Celts need to be an ancient era civilization.

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

I really wish the devs decided on four ages rather than three. I would of gone with

Bronze Age
Classical Age (goes until early middle ages)
Imperial Age (middle ages to early industrial revolution)
Modern Age

I wouldn't have minded 4 ages either. But in my opinion, I'd go Antiquity>Medieval>Exploration>Modern.

 

[Evie]

I'm With Zaarin. Three ages is best for gameplay, and for civ diversity. Four ages just forces rethreading the same ground over and over again (and remove flexibility to have earlier or later civilizations in a different era

Plus in many regions of the world, four ages unless the fourth age is Atomic/Information just means using poorly documented civilizations of questionable existence or archaeological civilizations of which we know very little, not even names (not proto-historical civs like the Mississippian of which we know a relatively large amount especially in the US southeast where they survived to contact, but civs of which we know far less).

 

[Lord Yanaek]

I do hope the Celts come back as a single entity. Sure there were many different tribes but does a tribe qualify as a "civilization"? They had enough socio-cultural similarities to be remembered by history as a single group. "Celts" are far more iconic than Gaul (who are already far more iconic than any other tribe) and there are still people today that identify as Celts (good luck finding someone who.identify as Gaulish, well i guess some people in France do but that's more frenchy bragging than anything else ). A single Celt civilization would have more options for uniques and could open more civilizations in the later eras. Also with Civ7 multi-layered special abilities, it would certainly be possible to design some uniques that reflect the diversity within the group.

Either way, i think it's a safe bet that one celtic civilization will be in the game sooner or later.

 

[Uberfrog]

"Celts" are far more iconic than Gaul (who are already far more iconic than any other tribe) and there are still people today that identify as Celts (good luck finding someone who.identify as Gaulish

Some notes on terminology.

The word “Celt” comes from the Greek Κελτοί and may be derived a word Celtic people used for themselves, or be a Greek exonym.

The word “Gaul” comes from Latin Galli and referred to a broad group of Celtic people who lived across a broad swath of continental Europe (not just modern France). They are not a specific tribe, and the term already covers many different peoples and confederations, e.g. the Helvetii, the Arverni and the Aedui.

The terms were used interchangeably by the Romans, Caesar himself claims that the Gauls called themselves Celtae.

The broader sense of a Celtic linguistic and cultural grouping only came later, and included Brythonic, Goidelic and Celtiberian people who share related (but distinct) languages, and who normally identify as “Celtic” today. But this has more to do with nationalist movements in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany than how Iron Age peoples identified. Indeed the exact relationship between insular Celtic languages and the continental languages remains a point of debate.

So I am happy with an Antiquity era civ called either Celts or Gauls, but I would prefer it to focus on the continental group actually referred to as such during the Roman period, rather than a broader blob that tries to also fold in Irish and British tribes, who were then considered distinct.

Alternatively I would love to see a specific Gaelic civilisation – representation for Ireland is long overdue, but I’d prefer a medieval Irish civ.

 

[Zaarin]

I do hope the Celts come back as a single entity. Sure there were many different tribes but does a tribe qualify as a "civilization"? They had enough socio-cultural similarities to be remembered by history as a single group.

That's just the Hellenistic bias of our history. The Greeks also saw everyone inhabiting the Levant as a single group--NB they called Aramaeans "Phoenicians." The Celts were a group of cultures, not a single culture; they didn't worship the same gods or even speak the same language. Gaulish would not help you talk to a Celtiberian or Gallaecian or Briton. Even "Cisalpine Gaulish" is increasingly being recognized as not directly related to Gaulish.

there are still people today that identify as Celts

That's just nationalism. Yes, Irish, Gaelic, and Welsh are Celtic languages. They're also Indo-European languages. Maybe we should have an Indo-European civ that covers all of Europe, Greater Persia, and northern India conveniently.

A single Celt civilization would have more options for uniques and could open more civilizations in the later eras. Also with Civ7 multi-layered special abilities, it would certainly be possible to design some uniques that reflect the diversity within the group.

I'd consider this a compromise of the Mississippian civ, not a bonus. We simply don't know enough about the Mississippians to make a more specific civilization. We do about the Celtic peoples. We've already had the sort of Celtic civ you describe in Civ5, and frankly the Civ5 Celtic civ is one of the most patently offensive mishmashes to come out of Civilization. There's nothing a Celtic civ could bring to the table that couldn't be adequately represented by a Gaulish civ. Quickly sketched example:

Isarnon Gallika: Gauls gain +X Gold for every Empire Resource they have access to. Gauls gain +X gold from pillaging.

Unique Building: Nemeton: Happiness base; gains Culture from adjacent wonders, lakes, navigable rivers, and mountains.
Unique Building: Briga: Production base; gains Gold from adjacent resources. Must be built on rough terrain.
Unique Quarter: Dunon: Counts as a Fortified tile; gains +1 Culture and +1 Influence for every trade route to or from this city. Allows building Druuides.

Unique Military Unit: Ambaxtoi: Unique heavy infantry wearing chainmail and carrying a heavy shield and spear. Gains +2 combat strength when defending; can create fortifications in half time.

Unique Civilian Unit: Druwides: Each Druwits may only be built once, etc., etc.

Best of all, no references to nonsense like "woad warriors."

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

Best of all, no references to nonsense like "woad warriors."

What's wrong with woad warriors?

 

[Zaarin]

What's wrong with woad warriors?

Woad cannot dye skin; it is extremely caustic and causes terrible burns. Britons did use "naked" shock troops ("naked" in quotes because it probably means unarmored, not nude) similar to berserks, but the staple of Celtic warfare that they were famous for throughout Antiquity was heavy infantry. The Celts were among the first to invent chainmail. So woad warriors are a weird stereotype based on mashing together several of Caesar's (already suspicious) accounts, not based on actual Celtic tactics. In general, the Gauls were urbanized, organized, and rich; it's pandering to modern stereotypes to portray them as naked tree-hugging hippies and Conan-style barbarians.

 

[ehecatzin]

Even as a Bronze Age nerd, I think three ages is the correct decision from a gameplay perspective.

I was advocating for splitting Antiquity into two eras, but after finally seeing gameplay I think Antiquity works just fine as is (I would love to see all eras expanded tho).

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Some notes on terminology.

The word “Celt” comes from the Greek Κελτοί and may be derived a word Celtic people used for themselves, or be a Greek exonym.

The word “Gaul” comes from Latin Galli and referred to a broad group of Celtic people who lived across a broad swath of continental Europe (not just modern France). They are not a specific tribe, and the term already covers many different peoples and confederations, e.g. the Helvetii, the Arverni and the Aedui.

The terms were used interchangeably by the Romans, Caesar himself claims that the Gauls called themselves Celtae.

The broader sense of a Celtic linguistic and cultural grouping only came later, and included Brythonic, Goidelic and Celtiberian people who share related (but distinct) languages, and who normally identify as “Celtic” today. But this has more to do with nationalist movements in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany than how Iron Age peoples identified. Indeed the exact relationship between insular Celtic languages and the continental languages remains a point of debate.

So I am happy with an Antiquity era civ called either Celts or Gauls, but I would prefer it to focus on the continental group actually referred to as such during the Roman period, rather than a broader blob that tries to also fold in Irish and British tribes, who were then considered distinct.

Alternatively I would love to see a specific Gaelic civilisation – representation for Ireland is long overdue, but I’d prefer a medieval Irish civ.

I'd love an Exploration Ireland civ too. The question I want to know is would Gaul into Ireland be acceptable? If so, then I wouldn't mind that instead of a broader Celts civ just to reach them.
From what I know is Gallic tribes reached into Brittany, and the Bretons would be the closest continental group to Gaelic Ireland.

 

[Zaarin]

The question I want to know is would Gaul into Ireland be acceptable?

Mississippians > Hawai'i

From what I know is Gallic tribes reached into Brittany, and the Bretons would be the closest continental group to Gaelic Ireland.

No, the Continental Celts are all extinct/absorbed into other cultures. The Bretons are immigrants from Cornwall. They are Insular Celts, despite living on the Continent.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Mississippians > Hawai'i

Well, they are both U.S. states.
Now we just need Georgia back.

No, the Continental Celts are all extinct/absorbed into other cultures. The Bretons are immigrants from Cornwall. They are Insular Celts, despite living on the Continent.

Yes, I knew Bretons were Insular Celts, I guess I never realized that's because they emigrated from the Isles to northern France. But I guess you are right that if Mississippians>Hawaii exist than Gaul>Ireland wouldn't be that weird.

 

[Zaarin]

Well, they are both U.S. states.

That will also be convenient if the Philippines ever get added.

 

[Lord Lakely]

Let's just say that I'm highly receptive to the return of the Gauls as an Antiquity Civ, and much less so than blobby Celts. Ditto for the Irish who are an easy fit into Exploration.