Civ Design Challenge III - Alternate History

[Natan35]

My scenario would have been that Vladimir the Great sends his envoys to Bagdhad instead of Volga Bulgaria and is so impressed by its opulence and wealth that he decides on Islam when it comes time to make his choice. A Muslim Russia then begins to take shape, boxing Christendom in from all sides.

That's.... Alternative.
But it only involves one civ.

 

[Tarmont]

That's.... Alternative.
But it only involves one civ.

Safe to say that the history of the whole region would be different with a muslim Russia

I can already see the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth fighting back both the Ottomans and the Islamic Russians... It's... Glorious!

 

[SULOMON]

That's.... Alternative.
But it only involves one civ.

Except there were multiple political entities so there would be various civs. And I think such conversion would lead to civil war or something so there would definitely be multiple civs.

 

[Natan35]

Safe to say that the history of the whole region would be different with a muslim Russia

I can already see the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth fighting back both the Ottomans and the Islamic Russians... It's... Glorious!

You do realize its Vladimir he's talking about, right?

On the positive side, Muslims won't immigrate to Norway.

Spoiler :

 

[Tarmont]

You do realize its Vladimir he's talking about, right?

On the positive side, Muslims won't immigrate to Norway.

Spoiler :

Duh. In this scenario Vladimir converts to Islam, but the designs don't necessarily have to be set in his time.

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

Duh. In this scenario Vladimir converts to Islam, but the designs don't necessarily have to be set in his time.

Yeah thats the critical point - the civ you design could be anything! From Faladamir 'The Great' ibn Sviatoslav, the early Rus' ruler who made his name by converting to Islam and facing a punitive war against Byzantium in which he rallied the people of the Rus' Sultanate against the infidels, cementing Islam as the dominant faith of the region. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, the Islamic Republic of Russia in 1991, a country gripped by the collapse of its holdings in the East and facing a Orthodox Christian insurgency in the Southern Caucasus.

Could be a Teutonic order on Steroids which, bolstered by recruits who signed up to fight against the Muslim infidels, captures Novgorod and Pskov before marching on Moscow. Could be a crusader state carved out of the Crimea; the Kingdom of the Bosphorous, forged at the height of the crusades to fight against sufi Cossacks, the mighty Kievan Sultanate and raids from the infamous black sea corsairs.

I'd hardly say its restrictive.

 

[SULOMON]

Yeah thats the critical point - the civ you design could be anything! From Faladamir 'The Great' ibn Sviatoslav, the early Rus' ruler who made his name by converting to Islam and facing a punitive war against Byzantium in which he rallied the people of the Rus' Sultanate against the infidels, cementing Islam as the dominant faith of the region. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, the Islamic Republic of Russia in 1991, a country gripped by the collapse of its holdings in the East and facing a Orthodox Christian insurgency in the Southern Caucasus.

Could be a Teutonic order on Steroids which, bolstered by recruits who signed up to fight against the Muslim infidels, captures Novgorod and Pskov before marching on Moscow. Could be a crusader state carved out of the Crimea; the Kingdom of the Bosphorous, forged at the height of the crusades to fight against sufi Cossacks, the mighty Kievan Sultanate and raids from the infamous black sea corsairs.

I'd hardly say its restrictive.

As with the Inca scenario I'm pretty sure the time would be in a set date so there wouldn't be designs almost a thousand years apart. The scenario sounds good to me, not to restrictive but not with almost no restrictions.

 

[Howard Tafty]

As with the Inca scenario I'm pretty sure the time would be in a set date so there wouldn't be designs almost a thousand years apart. The scenario sounds good to me, not to restrictive but not with almost no restrictions.

Actually in a case of alternate history I think it would actually be a pretty good idea if you could actually analyze the state or states your designing as they hypothetically progress through thier (alternative) history, it just adds a bit of depth (Albiet I will admit this isn't my cup of tea so take this with a grain of salt)

 

[SULOMON]

Actually in a case of alternate history I think it would actually be a pretty good idea if you could actually analyze the state or states your designing as they hypothetically progress through thier (alternative) history, it just adds a bit of depth (Albiet I will admit this isn't my cup of tea so take this with a grain of salt)

Actually that's what I did. I designed my civ, wrote my backstory and then after looking over my backstory I redesigned my design

 

[Howard Tafty]

Actually that's what I did. I designed my civ, wrote my backstory and then after looking over my backstory I redesigned my design

I was talking more relative to your question, if anything it shouldnt focus on one period of time instead at any point of its history just so there can be civs that focus on all periods of the state (or surrounding states) existance.

 

[SULOMON]

I was talking more relative to your question, if anything it shouldnt focus on one period of time instead at any point of its history just so there can be civs that focus on all periods of the state (or surrounding states) existance.

That takes the challenge and interest out of it in my opinion. Not enough restriction. One of the most interesting parts of this and other challenges is seeing what people do with one civ (well in this case a couple more than one) or whatever and comparing them. If there's not enough restriction (like not setting a certain time) it almost becomes another design thread.

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

So when do we vote?

 

[NiaoMeow]

We will start the voting period tomorrow! if you still would like to submit a design, please do so promptly! And also, start thinking about who you would like to vote for

 

[Hoop Thrower]

Inca Empire

Spoiler :

Civilopedia:
With their seat of Power built around Vilcabamba. The Neo-Incan Empire had a rough beginning as a rump state left in the wake of the Spanish Conquest of the Americas, through careful diplomacy and internal conflicts between Conquistadors that led to a bloody Civil War that ended up destroying any hopes they had of building lasting states. The Inca became a sort of rarity in that they managed to buy peace out of the Spanish crown and become a sort of buffer state between the Spanish and Portuguese colonial possessions. Managing through sheer resilience and diplomatic acumen to become the only Native American nation to survive to modern times as a completly independent entity.

Fall of Cuzco & Resurgence

After the Cuzco capitulation where the Spanish took the heartland of the traditional Incan Rule, the surviving royalty of the Empire decided to retreat farther and farther within their territories, relocating the seat of the Empire in Vilcabamba.

Diplomatic Negotiations led to a truce within the remnants of the Inca Empire and the new Viceroyalty of Peru on 1571. After this a period of uneasy exchange between both polities allowed the Neo-Incan Empire to restore part of their control over their various subjects in the neighboring regions while carefully negotiating their relations with the new actor that had come upon their domains, carefully adapting to the new times and adopting some of the technology brought by these conquistadors.

The rule of Pacha Cusi saw a resurgence between the civil wars amongst Conquistadors which he took advantage of to get rid of most of the unequal treaties set by the Spanish Crown in exchange for support against the rebels in Potosi which led to a severe crisis within the Viceroyalty after the massacre that took place in said city, the seat of the of the wealth of the colony which in turn had become a puppet depending on the trade with the Incan Empire for survival.

Ekkeko and the Antisuyu Rule

The arrival of portuguese entradas at the eastern border of the Empire brought great chaos and disruption amongst the inhabitants of the farther Antisuyu region as the Bandeirantes had no considerations nor discerning between independent tribes and subjects to the Incan Empire.

The chaos brought by the constant enslaving raids and the search for new sources of Gold led to mass migrations to the west of the Empire, a period known as the "Capac Mitma", where the sudden irruption of thousands of refugees brought a period of unforeseen violence and destruction over the Empire which led to the final conquest of Vilcabamba by a leader of an, up to that point, obscure tribe, who'd take the name of Sapa Inca Ekkeko Pachacuti.

After securing his rule over the Empire. Ekkeko set out on campaigns of Conquest that increase the territory of the Empire to the point of almost doubling its extension over his lifetime. Greatly innovating on Mobile Warfare and Hit & Run tactics through difficult territories to best their oft more numerous enemies in the surrounding Spanish, and later Portuguese, Domains.

Neo-Incan Empire after Ekkeko

The rule of Ekkeko marked a complete shift in Incan history, changing an ethnically Quechua Dynasty to a succession of leaders of amazonian origin.

Though his rule brought a period of unprecedented wealth on the Neo-Incan state, his victories would prove to be short, as the fires of the American Revolution and later the wars of Independence from the various Latin American Colonies eventually fell upon an Incan Empire still reeling from the fires of a recent disruption of their traditional system meant that a new civil war wouldn't be too far from beginning. Leading to the creation of the two Successor states of the Incan Empire known to this day.

- Ekkeko

Spoiler :

Civilopedia


History:

Little is known about the origins of Sapa Ekkeko Pachacuti "the Restorer", but it's known that he was born on the Antisuyu Region of the Incan Empire, somewhere around the decade of the 1710s. Known as a shrewd, arrogant, if surprisingly progressive, despot, the views on his life are very divided to this day, though the lasting legacy of his rule is undiscussable.

Early Life

Presumably the son of a local chieftain of an amazonian tribe during the period of the Capac Mitma, Ekkeko became early on known as a ingenious tactician, often leading ambushes on unwitting Bandeiras that'd come seeking fortune throughout the treacherous corridors of the Yungas, a tactic that'd become all but perfected once he started his campaigns against the bandits that plagued the Andean roads that crossed his territory.

Campaigns against Vilcabamba

Becoming one of the most prominent of leaders in a coalition that saw an increasingly ineffective Incan Empire, he'd lead a series of incursions against Incan forces that'd lead him to often swift, crushing victories over an undisciplined, unprepared Quechuan army that wasn't prepared for the conditions of jungle fighting. Through a series of alliances and trade deals with foreign suppliers, he'd eventually build up an army that'd become the most technically advanced and experienced in the Americas, buying british Rifles off the ports in Quitu and a considerable number of artillery pieces, he laid down a siege on the City of Vilcabamba a few weeks before the Inti Rayma, leading to the final capture of the city and the Coronation ceremony right at the Summer Solstice, thus solidifying his rule.

The High War

Cementing his rule and quelling the last resistance pockets on the onset of the year 1750, his rule quickly engaged on a set of reforms that'd lead to a great change in the structure of the Empire. With the intention of restoring the Incan Empire through his ideal of becoming the "Hegemon of the Andes" is that he put particular care into modernizing his army so it could create an Empire that'd extend from the borders of the Cauca to the Aconcagua, effectively cutting in half the Spanish domains in South America and subjugating peoples that hadn't been under the suzerainty of the Incan Empire for centuries.

Judgment of History

Ekkeko is a divisive figure, some view him as a tyrant who took advantage of a chaotic time to take the reins of powers of a waning empire, a barbarian who'd become in turn one of the greatest despots the Americas have seen.

Others see him as a ruler who came in a time of crysis, a reformer who brought a much needed order to a decadent Empire that was on the brink of collapse through the pressure of foreign powers, a ruthless if fair ruler who ensured the independance of his nation at a critical time for centuries to come.

His legacy on the history of the continent is however unquestionable, his irruption through the continent set out the pieces that'd latter lead to the onset of the national identities of the various criollo nations that'd appear the next century over the continent, as well as being known as the father of not one, but two nations.

UA: Andean Hegemony: Civilian Units Ignore Terrain Penalties within your territory. Earn Golden Age Points from Pillaging Tiles.
UU: Kazachidur: Replaces Gatling Gun (Skirmisher with Enlightenment Era) +1 Range. Invisible on difficult terrain.

Spoiler :

Civilopedia:

The high altitude jungle that was home to most of the Incan Population during the 19th century led to a set of conditions that'd become a breeding grounds for some of the most skilled, tenacious sharpshooters to come out of the 18th century. Taking advantage of the developing of rifling technology during the century and thanks to a long metalworking tradition in the Andean valleys, the battles during the Capac Mitma became frequently decided through the careful shot of a skilled marksman. Carrying an indigenous modification of the Brown Bess, the Conquest during the High War saw the action of a surprisingly large number of light infantry units known a "Kazachidur", a name adopted from the Criollo's own units of "Cazadores".

UI: Pucara. Unlocked at Engineering. Can only be built on hills. +50% Defense, units starting their turn on a Pucara have +1 Movement point and ignore difficult terrain. +2 Movement Points in the case of artillery.

Spoiler :

Civilopedia:

The Creation of Fortifications across the Andes is a tradition that extends for millenia in the region, various polities cementing their rule or creating border posts in key locations to not only keep watch over rebellious peoples, but also as stop overs and supply points for the marching army.

During the High War, the use of these Fortifications were brought to greater prominence, as the greater reliance of the Incan Empire of Field Artillery meant that more often than not the army would rest on the back of a well fortified, well supplied Pucara out of which they could launch raids upon an increasingly weakened enemy.

 

[poom3619]

Well, I would really love what design this thread can turn out, but actually, I would play that "civ" in EU4 or CK2 and then make a civ out of them, at least Civilopedia would figuratively write itself and I for one would know how great my 6/6/6 leader are.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

PS. This is other's screenshot BTW, I don't think I could made this myself

@Urdnot_Scott. I pretty sure Century Gothic is the font you want to use when you want to show your civ icon to others. I don't really mind if you want to stick with Calibri, BTW.

 

[Natan35]

Wait: Pucara is yieldless?

 

[senshidenshi]

Wait: Pucara is yieldless?

Forts are yieldless, and the Pucara sounds like a superfort.

 

[Natan35]

I don't get how does the design fit the story. Especially the part with the civilian units.
(Besides, about the UI, it increases defence while also increasing movement? That's kinda counter intuitive...

(Many oopses)

 

[Hoop Thrower]

I didn't want to shoehorn the uniques into the history because, err... that's not how Civilopedias work. It'd just look unnatural and forced.

I really feel like it'd feel much more realistic if the Uniques were explained through their own civilopedias than making some sort of cameo(?) appearance through the civilopedia of the main civ.

Also, is the Pucara that difficult to comprehend? It is a plataform from which you can launch hit & run raids. I thought that'd be made clear enough through both civilopedia & ingame ability. Maybe I should have put the tactical descriptions of the units as well as the historical one.

 

[NiaoMeow]

Great submissions everyone! If you were not able to submit something for this first challenge, don't worry because we will hopefully have many more .
These are the great Incan civilizations you may vote for (please do not vote for yourself):


Incan Empire (Natan35)

Neo-Inca (senshidenshi)

Neo-Incan Empire (Urdnot_Scott)

The Hinti Empire (Gpuzzle)

The Incan Empire (SULOMON)

Alandalasuyu (Scapegrace)

Incan Empire (Hoop Thrower)


The voting period will last four days, and on Saturday I will announce the winner and post the next scenario. Good luck!