Culturally Linked Starting Locations?

geebo

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Its been a while guys...Vet here from Civ III days, been browsing the forums lately with VI on the horizon and I must say it is looking promising! I believe I asked this question right before Civ V came out as well, and I believe it was Gedemon who came out with a mod shortly after the release once I asked about it in the forum.

Will there be culturally linked starting locations like Civ IV(Edit: Actually was in Civ III !) had? If I play on random maps(rarely do I'm TSL) I would strongly prefer to be closest and on the same continent with culturally similar civs.

For example, If I am playing as Rome and Greece is in the game we should be close in proximity.

Another example if I am Sumeria and Egypt and Arabia are in the game we should be close in proximity.

I think you get the point. This brings a bit extra realism to the game, especially if preferred religions returns. Has anything been mentioned about this? I haven't seen anything anywhere.
 
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I quite would like to see this in Civ VI as well. It was a great feature back in the day. I really wish they'd bring it back.
 
If this gets added I think it should definitely be optional. I don't want to be constantly running into the Aztecs as Brazil and vice versa. It makes the opening strategies too predictable if I know who I'm likely to run into.
 
As long as its optional; I prefer not knowing who my neighbours are until I meet them.
 
Yes, it was optional in III and IV(can't recall if IV had Culturally linked starting locations) I believe. It would be on the advanced game setup options. Click it on/off just like 'random seed' or 'no barbs'.

You wouldn't always know your neighbors either because if you would have random civs from the start then ge Aztecs might not always be in your games. Therefore, you wouldn't know who's in the game from the beginning unless you play with every civ of the DLL even allows 19 from the gecko.
 
It surprised me that it wasn't a big thing in Civ V, given that the maps had a 'continental biome' layer which could easily have been co-opted to arranging civs. But then I just started a game as Polynesia and found myself miles from the coast, so maybe they did and it just doesn't work very well ;)
 
Thank you again Gedemon! Are you planning another TSL map/mod? It was the only maps I ended up playing on V for the most part. Unless I played random with your Culturally linked start location mod.
 
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It surprised me that it wasn't a big thing in Civ V, given that the maps had a 'continental biome' layer which could easily have been co-opted to arranging civs. But then I just started a game as Polynesia and found myself miles from the coast, so maybe they did and it just doesn't work very well ;)
I believe what they did in V instead of having Culturally linked start location they had locating bias' based on terrain and ability.

Ex. Polynesia likely on an island or surrounded by water. Arabia near the desert. Portugal and the Netherlands near the coast. Just to name a few.
 
I think they hesitate to add it because start bias is so important to many Civ's abilities now. Adding more conditions would only complicate the situation, reducing the consistency with which civs start with the basic necessities they need not to irredeemably lag behind all game, important for the player, but more-so the AI who can't find creative solutions quite so easily.

Anyways, I agree it's a cool feature and I would love to use it. That explanation isn't a valid reason why it shouldn't be included as an option at least, especially given "No start bias" is a thing.

Especially now with the personalities, It might be fun, before release, to speculate on the trends that would emerge as all these cultures are consistently starting next to each-other. Where would the wars naturally break out, which regions would be naturally peaceful, etc...

Later, upon understanding these things, after many dozens or hundreds of hours of playing, inserting yourself into the regions and doing the complete opposite as your played civ AI would behave just to see how it shakes up the status quo. I think this would be a very fun way to play the game, and not just for novelty's sake.
 
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Culturally linked Gorgo and Pericles. :D
 
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