Ethiopians?

[Gecko1]

What?

I speak english, umm, use a babylonian alphabet, uhh American marines.

 

[PimpyMicPimp]

Why, dear God, why is skin colour such a huge issue for so many people? Honestly, it has to be one of the most trivial parts of a human being.

[Edit] I also have the "the more the merrier" attitude towards civilizations. I want more, MORE!

 

[TheLastOne36]

Sub-Saharan Africa contributed almost nothing to civilization, and one could claim it never contained a genuine civilization. That Ethiopia and the Zulus were added was a simple concession to PC.

I disagree with Ethiopia but agree with the Zulus.

Mali and Ethiopia did do something to civilization. Not much though. The Zulu's did barely anything.

 

[cybrxkhan]

well, the Zulus did prove to the world that the Brits weren't inincible... and they had an empire in South Africa... though Nubia, Ethiopia, and Mali/Songhai were better than them... come on, Shaka's awesome! i still remember how evil he was in Civ3

 

[TheLastOne36]

Swahili did do alot as well. Possibly more then Mali.

 

[cybrxkhan]

true. the Swahili were an important part of the international maritime trading route (the one that existed BEFORE the Europeans colonized the world, if you didn't know, Eurocentrists) that stretched from Africa through Arabia, Persia, India, Indonesia, IndoChina (including Vietnam), all the way to China, Korea, and Japan.

 

[Gecko1]

Hey Mali was plenty important. Timbuktu was a center of study and intelligence while the rest of Europe was in a cespool of vermin and diesiese a.k.a. the middle ages. Many people went there to study and trade. Ethiopia had many interactions with other ancient empires, I don't know as much about them. The history of South Aftrica cannot even be disscussed without the Zulu. I think the Berbers or the Moors should also be added without them and the reqonquista who knows what would have happend?

 

[TheLastOne36]

Well either way you put it, Mali Swahili and the Ethiopians were all pretty important.

 

[cybrxkhan]

^and they all deserve a spot in the game.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Swahili over Zulu any day.

 

[cybrxkhan]

yeah, but for some reason, Sid liked the Zulus, and they were the only African civ in Civ1 (unless if you counted Egypt)... they're kinda like a tradition now...

 

[PimpyMicPimp]

The more the merrier IMO. Let's have some more African civs!

 

[TheLastOne36]

For the World Map. Africa is pretty good.

Carthage takes North West Africa, Egypt North East. Ethiopia the East, Mali the West, Zulu the south. Adding the Congo will add something fun for the center and the Swahili would add flavor for the continent. (an extra annoying Empire for you to conquer.)

 

[cybrxkhan]

Congo or Swahili would be good to fill in the center of Africa. the Maasai, maybe (they were in CivGold). or we could crowd up things by adding Nubia or Songhai or Kanem-Bornu or Morocco

 

[TheLastOne36]

No need for any more Cybrxkhan. Not much is needed. I just like to get some nice flavor in africa.

 

[dh_epic]

Mali and Ethiopia were both pretty advanced in the middle ages. I think that's important to keep in mind in the era before Europe surged ahead with the advent of firearms / science. That's what makes them top candidates, to me, (besides Egypt and Nubia for the earlier African civs).

There are probably better ways to represent sub-saharan africa than Zulu, and probably gaps in Europe or Asia that have a higher priority to fill than the short-lived and technologically backwards zulu. But Zulu and other significant tribes are just a bonus.

 

[Kushluk]

The Etheopians are an interesting if not blindingly powerful and influential civilisation. I dunno why there is so much complaining about them, the Zulus/Celts/NAs are all far worse. NAs are probably worst of all, since NOT ONLY are they not a civilisaiton BUT ALSO they aren't even a real ethnic group, just a conglomerate of different tribes that we conflate tougether in the modern mind!

Zulus are a concession to political correctness. NAs are a butt kiss to political correctness w/ tounge, however I don't think the Etheopians are there for PC reasons, they deserve it. They arent the flashiest civ otu there, but they are very ancient, and had some decent acheivements.their leader seems to be a bit of a religious nut job according to his bio, perhaps another Isabel...ugh.

 

[Evie]

I would amend Kushluk's point just a little to say that, while Native Americans are indeed a lot of political correctness, the Iroquois of Civ III, on the other hand, were a perfectly defensible choice : they were by far the most powerful and most politically and socially advanced of North American tribes, and were a major player in colonial eastern North America.

 

[Gecko1]

Yeah but I think the Suix would be better for the native americans. The Suix put up a fight against the U.S. for a long time.

 

[Evie]

The Iroquois lasted FAR longer after contact with western civilization than any Sioux.