Culture (Unit + Quarter) Speculation Thread

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Especially as there is no real alternative for scientist civ in the currently predicted medieval setup. There is no medieval incarnation of India or China, no Italy, "Franks" instead of France, so the only remaining candidates for scientist focus would be... Medieval England? Don't get me wrong, it had great accomplishments in medieval ages but it still feels strange.

It could totally be plausible if they left a culture with the scientist trait out of this era also. There could still be a scientific emblematic quarter Umayyads.

 

[Guandao]

Might as well throw out my guesses for the rest of the cultures. My lists are prolly too Western-centric though. Some of them share the same name in different eras (British, French)...

Medieval Era:
1. Aztecs (Militarist) (I guessed right, but that means no Aesthete culture in Medieval)
2. Byzantines (Merchant)
3. English (Agrarian)
4. Franks (Expansionist) (I guessed Aesthete prior to their reveal)
5. Ghanaians (Merchant) (I was considering Scientist for them too)
6. Khmer (Builder) (considered Agrarian and Aesthete also)
7. Mongols (Militarist) (I guessed Expansionist for them)
8. Norsemen (Militarist) (I thought they would be called the Vikings)
9. Teutons (Expansionist) (was guessing Builder or Merchant)
10. Umayyads (Scientist) (also considered Expansionist)

Runner ups/DLC material: Goryeo, Zapotecs, Inca, Zimbabwe, Swahili, Hungarians, Majapahit, Mississippians, Timurids

Early Modern Era:
1. Dutch (Merchant)
2. Iroquois (Militarist)
3. Joseon (Scientist or Aesthete)
4. Ming (Aesthete or Merchant)
5. Mughals (Builder)
6. Ottomans (Expansionist)
7. Polish (Agrarian)
8. Spanish (Expansionist)
9. Tokugawa (Militarist or Aesthete)
10. Venetians (Merchant)

Runner ups/DLC material: Portuguese, Safavids, Russians, Songhai, Swedish, French, Kongolese

Industrial Era:
1. Americans (Expansionist)
2. Argentines (Agrarian)
3. Austrians (Merchant)
4. British (Scientist, Expansionist, or Merchant)
5. Ethiopians (Militarist or Aesthete)
6. French (Expansionist)
7. Italians (Aesthete)
8. Prussians (Militarist or Builder)
9. Russians (Agrarian)
10. Zulu (Militarist)

Runner ups/DLC material: Siamese, Gran Colombians, Brazilians, Dutch, Moroccans, Afghans, Iranians, Mexicans, Ashanti

Contemporary Era:
1. Americans (Scientist, Merchant or Militarist)
2. Australians (Merchant or Aesthete)
3. British (Merchant, or Aesthete)
4. Brazilians (Militarist or Agrarian)
5. Canadians (Aesthete or Merchant)
6. Chinese (Merchant or Builder)
7. French (Aesthete)
8. Germans (Expansionist, Scientist or Militarist)
9. Japanese (Merchant or Expansionist)
10. Soviets (Builder, Militarist or Scientist)

Runner ups/DLC Material: Indians, Italians, Turkish, South Koreans, Saudi Arabians, Nigerians, South Africans

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

Might as well throw out my guesses for the rest of the cultures. My lists are prolly too Western-centric though. Some of them share the same name in different eras (British, French)...

Medieval Era:
1. Aztecs (Militarist)
2. Byzantines (Merchant)
3. English (Agrarian)
4. Franks (Aesthete)
5. Ghana/or maybe Malinese (Merchant or Scientist)
6. Khmer (Builder, Agrarian or Aesthete)
7. Mongols (Expansionist)
8. Teutons (Builder or Merchant)
9. Umayyad (Scientist or Expansionist)
10. Vikings (Militarist)

Runner ups/DLC material: Goryeo, Zapotecs, Inca, Zimbabwe, Swahili, Hungarians, Majapahit, Mississippians, Timurids

Early Modern Era:
1. British (Scientist or Expansionist)
2. Dutch (Merchant)
3. Joseon (Scientist or Aesthete)
4. Ming (Aesthete or Merchant)
5. Mughals (Builder)
6. Ottomans (Expansionist)
7. Polish (Agrarian)
8. Spanish (Expansionist)
9. Tokugawa (Militarist or Aesthete)
10. Venetians (Merchant)

Runner ups/DLC material: Portuguese, Safavids, Russians, Songhai, Swedish, French, Iroquois, Kongolese

Industrial Era:
1. Americans (Expansionist)
2. Argentines (Agrarian)
3. Austrians (Merchant)
4. British (Scientist, Expansionist, or Merchant)
5. Ethiopians (Militarist or Aesthete)
6. French (Expansionist)
7. Italians (Aesthete)
8. Prussians (Militarist or Builder)
9. Russians (Agrarian)
10. Zulu (Militarist)

Runner ups/DLC material: Siamese, Gran Colombians, Brazilians, Dutch, Moroccans, Afghans, Iranians, Mexicans, Ashanti

Contemporary Era:
1. Americans (Scientist, Merchant or Militarist)
2. Australians (Merchant or Aesthete)
3. British (Merchant, or Aesthete)
4. Brazilians (Militarist or Agrarian)
5. Canadians (Aesthete or Merchant)
6. Chinese (Merchant or Builder)
7. French (Aesthete)
8. Germans (Expansionist, Scientist or Militarist)
9. Japanese (Merchant or Expansionist)
10. Soviets (Builder, Militarist or Scientist)

Runner ups/DLC Material: Indians, Italians, Turkish, South Koreans, Saudi Arabians, Nigerians, South Africans

First and foremost, let me say how much I admire anyone with the courage to stick his neck out and make any predictions for a game that includes so many new ideas and interpretations of the 'traditional' 4X historical as this one does. Given the mind-boggling variety of possibilities, 'gamble' or 'shot in the dark' doesn't begin to cover it.

Still, given what (little) we know about the game already, there are some pretty obvious problems with this list.

1. There are no Native American Factions OR Southeast Asian Factions for the last three Eras of the game. I think at the very least the Early Modern will see a Native American - perhaps the Haudenosenee as you indicate for a Runner Up (Iroquois), or even the Inca, or Lakotah/Souix. And among the Vietnamese, Thai/Siamese, Burmese, Indonesian, or Philippino Factions I'd be very, very surprised if at least one or more of them didn't appear somewhere in the last three Eras.
2. You have English/British Factions appearing in 4 of the last 4 Eras, a Teuton/German/Prussian Faction in 3 out of 4, a French/Frank in 3 out of 4. But while everyone has been speculating about 'Runs' of succeeding factions from the same culture/polity, I don't really think that is what this game is all about. Optimum Play, I suspect, will be about selecting complimentary Attributes rather than Cultures: Grow fast early with Agrarian Faction, switch to Scientific and then Mercantile to build up your economy and take a Tech Lead, then finish off with Expansionist at the expense of your neighbors - Factions are not as important as the bonuses that you can apply from them when/where you need them. That means it might be a personal goal to play, say, Oriental/Chinese as much as you can, but if that puts you playing an Agrarian Faction while your three nearest neighbors are all Expansionist or Militarist, it might also be near-suicidal!
3. There are, I think, some major omissions in the last Era or two of the game. It's my suspicion that Humankind will take advantage of their Faction/Era system to throw some very different 'curves' at us here. We are used to playing with Cultures/Civs with some influence for long durations, but this game can give us a Faction that has had no major influence outside of a single Era.
So, some ephemeral or late-game specials I think are almost a certainty: modern Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or Lebanon from the Middle East; South Africa or modern Indonesia. The European outliers like modern Sweden or Finland - very influential in very specific and peculiar fields. I'm glad to see most of these appear in your list as 'runner ups', but I suspect they are more likely than some of your main choices, just because the game has the possibility to throw viable 'One Era' Factions at us - I'd expect them to take advantage of that aspect of the game design, especially in the Initial Release.

 

[grug]

My guesses, based on what we've seen so far. Although I admit this lineup feels odd and is not necessarily what I would prefer:

Medieval:

Aztec (Exp) - emphasis on game mechanics related to knightly orders, and Mesoamerican ballgame
Byzantines (Mrc) - emphasis on use of wealth to keep power
England (Aes) - emphasis on Magna Carta and literature, and on longbowmen (to fight the French knights)
France (Bld) - emphasis on cathedrals, and on Capetian knights (to fight the English longbowmen)
Khmer (Agr) - emphasis on barays
Mali (Mrc) - emphasis on Mansa Musa's pilgrimage
Mongols (Exp) - emphasis on Mongol Horde
Teutons (Mlt) - emphasis on northern crusades
Umayyads (Sci) - emphasis on translation of Greek works, madrasas and muslim scholars, and Islamic Conquests
Vikings (Mlt) - emphasis on raiding, settlements, and longboats
My personal preference would be to include Inca in first edition, and someone from the Indian Ocean Trade like the Majapahit or Swahili

Early Modern:

Dutch (Mrc) - emphasis on trade routes and exploration
Iroquois (Mrc) - maybe emphasis on fur trade, and longhouses
Italian City States (Sci) - emphasis on role in renaissance
Joseon Korea (Agr) - emphasis on turtle boats and resisting Imjin War
Ming (Bld) - emphasis on great wall and rockets
Mughals (Bld) - emphasis on taj mahal, and on royal elephants
Ottomans (Exp) - emphasis on conquests in Europe, and legal code
Poland (Mlt) - emphasis on winged hussars (to fight the Ottomans)
Sengoku Japan (Aes) - emphasis on samurai, and Shinto shrines
Spain (Exp) - emphasis on colonies, and Spanish Armada
My personal preference would be to push some of the East Asian cultures to other eras, and include Ashanti, or maybe Mapuche or Chichimeca

Industrial:

America (Exp) - homesteads, and minutemen (to fight the redcoats)
Austria Hungary (Aes) - this could just as easily be Italy, emphasis on enlightenment, and role in WWI
Britain (Bld) - factories, and redcoats
French (Sci) - French Revolution and Napoleonic Conquests
German (Mlt) - u boats and industrialization
Cherokee (Agr) - this could just as easily be Lakota, Gran Colombia, Apache, or Mexico, but the Cherokee would be best fit for agrarian
Russian (Exp) - Cossacks, kreposts, and expansion into Siberia
Siamese (Mct) - they could go a lot of directions with Siam, but ultimate focus on them maintaining sovereignty
Sweden (Mlt) - Great Northern War (to fight Russians)
Zulu (Mlt) - impis (to fight redcoats)
My preference would be Ethiopians over Zulu and Meiji Japan over Sweden

Contemporary:

America (Sci) - moon landing, and air superiority
Brazil (Aes) - carnival and tourism, and cobras fumantes
German (Exp) - panzers, and automobile factories
Imperial Japan (Exp) - zeros
India (Agr) - Ghandi, and green revolution/ mechanized farms
Korea (Sci) - Korean War, and South Korea. Could also be Finland, Poland, or Vietnam
PRC (Bld) - people's communes
South Africa (Mct) - Nelson Mandela, maybe safari parks. Could also be Egypt, Canada, or Australia
Soviets (Mlt) - cold war espionage, and eastern front of WWII
UK (Aes) - spitfire, and rock and roll

My guesses of DLCs:
Diplomacy overhaul with minor factions. Includes Han and Sumeria, along with 4 others
Naval Warfare. Includes Portugal and Majapahit
Religion Update. Includes Inca and Ethiopia
Espionage and Heroes. Includes Macedonia and Gran Colombia

Edit: Saw Boris's comment as I finished typing, will admit this is heavily speculative and probably a bit early. Would not be surprised if they surprised me

 

[Elhoim]

If there's a game in which Argentina could appear as a culture is this one, hopefully it does.

 

[one179]

Dont understand why you all forgot to add some slavic or east european kingdoms regarding medieval era.

Medieval Era:

aztecs
byzantine
english
franks
holy roman empire/teutons
japan
Kievan Rus or Kingdom of poland
mali
mongols
viking

 

[Siptah]

I still think that for the contemporary era, the EU is a viable option with the benefit that you could have just one or max. two (Norway?, Switzerland?) cultures from Europe in that era and more space in the rest of the world. And the soviets of course. France, Germany, or the UK could do well just hanging on from the industrial era.

 

[BuchiTaton]

Dont understand why you all forgot to add some slavic or east european kingdoms regarding medieval era. I think there will or should be there.

Medieval Era:

aztecs
byzantine
english
franks
holy roman empire/teutons
japan
Kievan Rus or Kingdom of poland
mali
mongols
viking

The main problem is that you ommited Khmer on your list, they are one of the 99% confirmed cultures for Medieval Era.

Actually the only hint of medieval eastern european culture is the art with some medieval horsemen, but they look pretty neutral for any part of europe, probably that pic is not even for a specific culture.

Personally I would have chosen an eastern european culture over English/Anglosaxon?, but they would be Magyars, Lthuanians or Bulgarians (also Georgians if you count the Caucasus as Eastern Europe). Bohemia is also an option, their War Wagon from Hussite Wars could be a nice EU.

I know Kievan Rus' was also relevant, but I prefer to have some eastern european culture that dont have chance on other eras. Russia would have proper Russia and Soviets, and Kievan Rus' already have a strong Viking element, with Norse and Varanginian this turn to be too redundant.

Poland fit better for Early Modern, could be nice to do medieval Lithuania to early modern Poland.

Also 6 medieval european cultures at release? Is a big, NO, THANK YOU! from me.

 

[Guandao]

First and foremost, let me say how much I admire anyone with the courage to stick his neck out and make any predictions for a game that includes so many new ideas and interpretations of the 'traditional' 4X historical as this one does. Given the mind-boggling variety of possibilities, 'gamble' or 'shot in the dark' doesn't begin to cover it.

Still, given what (little) we know about the game already, there are some pretty obvious problems with this list.

1. There are no Native American Factions OR Southeast Asian Factions for the last three Eras of the game. I think at the very least the Early Modern will see a Native American - perhaps the Haudenosenee as you indicate for a Runner Up (Iroquois), or even the Inca, or Lakotah/Souix. And among the Vietnamese, Thai/Siamese, Burmese, Indonesian, or Philippino Factions I'd be very, very surprised if at least one or more of them didn't appear somewhere in the last three Eras.
2. You have English/British Factions appearing in 4 of the last 4 Eras, a Teuton/German/Prussian Faction in 3 out of 4, a French/Frank in 3 out of 4. But while everyone has been speculating about 'Runs' of succeeding factions from the same culture/polity, I don't really think that is what this game is all about. Optimum Play, I suspect, will be about selecting complimentary Attributes rather than Cultures: Grow fast early with Agrarian Faction, switch to Scientific and then Mercantile to build up your economy and take a Tech Lead, then finish off with Expansionist at the expense of your neighbors - Factions are not as important as the bonuses that you can apply from them when/where you need them. That means it might be a personal goal to play, say, Oriental/Chinese as much as you can, but if that puts you playing an Agrarian Faction while your three nearest neighbors are all Expansionist or Militarist, it might also be near-suicidal!
3. There are, I think, some major omissions in the last Era or two of the game. It's my suspicion that Humankind will take advantage of their Faction/Era system to throw some very different 'curves' at us here. We are used to playing with Cultures/Civs with some influence for long durations, but this game can give us a Faction that has had no major influence outside of a single Era.
So, some ephemeral or late-game specials I think are almost a certainty: modern Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or Lebanon from the Middle East; South Africa or modern Indonesia. The European outliers like modern Sweden or Finland - very influential in very specific and peculiar fields. I'm glad to see most of these appear in your list as 'runner ups', but I suspect they are more likely than some of your main choices, just because the game has the possibility to throw viable 'One Era' Factions at us - I'd expect them to take advantage of that aspect of the game design, especially in the Initial Release.

I knew my list was too Western-centric! I was too pessimistic about non-European/Western factions appearing in the later eras.

1. Maybe a North American native Civ will appear in Early Modern era. But a Southeast Asian faction in Early Modern, Industrial, and Contemporary would be a big surprise for me. I doubt Vietnam will be in the Contemporary era. Siamese might appear. Not sure about Burma. Indonesia is probable. Philippines I think is unlikely.
2. I think the British will at least appear in Industrial. Teutons are apparently confirmed, same with the Germans, and the Franks. I expect at least one iteration of France in the later eras (prolly Industrial, for the Napoleonic imagery).
3. I think a Contemporary Middle Eastern is probable, also at least one African, and maybe Indonesia. Not sure about a contemporary Sweden or Finland.

I'm going to revise my list based on your suggestions.

 

[one179]

The main problem is that you ommited Khmer on your list, they are one of the 99% confirmed cultures for Medieval Era.

Actually the only hint of medieval eastern european culture is the art with some medieval horsemen, but they look pretty neutral for any part of europe, probably that pic is not even for a specific culture.

Personally I would have chosen an eastern european culture over English/Anglosaxon?, but they would be Magyars, Lthuanians or Bulgarians (also Georgians if you count the Caucasus as Eastern Europe). Bohemia is also an option, their War Wagon from Hussite Wars could be a nice EU.

I know Kievan Rus' was also relevant, but I prefer to have some eastern european culture that dont have chance on other eras. Russia would have proper Russia and Soviets, and Kievan Rus' already have a strong Viking element, with Norse and Varanginian this turn to be too redundant.

Poland fit better for Early Modern, could be nice to do medieval Lithuania to early modern Poland.

Also 6 medieval european cultures at release? Is a big, NO, THANK YOU! from me.

I wouldn't adding magyars as a eastern european culture, they were nomadic tribe similar to huns and came from asia.
And Khmer.. Sad so next elephant unit in the game. We have 3 already. So i assume it is because they want to save the resources like on the maya unique unit.

 

[Gwydden]

Actually the only hint of medieval eastern european culture is the art with some medieval horsemen, but they look pretty neutral for any part of europe, probably that pic is not even for a specific culture.

Well, the Teutonic Knights' possessions were technically in Eastern Europe.

 

[Guandao]

My revised list. I tried to make it more diverse and removed the repeating European ones.

Medieval Era:
1. Aztecs (Militarist) (I guessed right, but that means no Aesthete culture in Medieval)
2. Byzantines (Merchant)
3. English (Agrarian)
4. Franks (Expansionist) (I guessed Aesthete prior to their reveal)
5. Ghanaians (Merchant) (I was considering Scientist for them too)
6. Khmer (Builder) (considered Agrarian and Aesthete also)
7. Mongols (Militarist) (I guessed Expansionist for them)
8. Norsemen (Militarist) (I thought they would be called the Vikings)
9. Teutons (Expansionist) (was guessing Builder or Merchant)
10. Umayyads (Scientist) (also considered Expansionist)

Runner ups/DLC material: Goryeo, Zapotecs, Inca, Zimbabwe, Swahili, Hungarians, Majapahit, Mississippians, Timurids, Vietnamese, Burmese

Early Modern Era:
1. Dutch (Merchant)
2. Iroquois (Militarist)
3. Joseon (Scientist or Aesthete)
4. Ming (Aesthete or Merchant)
5. Mughals (Builder)
6. Ottomans (Expansionist)
7. Polish (Agrarian)
8. Spanish (Expansionist)
9. Tokugawa (Militarist or Aesthete)
10. Venetians (Merchant)

Runner ups/DLC material: Portuguese, Safavids, Russians, Songhai, Swedish, French, Kongolese, British, Vietnamese, Siamese, Burmese, Mataram

Industrial Era:
1. Argentines (Agrarian)
2. Austrians (Merchant)
3. British (Scientist, Expansionist, or Merchant)
4. Ethiopians (Militarist or Aesthete)
5. French (Expansionist)
6. Italians (Aesthete)
7. Iranians (Militarist or Aesthete)
8. Russians (Agrarian)
9. Siamese (Aesthete)
10. Zulu (Militarist)

Runner ups/DLC material: Gran Colombians, Brazilians, Dutch, Moroccans, Afghans, Mexicans, Ashanti, Sioux, Vietnamese, Burmese, Prussians, Americans

Contemporary Era:
1. Americans (Scientist, Merchant or Militarist)
2. Australians (Merchant or Aesthete)
3. Brazilians (Militarist or Agrarian)
4. Chinese (Merchant or Builder)
5. Germans (Expansionist, Scientist or Militarist)
6. Indonesians (Merchant or Aesthete)
7. Japanese (Merchant or Expansionist)
8. Nigerians (Aesthete)
9. Saudi Arabians (Merchant)
10. Soviets (Builder, Militarist or Scientist)

Runner ups/DLC Material: Indians, Italians, Turkish, South Koreans, South Africans, Swedish, Finnish, British, Filipinos, French, Egyptians, Lebanese, Canadians

 

[Gwydden]

So, I figured I'd throw in my guesses for tomorrow for the record. If they fill in the one they skipped alphabetically, it's either Aztecs or Arabs/Abbasids. I lean towards the former because of the "Umayyad" picture, though it'd be funny if they threw us a curve ball and wrote in Andalusians or Berbers. If they continue on, then we're likely getting the English.

 

[TheSpaceCowboy]

I'm not even going to try and guess every civilization, but I will spitball a few speculations and suggestions

Medieval Era
Holy Romans - Paladins
Outremer - Crusaders
Umayyad - Assassin (unique spy)

Early Modern
British (Expansionist) - Redcoats
Japan - Ninja (unique spy) and Samurai
Spanish (Expansionist) - Conquistadors and Mission

Contemporary Era
Americans - American G.I. and Suburb or Main Street
Germans (Militarist) - Panzer and Gestapo or Schutzstaffel
Soviets (Builders) - KGB (unique spy) and Gulag

 

[Guandao]

Looks like I was correct about the English being a Medieval Faction and also Agrarian.

I wonder when the artwork for the first faction they skipped will be finished.

 

[j51]

Woah, good guessing! I would not have figured agrarian myself. But I guess with the wool trade to Flanders it makes sense.

I really hope the Inca are included in either the middle or early modern era! It's not looking great though...

 

[ehecatzin]

Looks like I was correct about the English being a Medieval Faction and also Agrarian.

I wonder when the artwork for the first faction they skipped will be finished.

I imagine if It's the Aztecs (and militarist) it would be quite the challenge to illustrate so many unusual materials, between jaguar skins, feathers and obsidian. And also because Amplitude does seem to take very seriously their research, and if they went right for historical sources and skipped the easy route of using dancers as reference...boy do I know the pain.

A lot of the work I do is inspired on mesoamerican history, and man, It's so hard sometimes to reconstruct stuff from codex...

 

[Krajzen]

So far I thought English would be builder, Byzantium aestethe and Khmer agrarian, but 2/3 were wrong already and I think Khmer will be builder after all (you know I vaguely recall they built some structure which is sort of well known and decent, what was it called - ah yes, Stonehenge).

My real puzzle is what Subsaharan civs and focus will we get in the medieval era. In recent times Mali is quite famous and I think its architecture style was spotted, and goddamn if they shouldnt be Merchant, but now I have very big doubts. Not only that would mean we get three Subsaharan merchant civs in a row (without even including Swahilli, for whom any other focus would be blasphemy), it'd also share it with Byzantium. So I have really no idea who will we finally get in the medieval era from this continent.

My greatest medieval puzzle however is who will be scientist of medieval era if we won't get China or India (and England, with its Oxford and Cambridge and Roger Bacon is Agrarian; and Byzantium is Merchant). I'd 100% give this focus to my beloved medieval islamic civilization in whatever form, but really you could give Arabs/Moors/Persians/Turks damn every focus in this era and it'd fit, perfectly so I am afraid they may not get it.

Another great question of medieval era is Precolombian civ

Oh well, next one will be obligatory France/Franks anyway.

 

[ehecatzin]

Even if expansionist could fit...Scientist could just as well be it for Arabia/Umayyads

 

[Franz_van_der_Aaagh]

Speaking of Precolombian Civs, however unlikely it is, they could go for the Nahuas as a broader demonym that could not only fit the Mexica, but also Toltecs or Tlaxcalan.