I know it's early, but what Civs do you plan on going for your first game?

[brainwashh]

Probably Mississippi > Normans > Buganda to welcome them to the civ franchise.

 

[AriochIV]

Probably Mississippi > Normans > Buganda to welcome them to the civ franchise.

There's a good chance that combination isn't possible.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

There's a good chance that combination isn't possible.

Not without gameplay unlocks

 

[brainwashh]

There's a good chance that combination isn't possible.

Pretty sure they said any civ can turn into any other civ under the right conditions. Honestly I wish they abandoned historical and regional unlocks so the game doesn't "force" you to pick awkward civ paths. Egypt to Songhai? Inca to Mexico? Shawnee to America? Come on.

 

[Mr Jon of Cheam]

Pretty sure they said any civ can turn into any other civ under the right conditions. Honestly I wish they abandoned historical and regional unlocks so the game doesn't "force" you to pick awkward civ paths. Egypt to Songhai? Inca to Mexico? Shawnee to America? Come on.

In multiplayer it's a free for all. In singleplayer we don't know yet; we know there are gameplay unlocks (e.g. 3 horses = Mongolia) but know basically nothing about them.

 

[marius_kaparius]

Random as always

 

[AriochIV]

In multiplayer it's a free for all. In singleplayer we don't know yet; we know there are gameplay unlocks (e.g. 3 horses = Mongolia) but know basically nothing about them.

It is kind of strange that they'll tell us esoteric things like the starting terrain biases for the civilizations, but not the criteria that let you actually choose them.

 

[FinnWilson]

Persia -> Normandy -> Mughal so that my empire is represented by a lion in all 3 ages

 

[Cuauhtémoc's Rage]

Probably Maya -> Spain -> Mexico, because I think Spain's focus on Distant Lands and expansion with Conquistadors looks quite interesting, and Mexico because it's both a new civ and my native land. Will make for quite an interesting combo.

 

[Wabnosa]

There should be a Shawnee - Mexico path too for my kinfolk who fled to Mexico.

 

[tedhebert]

ATM, I'm looking at Mississippi -> Spain with Isabella as a leader (for the spain unlock)...

Waiting on the modern reveals to decide on the 3rd age...

 

[Cuauhtémoc's Rage]

There should be a Shawnee - Mexico path too for my kinfolk who fled to Mexico.

That is most likely the other unlock route to Mexico. Does fit historically, at least moreso than Egypt to Songhai.

 

[Teproc]

I usually play France first, so I'll have to change it up. I'm not sure if I'll do random leader/civ pairing or Napoléon/Rome, with the intention of going to Normans then France.

 

[Siptah]

It is kind of strange that they'll tell us esoteric things like the starting terrain biases for the civilizations, but not the criteria that let you actually choose them.

I was wondering the same thing. I expected the exploration era civs reveals to state how they can be unlocked. But not even for Mongolia, the info mentioned this. Hence, I believe many of these are still WIP. Or they are so simple that hearing them would be a letdown. E.g., simply the starting bias: Mongolia = 3 horses, Normans = 3 iron, Abbasids = 3 camels, Ming = 3 silk, Inca = 3 mountains, Spain = 2 cities at the coast, Chola = 1 city at the tropical coast, Shawnee = 2 cities on grasslands.

 

[stealth_nsk]

I was wondering the same thing. I expected the exploration era civs reveals to state how they can be unlocked. But not even for Mongolia, the info mentioned this. Hence, I believe many of these are still WIP. Or they are so simple that hearing them would be a letdown. E.g., simply the starting bias: Mongolia = 3 horses, Normans = 3 iron, Abbasids = 3 camels, Ming = 3 silk, Inca = 3 mountains, Spain = 2 cities at the coast, Chola = 1 city at the tropical coast, Shawnee = 2 cities on grasslands.

I generally see 3 types of unlocks:
1. Player invests in certain playstyle and gets access to civilization focused on it. I.e. building a number of scientific buildings could unlock some scientific civ.
2. Depending on starting location, you could unlock terrain-based civ which could help you utilize this terrain. Unlocking Inca with mountains is in this category.
3. Mixed. Horses for Mongolia require both starting location to have them and efforts to connect those resources.

 

[Grumpbeard]

I know I said Mississippian earlier, just cause they haven't been in game before, but honestly, looking at play styles, going down the China path may be what I do.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I've been ruminating on this since the Exploration Livestream.

I still want to start with the Mississippians, but I don't think I want Amina as my first leader anymore. Her ability doesn't really mesh with any of the Exploration Legacy goals like it does with the Antiquity Economic goal.

So now I'm thinking Xerxes-TA leading the Mississippians, with a gameplay unlock transition (hopefully) to the Abbasids in Exploration.

My second game will be Machiavelli leading Greece, though. He is probably my favorite leader revealed so far.

 

[Nic@Melbourne]

Khmer to Majapahit has some good synergy around specialists

 

[Leucarum]

I'm stumbling on what I'd pick for exploration thus far. I don't think there've been any reveals yet that have really got me as excited as the antiquity era civs did. In the abstract, Abassids, Chola, Shawnee, Inca, Spain all appeal to me as civs, but gameplay doesn't really grab my attention for any of them... Here's hoping for Hawaii or Songhai to draw me in, or maybe I'll find that I enjoy some gameplay I didn't expect...

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I'm stumbling on what I'd pick for exploration thus far. I don't think there've been any reveals yet that have really got me as excited as the antiquity era civs did. In the abstract, Abassids, Chola, Shawnee, Inca, Spain all appeal to me as civs, but gameplay doesn't really grab my attention for any of them... Here's hoping for Hawaii or Songhai to draw me in, or maybe I'll find that I enjoy some gameplay I didn't expect...

Your Exploration pick seems like it will depend as much on your starting position as leader and Antiquity civ.

If you unlock both the Abbasids and Majapahit, you will have to weigh whether you have a lot of coast or are more landlocked. Or maybe you have mountains and coast, then you decide between Majapahit and Inca.

Do you have an aggressive neighbor? Maybe pick Normans or Ming for their defenses. Alternately, you could pick Spain to expand quickly if your neighbors are pacifists.