[BTS] Modern Earth 2025 — What’s New in v1.5+

[kiwitt]

A Living World. A Strategic Simulator. A Watcher’s Lens. - Latest version v1.53

Welcome to Modern Earth 2025, a world-simulation built on Civilization IV — but designed with a level of historical, demographic, economic, and geopolitical depth that the base game never imagined.​

This is not a traditional scenario. - https://forums.civfanatics.com/resources/modern-earth.21571/updates ​

This is a system, a model, a global behavioural simulator.​

You’re not just playing a nation.​

You are observing the entire mechanics of the modern world — shaped by:​

• population structure
• industrialisation
• energy infrastructure
• political fragility
• technological development
• regional alliances
• terrorism and piracy
• economic integration
• historical tensions
• religious proportions
• city-level specialisation
• global connectivity

​

Some numbers as to the scope of this scenario (NOTE: Numbers may change as new updates are released)​

​

United States = 106 Cities, 1096 Units​

China = 79 Cities, 765 Units​

Russia = 146 Cities, 585 Units​

India = 30 Cities, 294 Units​

Britain = 23 Cities, 174 Units​

France = 26 Cities, 147 Units​

Germany = 13 Cities, 105 Units​

European Union = 91 Cities, 688 Units​

Canada = 69 Cities, 122 Units​

Mexico = 23 Cities, 134 Units​

​

Brazil = 25 Cities, 169 Units​

Argentina = 13 Cities, 55 Units​

Japan = 15 Cities, 255 Units​

Saudi Arabia = 18 Cities, 87 Units​

South Korea = 5 Cities, 252 Units​

South Africa = 6 Cities, 35 Units​

Iran = 13 Cities, 241 Units​

Australia = 30 Cities, 88 Units​

Indonesia = 31 Cities, 122 Units​

Turkey = 12 Cities, 167 Units​

​

Pakistan = 8 Cities, 147 Units​

Israel = 3 Cities, 88 Units​

Columbia = 4 Cities, 76 Units​

Venezuela = 6 Cities, 71 Units​

Peru = 7 Cities, 76 Units​

Egypt = 9 Cities, 174 Units​

Libya = 7 Cities, 15 Units​

Mali = 7 Cities, 20 Units​

Kenya = 5 Cities, 21 Units​

Congo (DRC) = 9 Cities, 41 Units​

​

C.I.S. Nations = 33 Cities, 220 Units​

Thailand = 3 Cities, 70 Units​

Iraq = 4 Cities, 37 Units​

North Korea = 2 Cities, 306 Units​

African Nations = 76 Cities, 367 Units​

Asian Nations = 42 Cities, 721 Units​

Arab League = 42 Cities, 425 Units​

Non-Aligned Europe = 30 Cities, 149 Units​

Latin America = 41 Cities, 239 Units​

Pacific Nations = 30 Cities, 59 Units​

​

Rebels/Terrorists = 30 Cities, 1126 Units​

…and all of it interacts.

This is Modern Earth, viewed through a strategic lens — the lens of someone who watches the flows of the world, not just the events.​

Every city on this map — all 1,157 of them — has been researched, categorised, and rebuilt by hand:​

• Correct population tiers
• Real-world great person distributions
• Unique cultural and economic profiles
• Reformulated building sets
• Energy plants reflecting real modern infrastructure
• Updated unit limits and national militaries
• Accurate religious proportions
• Renamed and reinterpreted structures (e.g., Renewable Energy Plant)
• Modernised civics and global voting behaviour

​

​

This gives the world texture, shape, and behaviour.

Cities don’t just sit there — they breathe, they grow, they strain, and they fail.​

Every state, bloc, and faction has been assigned a Team Development Level, from:​

1. Agricultural
   …
2. Manufacturing Power
3. Automotive Power
4. Aerospace Power
5. Space Technology
6. Cybersecurity Power
7. AI Power

​

​

These levels are more than labels.

They define:​

• industrial capacity
• technological readiness
• military modernity
• education levels
• institutional strength
• economic complexity
• urban stability
• threat vs resilience
• unit availability and upgrade patterns
• building growth and specialisation

​

​

This is a developmental hierarchy, deeply tied to real-world conditions, and visible in gameplay outcomes.

The world behaves as it does because these levels shape it.​

A world of stability is never still.​

Team 40 represents non-state forces:​

• Terrorists
• Warlords
• Insurgent networks
• Piracy fleets
• Failed-state militias
• Urban gang-ruled regions
• Criminal cartels

​

​

These are not random barbarians.

Their cities and bases reflect real-world fragility and conflict:​

• Haiti
• Somalia
• Yemen
• Congo interior
• Fragile regions in West Africa
• Piracy zones in the Indian Ocean
• Isolated islands used as hubs
• Rebel pockets baked into real geography

​

​

They pressure the world in unpredictable ways — as they do in reality.

Modern Earth 2025 models the modern world’s true constraints:​

• Renewable energy access
• Hydro dependence
• Coal vs clean transitions
• Nuclear strategic value
• Power scarcity
• City-level energy vulnerability

​

​

Your world will rise or fall according to the energy map, not arbitrary mechanics.

And this included my real-world research into global hydro, solar, wind, and nuclear facilities.​

This scenario does not “tell a story.”​

It creates one.​

Every game is different because:​

• Fragile states may collapse
• Strong powers may overextend
• Pirates may choke shipping lanes
• Insurgents may carve new territories
• Industrial powers may surge
• Renewable-based economies may thrive
• Nuclear states may blunder
• Resource scarcity may drive conflict
• Energy failures may topple giants

​

​

You are watching a world in motion.

Not a script.​

A simulation.​

You can:​

✔ Lead a modern nation​

​

​

Try to steer a complex system through a fragile and interconnected world.

✔ Take control of a regional bloc​

European Union, Arab League, Latin America, CIS, Pacific Nations.​

✔ Or… simply watch​

Turn on AI for all factions and observe your world model unfold.​

I created this Earth.​

Now you may watch it move, rise, fracture, stabilise, burn, innovate, and evolve.​

At the heart of this project is one idea:​

**The modern world is a system of systems.​

​

​

In Modern Earth 2025, each team begins the game with a Fragile States Index (FSI) score, which functions as a simplified measure of how well that region is meeting its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs describe what national resilience looks like when achieved: stable institutions, functional infrastructure, strong public services, sustainable energy, quality education, reliable transport, and low inequality. The FSI measures the opposite — the degree to which these systems are stressed, failing, or absent. In practical gameplay terms, a low FSI score means a team starts with a full set of modern buildings representing advanced SDG performance (public transit, universities, industry, hospitals, financial centres, etc.), while a high FSI score represents SDG deficits, removing specific layers of infrastructure to reflect reduced capacity in areas such as governance, logistics, research, health, and heavy industry. Players and AI can rebuild these structures over time, effectively “developing” their civilisation and reducing fragility as the game progresses. This creates a dynamic, realistic starting point for every region—rooted in real-world SDG performance—and gives each team a unique development pathway.

Population in ME 2025 is deliberately stabilised rather than allowed to collapse into widespread starvation. Every city is balanced so that it can sustain its existing population at a minimum level, reflecting real-world adaptation through trade, aid, subsistence economies, and informal systems that emerge under pressure. Beyond this baseline, certain cities exert a natural pull: Holy Cities and Corporate Headquarters continuously attract new population, representing pilgrimage, institutional gravity, employment, and capital concentration. In addition, National Capitals, Regional Centres, and Team Capitals grow slightly faster than ordinary cities, reflecting their administrative importance, infrastructure density, and political centrality. The result is a world where population movement is shaped less by raw food surplus alone, and more by institutional, economic, and cultural gravity — producing gradual, believable demographic change rather than abrupt collapse or unchecked growth.​

Understanding it requires simulation, not simplification.**

Players will find a world that:​

• feels real
• responds dynamically
• behaves in patterned but unpredictable ways
• mirrors our geopolitical tensions
• reflects our economic realities
• and evolves
• emergently
• like a living planet should

​

​

You’re not just playing Civ.

You’re watching the world through a strategic, reflective, long-horizon lens.​

A Watcher’s lens.​

Modern Earth 2025 — What’s New in v1.5+​

The project has evolved far beyond its earlier versions. Modern Earth 2025 is now a deep, historically-researched global scenario designed to reflect the geopolitical, demographic, and technological realities of the modern world.

(old thread - https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/modern-earth-giant.486002/)

Here’s what’s new:

1. Global City Overhaul (All 1,157 Cities Redone)​

Every city — all 1,157 of them — has been manually re-evaluated.

• Corrected city names and placements
• Real-world historical confirmation
• Population-scaled settled Great People, giving each city “living character”
• Cleaned building lists to remove duplicates and unrealistic structures

This pass turns the world map from a placeholder into a breathing, historically grounded planet.

2. New Scenario Date: 1 January 2026​

The scenario now begins at the realistic, near-future date of 01/01/2026.

• Incorporates global changes from 2015–2024
• Aligns with emerging geopolitical blocs
• Allows modelling of “post-crisis” conditions (COVID, supply chain, energy transitions)

3. Civics Overhaul — More Stability, Fewer Shifts​

Civics now change rarely, usually only by:

• UN resolutions, or
• Major scripted geopolitical events

This prevents unrealistic policy oscillation and better reflects national inertia in real politics.

4. Updated Military Roster (2015 → 2025)​

Nearly a decade of military evolution has been incorporated.

• New late-4th generation and 5th generation fighters
• Improved naval assets (destroyers, frigates, carriers, AIP subs)
• Modern artillery and special forces
• Updated unit caps to reflect real military sizes
• AI disbanding heavily reduced by ensuring safe GPT margins

The world’s militaries now feel authentic and stable.

5. Major Geopolitical Map Revisions​

Ukraine (2022–2024 conflict adjustments)​

• Cities reorganised based on updated control and population
• Scenario assumes a 2025 ceasefire as baseline

Gaza / Israel​

• Gaza extensively damaged
• Most buildings removed to reflect current urban conditions

These changes provide a more realistic starting point for a modern geopolitical world.

6. Energy System Modernisation​

Hydro Plants have been reworked into:

Renewable Energy Plant​

• No longer requires a river
• Reflects solar, wind, geothermal, and modern grid infrastructure
• Existing hydroelectric infrastructure remains pre-placed and renamed accordingly

This is the first step toward a true modern-era energy model.

7. Reduced Global Nuclear Stockpiles​

All nuclear arsenals have been carefully trimmed to:

• Closer match real-world 2025 inventories
• Reduce AI overuse
• Encourage conventional conflict and geopolitically realistic escalation patterns

8. Naming, Text & Building Refinements​

Numerous aesthetic and gameplay improvements:

• Updated building names
• More accurate descriptions
• Standardised regional naming conventions
• Consistent formatting across continents

9. Stability Improvements​

Under-the-hood changes:

• Corrected palace and regional capital assignments
• Removed broken building entries
• Ensured consistent CityPopulation-based building logic
• Streamlined AI economy for better long-term survival

 

[civcivcivcivciv]

awesome when does this great mod is released ?

 

[kiwitt]

awesome when does this great mod is released ?

When development is finished. Still a lot of work/research required. Currently 1/2 way through the 1157 cities.

 

[civcivcivcivciv]

please upload some screenshots

 

[Dio Waruda]

This sounds it will kill my laptop :O

 

[kiwitt]

This sounds it will kill my laptop :O

Probably. I use a 5800X with 64GB RAM and a 6800XT with 16 GB VRAM.

please upload some screenshots

See https://forums.civfanatics.com/resources/modern-earth.21571/ for earlier screenshots. Most graphics will be unchanged.

 

[kiwitt]

Still progressing. Need to more passes of cities and teams to implement an Fragility States Index - https://fragilestatesindex.org/ - to every teams cities.

 

[kiwitt]

What Is an AAR?​

An AAR (After Action Report) is simply a written account of a player’s campaign, recorded after the fact or as the game unfolds. Some players write them as stories, adopting the voice of a national leader, a war cabinet, or a chronicler watching events unfold. Others prefer a more analytical approach, describing their strategic decisions, economic pressures, and military outcomes. Many combine both methods, blending narrative with commentary and screenshots to create a living record of their playthrough.


In ME 2025, AARs become especially rich because the world is shaped by fragility and stability, political choices, energy transitions, food imports, piracy, rebellion, and the slow grind of real-world constraints. As a result, every campaign becomes a unique chronicle of how a modern world responds to pressure. Writing an AAR is not merely documenting gameplay — it is capturing the evolution of a world system you helped steer.

---

Different Ways to Play ME 2025​

One of the strengths of ME 2025 is that it supports several distinct play styles, each offering its own kind of narrative and strategic depth.


Some players enjoy taking command of a small nation — Japan is a good example — where survival, trade, and careful resource management become central. This style places you in a position of limited power but high awareness, where you often observe the great global systems rather than dominate them. The appeal here is immersion and long-term narrative: you experience the world as it grows, shifts, and reacts around you. This is what I would call the “Watcher style” of play, a reflective and observational approach where your actions matter, but the world itself remains the true protagonist.


Other players prefer the challenge of managing a large bloc or major power, where responsibility expands dramatically. Instead of shepherding a single nation, you are balancing entire regions with different levels of development, fragility, and industrial capacity. You might struggle to stabilise weak member states, transition industrial cores to cleaner energy, or maintain economic solvency across vast territories. This is stewardship on a civilisational scale — ideal for players who want to feel the full weight of geopolitical, environmental, and economic decision-making.


There is also room for a hybrid or experimental style of play, where a player chooses a middling power, a vulnerable region, or a state surrounded by instability. These runs often produce the most dramatic stories: collapses, recoveries, revolutions, energy shocks, and unexpected geopolitical surprises. They are fertile ground for highly engaging AARs.

---

Why AARs Matter in ME 2025​

Because ME 2025 models incremental growth, fragility, lawlessness, pollution, industrial development, energy systems, and demographic inertia, no two campaigns will ever unfold the same way. The world does not reset itself for the player — it evolves according to the pressures acting upon it, whether or not the player intervenes. An AAR, in this context, becomes more than a record of victory or defeat; it becomes a narrative of how the world reshaped itself under your leadership or observation.


AARs also enrich the entire community. They allow players to learn from each other’s strategies, witness the consequences of different choices, and appreciate the depth of the systems at work. They turn a single playthrough into a shared story — one that others can read, discuss, and be inspired by.

 

[kiwitt]

A beta Version is now available for testing - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EBPt7Q6cS_nDPGsnms1LrcGgwZWQGE93/view?usp=drive_link

 

[GreatLordofPie]

Played 7 turns as the United States last night
The Good
- locking civics behind Total Mobilization worked perfectly. I was worried that all the civics would just default back to the ancient era civics but I guess since they were also behind that tech, the game couldn't switch to them.
- AI was surprisingly aggressive immediately - early Houthi offensive nearly reached Mecca and dropped paratroopers to capture an oasis city in the empty quarter of Saudi. Egyptian advances into rebel held Libya. Iran and Pakistan moved into Taliban Afghanistan mirroring actual skirmishes there. Cities changing hands in Africa between nations, barbs, blocs
- interesting use of nukes - Pakistan launched an early nuke into Peshawar and the next turn India dropped a bomb near Srinagar. It felt very tit-for-tat
- it doesn't look like the AI is deleting any units so congratulations on figuring that out

Bugs
- there's a few ocean roads and railroads in the Gulf of Mexico, probably others elsewhere
- I noticed that Pakistan and India had open borders early on, not sure if that is preset in the scenario or if it was a trade made on the first or second turn. They should have Furious relations and no open borders to start with
- Monuments being prereq for Granary and also obsoleting at Astronomy locks city development for conquered cities and some of the little 1 pop towns

Suggestions
- I like that air units can destroy ground units but I think they might be too effective, making offensive operations trivial. This is something I noticed with my mod as well. Im not sure if the solution is to rebalance air and naval units or to give modern units interception or something else
- I think pirate raiders are both too great a threat and too quickly taken out, if that makes sense. They go out, wreck small nation navies, and then get taken out in 2 turns by blue water navies. I bet reskinning the ironclad into pirate raider, giving it hidden nationality and stealth, and making them buildable with the Terrorism tech will give them better longevity and give terrorist states something else to do
- I like the unnamed infantry units in formerly empty cities (representing police/militia forces?). It especially makes sense for the sprawling countries that would have that sort of thing like the US, Russia, or Canada. Maybe make them reskinned riflemen to reserve the infantry national unit cap for wartime conscripts? Also for the undeveloped countries maybe the "police" forces start in the capital and need to be deployed to outlying regions?
- I know the civ choices are based on the 2010 mod but it's weird to see Libya, Iraq and Mali represented but kind of obvious player nations like Ukraine and Taiwan being part of blocs. I'd like to suggest replacing Libya and Iraq with Taiwan and Ukraine. This is kind of a wild card but I think "coup belt" states in Africa, plus Myanmar, Afghanistan, Libya and maybe Syria could be represented as a "nearly failed state" bloc, replacing Mali
- no South China Sea islands feels like a missed opportunity for Chinese resource and city development and tensions with Asian nations
- please get rid of the Assassination mission from Terrorists and SOF. To be fair it hasn't happened yet in this version's playthrough but it sucks that a fully promoted SEAL team been just be instakilled by a "friendly" special forces team in your own city
Overall it's a nice iteration on your previous work and I'm looking forward to more progress.

 

[soul-breathing]

I have played the last version of Modern Earth made by Kiwitt since 2015, nice mod!

Here's a small suggestion about China Mainland and Taiwan. I see that you make Taiwan and Southeast Asia nations as the same civ. I think it's inconsistent with the facts.
First, Taiwan is not a member of ASEAN. Second, in the game if China Mainland wants to unit Taiwan, it needs to declare war to Asian Nations which includes Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore. It's very weird and incomprehensible.
How about to separate Taiwan from Asian Nations? Then China only needs to declare war to Taiwan when it wants to unit Taiwan.

Also maybe Ukraine needs to separate from Non EU Nations.

 

[kiwitt]

Played 7 turns as the United States last night
The Good
- locking civics behind Total Mobilization worked perfectly. I was worried that all the civics would just default back to the ancient era civics but I guess since they were also behind that tech, the game couldn't switch to them.
- AI was surprisingly aggressive immediately - early Houthi offensive nearly reached Mecca and dropped paratroopers to capture an oasis city in the empty quarter of Saudi. Egyptian advances into rebel held Libya. Iran and Pakistan moved into Taliban Afghanistan mirroring actual skirmishes there. Cities changing hands in Africa between nations, barbs, blocs
- interesting use of nukes - Pakistan launched an early nuke into Peshawar and the next turn India dropped a bomb near Srinagar. It felt very tit-for-tat
- it doesn't look like the AI is deleting any units so congratulations on figuring that out

Bugs
- there's a few ocean roads and railroads in the Gulf of Mexico, probably others elsewhere
- I noticed that Pakistan and India had open borders early on, not sure if that is preset in the scenario or if it was a trade made on the first or second turn. They should have Furious relations and no open borders to start with
- Monuments being prereq for Granary and also obsoleting at Astronomy locks city development for conquered cities and some of the little 1 pop towns

Suggestions
- I like that air units can destroy ground units but I think they might be too effective, making offensive operations trivial. This is something I noticed with my mod as well. Im not sure if the solution is to rebalance air and naval units or to give modern units interception or something else
- I think pirate raiders are both too great a threat and too quickly taken out, if that makes sense. They go out, wreck small nation navies, and then get taken out in 2 turns by blue water navies. I bet reskinning the ironclad into pirate raider, giving it hidden nationality and stealth, and making them buildable with the Terrorism tech will give them better longevity and give terrorist states something else to do
- I like the unnamed infantry units in formerly empty cities (representing police/militia forces?). It especially makes sense for the sprawling countries that would have that sort of thing like the US, Russia, or Canada. Maybe make them reskinned riflemen to reserve the infantry national unit cap for wartime conscripts? Also for the undeveloped countries maybe the "police" forces start in the capital and need to be deployed to outlying regions?
- I know the civ choices are based on the 2010 mod but it's weird to see Libya, Iraq and Mali represented but kind of obvious player nations like Ukraine and Taiwan being part of blocs. I'd like to suggest replacing Libya and Iraq with Taiwan and Ukraine. This is kind of a wild card but I think "coup belt" states in Africa, plus Myanmar, Afghanistan, Libya and maybe Syria could be represented as a "nearly failed state" bloc, replacing Mali
- no South China Sea islands feels like a missed opportunity for Chinese resource and city development and tensions with Asian nations
- please get rid of the Assassination mission from Terrorists and SOF. To be fair it hasn't happened yet in this version's playthrough but it sucks that a fully promoted SEAL team been just be instakilled by a "friendly" special forces team in your own city
Overall it's a nice iteration on your previous work and I'm looking forward to more progress.

I wanted to lock Civics - 2015 mod had them switching. Now they will only change with UN resolutions. I have removed Ecology from many nations unless they are commited to addressing Climate Change.
I am still doing BETA testing, and in my runs the Houtis Capital Sanaa'a gets capitured, so it depends on the path the AI chooses. As for Barbarians, I have replaced Infantry (Strength 20) with RPG Infantry (Strength 18), which reflects rebel use of RPGs in media
The number of nukes, have been severely curtailed and take a lot longer to build.
When I was playing Japan, I saw N.Korea deleting its units, and in researching why, I discovered it was caused by too low a GPT, this has been fixed as you discovered.

Oceans Road, - Good catch, I look into those.
Pakistan and India signed Open Borders, which reflects trade
Monuments represent the Cities Founder. I would not expect small towns to develop much anyhow. Maybe make them, non-desctructable, might be a fix.

I'll check Interception values for Modern units, at least give them a chance.
Re: Pirates. I think I will add Privateer to Terrorist Tech
I wanted every city to have at least some basic protection, and they are kind of like reservists/conscripts or Militia.
RE: Ukraine, Taiwan ... yes I agree. However, been part of bloc, they do get some support if they are attacked.
Mali as a failed state team ... an idea, but I think making them 'Barbarian/Rebel' is better, as they do not and should not co-operate.
South China Seas Islands - Good idea
Some Terrorists could be assassins. As for Special Forces - there have been plenty of movies whereby there are Rogue Government teams, e.g. Bourne Identity, 24 TV series, etc.

I want t spend a lot of time playing multiple simulations over the year. My next Goal will be a 2035 scenario, whereby more futuristic units and techs will be added (thinking Next War assets used). I may also try adding Blue Marble in that release.

I have played the last version of Modern Earth made by Kiwitt since 2015, nice mod!

Here's a small suggestion about China Mainland and Taiwan. I see that you make Taiwan and Southeast Asia nations as the same civ. I think it's inconsistent with the facts.
First, Taiwan is not a member of ASEAN. Second, in the game if China Mainland wants to unit Taiwan, it needs to declare war to Asian Nations which includes Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore. It's very weird and incomprehensible.
How about to separate Taiwan from Asian Nations? Then China only needs to declare war to Taiwan when it wants to unit Taiwan.

Also maybe Ukraine needs to separate from Non EU Nations.

As I said above. Both Ukraine and Taiwan will be supported if they are invaded, so been part of a small bloc, gives them this defensive layer.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[kiwitt]

Minor Fixes Planned
1: Oceans Road - fixed - Maybe more?
2: Changed Rebel 'Destroyers' to 'Privateers and used the Modern Workboat as graphic
3: Added 2 Spratly Islands - One Chinese and the other disputed (Rebels) - and added resources around them.

 

[skyfire]

Fun detail playing as China, only in Wuhan China can build Virus

 

[kiwitt]

ME 2025 is intentionally non-linear — AI choices and RNG can produce anything from early collapse to dangerous early offensives. The scenario models volatility, not scripts.

 

[kiwitt]

Fun detail playing as China, only in Wuhan China can build Virus

Well done. Big nations are a challenge to play.

 

[kiwitt]

v1.52 released - https://forums.civfanatics.com/resources/modern-earth.21571/updates

 

[kiwitt]

From this point - I will add ARRs from smallest nation to largest.

After Action Reports (AARs) in ME 2025​

An AAR (After Action Report) is a written account of a player’s campaign, recorded either after the fact or as the game unfolds. Some players present their AARs as stories, adopting the voice of a national leader, a war cabinet, or a chronicler observing events from afar. Others prefer a more analytical approach, describing strategic decisions, economic pressures, and military outcomes in a reflective, systematic way. Many combine both styles, blending narrative, commentary, and screenshots to create a living record of their playthrough.

In ME 2025, AARs become especially rich because the world is shaped by incremental growth, fragility, lawlessness, pollution, industrial development, energy systems, food dependency, and demographic inertia. No two campaigns will ever unfold the same way. The world does not reset itself for the player; it continues to evolve under the pressures acting upon it, whether or not the player intervenes. Success is often gradual and fragile, while failure tends to emerge from accumulated stresses rather than a single dramatic mistake.

In this context, an AAR becomes more than a record of victory or defeat. It becomes a narrative of how a complex world reshaped itself under your leadership — or even under your watchful restraint. Writing an AAR is not merely documenting gameplay; it is capturing the evolution of a world system you helped steer, decision by decision.

AARs also enrich the wider community. They allow players to learn from one another’s strategies, to observe the long-term consequences of different choices, and to better appreciate the depth and interaction of ME 2025’s systems. A single campaign, once written, becomes more than a personal experience: it becomes a shared story — one others can read, discuss, and draw inspiration from as they embark on their own journeys.

---

Different Ways to Play ME 2025​

One of the strengths of ME 2025 is that it supports several distinct play styles, each offering its own kind of strategic challenge and narrative depth.

Some players enjoy taking command of a small nation — Japan is a good example — where survival, trade, and careful resource management are central. This style places you in a position of limited power but high awareness, where you often observe global systems rather than dominate them. The appeal here lies in immersion and long-term perspective: you experience the world as it grows, shifts, and reacts around you. This is what might be called the “Watcher” style of play — reflective, observational, and patient — where your actions matter, but the world itself remains the true protagonist.

Other players prefer the challenge of managing a large bloc or major power, where responsibility expands dramatically. Instead of guiding a single nation, you are balancing entire regions with different levels of development, fragility, and industrial capacity. You may find yourself stabilising weak member states, transitioning industrial cores to cleaner energy, managing food imports, or preventing economic collapse across vast territories. This is stewardship on a civilisational scale, ideal for players who want to feel the full weight of geopolitical, environmental, and economic decision-making.

There is also room for a hybrid or experimental style of play, where a player chooses a middling power, a vulnerable region, or a state surrounded by instability. These campaigns often produce the most dramatic stories: collapses and recoveries, revolutions, energy shocks, proxy conflicts, and unexpected geopolitical shifts. They are fertile ground for highly engaging AARs, precisely because outcomes are uncertain and systems collide in unpredictable ways.

Players - feel free to add your own AARs in this thread.

 

[kiwitt]

Modern Earth 2025 — Changelog Summary​

v1.51 – Minor Fix​

• Map Correction: Japanese Destroyers near Istanbul reassigned to Turkey.

---

v1.52 – Community Feedback Update​

• Unit Balance:
  
  • Replaced Infantry (Strength 20) with RPG Infantry (Strength 18) to better reflect modern irregular and rebel warfare imagery.
• Faction Terminology:
  
  • Renamed Barbarians → Rebels.
• Map Fixes:
  
  • Removed erroneous roads in sea tiles.
• Naval Rebels Update:
  
  • Rebel “Destroyers” replaced with Privateers using the Modern Workboat graphic.
• Geopolitical Additions:
  
  • Added two Spratly Islands:
    
    • One controlled by China
    • One disputed (Rebels)
  • Added surrounding strategic resources.

---

v1.53 – Testing & Systems Update​

• Building Logic:
  
  • Buildings no longer become obsolete.
• Technology Tree Adjustments:
  
  • Civics Unlock can now be researched after Future Tech.
  • Cyber Warfare can now be researched from Terrorism, provided Computers is already researched.
• Strategic Resource Fix (Major):
  
  • Fixed issue where resource-rich nations were unable to trade — new enabling techs applied.
• Diplomacy & Relations:
  
  • Global attitude matrix re-audited based on January 2026 geopolitical changes.
• Open Borders Overhaul:
  
  • Open Borders now require Defence Pact–level attitudes.
  • Prevents unrestricted military transit across neutral nations.
• Unit Availability:
  
  • Several previously restricted units re-enabled.
• US Strategic Infrastructure:
  
  • Added Greenland Base — Pituffik Space Base.
• Missile Systems Integration:
  
  • Missiles and Tactical Nukes now mounted on appropriate platforms:
    
    • Missile Submarines
    • Cruisers
    • Destroyers (including Stealth Destroyers)
    • Refurbished Battleships
• AI Era Transition:
  
  • Artificial Intelligence replaces Robotics tech.
  • Improved Workshop → A.I. Data Centre
  • Academy → A.I. Research Centre
• Building Renaming:
  
  • Scotland Yard → Cybersecurity Centre

 

[kiwitt]

V1.53 released ... I have done enough - phew!!!

Modern Earth - Updates