Civilization VII Civs and Leaders Wishlist [Not a Prediction]

[Mekkh]

I definitely am more of a big and impactful civ/leader person. I'm not really excited about Mary of Scotland in the base game for this reason. Give me Britain, give me France, if you want to mix it up give us vikings and HRE. But don't give us your poor and huddle masses, at least not early on.

 

[Leyrann]

It's always a balance. Leaders like Napoleon, Elizabeth I, etc.. I don't think you can ever really complain about making it in, as they are obviously some of the most famous leaders in all of history. I'm no expert in history, so it is nice to see some lesser known options now and then. VI I think tended to steer that way for most of its cycle - until the leader pass time where we got Lizzy, Lincoln, Julius, etc... the roster definitely veered towards the unknowns. In a lot of ways it wouldn't surprise me if they reverse that in VII, and lean more into the bigger names. Especially when you factor in how many iterations of the game we've had, it's getting harder and harder to find leaders who have never made it to any version.

That makes me think... if you were to just go for the biggest names (which is unlikely to happen)... who would you get?

For once, a list of leaders I actually have sufficient knowledge of history for (...thanks to Civilization, mostly) to produce!

This might not technically be a wishlist, but it's also not a prediction, so I'm posting it here because it was this thread that got me the idea. I'm just trying to grab the 20 most obvious choices for countries with the most obvious leader choice for everyone.

Europe and post-colonial with strong European heritage:
England - Victoria. I'd say she's even more famous than Elizabeth I. It's a close call though. Imo, the prevalence of the Victorian Era in the common consciousness (and the fact that it's named after her) is what tips the scales in her favor.
France - Napoleon.
Germany - Bismarck.
Spain - Isabella.
Rome - Julius Caesar. Augustus is very close though. (and technically also called Julius Caesar...)
Greece - Alexander the Great.
America - George Washington.
Russia - Catherine the Great. Probably some very close other candidates though, but you could make the argument that women are underrepresented in this list as a whole, making her more likely.
Vikings - No clue who'd be the leader here, to be honest. Harald Hardrada? I hope I even spelled his name correctly, although my browser's autocorrect did suggest this as a word...

North Africa, Middle-East (incl. Mesopotamia):
Egypt - Cleopatra VII.
Persia - Darius I, probably? As people pointed out, more likely Cyrus or Xerxes.
Babylon - Hammurabi.
Arabia - Saladin.

Asia:
India - For Civ, I'd say Gandhi. Without considering Civ-related fame, I don't know who'd win. Chandraguptra seems common in the games as alt leader so I guess he'd be likely? There is no clear 'most common' alt leader for India.
China - Qin Shi Huang.
Japan - Tokugawa, probably?
Mongols - Genghis Khan.

Other (native American, sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania):
Aztec - Montezuma.
Zulu - Shaka.
Mali - Mansa Musa.

I think that probably covers most of 'history's biggest names' as well. I can't think of anyone not covered immediately, at least, outside of those who are outshone by someone else from their country.

 

[pokiehl]

Chandraguptra seems common in the games as alt leader so I guess he'd be likely?

Chandragupta has only ever been in 1 Civ game so I wouldn't say he's common in the games. In fact, every leader except for Gandhi that has ever appeared in Civ has only appeared once: Indira Gandhi, Ashoka, and Chandragupta.

 

[Hellenism Salesman]

Persia - Darius I, probably?

I would honestly say Cyrus is the biggest name from Persia, thanks to being mentioned fondly in the Bible.

 

[pokiehl]

I would honestly say Cyrus is the biggest name from Persia, thanks to being mentioned fondly in the Bible.

Yes, and I think Xerxes also has more renown because he's known for the war in Greece. The first couple Civ games to feature Persia had Xerxes as the leader.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

England - Victoria. I'd say she's even more famous than Elizabeth I. It's a close call though. Imo, the prevalence of the Victorian Era in the common consciousness (and the fact that it's named after her) is what tips the scales in her favor.

I mean Elizabeth also has her own Elizabethan Era. I might be nitpicking, but I associate Elizabeth more with only England, and Victoria with all of Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland).

Vikings - No clue who'd be the leader here, to be honest. Harald Hardrada? I hope I even spelled his name correctly, although my browser's autocorrect did suggest this as a word...

I'd go for Cnut the Great. He became King of "England, Norway, Denmark, and some Swedes" all at the same time. The closest other you can get would be the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok

Persia - Darius I, probably?

Cyrus or Xerxes for the reasons above.

India - For Civ, I'd say Gandhi. Without considering Civ-related fame, I don't know who'd win. Chandraguptra seems common in the games as alt leader so I guess he'd be likely?

Outside of Gandhi, I would say Ashoka just because under his reign is how Buddhism spread throughout the rest of Asia. The Ashoka Chakra is on the flag of India in the center.

 

[Leyrann]

Chandragupta has only ever been in 1 Civ game so I wouldn't say he's common in the games. In fact, every leader except for Gandhi that has ever appeared in Civ has only appeared once: Indira Gandhi, Ashoka, and Chandragupta.

Ah, right. I think he appears in Caveman2Cosmos and I erroneously thought he's from the base game (+ expansions).

I mean Elizabeth also has her own Elizabethan Era. I might be nitpicking, but I associate Elizabeth more with only England, and Victoria with all of Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland).

She does, but it's not as commonly known by the average person. She definitely has a good argument going for her, though.

 

[reddishrecue]

I would honestly say Cyrus is the biggest name from Persia, thanks to being mentioned fondly in the Bible.

Really? and I read it a lot of times and I don't remember... that's why there's church. I guess.

 

[jsciv69]

America-John F Kennedy
Colombia- José Hilario López
Mexico-Benito Juarez
Cuba- Fidel Castro
Russia- Nikita Khruschev
England- Henry VIII
Italy-Lorenzo De' Medici
Rome-Hadrian
Greece- Cleisthenes
Egypt-Gamal Abdel Nasser

 

[Vahnstad]

I'm 100% behind you on this one. Belgium is one of the most notable nations never to be a civilization in the game, and Leopold II is its most iconic leader.
What he did in Africa was bad, but many leaders in Civilization games have moral failings; if we're going to exclude Leopold, we'll also have to exclude Caesar and Genghis Khan.

As a Belgian i prefer not to have him in the game. For what happened in the Congo, we never deserve representation in this game.

If you're going to include a Belgian civilisation, just pick Albert I. At least he's an honourable and respectful leader that is well liked and helped Belgium defend from German agression during WW1.

But Leopold II is an insult to not only all people who suffered from the crimes and brutalities of colonization and victims of genocide, but also to us.

 

[Vahnstad]

Besides Europe is already overcrowded, it's better to have other areas of the world have more representation, and even within Europe i can think of a dozen other nations like Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania etc. that i'd rather see first. This area is well covered with staples already.

 

[Brackenspore]

Egypt: Nefertiti
France: Charlemagne / Joan of Arc
USA: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Korea: Park Chung Hee / Kim Il Sung
China: Emperor Wu of Han / Mao / Deng Xiaoping
Russia: Yaroslav the Wise / Ivan III / Ivan IV / Stalin / Putin
England: Winston Churchill
Switzerland: Rudolf Brun (Why do developers ignore Swiss civilization? )
Sioux: Sitting Bull
Timurid Empire: Timur
Denmark: Margaret I
Tibet: Songtsen Gampo
Japan: Meiji

 

[Amadhe]

I would like to have Austria back.

 

[luzivuzi]

I'd like to see some Austrian Habsburgs, and not just the Spanish Habsburg line.
The Austrian line governed a world empire and provided the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation for about a millennium.
We have obscure war lords, Matthias Corvinus or Australian prime ministers, but no Maria Theresia, Joseph II, Maximilian or the unspeakable Sisi-Franz and World War I emperor, Franz Joseph I.

So, please, include Austria, one of Europe's biggest, most powerful and durable Empires. Until it wasn't anymore.

 

[moondog385]

I'd like to see some Austrian Habsburgs, and not just the Spanish Habsburg line.
The Austrian line governed a world empire and provided the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation for about a millennium.
We have obscure war lords, Matthias Corvinus or Australian prime ministers, but no Maria Theresia, Joseph II, Maximilian or the unspeakable Sisi-Franz and World War I emperor, Franz Joseph I.

So, please, include Austria, one of Europe's biggest, most powerful and durable Empires. Until it wasn't anymore.

Unless Firaxis pulls an Alexander and makes a whole civ just for Maria Theresa, I think it’s likely that these leaders represent Germany, which is fine by me. I’d be down for Maximilian.

Also, I don’t know that Matthias Corvinus is particularly obscure.

 

[pokiehl]

Unless Firaxis pulls an Alexander and makes a whole civ just for Maria Theresa, I think it’s likely that these leaders represent Germany, which is fine by me. I’d be down for Maximilian.

Also, I don’t know that Matthias Corvinus is particularly obscure.

We already had Germany and Austria at the same time in Civ 5. There’s more than enough material to separate them.

 

[luzivuzi]

Unless Firaxis pulls an Alexander and makes a whole civ just for Maria Theresa, I think it’s likely that these leaders represent Germany, which is fine by me. I’d be down for Maximilian.

Also, I don’t know that Matthias Corvinus is particularly obscure.

I didn´t mean to say, Corvinus is obscure (or any of the others). It just seems strange to me to have him and not Maximilian or any other Austrian Emperor/Empress.

And as an Austrian I have to say: No, Germany does not represent Austria. Maybe the other way round. ;-) It´s basically like saying England represents also Ireland...

 

[ButtBillionaire]

I have plenty of ideas, but these are the only ones I have a strong opinion on:

Japan: Meiji. It's about time. I suspect the only reason he hasn't been done is that he didn't lead during the ages of the samurai and thus has no reason to be caressing or waving a katana around.
India: Anyone but Gandhi.
Eventual Viking representative, be it Denmark or Norway: Please, if you absolutely need to have a leader that references Odin, Valhalla, Thor's hammer or all of the above at least once in every sentence, please pick someone that actually adhered to the Norse religion. Harald Fairhair, Eric Bloodaxe and Gorm the Old come to mind. Should you instead pick the likes of Cnut, Haakon IV, Valdemar II, Olaf II, Magnus Lagabøte or Sigurd the Crusader or somehow a redo of Harald Bluetooth or Harald Hardrada - they were Christians who were not necessarily fond of the old ways! Some of them were quite the opposite!
The Sámi: Elsa Laula (Renberg). A culture I've wanted to see in Civ since the days of pre-expansion VI speculation, one I think could be a very interesting and unique choice among all the monarchies and republics of Europe. Elsa Laula Renberg took initiative to organise and was at the forefront of the first organisations and meetings for Sámi across Scandinavia in the early 1900s to combat discrimination against them by the Norwegian and Swedish governments, and is highly regarded for her achievements today. When Sámi protested in Oslo last year against wind turbines built on Sámi land despite a court order ruling against the owners' right to build there, they "renamed" the main street to Elsa Laulan gæjnoe - "Elsa Laula's Street." She strikes me as the perfect and obvious choice for the leader of a Sámi civ.
Haiti: Toussaint Louverture. With VI establishing the precedent of featuring more ex-colonial nations than just America, I think it would be cool to pick not only an ex-French colony from the very underrepresented Caribbean, but also the world's only nation born from a slave revolt. Could make for interesting mechanics.

 

[Lord Lakely]

As a Belgian i prefer not to have him in the game. For what happened in the Congo, we never deserve representation in this game.

If you're going to include a Belgian civilisation, just pick Albert I. At least he's an honourable and respectful leader that is well liked and helped Belgium defend from German agression during WW1.

But Leopold II is an insult to not only all people who suffered from the crimes and brutalities of colonization and victims of genocide, but also to us.

Seconding this. Never pick Leopold II, that's a very, VERY bad idea. (and Leopold III is also to be avoided).

Albert I is a fine choice. His wife-consort Elizabeth is also acceptable.

Personally, I would prefer a straight-up Flemish or Brabantian Civ over a Belgian one, if Belgium were to be represented by some other way than Ambiorix. Though I would frankly just take another round of Ambiorix as the Gallic leader.

 

[Roman Citizen]

Egypt: Either Nefertiti/Akhenaten, Menes/Narmer, Khufu, or Seti I
Babylon: Nabonidus
Assyria: Shammuramat
Greece: Leonidas I, Alexander the Great
Akkad: Sargon
Armenia: St. Gregory the Illuminator
Persia: Xerxes, Khosrow I
India: Gandhi (it's not civ without him), Shah Jahan, Shivaji
China: Kangxi, Emperor Wen of Han, Taizong of Tang
Rome: Marcus Aurelius, Gracchi Brothers, Nero, Claudius Gothicus
Carthage: Hannibal
Phoenicia: Hanno the Navigator
Vietnam: Trung Sisters
Gauls: Vercingetorix
Burma: Bayinnaung
Tibet: Songtsän Gampo
Germany: Arminius, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, Henry the Fowler
Arabs: Khalid ibn al-Walid, al-Mansur, Umar II
France: Charles IV The Mad, Philip IV the Iron King, Cardinal Richelieu, Maximilien Robespierre, Napoleon I
England: Alfred the Great, king henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Duke of Wellington
Spain: Pelagius of Asturias, Alfonso VI, Charles V, El Cid, Phillip IV, Carlos III
Moors: Abd al-Rahman I
Ukraine: Olha of Kyiv
Russia, Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the Terrible , Alexander I
Netherlands: William III of Orange
Japan: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Emperor Meiji
Portugal: Henry the Navigator
Iceland: Leif Erikson
Bulgaria: Tsar Ivaylo the Cabbage
Poland; John III Sobieski
Byzantine: Empress Zoe
Ottomans: Selmin I, Abdulmejid I
Pirate civ: Henry Morgan
Burgundy: Charles the Bold
Amazonia: Machiparo
Jerusalem: Baldwin I
Morocco: Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif, Mohammed Ben Abdallah III
Ethiopia: Yekuno Amlak
Mali: Mansa Musa
Ashanti: Yaa Asantewaa I
Mutapa: Gatsi Rusere
Madagascar: Ranavalona I
Kilwa: Sultan Ali ibn al-Hassan Shirazi
Zulu: Shaka
Romania: Vlad Tepes the Impaler
Serbia: Karađorđe
Mongolia: Genghis Khan
Timurids: Tamerlane
Korea: Yeongjo of Joseon
America: James K. Polk
Comanche: Buffalo Hump
Sioux: Crazy Horse, Red Wing II
Aztec: Montezuma
Maya: K'inich Kan Balam II
Musica: Tisquesusa
Inca: Túpac Inca Yupanqui, Alahualpa
Hawaii: Kamehameha
Tonga: Uluakimata I
Inuit: Ekeuhnick
Brazil: Pedro II