units in all Districts that aren't defensible, which is define as a bolean value "IgnoreDefensible", and it overrides (means, also applies to) Uniques, which are Unique Districts. So @Alexander's Hetaroi's Answer is reasonable I think.

“Overriding uniques” in the database always refers to unique units

 

[Zegangani]

“Overriding uniques” in the database always refers to unique units

good to know!

 

[Oberinspektor Derrick]

Such a bad retirement ability.
The general is to be used on atomic/modern era units, yets gives just a couple of renaissance units if you sacrifice him.
Can't see many scenarios where you would actually want that (no, I'm not asking you to come up with a niche scenario, just stating the fact of the matter here).

 

[Patine]

In Western Europe you have the added complication that, in theory, the Church is an entity independent from the principalities and states. Again, in theory, all churches and monasteries belonged to the Church and all clergy worked directly for the Holy See. Exactly how that worked in practice resulted in the spilling of a lot of ink and occasionally blood, but for the most part most Christian rulers would have regarded it as unthinkable to plunder a church because the Pope could (and on occasion did) excommunicate even the most powerful rulers, potentially making their lives forfeit and their rule illegitimate (and this was partly why the Vikings so terrified Christian Europe: they saw churches and monasteries as easy prey due to their wealth and lack of defenses). Off the top of my head, the only instance I know of in Europe that involved stealing someone else's sacred site was the plunder of St. Mark's from Constantinople by Venice in the Fourth Crusade, and the Fourth Crusade was an anomalous event that shocked all of Christendom. (And if you happen to get a Catholic and an Orthodox Christian in a room together, you can guarantee the Fourth Crusade will be brought up; 800 years later it's still a touchy subject.)

Although, I believe a couple of Holy Roman Emperors (Friedrich III and Karl IV, I think - I may have erred in their regnal numbers) liked to take big armies (often padded with Northern Italian mercenaries) and March on Rome (though not quite the same as an infamous other Imperialist in the 1920's) to menace the Pope and the Vatican into seeing things his way in a big dispute.

 

[Zaarin]

Although, I believe a couple of Holy Roman Emperors (Friedrich III and Karl IV, I think - I may have erred in their regnal numbers) liked to take big armies (often padded with Northern Italian mercenaries) and March on Rome (though not quite the same as an infamous other Imperialist in the 1920's) to menace the Pope and the Vatican into seeing things his way in a big dispute.

Yes, and France was far enough away that it often paid lip service to Rome before doing its own thing. The relationship between Church and State in Medieval Europe was much more complicated than most people realize, with both constantly jockeying for power and neither side clearly winning.