When I first bought Civilization III, I was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of the game.
You see, when I choose a culture to play as, I tend to casually research and form a sort of bond with the history and achievements of the peoples that I play as. (Civilization II was in a large way responsible for a 98% average on the Egyptian unit of my grade 10 socal studies class)
-Anyway-
As I was piloting my old Ford rustbox home from the city, I waited for a calm patch along the Trans-Canada and flipped through the manual to look at the selection of cultures from which I could choose. (Reading while driving, although dangerous, is a skill every Canadain country-boy learns early in their driving careers) To my delight, Egypt was among those with which I could play. Ahh, to make a start at building the most glorious empire ever to be constructed by man! I couldn't wait! I smiled, thinking of all the lessers that I would crush underneath my boot or see driven before me as I watched from my jewel-laced war chariot!
"What have they done for you, Zachary?"
Hrm...But then again... with a new game comes new oppritunities, right? Why should I be constrained to Egyptian culture? I was the one who led the people of Egypt on a crusade aganist the overwhelmingly massive numbers of German tanks. I was the one who sent the people of Egypt to the stars. -I- was the one that managed the Egyptian cities and military where a lesser man would have faltered and given up.
"And they have done nothing! Remember, Zachary! Remember the tanks that were eliminated by a lowly warrior! Remember the Indian elephants that successfully defended a small town from a pair of modern battleships! The Egyptions don't care for you!"
I had done all this for Egypt, but what had Egypt done for me? All that the country I had grown to love had ever done for me was...
"Hold you back!"
Hold me back!
"How dare they!" I yelled as I swerved to avoid an oncoming truck. "They think that I will come back to them when they have nothing to offer me?!" My anger, like a stoked fire, was growing.
"They wanted you to fail! You must punish them."
This was intolorable. Such betrayal... such arrogance. I -must- punish them. But who was worthy enough to assist me in this holyest of holy quests? My eyes narrowed as I searched the manual for the right culture to crush the ungrateful Egyptians.
"Choose her."
"Ah..." I say as my eyes came across her familiar name. "You will do just fine. What better person to wage a holy war than a person that has direct access to the source."
"Choose me."
My laughter echoed into the night sky, no doubt frightening a hitch-hiker or two. Tomorrow would be a good day.