Never Before Seen Civs - Elimination Game

[The Kingmaker]

Congratulations to our Losers' Bracket Top (Bottom) Five! (Or is it our Bottom (Top) Five?)

1 Italians - These Renaissance heartthrobs took home the gold!
2 Hungarians - The Magyars made off with the silver! (Said most of eastern Europe...)
3 Mughals - The Mughals are cast forever in bronze!
4 Goths - Whether "Visi" or "Ostro," the Goths have taken pewter.
5 Argentines - And it's copper for these dapper South Americans.

The first post has been updated. Round Five (the Winners' Bracket) will be posted shortly.

As the new round is starting later in the day, if you've already voted today you may vote again and consider it a free vote. You may resume regular voting tomorrow at your usual times.

 

[The Kingmaker]

And if you thought the Losers' bracket was hard...

Behold Round Five, the Winners' Bracket!

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 20
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 20
Gauls/Britons 20
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 20
Hebrews 20+1=21 They've waited a long time...
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 20
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 20
Nubians 20
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 20
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 20-3=17 ...but these guys can wait a while longer
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 20
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 20
Zimbabweans 20

 

[RFormica]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 20
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 20
Gauls/Britons 20
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 20
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 20
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 20 - 3 = 17 Meh. Not that great. Not as significant as any of the others on the list.
Nubians 20 + 1 = 21 Unrepresented and actually quite fascinating area in history. They built giant, steep-sided pyramids, too!
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 20
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 17
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 20
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 20
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Kimiimaro]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 20+1=21 - Ok, this will be much tougher fight. We're picking the best of the best. However, I'm determined to protect my homeland as much as I can, so prepare for endless comments about how great and interesting this option is. I don't expect it to win, but I'd be satisfied with a place in the top 5.
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 20
Gauls/Britons 20
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 20
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 20
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 20
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 17
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 20-3=17 - With their inclusion, China would probably ban the game.
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 20
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Zaarin]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 20
Gauls/Britons 20
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 21 (20 + 1) -- The top of my Civ wishlist. Their culture and art are second to none, and they'd be an excellent opportunity to move away from the Native American "woodland noble savage" or "whooping feathered horse rider" stereotypes: cultured, sophisticated, with a heavily stratified society and a rich artistic tradition.
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 20
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 17 (20 - 3) -- The Olmecs are an archaeological culture, and the others just aren't that interesting.
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 17
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 20
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Amrunril]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 20
Gauls/Britons 17 (20 - 3) I feel like this would fill a similar niche to last round's Goths, and I'd rather have the Goths as they overlap less with past editions' Celtic civs.
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22 (21 + 1) A never before seen region and culture group on a virtually unrepresented continent, plus a distinct and iconic art style.
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 20
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 17
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 17
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 20
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Zaarin]

they overlap less with past editions' Celtic civs,

Overlapping with past editions' Celtic civ is exactly why people (including me) want the Gauls: to stave off woad-tattooed, dreadlocked, Welsh-speaking, kilt-wearing, ceilidh-throwing, half-naked Boudicca with woad warriors and ceilidh halls and druids and a city list from all over the modern British Isles (apparently no one cares about the Bretons?).

 

[Returning Lurker]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 20
Gauls/Britons 17
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 20
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 17+1=18
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 17
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 20-3=17
Zimbabweans 20

Let's just get this out of the way, the only reason most people care about Vietnam is because of one thing. They happened to luck out and... I genuinely don't like saying they "won" since they frankly didn't (The Tet Offensive was an unmitigated disaster and if the media machine hadn't completely misrepresented the effectiveness of the attack then the US and its allies would've absolutely flattened the scrabbling remnants of the NVA and VC in a matter of months) but they managed to hold off the United States until the unpopularity of the conflict forced a withdrawal. Apart from that they are completely outclassed by their SEA neighbors Siam, Khmer, Indonesia, etc. For me they don't have much going for them apart from the one war.

Sigh... (Pulls out record player, removes a single broken record from a battered old sleeve) The Olmecs are the mother culture of all Meso-American civilizations. Their achievements in culture, art, religion, and trade are second to none in the new world, especially given the circumstances in which they found themselves. While there will be some difficulties I do believe that there is enough information to go off to make a civilization. While Original Olmec hieroglyphics remain undeciphered Epi-Olmec writing (which predates Maya and seems to have directly inspired their writing system) has been decoded and through it we have the names and deeds of several Epi-Olmec leaders that could suitably serve the Olmec. This both abides by the rules as "other" and as a composite, and while I know some people get bent out of shape at the idea of composite cultures here I believe it is completely acceptable as the Epi-Olmecs are direct descendants of the Olmecs making this akin to the Ancien Regime and the Fifth French Republic unified under a "France" banner rather than mashing up everyone in the pacific as a homogenous "Polynesia" glob. So please, consider upvoting the American Sumeria today! (Record scratches, begins repeating)

 

[Potato Based]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21 (20 + 1) Definitely my favorite Native American group.
Gauls/Britons 17
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 17 (20 - 3) I feel this is the least interesting of the African civs on the list.
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 18
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 17
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[conorbebe]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 17
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 17
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 19 (18 + 1) A more deserving civilisation than many others on here.
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 14 (17 - 3) The least interesting choice on the list for me.
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Xandinho]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 20 + 1 = 21 More African civs, and this is a great choice.
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 17
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 17
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 19 - 3 = 16 As much as I like the Olmecs and the Mesoamerican culture. They are infeasible as civs, they are too obscure.
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 14
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Phrozen]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 17
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 17
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 20 - 3 = 17. There are great many pre-Incan Andean cultures that we only have archaeological evidence of. No language, leaders, or place names. Nazca and some for of Moche\Chan Chan\Sipan would make great city states though.
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 20 +1 = 21. Area of Africa that hasn't been represented. Long range sea traders.
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 14
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[The Kingmaker]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 17+1=18 Yeah, we want some overlap with the Celts. It's not that we don't want Celtic peoples in the game, it's that we want them done properly.
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 17-3=14 Just a matter of preference. I would prefer several other never before seen African civs first.
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 17
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 21
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 14
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17 China didn't seem to object to Crusader Kings 2 depicting Tibet in their new XP.
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[UkrNixon]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 18
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 14
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 17
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 21
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 14-3=11 (Western Europe has much more appealing choices)
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 20+1=21 (Slava Ukraini!)
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[luigilime]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 18
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 14
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 17
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 21+1 we need more Africa and this is one of the best choices. An African Venice what more can you ask?
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 11-3 we have all we need from western Europe ( if you don't consider Italy as western European)
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 21
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Guandao]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 18
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina (14+1)=15 Madagascar is falling too fast...they got an interesting female leader, Ranavolona, plus their linguistic background is unique in Africa (Austronesian, from Borneo).
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 17
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20
Swahili/Kilwa 22
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 8
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks (21-3)=18 Sorry to Ukrainian fans, I just think they haven't been independent enough to warrant an official Civ. Plus Cossacks are already Russia's unique unit.
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Returning Lurker]

they got an interesting female leader, Ranavolona, plus their linguistic background is unique in Africa (Austronesian, from Borneo).

Which Ranavolona are we talking about here? The first was kind of... a merciless tyrant who worked thousands of her own citizens to death in forced labor camps in a completely futile attempt to maintain independence in the face of inevitable European conquest. The second was effectively a sock puppet worn by the prime minister to keep the loyalists on his side. The third tried and failed to stitch a fundementally broken country back together before France swept in and gobbled the island up. I'm probably not going to downvote Madagascar any time in the near future since I don't have strong feelings for them one way or the other, but none of those queens really scream "good choice" to me.

 

[NAXAR]

Algonquian (Any) 20
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 18
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 15
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 17
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 20-3=17 Already represented by Arabia, and not big enough to enter. Another bigger Middle Eastern country should be added, one that is more known.
Swahili/Kilwa 21
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 11
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 18+1=19 Should be labeled as Kievan Rus', as that was Ukraine's original name back in 800 AD to 1200 AD. They were originally there before Russia and should replace Russia.
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Zaarin]

Algonquian (Any) 21 (20 + 1) -- I'd really, really love to see Chief Powhatan in game.
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 18
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 15
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 17
Nepalese 17
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 17
Swahili/Kilwa 21
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 11
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17
Ukrainians/Cossacks 16 (19 - 3) -- I agree with Guandao; for most of history Ukraine has been part of someone else's empire.
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

 

[Returning Lurker]

Algonquian (Any) 21
Anasazi/Navajo/Other SW NA 20
Armenians 20
Ashanti 21
Benin (Dahomey)/Benin (Nigeria) 20
Bohemians/Czechs/Great Moravia 21
Bulgarians/Romanians/Other Balkans 20
Burmese 20
Creek/Muskogee/Other SE NA 21
Gauls/Britons 18
Georgians 20
Haida/Tlingit/Other PNW NA 22
Hebrews 21
Irish/Scottish 20
Kushans/Bactrians 20
Malagasy/Imerina 15
Maori/Other Polynesians 20
Nazca/Moche/Muisca/Other Andean 17
Nepalese 17+1=18
Nubians 21
Olmecs/Mixe-Zoque/Other Mesoamerican 16
Phoenicians 20
Sabaeans/Himyarites/Yemen 17
Swahili/Kilwa 21
Swiss/Belgians/Other Western Europe 11
Tamil/Chola/Sri Lankans 20
Tibetans 17-3=14
Ukrainians/Cossacks 16
Vietnamese 17
Zimbabweans 20

Believe me when I say this: I want Tibet. I think it would be a great addition to the game with a lot of potential for interesting abilities. I want Tibet. But we're not getting Tibet, not any time in the near future, anyway. Firaxis as a business seems to heavily value marketability as evidenced by its extremely early release of Australia and Brazil, not so coincidentally two huge gaming markets, before longtime series champions so they could... garner a wider audience in these demographic areas (see what I did there? I took the high road and didn't say they were pandering! Wait... ah, dang it!) and getting their expensive DLC or even the entire game banned from one of their largest markets would never fly with them. So while I would love to see Tibet as its own fully fleshed out side the total impossibility of it means I don't really feel like entertaining the notion.

Not only could Nepal serve as a suitable substitute for Tibet but their accomplishments stand on their own as a worthy civ. Being the birthplace of the world's second largest non-Abrahamic religion, maintaining a unique cultural identity despite constantly being sandwiched by two of the biggest players in history, having some of the most feared and revered soldiers on earth who won the respect of such imperialist powerhouses as Britain, China, Japan, and even the German Empire as they fought in the French trenches of WW1, and on top of all that having a plethora of potential mountain themed abilities to break up the usual monotony of "Inca is the only mountain Civ" all lead me to think that Nepal is more than deserving of a spot at the table entirely on their own merits.