Civ and Leader Idea: Joseon + Sejong the Great + Admiral Yi Sunsin

[gdr_willter]

Hi guys! Today is the last day of the renwal of my 3 month old idea thread with our latest knowledges about new features of Civ 7. The final heros are the Joseon dynasty, Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sunsin!
Click the spoiler to read more informations about the historical sources and design intentions

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JOSEON - MODERN AGE CIVILIZATION​

Unique Ability

Nongsajikseol: Rural Districts gain Food Adjacency from Specialists. Gain a free Growth Event for Specialist once three Rural District built in the Settlement.


Attributes:

• Expansionist
• Cultural

Spoiler About Ability and Attributes :

Nongsajikseol (Book of Agricultural Knowledges)

During the transition of Yuan-Ming, the commerce of Goryeo got the critical damage mainly because the former key currency of Asia supported by Yuan (Jiaochao) lost its value. Replacing Goryeo, the Confucian scholars of the Joseon dynasty dealt with this economic crisis by promoting the domestic agriculture. There are some symbolic concepts show it well, like Sanonggongsang (the priority order of scholars, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants) and Nongsacheonhajidaebon (agriculture is the basis of the nation). Joseon politicians belived their duty is feeding people well. So they endeavored to increase the agricultural productivity and to keep the low tax economy, and it was successful in some degree until the disasters of lethal wars and famines fell upon the kingdom. As a part of this endeavor, Sejong the Great ordered his scholars to compile the first official agricultural book, Nongsajikseol. It contains the vast information about farming techniques optimized for the Korean terrain and weather. In this context, I designed the positive feedback loop between Specialists and Rural areas.

Attributes

Yes, Joseon is not generally regarded as the "Expansionist" country. But the Expansionist Attribute in Civ 7 includes many bonuses on Growth and Specialists, which fit well with the Joseon Civ. And Joseon was the one which estabilished the nowadays Korean territory with its natural border of Amnokgang and Dumangang Rivers to be fair. And there was the hard choice between Scientific and Cultural... Mine was Cultural. Because I wanted to make a continuous Cultural Victory playthrough with 3 Korean Civs, and moreover, we've seen those scientific Joseon Korea so long in this franchise.

Civic Trees

Sinjin Sadaebu

• Tier 1: Unlocks Hyanggyo Unique Building. Gain Science for every Tradition didn't slotted into the Government.
• Tier 2: Every Specialist in Capital grants Production.

Bungdang

• Tier 1: Unlocks Seowon Unique Building. Increased Specialist Limit in Cities. Decreased Happiness for every Specialist in Cities. Grants Science and Culture immediately when a new Specialist is allocated by a Growth Event.
• Tier 2: Grants free Growth Events for Specialist on the Capital. Unlocks 'Tangpyeongchaek' Tradition.
• Tradition - Tangpyeongchaek: Grants Happiness for every Specialist in Settlements. Twice in the Settlement have more than 10 Specialists.

Chunchugwan

• Tier 1: Every Great Work grants Happiness. Unlocks Gyujanggak Wonder.
• Tier 2: A Celebration grants a free Great Work* counted as an Artifact when there is at least one empty Great Work Slot in the empire, and the specific Great Work received is random.

*Possible List of Great Works:

• Yongbieocheonga
• Sejongsillok Jiriji
• Chiljeongsan
• Samgahaengsildo Eonhae
• Seokbosangjeol
• Sejosillok Akbo
• Gukjooryeui
• Gyeonggukdaejeon
• Edited Seonjosillok
• Seungjeongwon Ilgi
• Donguibogam
• Tongsinsa Deungnok
• Ilseongnok
• Hwaseong Uigwe
• Joseonwangjo Eochaek

Spoiler About Civic Trees :

Civic Trees

I mainly gave direct Civic bonuses instead of Traditions in this case. Anyway you may not use most of Traditions because of the Sinjin Sadaebu Civic. Unfortunately it missed the Exploration Scientific LP while it has the high potential of the output of Specialists, but that is still important to gain any Victory in the Modern Age too.

Sinjin Sadaebu (Rising Confucianists)

The rising power of scholars and bureaucrats who learned Neo-Confucianism strongly criticized evils of the late Goryeo, expecially the corrupted Buddhism. After they carried out a revolution and succeed, the brand new Joseon dynasty became the complete Confucianism kingdom. They abolished lots of folks and Buddhism practices, and implemented the Neo-Confucianism politics. This is why I setted this Civic made Joseon to remove its Traditions from the goverment.

Bungdang (Factional Politics)

Entering the mid Joseon era, the cabinet devided into several factions and made boundless conflicts about ongoing political issues. Some critics regard these Bungdang wasted national power for useless disputes, while some others consider those were the incipient form of party politics that granted various alternative suggetions. So in the Joseon Civ, the political tension in the goverment decrease Happiness in Cities, but the newly recruited Specialists grants immediate outputs from the political debates.

Tradition - Tangpyeongchaek (Faction-Balanced Appointment Policy)

King Yeongjo and Jeongjo tried to solve the evils of Bungdang by the balanced cabinet appointment and policy adoption. But it took not so long time to prove Tangpyeongchaek was an unsustainable policy without the overwhelming will of the philosopher king. Moreover, after the collapse of the false balance, ironically it caused the badly corrupted reign of potentates by weakening the factions. Sometimes historians critisize it for these results, but people still mention the virtue of Tangpyeong when they demand the political balance up to these days. This Tradition reduce the Happiness penalty of Bungdang.

Chunchugwan (National History Record Center)

This organization of the Joseon government was in charge of making official historical records, especially the annals of the dynasty. It was established in the early days of Joseon so it historically need to be front of Bungdang, but I pushed it back because it grants direct achivement for the Victory Condition. Happiness from the Great Works are just a flavor, the key is the Tier 2 bonus: free Artifacts. Actually there is kinda inaccuracy in the list because some of them were not the product of Chunchugwan, but the list with only Siloks is not so interesting so I chose some various Joseon records I prefer.

Unique Infrastructure

Gamyeong: Unique Quarter. Specialist in the Settlement grant additional Yield while a Commander is stationed in the Settlement.

Seowon: Unique Science Building. Grants a Great Work Slot. Cities which have an University at the start of the Age replace it with Seowon immediately, regardless of Civic Tree. Can purchased in Town.

Hyanggyo: Unique Culture Building. Gain a free Growth Event for Specialist when it is completed. Receive a Happiness Adjacency from Rural District. Can purchased in Town.

Spoiler About Infrastructure :

Gamyeong (Local Government Office)

Unlike the previous dynasties, Joseon had built the strong centralized kingdom. Hojok lost their power and the central government totally took the local authority by sending governors directly. These governors conducted local administration, jurisdiction, and military. For each Do (the highest domain), Gwanchalsa (the governor) automatically served as Byeongsa (the commander). This gave me an inspiration to design the bonus that the Commander efficienate the bureaucratic system in the Settlement, pairing up with the unique Commanders.

Seowon (Private Local Academy)

The private Confucianism institution estabilished by local Sarim factions, serving the commemorative rites for their great teachers and cultivation of their school. Its well known as unique Building of Korean Civ in this franchise (shown in 4 and 6). Its Science bonus is the hommage for this game tradition, and it's still reasonable considering the unchanged trend of focusing Confucianism on its secular and scientific side in Civ 7.

Hyanggyo (Official Local Academy)

The official Confucianism institution operated by the administration, serving the rites for Confucius and great teachers and cultivation of national brains for future bureaucrats. I think I just overwent about this building, it provides all of Culture, Specialist, Food and Happiness. But how can I hold it back that weave the whole synergy?

Unique Civilian Unit

Byeongsa: Unique Army Commander Unit. Gain a free Commendation Point.

Susa: Unique Fleet Commander Unit. Gain 2 free Promotions.


Unique Military Unit

Hwacha: Unique Ranged Unit. Increased Ranged Combat Strength. Increased Combat Strength against Fortified Units. Decreased Combat Strength against Walls.


Associated Wonder

Gyujanggak: Grants a free Technology and a free Civic. Every Specialists and Great Works in the empire grant additional Yield during Celebrations.


Starting Biases:

• Rice
• Navigable River

Spoiler About Units, Wonder and Biases :

Byeongsa (Commander of Soldiers and Horses) and Susa (Commander of Naval Flotillas)

Each is short for Byeongma Jeoldosa and Sugun Jeoldosa. I couldn't choose only one of them so I picked them all, lol. Byeongsa usually was the civil officials who additionaly held the command, so they gets the authority(Commendation) but no exp. Meanwhile, Susa usually was the military officials who have actual combat experiences, so they gets Promotions but no authority.

Hwacha (Firing Cart)

The symbolic ancient missile launcher which was adopted to every single Korean Civ in this franchise. Does it need any more explanation? Yes it does. Because it can easily be anachronizing in the Modern Age which seems to be started from 18c and rapidly enter to the industrialization era. So I'll offer some flexibility to its expression from its literal name (firing cart), making the modelings unit upgrade tiers with Munjong Hwacha, Byeonijung Hwacha, and finally K136 Guryong rocket artillery.

Gyujanggak (Hall of Prominent Writings)

The royal library estabilished by Jeongjo. But it was not only the library, it functioned as the Confucianism reserching institution and the political advising staffs of the king. Interestingly, the "Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies" of Seoul National University directly inherit its history and library. Anyway, it isn't surprising that this wonder grants bonuses for Specialists and GWs, considering it is the combination of scholars and library. You may remind of the Jade Hall (Jipyeonjeon) from Civ 5 Korea, but I pushed it aside for the Leader ability of Sejong the Great.

Starting Biases

Seoul with Hangang River!

Civ Unlocks:

• Unlocked by Silla in Antiquity Age.
• Unlocked by Goryeo in Exploration Age.
• Unlocked by King Jinheung.
• Unlocked by Sejong the Great.
• Unlocked by Yi Sunsin.
• Unlocked by 3 Rices.
• Unlocked by 3 Cities possessing at least 10 Specialists.

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SEJONG THE GREAT​

Unique Ability

Jipyeonjeon: Can purchase Science Buildings in Towns. Increased Science from Great Works per Age. Increased Culture from Specialists per Age.


Attributes:

• Scientific
• Cultural

Agendas:

Sagun Yukjin: Decrease Relationship by a High Amount with the player that have the most Cavalry Units. Increase Relationship by a Medium Amount with the player that have the least Cavalry Units.


Starting Biases:

• Navigable River

Leader Legends:

• Memento - Hunminjeongeum: +10% Science from Happy Towns.
• Memento - Broken Gama: Gains Science when you lose a Civilian Unit.

Spoiler About Sejong the Great :

Sejong the Great is the 4th king of Joseon, who really is praised as the wise king and the great person in Korea. He accomplished lots of achievements in his reign. He created Hangul (Hunminjeongeum), encouraged learnings by estabilishing Jipyeonjeon, and conquered Sagun Yukjin to confirm the nowadays Korean border. He impressed Civ 5 gamers with his scientific superpower, and attended in Civ 6 too. You may wonder what is the broken gama(palanquin), it is inspired from the last record of Jang Yeongsil the great inventer who was appointed in Sejong's reign.

Associated Civ Choices:

• Silla
• Han
• Unlocks Joseon in Modern Age.

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YI SUNSIN​

Unique Ability

Admiral of Three Navies: Increased Resource Capacity in Settlement for every Unique Quarter in there. Every Land and Naval Units in the Command Radius ignore ZOC. Gain Influence per Age when eliminate enemy Commander.


Attributes:

• Militaristic
• Economic

Agendas:

Chungmugong: Decrease Relationship by a Medium Amount with the player that hve the most Naval Units. Increase Relationship by a Medium Amount for each Support from other players through the all Ages. Only triggers if Yi Sunsin has at least one Naval Unit.


Starting Biasis:

• Coast
• Navigable River

Leader Legends:

• Memento - Nanjung Ilgi: Gains a free Wildcard Attribute Point once each Commander gets the first Commendation Point.
• Memento - Turtle Ship: Grants +3 Combat Strength for every Naval Units.

Spoiler About Yi Sunsin :

Yi Sunsin is the general/admiral of Joseon who served as the Admiral of Three Navies (Samdo Sugun Tongjesa) during the Imjin War, the Japanese invasions of Korea. He led his fleets to victories over the dozens of naval battles, and change the result of the war by blocking Japanese fleets which tried to enter the Yellow Sea. He ordered to invent the unique Turtle Ship, and left the famous war diary (Nanjung Ilgi). Korean people praise him as the national hero, as the symbol of the national defense: Chungmugong. He was not only the great commender for the battles. He was also the great administrator who dealt well with the management of his military camps by operating supplies, finances, troops and warships capably - without any support from the government which had not enough strength because of the flight from the invasion of Japanese troops. That's why I gave him the Economic Attribute.

Associated Civ Choices:

• Silla
• Han
• Unlocks Joseon in Modern Age.

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Finally I completed the rework of 3 Korean Civs! Feel free to talk about this design and suggest something new ideas.

And don't forget to look around my another ideas for Silla and Goryeo Civ

 

[gdr_willter]

In addition, the Civ icon came from the first Taegukgi which used by Yi Eungjun in the signing ceremony of the Joseon–United States Treaty of 1882.
I originally considered to use the royal flag of the king of Joseon, but I picked Taegukgi because it is the living symbol of Korea until now.
It can be changed when we face the 4th Age, to design "Korea" Civ for it.

 

[Zaarin]

The royal flag of Joseon is one of my favorites.