Dawn of Man texts

[Leoreth]

I've finished writing the new introductory texts for the Dawn of Man screens at the beginning of the game. They're also in the current revision, but I'll post them here so you can access them more easily and discuss them. I think my general idea for them should be clear from the examples: explain the situation and give an outlook for the future (although less explicit than in the previous DoM texts).

Maybe you notice that the texts of early civs explain the situation of some decades or even centuries after the spawn. That's because there's not much to say about the time of their spawn (since it often marks the beginning of civilization in the respective region). For later civs, their spawn is often marked by a certain political event that makes the text feel more natural and less forced.

If you have any idea on how to improve them, you're free to tell me. Just make sure to keep the length (the Ottoman entry is the longest and anything longer doesn't fit into the panel). Language corrections are of course appreciated, as well.

Spoiler :

Egypt:
It is the year 3000 BC. The Egyptian civilization coalesces under the recent unification of the Kingdoms of Lower and Upper Egypt. The fertile banks of the Nile make Egypt one of the wealthiest regions of the world. It is time to use this wealth to build monuments and establish a culture the world has never seen before.

India:
It is the year 1500 BC. After the collapse of the Harappan civilization, the Vedic Aryans reach the Indo-Gangetic plain. The following Vedic era features the development of a caste system and the Mahajanapada kingdoms, where the most important epics of Indian culture are authored, laying the foundation for the Indian religions.

China:
It is the year 3000 BC. China is the easternmost region of the world where human civilization first develops. Through the dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou, cities develop mainly in the vicinity of the Yellow River, and the concept of a “Mandate of Heaven” is invented to legitimize the rule of the Middle Kingdom of China through the ages

It is the year 600 AD. After the Han Dynasty had collapsed, civil war between the Chinese kingdoms ensued. Only 11 years ago Emperor Wen of Sui managed to reunite China and reclaim the Mandate of Heaven. But the power of the Sui Dynasty is not completely consolidated, and the old challenges of China remain.

Babylonia:
It is the year 3000 BC. The fertile crescent of Mesopotamia is home of the first urbanized cultures in the history of mankind and known as the cradle of civilization. Right now, the cities of Sumer and Akkad are thriving, but with the emergence of Babylon, they are soon to be overshadowed by the greatest metropolis of its time.

Greece:
It is the year 1600 BC. The first city states emerge on the Greek peninsula. While the division of the Greek civilization might seem as a disadvantage at first, their emphasis on independence favors the inception of new ideas in science and philosophy as well as new tactics in the art of warfare.

Persia:
It is the year 844 BC. Persia has always been home to warlike peoples, but now the Achaemenid dynasty provides them with the unifying force to form an organized empire. While the Persian plateau is not particularly wealthy, it has rich and defenseless neighbors in India in the east and Mesopotamia in the east to conquer on their way to become the world's greatest empire.

Phoenicia:
It is the year 1200 BC. Foreign invasions have weakened the Mesopotamian kingdoms, allowing the Phoenician city states to achieve independence. With the neighboring lands dominated by more powerful civilizations, the Phoenicians have turned their eyes to the west, seeing the opportunity to gain wealth by trade on the Mediterranean Sea.

Rome:
It is the year 753 BC. The Latin people have just founded the city of Rome. Situated at a favorable position and governed by a superior political system, it is fated to control the whole Italian peninsula. Most of its neighboring regions in Europe are still barbaric and uncivilized. The city of Carthage is its only rival on the way to rule and civilize the whole Mediterranean.

Japan:
t is the year 525 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan.

It is the year 600 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan.

Ethiopia:
It is the year 295 BC. The Ethiopian highlands are exceptionally fertile due to its temperate climate, but also quite remote from other civilizations. This changes when the major trade routes between the Roman Empire and Indians shift to the Red Sea, allowing the Ethiopian kingdom of Aksum to flourish.

Korea:
It is the year 50 BC. The three Korean kingdoms of Silla, Baekje and Goguryeo form on the Korean peninsula, the first step of centralization of power away from their predecessor chiefdoms. The Chinese are close; Korea will have to have to adapt their more advanced organization without abandoning its own sovereignty.

It is the year 600 AD. The three Korean kingdoms still thrive and Goguryeo has expanded the influence of Korean civilization into Manchuria. But now that China is reunited again, they have to be careful to protect their independence for the future.

Maya:
It is the year 60 AD. Urbanization on the peninsula of Yucatan sparks the formation of the Mayan city states, whose technological and architectural advancements would create the first civilization in the Americas.

Byzantium:
It is the year 330 AD. With the Roman Empire threatened by Barbarian invasions from the east, it becomes evident that the Empire cannot be governed from Rome alone. So Constantine the Great has founded Constantinopolis as a "New Rome", in hopes that the Eastern Empire will be able to withstand these incursions and eventually restore the glory of the Roman Empire.

It is the year 600 AD. After the death of Justinian, most of his successes were unmade again. While the Lombards took Northern Italy and the Danube could be barely held against the Slavs, Byzantium was also plunged into a war against Sassanid Persia. Its victory proved Pyrrhic, and now the Empire is economically and militarily weakened.

Vikings:
It is the year 551 AD. The scarcity of food makes the inhabitants of Scandinavia excellent sailors that rely on fishing and trade. Their home kingdoms still can't sustain further population growth, and the Vikings have to turn to lands across the sea. Not only the coasts of the North Sea, but also the Mediterranean and even the New World make good targets for either plunder of settlement.

Arabia:
It is the year 622 AD. The founding of Islam units the Arabian people under the banner of the Caliphate. Arabia's direct neighbors, the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia, are weakened from their recent wars. It is the right time to expand the House of Islam into their wealthy possessions, forming a melting pot of cultures that will bring culture and science to new heights.

Khmer:
It is the year 655 AD. The irregular nature of the South East Asian monsoons have so far prevented the formation of a developed civilization in the region. Not until the advanced Khmer water management techniques lead to the foundation of their capital Angkor, facilitating enormous population growth and urbanization.

Indonesia:
It is the year 700 AD. Nearly all of the trade between China and India passes the Strait of Malacca. Benefitting from its position on the nearby island of Sumatra, the Indonesian Kingdom of Srivijaya rises to become a major trading power in South East Asia.

Spain:
It is the year 718 AD. Arabs from the Ummayad Caliphate have overrun almost all of Iberia and put an end to Visigoth rule. Now the Spanish Kingdom of Asturias is founded in the mountainous north, seeking to restore Christian control over Iberia and expand it beyond.

France:
It is the year 751 AD. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Merovingian Frankish Empire became the major Christian power in Europe. With the coronation of Pepin from the Carolingian dynasty, the Franks have come another step closer to reclaim Rome's legacy and dominate Christian Europe.

England:
It is the year 829 AD. After the migration of Germanic peoples to Britain, the island has been divided between several Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Now the King of Wessex has been crowned Bretwalda and thus ruler of all of England. Now unified, the English people can turn their eyes from their island across the sea and gain rule of the waves.

Germany:
It is the year 843 AD. The Treaty of Verdun brings the final separation of the Frankish Empire into West and East Francia. The eastern half is dominated by German peoples, and not only would its German kings break with the Romantic Frankish culture, but also claim its imperial title and the continuation of the Holy Roman Empire.

Russia:
It is the year 860 AD. Varangian travelers among the amber road between Scandinavia and Byzantium begin to set up states along their routes. Quickly mingling with their Slavic subjects, they would become the Rus and set out to settle the vast areas of Eastern Europe and beyond.

Netherlands:
It is the year 1500 AD. Situated at the confluence of Europe's most important trade routes, the Netherlands are the most populated and wealthiest region of the continent. Far too long this wealth has gone to foreign powers, but now, after long wars, the Dutch people have finally reached independence and established a Republic.

Mali:
It is the year 989 AD. Sub-Saharan Africa is still underdeveloped compared to the rest of the old world. But the Malinese people control rich gold mines, which has caught the attention of its northern neighbors. Defending against foreign attempts to seize its riches by force, Mali has now the opportunity to truly become the richest civilization on Earth.

Portugal:
It is the year 1128 AD. Portugal has just defeated Spain and gained independence. Situated at the western end of Europe, the kingdom is in a good position to send ships to ports all over the world and control the trade of all of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Inca:
t is the year 1150 AD. Manco Capac has just founded the Kingdom of Cuzco, the first Incan kingdom. Even in the harsh environment of the Andes and lacking suitable pack animals, they set out to create an empire never seen before in America.

Mongols:
It is the year 1190 AD. For centuries, the peoples of the Mongolian steppe were too divided to pose an actual threat to the world. Now that Temujin has managed to unify all Mongolian tribes under his command, everything has changed, and soon both Orient and Occident will tremble in fear before his armies.

Aztecs:
It is the year 1195 AD. The Aztec peoples have founded the city of Tenochtitlan at Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. Through clever use of irrigation systems, Tenochtitlan can become the largest metropolis of Mesoamerica and dominate the surrounding cities.

Turkey:
It is the year 1280 AD. After the collapse of the Seljuk Empire, the Anatolian Turks are divided into several small Beyliks. However, Byzantium is weakened itself, and now that the Osmanli Beylik is in the hands of a strong leader, a Turkish Ottoman Empire seems close. With the Bosphorus right within their grasp, they have the opportunity to form an empire that stretches over three continents.

Thailand:
It is the year 1350 AD. The collapse of the Khmer Empire has allowed the Thai people to claim hegemony over South East Asia. They were able to raze the Khmer capital of Angkor and found their own kingdom west of it, in Ayutthaya.

America:
It is the year 1776 AD. Discontent with foreign domination, the people in the American colonies have risen up in revolution to found their own nation. However, their young democracy is still in danger of being reclaimed by European colonial powers and has to surpass its former masters to fulfill its manifest destiny.

 

[civ_king]

fledgling republic not young democracy, but yeah seems good

 

[srpt]

typo in Arabia: units for unites

 

[iOnlySignIn]

Found 2 trivial typos:

(1) Persia: "it has rich and defenseless neighbors in India in the east and Mesopotamia in the west"

(2) Vikings: "the Mediterranean and even the New World make good targets for either plunder or settlement."

Otherwise very well written. Just reading them makes me feel cultured and erudite.

 

[soul-breathing]

I've finished writing the new introductory texts for the Dawn of Man screens at the beginning of the game. They're also in the current revision, but I'll post them here so you can access them more easily and discuss them. I think my general idea for them should be clear from the examples: explain the situation and give an outlook for the future (although less explicit than in the previous DoM texts).

Maybe you notice that the texts of early civs explain the situation of some decades or even centuries after the spawn. That's because there's not much to say about the time of their spawn (since it often marks the beginning of civilization in the respective region). For later civs, their spawn is often marked by a certain political event that makes the text feel more natural and less forced.

If you have any idea on how to improve them, you're free to tell me. Just make sure to keep the length (the Ottoman entry is the longest and anything longer doesn't fit into the panel). Language corrections are of course appreciated, as well.

Leoreth,may I translate these text to Chinese,and trasmit it to a Chinese civ forum？

This is our forum's website:http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kw=%CE%C4%C3%F74

 

[Akbarthegreat]

I've made a lot of changes. All additions/changes in bold.

Spoiler :

Egypt:
It is the year 3000 BC. The Egyptian civilization coalesces under the recent unification of the Kingdoms of Lower and Upper Egypt. The fertile banks of the Nile make Egypt one of the wealthiest regions of the world. It is time to use this wealth to build monuments and establish a culture the world has never seen before.

India:
It is the year 1500 BC. After the collapse of the Harappan civilization, the Vedic Aryans reach the Indo-Gangetic plain. The following Vedic era features the development of a caste system and the Mahajanapada kingdoms, where the most important epics of Indian culture are authored, laying the foundation for transforming India into the spiritual and religious center of the world.

China:
It is the year 3000 BC. China is the easternmost region of the world where human civilization first develops. Through the dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou, cities develop mainly in the vicinity of the Yellow River, and the concept of a “Mandate of Heaven” is invented to legitimize the rule of the Middle Kingdom of China through the ages. It is now time to prove that China can become the most glorious and prosperous nation in the world, in splendid isolation.

It is the year 600 AD. After the Han Dynasty had collapsed, civil war between the Chinese kingdoms ensued. Only 11 years ago Emperor Wen of Sui managed to reunite China and reclaim the Mandate of Heaven. But the power of the Sui Dynasty is not completely consolidated, and the old challenges of China remain. It is now time to prove that China can become the most glorious and prosperous nation in the world, in splendid isolation.

Babylonia:
It is the year 3000 BC. The fertile crescent of Mesopotamia is home of the first urbanized cultures in the history of mankind and known as the cradle of civilization. Right now, the cities of Sumer and Akkad are thriving, but with the emergence of Babylon, they are soon to be overshadowed by the greatest metropolis of its time.

Greece:
It is the year 1600 BC. The first city states emerge on the Greek peninsula. While the division of the Greek civilization might seem as a disadvantage at first, their emphasis on independence favors the inception of new ideas in science and philosophy as well as new tactics in the art of warfare.

Persia:
It is the year 844 BC. Persia has always been home to warlike peoples, but now the Achaemenid dynasty provides them with the unifying force to form an organized empire. While the Persian plateau is not particularly wealthy, it has rich and defenseless neighbors in India in the east and Mesopotamia in the east to conquer on their way to become the world's greatest empire.

Phoenicia:
It is the year 1200 BC. Foreign invasions have weakened the Mesopotamian kingdoms, allowing the Phoenician city states to achieve independence. With the neighboring lands dominated by more powerful civilizations, the Phoenicians have turned their eyes to the west, seeing the opportunity to gain wealth by trade on the Mediterranean Sea.

Rome:
It is the year 753 BC. The Latin people have just founded the city of Rome. Situated at a favorable position and governed by a superior political system, it is fated to control the whole Italian peninsula. Most of its neighboring regions in Europe are still barbaric and uncivilized. The city of Carthage is its only rival on the way to rule and civilize the whole Mediterranean.

Japan:
It is the year 525 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan. Soon to shadow the other Eastern civilizations, Japan will come to dominate the Pacific.

It is the year 600 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan. Soon to shadow the other Eastern civilizations, Japan will come to dominate the Pacific.

Ethiopia:
It is the year 295 BC. The Ethiopian highlands are exceptionally fertile due to its temperate climate, but also quite remote from other civilizations. This changes when the major trade routes between the Roman Empire and Indians shift to the Red Sea, allowing the Ethiopian kingdom of Aksum to flourish.

Korea:
It is the year 50 BC. The three Korean kingdoms of Silla, Baekje and Goguryeo form on the Korean peninsula, the first step of centralization of power away from their predecessor chiefdoms. The Chinese are close; Korea will have to have to adapt their more advanced organization without abandoning its own sovereignty.

It is the year 600 AD. The three Korean kingdoms still thrive and Goguryeo has expanded the influence of Korean civilization into Manchuria. But now that China is reunited again, they have to be careful to protect their independence for the future.

Maya:
It is the year 60 AD. Urbanization on the peninsula of Yucatan sparks the formation of the Mayan city states, whose technological and architectural advancements would create the first advanced civilization in the Americas.

Byzantium:
It is the year 330 AD. With the Roman Empire threatened by Barbarian invasions from the east, it becomes evident that the Empire cannot be governed from Rome alone. So Constantine the Great has founded Constantinopolis as a "New Rome", in hopes that the Eastern Empire will be able to withstand these incursions and eventually restore the glory of the Roman Empire.

It is the year 600 AD. After the death of Justinian, most of his successes were unmade again. While the Lombards took Northern Italy and the Danube could be barely held against the Slavs, Byzantium was also plunged into a war against Sassanid Persia. Its victory proved Pyrrhic, and now the Empire is economically and militarily weakened. It is now up to [the Byzantine emperor in 600AD] to bring glory and honour back to the Byzantine Empire.

Vikings:
It is the year 551 AD. The scarcity of food makes the inhabitants of Scandinavia excellent sailors that rely on fishing and trade. Their home kingdoms still cannot sustain further population growth, and the Vikings have to turn to lands across the sea. Not only the coasts of the North Sea, but also the Mediterranean and even the New World make good targets for either plunder or settlement.

Arabia:
It is the year 622 AD. The founding of Islam unites the Arabian people under the banner of the Caliphate. Arabia's direct neighbors, the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia, are weakened from their recent wars. It is the right time to expand the House of Islam into their wealthy possessions, forming a melting pot of cultures that will bring culture and science to new heights.

Khmer:
It is the year 655 AD. The irregular nature of the South East Asian monsoons have so far prevented the formation of a developed civilization in the region. Not until the advanced Khmer water management techniques lead to the foundation of their capital Angkor, facilitating enormous population growth, cultural advancements and urbanization.

Indonesia:
It is the year 700 AD. Nearly all of the trade between China and India passes the Strait of Malacca. Benefitting from its position on the nearby island of Sumatra, the Indonesian Kingdom of Srivijaya rises to become a major trading power in South East Asia.

Spain:
It is the year 718 AD. Arabs from the Ummayad Caliphate have overrun almost all of Iberia and put an end to Visigoth rule. Now the Spanish Kingdom of Asturias is founded in the mountainous north, seeking to restore Christian control over Iberia and expand it far beyond to new horizons, showing the world the first empire on which 'the sun never sets'.

France:
It is the year 751 AD. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Merovingian Frankish Empire became the major Christian power in Europe. With the coronation of Pepin from the Carolingian dynasty, the Franks have come another step closer to reclaim Rome's legacy and dominate Christian Europe, and eventually the world.

England:
It is the year 829 AD. After the migration of Germanic peoples to Britain, the island has been divided between several Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Now the King of Wessex has been crowned Bretwalda and thus ruler of all of England. Now unified, the English people can turn their eyes from their island across the sea and gain rule of the waves, and create an empire that will dwarf all others.

Germany:
It is the year 843 AD. The Treaty of Verdun brings the final separation of the Frankish Empire into West and East Francia. The eastern half is dominated by German peoples, and not only would its German kings break with the Romantic Frankish culture, but also claim its imperial title and the continuation of the Holy Roman Empire which will eventually dominate Europe with it's great industrial might.

Russia:
It is the year 860 AD. Varangian travelers among the amber road between Scandinavia and Byzantium begin to set up states along their routes. Quickly mingling with their Slavic subjects, they would become the Rus and set out to settle the vast areas of Eastern Europe and beyond.

Netherlands:
It is the year 1500 AD. Situated at the confluence of Europe's most important trade routes, the Netherlands are the most populated and wealthiest region of the continent. Far too long this wealth has gone to foreign powers, but now, after long wars, the Dutch people have finally reached independence and established a Republic.

Mali:
It is the year 989 AD. Sub-Saharan Africa is still underdeveloped compared to the rest of the old world. But the Malinese people control rich gold mines, which has caught the attention of its northern neighbors. Defending against foreign attempts to seize its riches by force, Mali has now the opportunity to truly become the richest civilization on Earth.

Portugal:
It is the year 1128 AD. Portugal has just defeated Spain and gained independence. Situated at the western end of Europe, the kingdom is in a good position to send ships to ports all over the world and control the trade of all of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Inca:
It is the year 1150 AD. Manco Capac has just founded the Kingdom of Cuzco, the first Incan kingdom. Even in the harsh environment of the Andes and lacking suitable pack animals, they set out to create an empire never seen before in the Americas.

Mongols:
It is the year 1190 AD. For centuries, the peoples of the Mongolian steppe were too divided to pose an actual threat to the world. Now that Temujin has managed to unify all Mongolian tribes under his command, everything has changed, and soon both Orient and Occident will tremble in fear before his armies.

Aztecs:
It is the year 1195 AD. The Aztec peoples have founded the city of Tenochtitlan at Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. Through clever use of irrigation systems, Tenochtitlan can become the largest metropolis of Mesoamerica and dominate the surrounding cities.

Turkey:
It is the year 1280 AD. After the collapse of the Seljuk Empire, the Anatolian Turks are divided into several small Beyliks. However, Byzantium is weakened itself, and now that the Osmanli Beylik is in the hands of a strong leader, a Turkish Ottoman Empire seems close. With the Bosphorus right within their grasp, they have the opportunity to form an empire that stretches over and dominates three continents.

Thailand:
It is the year 1350 AD. The collapse of the Khmer Empire has allowed the Thai people to claim hegemony over South East Asia. The raze of Angkor has proved that the Thai civilization can now truly dominate South East Asia.

America:
It is the year 1776 AD. Discontent with foreign domination, the people in the American colonies have risen up in revolution to found their own nation. However, their fledgling democracy is still in danger of being reclaimed by European colonial powers and has to surpass its former masters to fulfill its manifest destiny.

 

[Leoreth]

Thanks everyone, sounds as if they work. Typos will be corrected.

@soul-breathing: sure, no problem.

@Akbarthegreat: I think I will use most of those. Some (e.g. Germany) predict too far into the future which I'd like to avoid, but most of it sounds good.

 

[BenZL43]

Do you prefer benefitting to benefiting?

 

[BenZL43]

IMO, shouldn't the text contain something that lure the player? Something like this..
(I also change it a bit to make it sounds more challenging, IMO)

Rome:
It is the year 753 BC. The Latin people have just founded the city of Rome. Situated at a favorable position and governed by a superior political system, it is fated to control the whole Italian peninsula. Most of its neighboring regions in Europe are still barbaric and uncivilized. The city of Carthage is its only rival on the way to rule and civilize the whole Mediterranean.

It is the year 753 BC. While most of their neighbor are still barbaric yet uncivilized, the Latin people had just founded the city of Rome. Now, their only rival to rule and civilize the whole Mediterranean is just the city-states of Carthage. Augustus Caesar, can you lead your people to rule and civilize the whole Mediterranean?
What do you think?

 

[Akbarthegreat]

IMO, shouldn't the text contain something that lure the player? Something like this..
(I also change it a bit to make it sounds more challenging, IMO)

And more dramatic too. I've made them more dramatic in the above list.

 

[Leoreth]

I'd rather avoid addressing the player by the name of his LH because that ruins immersion imo.

I used benefitting because all English verbs double their ending consonant in the present participle form it the preceding vowel is short. Is one t the standard spelling?

 

[Akbarthegreat]

Here.

 

[Leoreth]

Thanks! You never stop learning.

 

[BenZL43]

I'd rather avoid addressing the player by the name of his LH because that ruins immersion imo.

I used benefitting because all English verbs double their ending consonant in the present participle form it the preceding vowel is short. Is one t the standard spelling?

I see your point.
I address the player name because I thought your original text feels like lecture rather than a game introductory

 

[Akbarthegreat]

I address the player name because I thought your original text feels like lecture rather than a game introductory

I like the suspense part of it(dramatic, as I've already said).

 

[Akbarthegreat]

A few more changes made in bold orange.

Spoiler :

Egypt:
It is the year 3000 BC. The Egyptian civilization coalesces under the recent unification of the Kingdoms of Lower and Upper Egypt. The fertile banks of the Nile make Egypt one of the wealthiest regions of the world. It is time to use this wealth to build monuments and establish a culture the world has never seen before.

India:
It is the year 1500 BC. After the collapse of the Harappan civilization, the Vedic Aryans reach the Indo-Gangetic plain. The following Vedic era features the development of a caste system and the Mahajanapada kingdoms, where the most important epics of Indian culture are authored, laying the foundation for transforming India into the spiritual and religious center of the world.

China:
It is the year 3000 BC. China is the easternmost region of the world where human civilization first develops. Through the dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou, cities develop mainly in the vicinity of the Yellow River, and the concept of a “Mandate of Heaven” is invented to legitimize the rule of the Middle Kingdom of China through the ages. It is now time to prove that China can become the most glorious and prosperous nation in the world, in splendid isolation.

It is the year 600 AD. After the Han Dynasty had collapsed, civil war between the Chinese kingdoms ensued. Only 11 years ago Emperor Wen of Sui managed to reunite China and reclaim the Mandate of Heaven. But the power of the Sui Dynasty is not completely consolidated, and the old challenges of China remain. It is now time to prove that China can become the most glorious and prosperous nation in the world, in splendid isolation.

Babylonia:
It is the year 3000 BC. The fertile crescent of Mesopotamia is home of the first urbanized cultures in the history of mankind and known as the cradle of civilization. Right now, the cities of Sumer and Akkad are thriving, but with the emergence of Babylon, they are soon to be overshadowed by the greatest metropolis of its time.

Greece:
It is the year 1600 BC. The first city states emerge on the Greek peninsula. While the division of the Greek civilization might seem as a disadvantage at first, their emphasis on independence favors the inception of new ideas in science, literature and philosophy as well as new tactics in the art of warfare.

Persia:
It is the year 844 BC. Persia has always been home to warlike peoples, but now the Achaemenid dynasty provides them with the unifying force to form an organized empire. While the Persian plateau is not particularly wealthy, it has rich and defenseless neighbors in India in the east and Mesopotamia in the west to conquer on their way to become the world's greatest empire.

Phoenicia:
It is the year 1200 BC. Foreign invasions have weakened the Mesopotamian kingdoms, allowing the Phoenician city states to achieve independence. With the neighboring lands dominated by more powerful civilizations, the Phoenicians have turned their eyes to the west, seeing the opportunity to gain wealth by trade on the Mediterranean Sea.

Rome:
It is the year 753 BC. The Latin people have just founded the city of Rome. Situated at a favorable position and governed by a superior political system, it is fated to control the whole Italian peninsula. Most of its neighboring regions in Europe are still barbaric and uncivilized. The city of Carthage is its only rival on the way to rule and civilize the whole Mediterranean.

Japan:
It is the year 525 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan. Soon to shadow the other Eastern civilizations, Japan will come to dominate the Pacific.

It is the year 600 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan. Soon to shadow the other Eastern civilizations, Japan will come to dominate the Pacific.

Ethiopia:
It is the year 295 BC. The Ethiopian highlands are exceptionally fertile due to its temperate climate, but also quite remote from other civilizations. This changes when the major trade routes between the Roman Empire and Indians shift to the Red Sea, allowing the Ethiopian kingdom of Aksum to flourish.

Korea:
It is the year 50 BC. The three Korean kingdoms of Silla, Baekje and Goguryeo form on the Korean peninsula, the first step of centralization of power away from their predecessor chiefdoms. The Chinese are close; Korea will have to have to adapt their more advanced organization without abandoning its own sovereignty.

It is the year 600 AD. The three Korean kingdoms still thrive and Goguryeo has expanded the influence of Korean civilization into Manchuria. But now that China is reunited again, they have to be careful to protect their independence for the future.

Maya:
It is the year 60 AD. Urbanization on the peninsula of Yucatan sparks the formation of the Mayan city states, whose technological and architectural advancements would create the first advanced civilization in the Americas.

Byzantium:
It is the year 330 AD. With the Roman Empire threatened by Barbarian invasions from the east, it becomes evident that the Empire cannot be governed from Rome alone. So Constantine the Great has founded Constantinopolis as a "New Rome", in hopes that the Eastern Empire will be able to withstand these incursions and eventually restore the glory of the Roman Empire.

It is the year 600 AD. After the death of Justinian, most of his successes were unmade again. While the Lombards took Northern Italy and the Danube could be barely held against the Slavs, Byzantium was also plunged into a war against Sassanid Persia. Its victory proved Pyrrhic, and now the Empire is economically and militarily weakened. It is now up to [the Byzantine emperor in 600AD] to bring glory and honour back to the Byzantine Empire.

Vikings:
It is the year 551 AD. The scarcity of food makes the inhabitants of Scandinavia excellent sailors that rely on fishing and trade. Their home kingdoms still cannot sustain further population growth, and the Vikings have to turn to lands across the sea. Not only the coasts of the North Sea, but also the Mediterranean and even the New World make good targets for either plunder or settlement.

Arabia:
It is the year 622 AD. The founding of Islam unites the Arabian people under the banner of the Caliphate. Arabia's direct neighbors, the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia, are weakened from their recent wars. It is the right time to expand the House of Islam into their wealthy possessions, forming a melting pot of cultures that will bring culture and science to new heights.

Khmer:
It is the year 655 AD. The irregular nature of the South East Asian monsoons have so far prevented the formation of a developed civilization in the region. Not until the advanced Khmer water management techniques lead to the foundation of their capital Angkor, facilitating enormous population growth, cultural advancements and urbanization.

Indonesia:
It is the year 700 AD. Nearly all of the trade between China and India passes the Strait of Malacca. Benefitting from its position on the nearby island of Sumatra, the Indonesian Kingdom of Srivijaya rises to become a major trading power in South East Asia.

Spain:
It is the year 718 AD. Arabs from the Ummayad Caliphate have overrun almost all of Iberia and put an end to Visigoth rule. Now the Spanish Kingdom of Asturias is founded in the mountainous north, seeking to restore Christian control over Iberia and expand it far beyond to new horizons, showing the world the first empire on which 'the sun never sets'.

France:
It is the year 751 AD. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Merovingian Frankish Empire became the major Christian power in Europe. With the coronation of Pepin from the Carolingian dynasty, the Franks have come another step closer to reclaim Rome's legacy and dominate Christian Europe, and eventually the world.

England:
It is the year 829 AD. After the migration of Germanic peoples to Britain, the island has been divided between several Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Now the King of Wessex has been crowned Bretwalda and thus ruler of all of England. Now unified, the English people can turn their eyes from their island across the sea and gain rule of the waves, and create an empire that will dwarf all others.

Germany:
It is the year 843 AD. The Treaty of Verdun brings the final separation of the Frankish Empire into West and East Francia. The eastern half is dominated by German peoples, and not only would its German kings break with the Romantic Frankish culture, but also claim its imperial title and the continuation of the Holy Roman Empire which has the potential to dominate/subjugate the whole of Europe with its greatly productive lands.

Russia:
It is the year 860 AD. Varangian travelers among the amber road between Scandinavia and Byzantium begin to set up states along their routes. Quickly mingling with their Slavic subjects, they would become the Rus and set out to settle the vast areas of Eastern Europe and far beyond.

Netherlands:
It is the year 1500 AD. Situated at the confluence of Europe's most important trade routes, the Netherlands are the most populated and wealthiest region of the continent. Far too long this wealth has gone to foreign powers, but now, after long wars, the Dutch people have finally reached independence and established a Republic, soon to create the first multinational company.

Mali:
It is the year 989 AD. Sub-Saharan Africa is still underdeveloped compared to the rest of the old world. But the Malinese people control rich gold mines, which has caught the attention of its northern neighbors. Defending against foreign attempts to seize its riches by force, Mali has now the opportunity to truly become the richest civilization on Earth.

Portugal:
It is the year 1128 AD. Portugal has just defeated Spain and gained independence. Situated at the western end of Europe, the kingdom is in an excellent position to send ships to ports all over the world and control the trade of all of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Inca:
It is the year 1150 AD. Manco Capac has just founded the Kingdom of Cuzco, the first Incan kingdom. Even in the harsh environment of the Andes and lacking suitable pack animals, they set out to create an empire never seen before in the Americas.

Mongols:
It is the year 1190 AD. For centuries, the peoples of the Mongolian steppe were too divided to pose an actual threat to the world. Now that Temujin has managed to unify all Mongolian tribes under his command, everything has changed, and soon both Orient and Occident will tremble in fear before his armies.

Aztecs:
It is the year 1195 AD. The Aztec peoples have founded the city of Tenochtitlan at Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. Through clever use of irrigation systems, Tenochtitlan can become the largest metropolis of Mesoamerica and dominate the surrounding cities.

Turkey:
It is the year 1280 AD. After the collapse of the Seljuk Empire, the Anatolian Turks are divided into several small Beyliks. However, Byzantium is weakened itself, and now that the Osmanli Beylik is in the hands of a strong leader, a Turkish Ottoman Empire seems close. With the Bosphorus right within their grasp, they have the opportunity to form an empire that stretches over and dominates three continents.

Thailand:
It is the year 1350 AD. The collapse of the Khmer Empire has allowed the Thai people to claim hegemony over South East Asia. The raze of Angkor has proved that the Thai civilization can now truly command South East Asia.

America:
It is the year 1776 AD. Discontent with foreign domination, the people in the American colonies have risen up in revolution to found their own nation. However, their fledgling democracy is still in danger of being reclaimed by European colonial powers and has to surpass its former masters to fulfill its manifest destiny.

 

[ramz711]

Great work, everyone! I did a few edits of my own. They're in red.

Spoiler :

Egypt:
It is the year 3000 BC. The Egyptian civilization coalesces under the recent unification of the Kingdoms of Lower and Upper Egypt. The fertile banks of the Nile make Egypt one of the wealthiest regions of the world. It is time to use this wealth to build monuments and establish a culture the world has never seen before.

India:
It is the year 1500 BC. After the collapse of the Harappan civilization, the Vedic Aryans reach the Indo-Gangetic plain. The following Vedic era features the development of a caste system and the Mahajanapada kingdoms, where the most important epics of Indian culture are authored, laying the foundation for transforming India into the spiritual and religious center of the world.

China:
It is the year 3000 BC. China is the easternmost region of the world where human civilization first develops. Through the dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou, cities develop mainly in the vicinity of the Yellow River, and the concept of a “Mandate of Heaven” is invented to legitimize the rule of the Middle Kingdom of China through the ages. It is now time to prove that China can become the most glorious and prosperous nation in the world, in splendid isolation.

It is the year 600 AD. After the Han Dynasty had collapsed, civil war between the Chinese kingdoms ensued. Only 11 years ago Emperor Wen of Sui managed to reunite China and reclaim the Mandate of Heaven. But the power of the Sui Dynasty is not completely consolidated, and the old challenges of China remain. It is now time to prove that China can become the most glorious and prosperous nation in the world, in splendid isolation.

Babylonia:
It is the year 3000 BC. The fertile crescent of Mesopotamia is home of the first urbanized cultures in the history of mankind and known as the cradle of civilization. Though the cities of Sumer and Akkad are thriving, with the emergence of Babylon, they will soon be overshadowed by the greatest metropolis of its time.

Greece:
It is the year 1600 BC. The first city states emerge on the Greek peninsula. While the division of the Greek civilization might seem a disadvantage at first, their emphasis on independence favors the inception of new ideas in science, literature and philosophy, as well as new tactics in the art of warfare.

Persia:
It is the year 844 BC. Persia has always been home to warlike peoples, but now the Achaemenid dynasty provides them with the unifying force to form an organized empire. While the Persian plateau is not particularly wealthy, it has rich and defenseless neighbors in India in the east and Mesopotamia in the west to conquer on their way to become the world's greatest empire.


Phoenicia:
It is the year 1200 BC. Foreign invasions have weakened the Mesopotamian kingdoms, allowing the Phoenician city states to achieve independence. With the neighboring lands dominated by more powerful civilizations, the Phoenicians have turned their eyes to the west, seeing the opportunity to gain wealth by trade on the Mediterranean Sea.

Rome:
It is the year 753 BC. The Latin people have just founded the city of Rome. Situated at a favorable position and governed by a superior political system, it is fated to control the whole Italian peninsula. Most of its neighboring regions in Europe are still barbaric and uncivilized. The city of Carthage is its only rival on the way to rule and civilize the whole Mediterranean.

Japan:
It is the year 525 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan. Soon to overshadow the other Eastern civilizations, Japan will come to dominate the Pacific.

It is the year 600 AD. The early Japanese polity centered around the Yamato province is introduced to Buddhism from Korea. This allows the spread of Chinese influences from the Sui and Tang dynasties to Japan, followed by a centralization of power into the Empire of Japan. Soon to overshadow the other Eastern civilizations, Japan will come to dominate the Pacific.

Ethiopia:
It is the year 295 BC. The Ethiopian highlands are exceptionally fertile due to its temperate climate, but also quite remote from other civilizations. This changes when the major trade routes between the Roman Empire and the Indians shift to the Red Sea, allowing the Ethiopian kingdom of Aksum to flourish.

Korea:
It is the year 50 BC. The three Korean kingdoms of Silla, Baekje and Goguryeo form on the Korean peninsula, the first step of centralization of power away from their predecessor chiefdoms. The Chinese are close; Korea will have to have to adapt their more advanced organization without abandoning its own sovereignty.

It is the year 600 AD. The three Korean kingdoms still thrive and Goguryeo has expanded the influence of Korean civilization into Manchuria. But now that China is united again, they have to be careful to protect their independence for the future.


Maya:
It is the year 60 AD. Urbanization on the peninsula of Yucatan sparks the formation of the Mayan city states, whose technological and architectural advancements would create the first advanced civilization in the Americas.

Byzantium:
It is the year 330 AD. With the Roman Empire threatened by Barbarian invasions from the east, it becomes evident that the Empire cannot be governed from Rome alone. So Constantine the Great has founded Constantinopolis as a "New Rome", in hopes that the Eastern Empire will be able to withstand these incursions and eventually restore the glory of the Roman Empire.

It is the year 600 AD. After the death of Justinian, most of his successes have been unmade. While the Lombards took Northern Italy and the Danube could be barely held against the Slavs, Byzantium also plunged into a war against Sassanid Persia. Its victory proved Pyrrhic, and now the Empire is economically and militarily weakened. It will be a long road to restore glory and honour to the Byzantine Empire.

Vikings:
It is the year 551 AD. The scarcity of food makes the inhabitants of Scandinavia excellent sailors that rely on fishing and trade. Their home kingdoms still cannot sustain further population growth, and the Vikings have to turn to lands across the sea. Not only the coasts of the North Sea, but also the Mediterranean and even the New World make good targets for either plunder or settlement.

Arabia:
It is the year 622 AD. The founding of Islam unites the Arabian people under the banner of the Caliphate. Arabia's direct neighbors, the Byzantine Empire and Sassanid Persia, are weakened from their recent wars. It is the right time to expand the House of Islam into their wealthy possessions, forming a melting pot of cultures that will bring culture and science to new heights.

Khmer:
It is the year 655 AD. The irregular nature of the South East Asian monsoons have so far prevented the formation of a developed civilization in the region. But now, the advanced Khmer water management techniques lead to the foundation of their capital Angkor, facilitating enormous population growth, cultural advancements and urbanization.


Indonesia:
It is the year 700 AD. Nearly all of the trade between China and India passes the Strait of Malacca. Benefitting from its position on the nearby island of Sumatra, the Indonesian Kingdom of Srivijaya rises to become a major trading power in Southeast Asia.

Spain:
It is the year 718 AD. Arabs from the Ummayad Caliphate have overrun almost all of Iberia and put an end to Visigoth rule. Now the Spanish Kingdom of Asturias is founded in the mountainous north, seeking to restore Christian control over Iberia and expand it far beyond the horizon, showing the world the first empire on which 'the sun never sets'.

France:
It is the year 751 AD. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Merovingian Frankish Empire became the major Christian power in Europe. With the coronation of Pepin from the Carolingian dynasty, the Franks have come another step closer to reclaim Rome's legacy and dominate Christian Europe, and eventually the world.

England:
It is the year 829 AD. After the migration of Germanic peoples to Britain, the island has been divided between several Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Now the King of Wessex has been crowned Bretwalda and thus ruler of all of England. Now unified, the English people can turn their eyes from their island across the sea and gain rule of the waves, and create an empire that will dwarf all others.

Germany:
It is the year 843 AD. The Treaty of Verdun brings the final separation of the Frankish Empire into West and East Francia. The eastern half is dominated by German peoples, and not only would its German kings break with the Romantic Frankish culture, but also claim its imperial title and the continuation of the Holy Roman Empire, subjugating the rich lands of Europe under the German crown.

Russia:
It is the year 860 AD. Varangian travelers among the amber road between Scandinavia and Byzantium begin to set up states along their routes. Quickly mingling with their Slavic subjects, they become the Rus and set out to settle the vast areas of Eastern Europe and far beyond, even to the edge of the Pacific.


Netherlands:
It is the year 1500 AD. Situated at the confluence of Europe's most important trade routes, the Netherlands are the most populated and wealthiest region of the continent. Far too long this wealth has gone to foreign powers; but now, after long wars, the Dutch people have finally reached independence and established a Republic, soon to create the first multinational company.

Mali:
It is the year 989 AD. Sub-Saharan Africa is still underdeveloped compared to the rest of the Old World. But the Malinese people control rich gold mines, which have caught the attention of its northern neighbors. Defending against foreign attempts to seize its riches by force, Mali has now the opportunity to truly become the richest civilization on Earth.

Portugal:
It is the year 1128 AD. Portugal has just defeated Spain and gained independence. Situated at the western end of Europe, the kingdom is in an excellent position to send ships to ports all over the world and control the trade of all of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Inca:
It is the year 1150 AD. Manco Capac has just founded the Kingdom of Cuzco, the first South American kingdom. Even in the harsh environment of the Andes and lacking suitable pack animals, they set out to create an empire never seen before in the Americas.

Mongols:
It is the year 1190 AD. For centuries, the peoples of the Mongolian steppe were too divided to pose an actual threat to the world. Now that Temujin has managed to unify all Mongolian tribes under his command, everything has changed, and soon both Orient and Occident will tremble in fear before his armies.

Aztecs:
It is the year 1195 AD. The Aztec peoples have founded the city of Tenochtitlan at Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. Through clever use of irrigation systems, Tenochtitlan can become the largest metropolis of Mesoamerica and dominate the surrounding cities.


Turkey:
It is the year 1280 AD. After the collapse of the Seljuk Empire, the Anatolian Turks are divided into several small Beyliks. However, Byzantium is weakened itself, and now that the Osmanli Beylik is in the hands of a strong leader, a Turkish Ottoman Empire seems close. With the Bosphorus right within their grasp, they have the opportunity to form an empire that stretches over and dominates three continents.

Thailand:
It is the year 1350 AD. The collapse of the Khmer Empire has allowed the Thai people to claim hegemony over South East Asia. The raze of Angkor has proved that the Thai civilization can now truly command South East Asia.

America:
It is the year 1776 AD. Discontent with foreign domination, the people in the American colonies have risen up in revolution to found their own nation. However, their fledgling Republic is still in danger of being reclaimed by European colonial powers and must surpass its former masters to fulfill its manifest destiny.

Everything's great, though. I sincerely mean that.

 

[Leoreth]

Minor nitpick, no Holy Roman Emperor would've called it the German crown (although they were Kings of Germany too), and not to hide their ambitions. They sincerely believed they wore the Roman crown.

But your additions are all really great, and will be included (at least in large parts) into the release version.

 

[ramz711]

Yeah, I know. But by the time Germany's in a position to fulfill their goals, they're called "Germany" (at least in my games).

Plus, the Roman crown was still around when the HRE started. It was in Constantinople.

*runs*

 

[IrishDragon]

Minor, but I'd leave the 'actual' out of the Mongols texts, to leave it as '...to pose a threat to the world' or change it to "...too busy quarreling among themselves to pose a threat to the world".
Also, something seems slightly off about the wording of the last English sentence, but I can't quiet put my finger on it. I'd have something like 'Unified, the English people can now set their sights beyond their own island, and create an empire that will dominate both land and sea.'