pre-release info New First Look: Xerxes

[Lord Lakely]

Here's to hoping that Commanders make domination a lot less tedious

here's to hoping that Commanders don't make domination significantly more PAINFUL to players who hate being declared war on (me).

 

[Zaarin]

here's to hoping that Commanders don't make domination significantly more PAINFUL to players who hate being declared war on (me).

They can help defend as well as attack so I think they'll be valuable even for peaceful players like us.

 

[Krikkit1]

Here's to hoping that domination victory doesn't require you to conquer your allies.

I could see Conquest Victory age 3= You and your allies Build the UN after all other players are your vassals

 

[Zaarin]

I could see Conquest Victory age 3= You and your allies Build the UN after all other players are your vassals

I really hope the World Congress doesn't return. Civ5 and Civ6 have left me firmly preferring it never, ever return; even with what looks like dramatically improved diplomacy in Civ7, I don't see an outcome where the World Congress isn't awful.

 

[Lord Lakely]

They can help defend as well as attack so I think they'll be valuable even for peaceful players like us.

There's a bit of anti-synergy with Persia if you use it defensively though. With the higher city cap that Persia gets (they get +3 by themselves, and another +1 when led by Fire-type Xerxes), you have fewer neutral tiles to defend your borders with.

Han, Mayans and Mississipians could work though for Defensive Xerxes strategies. You miss out on Persia's inherent City Cap, but you have defensive abilities and units, and still get Xerxes's +1 city cap and bonus strength to infantry in neutral terrain.

But again, I think the biggest advantage to picking Xerxes for a peaceful player is that he won't show up as an AI.

 

[Zaarin]

There's a bit of anti-synergy with Persia if you use it defensively though. With the higher city cap that Persia gets (they get +3 by themselves, and another +1 when led by Fire-type Xerxes), you have fewer neutral tiles to defend your borders with.

Yes, I meant more generally.

 

[Lord Lakely]

I really hope the World Congress doesn't return. Civ5 and Civ6 have left me firmly preferring it never, ever return; even with what looks like dramatically improved diplomacy in Civ7, I don't see an outcome where the World Congress isn't awful.

fixing the world congress is easy as pie.

Just use Master of Orion's system: Weighed votes based on Population and number of Cities (planets), two players with the two highest vote counts are nominated, 2/3 majority decides who wins, AIs ALWAYS abstain unless:

1) they are aligned with one nominee but not with the other (vote for ally)
2) they are at war with one nominee but not with the other (vote against enemy)

that as a BASIS could make Dip Victory the best victory type in the game, which can end games that have been won on paper and became stale, or to keep on playing interesting games. You can build on that.

 

[Krikkit1]

I really hope the World Congress doesn't return. Civ5 and Civ6 have left me firmly preferring it never, ever return; even with what looks like dramatically improved diplomacy in Civ7, I don't see an outcome where the World Congress isn't awful.

I see it as a Conquest Victory... "Build the UN"... Requires all players+IP to be your allies or vassals.... takes 10 turns minimum to build.

 

[The Fanatical]

Is anyone thinking what I'm thinking? Are we going to get another Cyrus-Tomyris situation in Civilization VII? Leonidas has never been a leader in past titles, but with Xerxes in, it's the most appropriate moment. Xerxes is an unstoppable force, Leonidas will be an immovable object.

 

[notNamed]

Xerxes, The Achaemenid (DLC Persona)​

Unique Ability:
Silk Road: Increased Trade Route limit with all other leaders. Creating a Trade Route or Road with a Merchant provides Culture and Gold per Age. Increased Culture and Gold per Age on Unique Buildings and Unique Improvements.

What does Silk Road have to do with Xerxes? While it's obviously an ethereal concept (East Asian trade with the rest of the continent or simply "Asian trade" depending on who's being asked) he lived a couple centuries prior to the establishment of the "canonical" silk trade established by the Han dynasty. Tying it to Xerxes is a bit of a weird call.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

What does Silk Road have to do with Xerxes? While it's obviously an ethereal concept (East Asian trade with the rest of the continent or simply "Asian trade" depending on who's being asked) he lived a couple centuries prior to the establishment of the "canonical" silk trade established by the Han dynasty. Tying it to Xerxes is a bit of a weird call.

The name is a bit odd, but Persia did make its wealth by being the final link in a trade network stretching between central Asia, India, and the Mediterranean region.

 

[gdr_willter]

The "Steppe" Silk Road started at least from b.c. 7c, and Xerxes' reign was b.c. 5c. Setting it aside that the name is retrospected from the Oasis one, well yes, Xerxes led the empire which controlled the international trade routes.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

The name is a bit odd, but Persia did make its wealth by being the final link in a trade network stretching between central Asia, India, and the Mediterranean region.

The concept attached to Xerxes I is still a bit of a 'game-only feature', I think. Xerxes spent most of his time putting down revolts, attenpting the conquest of Greece, and finishing off a bunch of Monumental Projects left incomplete by his predecessors - including both the Gate of All Nations ("Xerxes' Gate") and the Apadana at Persepolis. I don't remember any accomplishment attributed to him relating to trade other than maintaining and extended the Persian Royal Roads - and those were almost strictly for Royal message traffic, not trade.

- All of which does tie in with a game definition of Agressiveness/Militaristic, I suppose, but means that the 'Silk Road' was sort of thrown in to give them some alternative for a second Persona. Instead, they could have doubled down on his monument-building for much of the same Cultural attributes.
Oh well.

 

[moysturfurmer]

Forgive me if this was pointed out, but I think we can see Mongolia fighting some Hawaiians at the end of the video. One figure had a mahiole and you can see some Leiomano clubs being used.

 

[Zaarin]

Forgive me if this was pointed out, but I think we can see Mongolia fighting some Hawaiians at the end of the video. One figure had a mahiole and you can see some Leiomano clubs being used.

Good catch.

Instead, they could have doubled down on his monument-building for much of the same Cultural attributes.

No, save it for Assyria.

 

[Boris Gudenuf]

The "Steppe" Silk Road started at least from b.c. 7c, and Xerxes' reign was b.c. 5c. Setting it aside that the name is retrospected from the Oasis one, well yes, Xerxes led the empire which controlled the international trade routes.

Central Asia trade dates back to at least the 7th century BCE, probably much, much earlier. For one thing, between 1800 - 1600 BCE the spoked wheel chariot technology spread from north of the Caspian Sea to China, through the Maikop Culture to the Middle East, and into northeastern Europe - indicating some serious cross-continent trade and contact at least 1000 years earlier.

But the 'Silk Road' in Chinese goods specifically is generally dated to the 2nd century BCE and especially after 114 BCE when the Han expanded into central Asia. Chinese silk, for example, did not become a major item of luxury good in Rome until the first century CE during the Empire. That doesn't mean it wasn't available earlier, but the quantities were not great enough to inspire comment among the surviving records we have.

Xerxes I is still too early for the specific term 'Silk Road' although the Persians undoubtedly prospered from being on some of the routes (there was a 'Maritime Silk Road' from India that by-passed the Persians completely, although it mainly carried spices from India and Southeast Asia rather than Chinese goods) there is simply not that much evidence of Chinese luxury goods like silk being a major part of fthe trade until a couple of centuries after Xerxes I.

Which, though, is No Big Deal. Any game that can play as fast and loose with dates for the Ages and Civs will not burp over a couple of centuries of generalized trade and its title - especially since the term 'Silk Road' is utterly modern- it was first used by a German writer in the late 19th century CE!

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

The concept attached to Xerxes I is still a bit of a 'game-only feature', I think. Xerxes spent most of his time putting down revolts, attenpting the conquest of Greece, and finishing off a bunch of Monumental Projects left incomplete by his predecessors - including both the Gate of All Nations ("Xerxes' Gate") and the Apadana at Persepolis. I don't remember any accomplishment attributed to him relating to trade other than maintaining and extended the Persian Royal Roads - and those were almost strictly for Royal message traffic, not trade.

- All of which does tie in with a game definition of Agressiveness/Militaristic, I suppose, but means that the 'Silk Road' was sort of thrown in to give them some alternative for a second Persona. Instead, they could have doubled down on his monument-building for much of the same Cultural attributes.
Oh well.

Indeed. I had joked with a friend of mine before this that they could do a "Builder Xerxes" and a "300 Xerxes", and I ended up being half right!

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

The concept attached to Xerxes I is still a bit of a 'game-only feature', I think. Xerxes spent most of his time putting down revolts, attenpting the conquest of Greece, and finishing off a bunch of Monumental Projects left incomplete by his predecessors - including both the Gate of All Nations ("Xerxes' Gate") and the Apadana at Persepolis. I don't remember any accomplishment attributed to him relating to trade other than maintaining and extended the Persian Royal Roads - and those were almost strictly for Royal message traffic, not trade.

- All of which does tie in with a game definition of Agressiveness/Militaristic, I suppose, but means that the 'Silk Road' was sort of thrown in to give them some alternative for a second Persona. Instead, they could have doubled down on his monument-building for much of the same Cultural attributes.
Oh well.

Since it's specific to Xerxes, calling it Persian Royal Roads would still work better. I feel like that name limits other potential leaders and civs that had more to do with the Silk Road historically.

 

[Thenewwwguy]

what language is he speaking?

 

[j51]

Is anyone thinking what I'm thinking? Are we going to get another Cyrus-Tomyris situation in Civilization VII? Leonidas has never been a leader in past titles, but with Xerxes in, it's the most appropriate moment. Xerxes is an unstoppable force, Leonidas will be an immovable object.
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Please no