This is a minor mod. It just involves a few lines of changed XML. I did it because I thought it was boring that almost all the leaders preferred just 4 civics.
Some of the leaders were changed to prefer less "enlightened" (in 21st century thinking) civics because first, they weren't upholding 21st century morality, and second, it makes it more interesting to have variety, even if some leaders prefer more "backward" civics.
Here is what I changed and why (quotes from Civilopedia if not linked):
Asoka (usually referred to as Ashoka, but name changes are in another file, so nothing is changed here)
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Organized Religion
"Deeply remorseful for all of the suffering he had caused, he abandoned wars of conquest and accepted Buddhism. He turned from expansion and instead concentrated upon improving the spiritual and physical well-being of his people. He modified many of his country's harsh laws, and he advocated tolerance of all faiths. He built many Buddhist monasteries throughout the land, and the arts flourished under his rule. He sent Buddhist missionaries across the known world, including to faraway places like Greece and Egypt"
"Asoka converted to Buddhism during his rule and gave up violent conquest in order to live a moral life. His ethical teachings can still be found inscribed on pillars and rockfaces across India today."
I saw nothing referring to him giving the right to vote to everyone. Another interpretation might be Freedom of Religion, but he spent a lot of effort spreading Buddhism, so it seems that the Organized Religion civic, which makes it easier to create missionaries, would be best for him.
Bismarck
Default Representation changed to Nationhood
"In September 1862, Europe was startled by the news that a statesman with a reputation for conservatism, nationalism, and "realpolitik" had become the prime minister of Prussia. Bismarck proved to be a master strategist, and the new German Empire was proclaimed in January 1871, in the aftermath of three short and decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. In the span of a decade, Bismarck had unified Germany - or, as some would say, Prussia had conquered it."
He built a nation, right? Shouldn't he be interested in Nationhood? I saw nothing referring to his interest in Representation.
Frederick (really Frederick II)
Default Universal Suffrage (why?) changed to Free Religion (Thanks, RobSoyka)
"All Religions are equal and good, if people that practise them are honest, and if the turks and heathens come and want to settle this land, so we will build mosques and churches"
"The religions all have to be tolerated and the state just has to watch, that they do not disturb each other, cause here everyone has to become blessed his way."
Catherine (actually her name was Catherine II)
Default Hereditary Rule changed to Serfdom
Most every leader in the game was a monarch. Should they all be interested in Hereditary Rule?
I thought this was more interesting: "She curried favor with the aristocracy, expanding their already-great power over the Russian peasants."
Describing Catherine: "In the process, the military democracies of the Cossack hosts along the Dnieper, Don, and Volga rivers lost their autonomy and special privileges; the wealthier officers became Russian nobles, receiving the right to own and settle serfs on their own lands, while the fierce horsemen sank to the level of peasants with special military obligations."
She was an aristocrat who maintained serfdom, and it is mentioned more often describing her than in describing any other Civ IV leader.
Ghandi
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Pacifism
Ghandi is famous for "peaceful resistance," is he not? I don't think I really need to explain this one much. Why Universal Suffrage? Does that describe our image of Ghandi better than Pacifism?
Hatshepsut
Default Hereditary Rule changed to Bureaucracy
As I said, virtually all the monarch leaders prefer Hereditary Rule. Thanks to Chalid for his input on this.
Isabella
Default Police State changed to Theocracy
"The two rulers were Catholic zealots and they had a rabid hatred for non-Catholics, and especially for Jews. In 1478 they petitioned the Pope to establish the Spanish Inquisition. Under Chief Inquisitor Torquemada, the Inquisition tortured and murdered thousands across Spain, driving the heretics out of the country or underground, or forcing them to convert to Catholicism."
The person responsible for the Spanish Inquisition would seem more interested in Theocracy first, and maybe Police State second, I think.
Montezuma (really Montezuma II, or if you want to get technical, Moctezuma II, or even Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin)
Default Police State (why?) changed to Caste System
"Valor in war, notably in the feared Jaguar Warrior formations, was the surest path to advancement in Aztec society, which was caste- and class-divided but nonetheless vertically fluid. The priestly and bureaucratic classes were involved in the administration of the empire, while at the bottom of society were classes of serfs, indentured servants, and outright slaves."
Peter
Default Police State (again? why?) changed to Vassalage
Peter's Civilopedia entry is all about what it is to be a real despot. Read it and you will see. However, as there is so much opposition to giving a leader an initial civic as a preference, I have used this information from Wikipedia:
"Under Peter, the army drafted soldiers for lifetime terms from the taxpaying population, and it drew officers from the nobility and required them to give lifelong service in either the military or civilian administration. In 1722 Peter introduced the Table of Ranks, which determined a person's position and status according to service to the tsar rather than to birth or seniority. Even commoners who achieved a certain level on the table were ennobled automatically."
...to assign him Vassalage instead.
Qin Shi Huang
Default Police State (what! again? why?) changed to Bureaucracy
"While emperor, Qin Shi Huang established a centralized administration..."
From Wikipedia: "To avoid the anarchy of the Warring States Period, Qin Shi Huang and his prime minister Li Si completely abolished feudalism. They instead divided the empire into thirty-six commanderies. Power in the commanderies was in the hands of governors dismissed at will by the central government. Civilian and military powers were also separated to avoid that too much power falls in the hands of a single civil servant. Thus each commandery was run by a civilian governor assisted by a military governor. The civilian governor was superior to the military governor, a constant in Chinese history. The civilian governor was also reassigned to a different commandery every few years to prevent him from building up a base of power. An inspector was also in post in each commandery, in charge of informing the central government about the local implementation of central policies, reporting on the governors' exercise of power, and possibly resolving conflicts between the two governors."
Isn't this Bureaucracy? The Qin dynasty was the era of the Mandarin (scholar-official) bureaucrats.
Roosevelt
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Free Speech
I think FDR is better remembered for his efforts and speeches during WW2 concerning protecting democracy and freedom (including freedom of speech) than he is for instituting or promoting universal suffrage.
Saladin
Default Theocracy changed to Organized Religion
"Saladin was a Kurdish Muslim warrior and self-proclaimed Sultan of Egypt. During his life he was the Defender of Islam and great opponent to the Crusaders."
Wikipedia: "Despite the Crusaders' slaughter of Muslim men, women, and children when they conquered Jerusalem before his birth in 1099, Saladin granted amnesty and free passage to all common Catholics (the Greek Orthodox Christians were treated better, because they opposed the crusades) and even to the defeated Christian army."
Wikipedia: "The title carries moral weight and religious authority, as the ruler's role was defined in the Qur'an. The sultan however was not a religious teacher himself."
He seems less of an extreme theocrat than someone strongly supporting (his) organized religion, but I suppose this is debatable.
Washington
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Nationhood
Is there a reason why both American leaders have to be primarily interested in universal suffrage? There was no universal suffrage (not for women or slaves, or in some places, not for those without wealth or land) in Washington's day.
Along with Bismarck, here is someone who "fathered" a country. Shouldn't Nationhood be his preferred civic?
(I reverted Louis XIV to the default Hereditary Rule as per Lucius Sulla's suggestion.)
The others I did not change, because I was either OK with their preferred civic, or I couldn't find enough info to merit a change.
So we started with the default of:
Hereditary Rule 6!
Universal Suffrage 5!
Representation 5!
Police State 5!
Free Religion 1
Mercantilism 1
Free Market 1
State Property 1
Theocracy 1
...which is very lopsided, and doesn't seem to take history or personality into account, I think.
And I changed that to:
Hereditary Rule 4
Representation 3
Bureaucracy 2
Organized Religion 2
Nationhood 2
Free Religion 2
Vassalage 2
Serfdom 1
Pacifism 1
Police State 1
State Property 1
Theocracy 1
Free Market 1
Mercantilism 1
Caste System 1
Free Speech 1
...which is much more varied, and therefore interesting, and has basis in a historical interpretation.
The file is attached. Copy it into your My Documents\My Games\Civilization 4\CustomAssets\xml\civilizations folder.
If you are completely uninterested or hate this mod, please don't let it trouble you; just ignore it.
I welcome constructive criticism of course.
Some of the leaders were changed to prefer less "enlightened" (in 21st century thinking) civics because first, they weren't upholding 21st century morality, and second, it makes it more interesting to have variety, even if some leaders prefer more "backward" civics.
Here is what I changed and why (quotes from Civilopedia if not linked):
Asoka (usually referred to as Ashoka, but name changes are in another file, so nothing is changed here)
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Organized Religion
"Deeply remorseful for all of the suffering he had caused, he abandoned wars of conquest and accepted Buddhism. He turned from expansion and instead concentrated upon improving the spiritual and physical well-being of his people. He modified many of his country's harsh laws, and he advocated tolerance of all faiths. He built many Buddhist monasteries throughout the land, and the arts flourished under his rule. He sent Buddhist missionaries across the known world, including to faraway places like Greece and Egypt"
"Asoka converted to Buddhism during his rule and gave up violent conquest in order to live a moral life. His ethical teachings can still be found inscribed on pillars and rockfaces across India today."
I saw nothing referring to him giving the right to vote to everyone. Another interpretation might be Freedom of Religion, but he spent a lot of effort spreading Buddhism, so it seems that the Organized Religion civic, which makes it easier to create missionaries, would be best for him.
Bismarck
Default Representation changed to Nationhood
"In September 1862, Europe was startled by the news that a statesman with a reputation for conservatism, nationalism, and "realpolitik" had become the prime minister of Prussia. Bismarck proved to be a master strategist, and the new German Empire was proclaimed in January 1871, in the aftermath of three short and decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. In the span of a decade, Bismarck had unified Germany - or, as some would say, Prussia had conquered it."
He built a nation, right? Shouldn't he be interested in Nationhood? I saw nothing referring to his interest in Representation.
Frederick (really Frederick II)
Default Universal Suffrage (why?) changed to Free Religion (Thanks, RobSoyka)
"All Religions are equal and good, if people that practise them are honest, and if the turks and heathens come and want to settle this land, so we will build mosques and churches"
"The religions all have to be tolerated and the state just has to watch, that they do not disturb each other, cause here everyone has to become blessed his way."
Catherine (actually her name was Catherine II)
Default Hereditary Rule changed to Serfdom
Most every leader in the game was a monarch. Should they all be interested in Hereditary Rule?
I thought this was more interesting: "She curried favor with the aristocracy, expanding their already-great power over the Russian peasants."
Describing Catherine: "In the process, the military democracies of the Cossack hosts along the Dnieper, Don, and Volga rivers lost their autonomy and special privileges; the wealthier officers became Russian nobles, receiving the right to own and settle serfs on their own lands, while the fierce horsemen sank to the level of peasants with special military obligations."
She was an aristocrat who maintained serfdom, and it is mentioned more often describing her than in describing any other Civ IV leader.
Ghandi
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Pacifism
Ghandi is famous for "peaceful resistance," is he not? I don't think I really need to explain this one much. Why Universal Suffrage? Does that describe our image of Ghandi better than Pacifism?
Hatshepsut
Default Hereditary Rule changed to Bureaucracy
As I said, virtually all the monarch leaders prefer Hereditary Rule. Thanks to Chalid for his input on this.
Isabella
Default Police State changed to Theocracy
"The two rulers were Catholic zealots and they had a rabid hatred for non-Catholics, and especially for Jews. In 1478 they petitioned the Pope to establish the Spanish Inquisition. Under Chief Inquisitor Torquemada, the Inquisition tortured and murdered thousands across Spain, driving the heretics out of the country or underground, or forcing them to convert to Catholicism."
The person responsible for the Spanish Inquisition would seem more interested in Theocracy first, and maybe Police State second, I think.
Montezuma (really Montezuma II, or if you want to get technical, Moctezuma II, or even Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin)
Default Police State (why?) changed to Caste System
"Valor in war, notably in the feared Jaguar Warrior formations, was the surest path to advancement in Aztec society, which was caste- and class-divided but nonetheless vertically fluid. The priestly and bureaucratic classes were involved in the administration of the empire, while at the bottom of society were classes of serfs, indentured servants, and outright slaves."
Peter
Default Police State (again? why?) changed to Vassalage
Peter's Civilopedia entry is all about what it is to be a real despot. Read it and you will see. However, as there is so much opposition to giving a leader an initial civic as a preference, I have used this information from Wikipedia:
"Under Peter, the army drafted soldiers for lifetime terms from the taxpaying population, and it drew officers from the nobility and required them to give lifelong service in either the military or civilian administration. In 1722 Peter introduced the Table of Ranks, which determined a person's position and status according to service to the tsar rather than to birth or seniority. Even commoners who achieved a certain level on the table were ennobled automatically."
...to assign him Vassalage instead.
Qin Shi Huang
Default Police State (what! again? why?) changed to Bureaucracy
"While emperor, Qin Shi Huang established a centralized administration..."
From Wikipedia: "To avoid the anarchy of the Warring States Period, Qin Shi Huang and his prime minister Li Si completely abolished feudalism. They instead divided the empire into thirty-six commanderies. Power in the commanderies was in the hands of governors dismissed at will by the central government. Civilian and military powers were also separated to avoid that too much power falls in the hands of a single civil servant. Thus each commandery was run by a civilian governor assisted by a military governor. The civilian governor was superior to the military governor, a constant in Chinese history. The civilian governor was also reassigned to a different commandery every few years to prevent him from building up a base of power. An inspector was also in post in each commandery, in charge of informing the central government about the local implementation of central policies, reporting on the governors' exercise of power, and possibly resolving conflicts between the two governors."
Isn't this Bureaucracy? The Qin dynasty was the era of the Mandarin (scholar-official) bureaucrats.
Roosevelt
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Free Speech
I think FDR is better remembered for his efforts and speeches during WW2 concerning protecting democracy and freedom (including freedom of speech) than he is for instituting or promoting universal suffrage.
Saladin
Default Theocracy changed to Organized Religion
"Saladin was a Kurdish Muslim warrior and self-proclaimed Sultan of Egypt. During his life he was the Defender of Islam and great opponent to the Crusaders."
Wikipedia: "Despite the Crusaders' slaughter of Muslim men, women, and children when they conquered Jerusalem before his birth in 1099, Saladin granted amnesty and free passage to all common Catholics (the Greek Orthodox Christians were treated better, because they opposed the crusades) and even to the defeated Christian army."
Wikipedia: "The title carries moral weight and religious authority, as the ruler's role was defined in the Qur'an. The sultan however was not a religious teacher himself."
He seems less of an extreme theocrat than someone strongly supporting (his) organized religion, but I suppose this is debatable.
Washington
Default Universal Suffrage changed to Nationhood
Is there a reason why both American leaders have to be primarily interested in universal suffrage? There was no universal suffrage (not for women or slaves, or in some places, not for those without wealth or land) in Washington's day.
Along with Bismarck, here is someone who "fathered" a country. Shouldn't Nationhood be his preferred civic?
(I reverted Louis XIV to the default Hereditary Rule as per Lucius Sulla's suggestion.)
The others I did not change, because I was either OK with their preferred civic, or I couldn't find enough info to merit a change.
So we started with the default of:
Hereditary Rule 6!
Universal Suffrage 5!
Representation 5!
Police State 5!
Free Religion 1
Mercantilism 1
Free Market 1
State Property 1
Theocracy 1
...which is very lopsided, and doesn't seem to take history or personality into account, I think.
And I changed that to:
Hereditary Rule 4
Representation 3
Bureaucracy 2
Organized Religion 2
Nationhood 2
Free Religion 2
Vassalage 2
Serfdom 1
Pacifism 1
Police State 1
State Property 1
Theocracy 1
Free Market 1
Mercantilism 1
Caste System 1
Free Speech 1
...which is much more varied, and therefore interesting, and has basis in a historical interpretation.
The file is attached. Copy it into your My Documents\My Games\Civilization 4\CustomAssets\xml\civilizations folder.
If you are completely uninterested or hate this mod, please don't let it trouble you; just ignore it.
I welcome constructive criticism of course.
![[to_xp]Gekko](https://civfanatics-data.community.forum/avatars/m/74/74677.jpg?1475248346){kind=avatar}
