[GS] New Natural Wonders in Gathering Storm

[Laurana Kanan]

So there will be seven new natural wonders in GS. I believe all seven have been identified to varying degrees from screenshots of the Livestreams/First Looks/Promotional videos and images on the official site.

Identified:

Pamukkale from Canada livestream & GS First Gameplay livestream:

Spoiler :

Mount Vesuvius from Official Site Promo Image & Hungary First Look:

Spoiler :

Chocolate Hills from "Features Explained" video, GS Key Art & Hungary First Look:

Spoiler :

Sahara el Beyda from Mali First Look, Inca Livestream, Maori First Look, & GS Key Art:

Spoiler :

Ik-Kil cenote from Inca Livestream:

Spoiler :

Mud Volcanoes in Gobustan, Azerbaijan from Ottomans First Look, Official Site Inca Promo Image & GS Key Art on the right.

Spoiler :

Devil's Tower (aka Matȟó Thípila), the first U.S. National Monument established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, from "Features Explained" video & my gut feeling.

Spoiler :

 

[Siptah]

I wouldn't read too much into the picture. Rise and Fall had the Chateau Frontenac in the front and a whole lot of minarets for some reason. It makes the two mentioned wonders likely, but far from confirmed.
White desert would be a very welcome wonder though.
I think we didn't even have the chocolate hills in any of the elimination games. Quite a surprise.

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

I think we didn't even have the chocolate hills in any of the elimination games.

You didn't know the expansion was coming out on Valentine's.

 

[altayrneto]

One Natural Wonder that would fit this expansion is Yellowstone. It could have some good bonuses, but also have a small possibility to erupt and, aside the destruction of everything in 3/4 tiles, make the entire World Climate worse. It could be too much destruction for some players, but I would like to see something unique like this.

 

[Laurana Kanan]

I wouldn't read too much into the picture. Rise and Fall had the Chateau Frontenac in the front and a whole lot of minarets for some reason.

I'm pretty sure all the NWs from the R&F banner actually ended up in the game though, and Chateau Frontenac was the only WW in the image that ended up not being in the XP.

It makes the two mentioned wonders likely, but far from confirmed.

Hence, the label I wrote above them - "Possible". And, although, it certainly looks like them, whether they make it in or not...

I also can't really tell from the image, but it's possible given the GS's theme, that there's something like the Mud Volcanoes in Azerbaijan there on the right as well.

@altayrneto - The Terra Mirabilis mod has a beautiful Old Faithful NW in it, if you're interested.

 

[Wielki Hegemon]

Cappadocia was in R&F poster too.
I still hope for Plitvice, Bialowieża or Mazurian Lakes

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Cappadocia was in R&F poster too.

Forgot about that! lol

 

[Xandinho]

I wouldn't read too much into the picture. Rise and Fall had the Chateau Frontenac in the front and a whole lot of minarets for some reason. It makes the two mentioned wonders likely, but far from confirmed.

I'm pretty sure all the NWs from the R&F banner actually ended up in the game though, and Chateau Frontenac was the only WW in the image that ended up not being in the XP.

Cappadocia was in R&F poster too.

My suspicion is that this was planned for Rise and Fall and then abandoned for some reason, maybe they were thinking of including Canada at that time, but then they changed their minds. If Canada really is in this expansion, there is a good chance that Chateau Frontenac will be in it as well. I think this logic also applies to Cappadocia and Ottomans.

 

[Kimiimaro]

I think we didn't even have the chocolate hills in any of the elimination games. Quite a surprise.

They may have been proposed for some round.

Btw. Thanks to this, I just remembered Lençóis Maranhenses from the elimination threads. It would make a great multi-tile passable natural wonder.

 

[Zaarin]

One Natural Wonder that would fit this expansion is Yellowstone. It could have some good bonuses, but also have a small possibility to erupt and, aside the destruction of everything in 3/4 tiles, make the entire World Climate worse. It could be too much destruction for some players, but I would like to see something unique like this.

That area is already jam packed with natural wonders, and if we're going to have another from that general region Rainier or Denali would give us another volcano (plus Denali is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak above sea level). Another volcano I wouldn't mind seeing included is Mount Ararat: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat have a very distinctive profile, are culturally and religiously significant for a lot of the people of the region, and again would be another volcanic natural wonder (albeit dormant--but not extinct!). @Laurana Kanan mentioned Azerbaijan's Mud Volcanoes, which would be another great addition.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

What's that crazy lake in Venezuela with the perpetual thunderstorm? That seems like it would be an ideal natural wonder for this expansion.

Edit: it's Catatumbo

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

What's that crazy lake in Venezuela with the perpetual thunderstorm? That seems like it would be an ideal natural wonder for this expansion.

Lake Maracaibo?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Lake Maracaibo?

Catatumbo is what I was referring to.

 

[Zaarin]

Just because it's rather empty I'd like to see something from eastern North America, but as a resident there I can confirm that the entire US east of the Rockies is ugly. (Actually, New England is rather pretty, but probably not "natural wonder" pretty.) Best I can think of is Everglades (meh). Maybe eastern Canada has some better options?

 

[Vahnstad]

One Natural Wonder that would fit this expansion is Yellowstone. It could have some good bonuses, but also have a small possibility to erupt and, aside the destruction of everything in 3/4 tiles, make the entire World Climate worse. It could be too much destruction for some players, but I would like to see something unique like this.

Yellowstone is overrated. There are literally 50 other volcanoes i prefer over Yellowstone to make it into the game. It just has it's status because it's capable of VEI-8 eruptions and because it's in America.
It also couldn't serve as some kind of landmark, cause it's a large landmass, with a lake, with bosses and all on it. Only Old Faithful would be possible to have as a wonder, but Yellowstone just wouldn't work.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

Just because it's rather empty I'd like to see something from eastern North America, but as a resident there I can confirm that the entire US east of the Rockies is ugly. (Actually, New England is rather pretty, but probably not "natural wonder" pretty.) Best I can think of is Everglades (meh). Maybe eastern Canada has some better options?

Pre-industrial Niagara could probably work.

 

[Disgustipated]

but as a resident there I can confirm that the entire US east of the Rockies is ugly

I did not realize Terok Nor was in the Eastern U.S. And the Eastern U.S. is quite beautiful, and I say this as someone born in the Western U.S. Though some areas are better than others. Like say the hills of New Hampshire in autumn. Of course at first glance, it's just the same view everywhere. Trees, trees, and more trees. The horizon in places where I lived in the Navy were all trees (Orlando, Charleston SC, Norfolk). It tends to look same-y. But there are some beautiful creeks and rivers in those areas, you just have to look for them. They tend to be in National and State parks. I will say Western Virginia is prettier than Eastern Virginia. At least you have some hills to break up the monotony. The biggest problem is everything looks pretty, so nothing really stands out. But when you live in the desert like me, things like trees are a big deal. And any area with tress is a big deal out there. Including places like Redwoods NP/SP, Yosemite, Sequoia, or even my local mountain. And desert with red rocks is so much prettier than the regular brown desert with puke green bushes.

 

[shaglio]

There aren’t many options in Easten US for Natural Wonders. The Everglades, Acadia National Park, Mammoth Cave, and Niagara Falls are the only ones I can think of. Maybe something watery like the Outer Banks, Cape Cod, Saint Lawrence River or George’s Bank but those are real stretches. Oh wait, maybe the Bermuda Triangle would fit this expansion.

 

[UWHabs]

There aren’t many options in Easten US for Natural Wonders. The Everglades, Acadia National Park, Mammoth Cave, and Niagara Falls are the only ones I can think of. Maybe something watery like the Outer Banks, Cape Cod, Saint Lawrence River or George’s Bank but those are real stretches. Oh wait, maybe the Bermuda Triangle would fit this expansion.

Yeah, while the Eastern US/Canada can be pretty, it's not really "crazy natural wonder" pretty. Niagara Falls could probably make it in, but they seem to stay away from Waterfall-based natural wonders, maybe just because they're not all that easy to show on the map. It could be an interesting choice, though - give it a small yield early, but then when the technology comes along, have it count as an automatic hydro plant later?

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Honestly what if you were able to find Mt. Rushmore in the game and later on you would have the ability to carve in the heads.
That would be pretty cool.