pre-release info New Civ Game Guide: Persia

[Verified_Confection_Being]

In Ashoka First Look video, his Destroyer persona is said to be a good pairing with Persia.

So why haven't we seen the game guide for them yet when they've otherwise seemingly moved onto exploration? Is Persia actually an exploration civ? Or were they referencing them because they will be good to pair with (if you have the DLC)? Seems odd to meticulously do only antiquity civ game guides then move on to exploration but leaving 1 out which you semi announce through a leader first look

If it was then a DLC civ, it would make that crossroads of the world pack very strongly themed if it contained Babylon, Nabatea, Assyria and Persia

 

[gdr_willter]

So why haven't we seen the game guide for them yet when they've otherwise seemingly moved onto exploration?

Someone guess that because of the timetable of upcoming Exploration Age showcase stream. FXS may want to reveal more Exploration civs before it.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

Someone guess that because of the timetable of upcoming Exploration Age showcase stream. FXS may want to reveal more Exploration civs before it.

But why would you leave out only 1 antiquity civ? It seems very messy given that the have only released game guides for antiquity civs until the last 2 weeks barring the Shawnee as a preorder exception they've already announced on launch.

It would be a very odd pattern, and presumably they have in fact planned what they are announcing when. So why would they plan it this way? My conclusion is Persia are not in base game, that's not necessarily right, but I don't think they suddenly realised they needed to announce some exploration civs so they bounced the last antiquity civ is a very convincing explanation personally.

 

[gdr_willter]

And there was another guess that Persia has the unique civ design associated to the unrevealed game mechanism, well, I'm not sure about that.

I'm very opened to all possibilities for now. So I'll not estimate something unclear, but would rather wait to next showcase stream. Sarah told that they will release the news for it soon.

 

[moysturfurmer]

So looking at a table of all the possible Trait combinations, there are a handful that aren’t represented by any Antiquity civ yet.

Cultural, Scientific
Cultural, Expansionist
Scientific, Economic
Diplomatic, Militaristic
Diplomatic, Expansionist
Diplomatic, Economic
Militaristic, Economic
Expansionist, Economic

It’s possible Persia might double up with another civ in one of the possible combinations– 2 of the cells in the matrix have 2 entries– but I’m inclined to think it’s more likely one of the missing combinations will be represented.

Militaristic, Diplomatic seems like a safe bet for an Achaemenid Persia. Anything Militaristic, given the language of the Ashoka first look.

A Satrap civilian unit seems like it would help reinforce that identity.

 

[Uberfrog]

In Ashoka First Look video, his Destroyer persona is said to be a good pairing with Persia.

This would be more reassuring if World Conqueror Ashoka were not himself a DLC exclusive leader

But I don’t think Persia is a DLC civ, I think Firaxis have moved onto Exploration civs because there are no rules, and they want to introduce them before the next livestream.

 

[Vitruvian Guar]

My conclusion is Persia are not in base game

That's not impossible but would be a dick move, to tease the civilization in the Ashoka video only for it to turn out to to be a DLC content.

Yes, the omitting of the last antiquity civ and starting with exploration ones is a bit weird, but it's not that weird, considering the necessity to present some civilizations before the exploration stream.

It would be a very odd pattern, and presumably they have in fact planned what they are announcing when. So why would they plan it this way?

It's possible that something didn't go as planned, as it often happens. Or they simply decided that it's acceptable to tease Persia so that there was already a full roaster of antiquity civs, without going to much into details and switch to preparations for the exploration stream.

However. If Persia will not be revealed the next week after the stream - then it will be time to worry.

This would be more reassuring if World Conqueror Ashoka were not himself a DLC exclusive leader

Damn, that's actually a fair point. Okay, with all that in mind, I think there is something like 20% chance that Persia is not in the base game.

 

[stealth_nsk]

This would be more reassuring if World Conqueror Ashoka were not himself a DLC exclusive leader

Yep, but personas from packs are available on release, while DLC civilizations come later. So, I'm pretty sure if Persia were a DLC civ, that would be mentioned.

 

[Evolena]

This would be more reassuring if World Conqueror Ashoka were not himself a DLC exclusive leader

That's right. I answered the "not officially announced yet" with the facts we know, with no assumptions.

 

[AriochIV]

So why haven't we seen the game guide for them yet when they've otherwise seemingly moved onto exploration? Is Persia actually an exploration civ? Or were they referencing them because they will be good to pair with (if you have the DLC)? Seems odd to meticulously do only antiquity civ game guides then move on to exploration but leaving 1 out which you semi announce through a leader first look

If it was then a DLC civ, it would make that crossroads of the world pack very strongly themed if it contained Babylon, Nabatea, Assyria and Persia

They're releasing game guides one per week, but that doesn't stop them from teasing or mentioning other civs. They have specifically mentioned Spain, Persia, Buganda, France, Japan, Ming, Mughal, (and Mongolia and Siam in screenshots)... not having game guides for them yet doesn't mean they don't exist or are DLC releases.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

They're releasing game guides one per week, but that doesn't stop them from teasing or mentioning other civs. They have specifically mentioned Spain, Persia, Buganda, France, Japan, Ming, Mughal, (and Mongolia and Siam in screenshots)... not having game guides for them yet doesn't mean they don't exist or are DLC releases.

Of course, and there's nothing that stops them teasing or mentioned dlc civs either of course. It's not the not having game guides I find odd, it's the meticulously way they've focused solely on antiquity, and have abruptly stopped and switched to only exploration, with one antiquity civ yet to be announced? That is odd. It would also be odd to drop a hint about a dlc civ, except perhaps in the context of a dlc persona released in the same crossroads pack?

 

[Evolena]

It would also be odd to drop a hint about a dlc civ, except perhaps in the context of a dlc persona released in the same crossroads pack?

Yet the Ashoka persona is not part of any DLC collection, but of the Founder Edition Pack itself.

 

[Zaarin]

Of course, and there's nothing that stops them teasing or mentioned dlc civs either of course. It's not the not having game guides I find odd, it's the meticulously way they've focused solely on antiquity, and have abruptly stopped and switched to only exploration, with one antiquity civ yet to be announced? That is odd. It would also be odd to drop a hint about a dlc civ, except perhaps in the context of a dlc persona released in the same crossroads pack?

TBF we got an Exploration game guide (Shawnee) before we got half the Antiquity civs; the first leader we saw was Modern (Ben Franklin); and Amina (Exploration) was also in the first batch of leaders. I'd call their approach more semi-consistent than consistent.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

But why would you leave out only 1 antiquity civ? It seems very messy given that the have only released game guides for antiquity civs until the last 2 weeks barring the Shawnee as a preorder exception they've already announced on launch.

It would be a very odd pattern, and presumably they have in fact planned what they are announcing when. So why would they plan it this way? My conclusion is Persia are not in base game, that's not necessarily right, but I don't think they suddenly realised they needed to announce some exploration civs so they bounced the last antiquity civ is a very convincing explanation personally.

My theory is there could be last minute changes to the design of the civ.
After seeing a lot of fans speculate, maybe they want to change the civ name to Achaemenid Persia, and therefore changing assets to the civ, leaving room for other versions of Persia in future ages? It's probably wishful thinking, but I don't have a better explanation.
Also, I think there have been screenshots of different looking Persian commanders.

So looking at a table of all the possible Trait combinations, there are a handful that aren’t represented by any Antiquity civ yet.

Cultural, Scientific
Cultural, Expansionist
Scientific, Economic
Diplomatic, Militaristic
Diplomatic, Expansionist
Diplomatic, Economic
Militaristic, Economic
Expansionist, Economic

It’s possible Persia might double up with another civ in one of the possible combinations– 2 of the cells in the matrix have 2 entries– but I’m inclined to think it’s more likely one of the missing combinations will be represented.

Militaristic, Diplomatic seems like a safe bet for an Achaemenid Persia. Anything Militaristic, given the language of the Ashoka first look.

A Satrap civilian unit seems like it would help reinforce that identity.

I could also see Militaristic, Economic work. Attributes associated with satraps in past games have always given some sort of gold bonuses.

 

[The Fanatical]

Of course, and there's nothing that stops them teasing or mentioned dlc civs either of course. It's not the not having game guides I find odd, it's the meticulously way they've focused solely on antiquity, and have abruptly stopped and switched to only exploration, with one antiquity civ yet to be announced? That is odd. It would also be odd to drop a hint about a dlc civ, except perhaps in the context of a dlc persona released in the same crossroads pack?

That might even be a marketing tactic, if all Antiquity civilizations in the base game are revealed, then the official site will remove the "MORE COMING SOON!" phrase in the Antiquity Age. Persia won't be DLC, but I think some potential DLC civilizations are hinted by World Wonders in the game. Assyria, Babylon, Nabataeans, Goths, Korea, Teotihuacan, Kingdom of France.

As for Persia's attributes, If I had to guess, the most fitting attributes will be any combination of two from these four attributes: Economic, Cultural, Expansionist and Militaristic. If Persia's design is all about conquest, then Expansionist and Militaristic might be the most possible candidate.

 

[TyrannusRex]

This Persian unit is a hybrid unit -- four swordsmen in front and four archers in back. This fits with the usual Civilization depiction of the Immortals as a melee unit with a ranged attack.

View attachment 706746

edit: And I'll just post these here for unrelated reference, since they were also seen in the clip identified as Persia.

View attachment 706773 View attachment 706774

View attachment 706771 View attachment 706772
(And yeah, I know Dur-Sharrukin is not Persian)


Moderator Action: Source video:

Very cool, very cool.
I love how grumpy the rightmost archer in the second picture looks.

 

[AriochIV]

They didn't just mention Persia, they've showed units and most of the buildings. Why would they have a DLC civ essentially finished four months before release of the base game? It doesn't make sense from a project management point of view, nor from a marketing point of view, since they would be giving proof to those who claim that DLC are bits of the base game that have been pulled out so they can charge more for them.

 

[Sagax]

I wouldn’t read too much into the patterns. This is a friendly reminder that Aksum and Maya have had zero coverage so far, outside from their silent entries on the official website. The more casual audience might as well have no idea about their existence until they get their YT short or a callout in a First Look.

 

[Bleakz]

Also if they put out the last age 1 civ they couldn't keep the "MORE COMING SOON!" At the end of the age 1 civs on their website

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

Also if they put out the last age 1 civ they couldn't keep the "MORE COMING SOON!" At the end of the age 1 civs on their website

They absolutely could because of endless DLC spam meaning that it's always true though, I don't think this is a reason for them holding it back, and I don't think they'd remove it once they've announced all base game civs when we know there's dlc coming