NUBIANS
Spawn Location: Napata/Dongola tile (older than Meroë and also the capital of Kush
and Makuria)
Leaders: given the long timespan, maybe we can have few more leaders to the civ, suggesting here
Amanirenas (Classical Age; Monarchy), and
Zakharias or Merkurios (Medieval Age; Clergy
or Theocracy; Orthodoxy).
UHV:
The Nubians lack the flavor names for their UHVs. Here are some suggestions, with a revised last UHV to extent the gameplay and make the UP a little more useful:
1)
Kingdom of Kush: Have 200 gold and 200 culture and acquire five happiness resources by 900 BC.
2)
Meroitic Empire: Have a population of 40 in happy cities by 300 BC.
3) The Christian Kingdoms and the Patriarch: build an Orthodox Cathedral by 600 AD and settle Great Prophet in Alexandria and ensure that all the cities along the Nile are Orthodox in 1100 AD.
MANDE
Leaders: Since the Mande also has a longer timespan, it would be nice to add another leader for it. Two suggestions may be interesting:
Dinga (the legendary founder of the Ghana Empire) or
Sundiata Keita (the founder of Malian Empire). They can have as preference Hegemony
or Caste System and no favorite religion.
UHV:
UHVs names seem switched. Also, if we add Songhai with the University of Sankore UVH (which I argue below), it is better to change the Malian one. As a suggestion, we can a) slightly change the currently UHV3 or b) go to a radically different one (though already discussed by the community):
a)
Jannah*: Build the Great Adobe Mosque and settle a Great Prophet in its city in 1350.
b)
Abu Bakr’s Dreams: discover the Americas
or South America before the Europeans.
Pagan Religion:
Bidaism or
Siguism instead of Yoruba. Both refer to variations of traditional religions of the Mandé and Soninke (Songhai) peoples. While
Siguism is more known and practiced even today,
Bidaism seems to be the original religion of Ghana Empire.
URV: Control 4 Gold, 4 Salt and 4 Copper resources
or make your capital have Influential culture level.
*
Jannah is the Islamic paradise and may be the origin of Djenné’s name.
SWAHILIS
Leaders: while having just one leader for the civ is reasonable, considering gameplay and history of the Swahilis (the timespan is basically the Medieval Age and, historically, the main polities were successively conquered by the Portuguese during the 16th century, then the Omanis in the early 18th, then became independent with a Omani-Swahili dynasty in 19th before Anglo-German colonial conquests), here are two suggestions for more flavor:
Yusuf al-Hasan (Renaissance Age, Thalassocracy, Islam) and
Tippu Tip (Industrial Age, Slavery, Islam).
UP: while fulfilling its purpose, I think the UP could be improved to represent something more unique and thematic to the Swahilis. So, my suggestion is:
The Power of Palm Trees: Can construct coastal improvements without removing Savannas and Forests and Sailing Ships cost -10% hammers.
UHV:
The Swahilis, as all the newest civ additions, lack the flavor names for their UHVs. Here are some suggestions:
1)
The Zanj Coast: Import a cumulative of 100 happiness resources by 1300 AD.
2)
From Kilwa to Australia: Reveal 35% of the world’s coastlines by 1400 AD.
3) Masters of Indian Ocean Trade: Have 25 trade routes by 1500 AD.
Pagan Religion: currently, they have Yoruba but certainly is not the most appropriate. The problem here is that the Swahili people are the result of a melting pot between Bantu-speaking Africans, Southern Arabs and Iranians (mostly from Shiraz) and were Muslim since the beginning. Thus, we can choose between
Musikism (from the nearby Shona, emphasizing their African element and my favorite approach here),
Anunnaki (Middle East) or
Mazdaism (Persian/Iranian).
CONGOLESE
Leaders: another case of adding another leader for more flavor (and for adding another female leader which we have a good looking asset):
Nzinga (Renaissance Age, Syncretism)
Pagan Religion:
Bukongo instead of Yoruba.
URV: Control a Pagan city with Developing culture in Africa, North America, Caribbean, and South America or the current Yoruba UHV.
