Civ design challenge

[ldvhl]

Welcome to the bi-weekly civ design challenge!​

Here's how it works: every two weeks, I'll present a challenging and undeveloped (in the terms of mods) civilization for members of the community to design. Prospective winners post their design here to the thread within a week of posting the challenge, and then we'll vote on the winners.

To be considered complete, a submitted civ design will need to include a leader, Unique Ability, and two uniques (building, unit, or improvement).

Previous Winners
Amalek: Natan35
Lesotho: Urdnott_Scott
Hopi: Urdnott_Scott
Eóganachta: Urdnott_Scott
Kuru: Uighur_Caesar
Chu: Currently in design phase. Designs are due by June 15th!
​

 

[ldvhl]

This session's challenge: the Amalek! Designs should be submitted by PM before 04/06.

These ancient people were called the First of Nations. Despite frequent conflict with the Israelites and numerous attempts to exterminate them, the Amalek may even have survived...

Will they resurface in an upcoming mod? We shall see...

Looking forward to everybody's submissions!

 

[ThorHammerz]

Do you want an actual mod, or just an idea in plain text?

 

[ldvhl]

Plain text. It's just a design challenge, not the whole shebang.

 

[jfoytek]

If this competition is about a design on paper and not actually creating a mod then this idea is great because it will create more idea's and more idea's the spirit of competition will get people trying to one up each other, and eventually the idea's here will probally end up being created at some stretch.... But if this was for the whole shebang then I would have said heck no terrible idea...

 

[ldvhl]

Yep. That's why I said just the design of the civ. That's all that's needed to enter.

 

[Scapegrace]

The Amalekites (Agag)
Start Bias: Desert
Capital: Amalek
UA: The Sword That Bereaves
Melee Land Units gain a +1% Combat Bonus against units from a Major Civilization for each turn you are at war with them. Your Cities generate +2 Faith per turn while at war for each other Major Civilization allied to you in that war.
UU: Sabu Nagib (replaces Spearman)
Starts with the Drill I and +1 Movement promotions. Additionally, has the promotion "Na-Arun", which grants it a 50% chance of increasing its base Combat Strength by 1 every time it kills a unit. Upgrades to Swordsman.
UB: Sacred Palms (replaces Temple)
+2 Faith, +2 Food. Generates +1 additional Faith and +5% Growth for each Major Civilization with whom you have a common enemy.
---
City List:
Amalek
Meribath-Kadesh
Kadesh-Barnea
Havilah
Shur
Rephidim
Seir
En-Mishpat
El-Paran
Avaris
El-Arish
Mesha
---
Spy List:
M: Haman, Apopi, Eliphaz, Keturah, Hagar, Agog, Nahor
F: Timna
---

Okay, making a Civ from this bunch? HORRIBLE. You've got what's purported to be an almost nomadic people - but who are also a nation-state with kings and boundaries - about whom the square root of nothing is known, who are mentioned precisely nowhere except Biblical sources (which are just so reliable), and I've got to come up with both cities AND spies? You're lucky you got this much, and the city list is stretched so thin it's practically transparent. I cheated like mad and I only came up with a dozen!

Ugh. Anyway, that's what I came up with. A Civ based on faith, food, and fighting, with decent synergy and an interesting concept for these ravagers of the Israelites... insofar as you can have an interesting concept for a civilization this mysterious. Sorry I can't do better. =[

 

[ldvhl]

I was wondering how long it would take you, glad you were up to the challenge! Let's see what other folks have in store for us.

 

[Scapegrace]

You might have more success if you picked something it's possible to make a Civ out of without feeling like your brain's about to dribble out your ears. I'm eager to see what people come up with too, though. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to see how the various civ-designing minds of this fair parish work. Or in my case, don't work. =]

 

[ldvhl]

Well, I gave people a week thinking that would help. I'll try making them easier in the future. Maybe.

 

[Scapegrace]

It's not that. I think the City List and Spy List is a bit much, frankly. If we're just throwing out design ideas - which is the point of this challenge - we don't need to delve into the nitty-gritty of stuff like that, especially with partially nomadic civilizations like the Amalekites. I'm not complaining about the difficulty, merely that it's time-consuming drudgery to go through article after article telling you what you already know; that Civ X didn't really do the whole "cities" thing and if they did we can't find 'em. =]

 

[ldvhl]

I will consider that for future challenges Scape, thanks!

Six days remaining for Amelek design challenge submissions!

 

[ldvhl]

Three days remaining to submit your designs for the Amalek!

 

[Natan35]

UA: Zera Amalek
The yields of pillaged tiles are added to the capital for 10 turns from pillaging. Units receive combat bonus from capturing civilian units and from pillaging tiles.

UU: Brutal tribesman
Replaces warrior. has one extra movement if starts the turn on desert tile. Has an attacking boost(25%).

UB: Haram
replaces shrine. costs no gold to maintain. +2 faith from oasis tiles.

anything else: what scapegrace said.
happy passover everyone, the challenge is just in time.

 

[ldvhl]

Thank you for the submission Natan!

 

[Scapegrace]

I really like that UA design, Natan.

words I never thought I'd say

For real, though, it's very interesting to have that idea. Would it just be the value of the improvements, or the whole tile? Because you could really skyrocket out of control, especially in the lategame. =]

 

[Hoop Thrower]

I'd either go with the value of the Improvement alone or make it work for a single turn if both.

 

[Natan35]

I really like that UA design, Natan.

words I never thought I'd say

For real, though, it's very interesting to have that idea. Would it just be the value of the improvements, or the whole tile? Because you could really skyrocket out of control, especially in the lategame. =]

Amalek appear as bad guys in two jewish traditions. Combined with bible lessons and your grace's(I hope it goes for both male and female) ideas, I composed a design. Yours was good too.
the whole tile. According to judges, tbey simply ruined Israelite agriculture.

 

[ldvhl]

Aaand...submission time is closed! The time to vote has begun. Whose design for the Amalek do you support, Scapegrace or Natan35? Let us know!

 

[Urdnot_Scott]

Personally I'd really appreciate a slightly easier civ next time; as much fun as it can be to learn something new - we all do this as a sort of hobby and its not always in my interest to slave away attempting to fudge together something I know nothing about which is very, very difficult to translate into civ terms. Thats why I didn't submit anything on the Amaleks. Though its probably not evident from the amount of designs I post and the time I spend on here, I'm fairly busy and so I probably wont take part here unless its something that wont take hours and hours and hours to research and do like the Amaleks were.

Just my two cents.