My guess is they chose him specifically to have a leader ability that relates to the Civ V Polynesians while still representing a single culture rather than a mishmash. His moko is unmistakably Maori, as is his outfit which still retains the feeling of an explorer. Above all, in the cinematic his necklace is of te wheke, the octopus - Kupe defeated a giant octopus on his journey.
Yeah, the Māori would've used similar ships to migrate to New Zealand. They're very important in our cultural traditions, and most tribes will affiliate to one or more of these "waka", as we call them (or "waka hourua" when specifically referring to the double-hulled, oceangoing canoes). These tribal waka usually have names. According to Māori tradition, Kupe himself travelled to New Zealand aboard a waka called the Matahourua. It could've been that very waka that the trailer was depicting.
I agree, at this point I think the Maori are definitely confirmed and won't be a blob Polynesia.
Due to Kupe being the leader I think he might be the leader that will get his own UU, the waka shown in the trailer which could cross oceans sooner, while the Maori Warrior will be the civ UU.
Yes, and that's probably accurate. Which is why I said it's a name a fraudster spending 5 minutes googling would come up with.
My point is he wasn't really a big personality compared to some other PMs, and doesn't tie as naturally to known new Civ 6 mechanics like Pearson or MacDonald would. Firaxis may still be able to tie him to something. He was by all accounts a very good leader, crossed the Canadian linguist boundary with a francophone father and anglophone mother, created the Canadian navy as a distinct military force separate from the Royal Navy, and negotiated the first Canada-U.S. free trade deal (known as "reciprocity" back then). Unsurprisingly, the free trade deal with the U.S. did him in politically. Then as now, international trade deals are easy to attack on the basis of "you gave away too much!"
tldr: he was a great PM, but would be a surprising choice (to me) for a game focusing on big personalities
The low-hanging fruit in the trailers are always the first to be shown, so I agree the Maori and Inca will be shown early.
The real question is whether they drop those puzzles on Monday, that took this forum all of 10-15 minutes to solve who would be announced that Tuesday.
I bet if the order of first looks and videos match that of Rise and Fall's, then it will look like this:
20 Nov - Gathering Storm announcement 27 Nov - Maori led by Kupe (Obviously seen in the opening cinematic) 4 Dec - Inca led by Pachacuti (Seen into the Intro cinematic and are a popular favourite) 11 Dec - Hungary lead by Matthias Corvinus (link it to Saint Nicholas - the original Santa [Before Coca-cola made their red variant] so needs to be released in December [but conflicts with Eleanor for Christmas Day]) 18 Dec - Sweden lead by Kristina (She was born on this date in 1626) 25 Dec - Eleanor of Aquitaine as an alternative leader for England and France. (Coronated for France on this date in 1137) 1 Jan - Mali led by Mansa Musa
8 Jan - All Content/Features explained video 15 Jan - Canada lead by Wilfred Laurier 22 Jan - Phoenicia lead by Dido 29 Jan - Ottomans led by Suleiman (most popular fan favourite)
5 Feb - Embargo lifted
12 Feb - Gathering Storm release
I bet if the order of first looks and videos match that of Rise and Fall's, then it will look like this:
20 Nov - Gathering Storm announcement 27 Nov - Maori led by Kupe (Obviously seen in the opening cinematic) 4 Dec - Inca led by Pachacuti (Seen into the Intro cinematic and are a popular favourite) 11 Dec - Hungary lead by Matthias Corvinus (link it to Saint Nicholas - the original Santa [Before Coca-cola made their red variant] so needs to be released in December [but conflicts with Eleanor for Christmas Day]) 18 Dec - Sweden lead by Kristina (She was born on this date in 1626) 25 Dec - Eleanor of Aquitaine as an alternative leader for England and France. (Coronated for France on this date in 1137) 1 Jan - Mali led by Mansa Musa
8 Jan - All Content/Features explained video 15 Jan - Canada lead by Wilfred Laurier 22 Jan - Phoenicia lead by Dido 29 Jan - Ottomans led by Suleiman (most popular fan favourite)
5 Feb - Embargo lifted
12 Feb - Gathering Storm release
i still do not believe we will get the Maori, in the trailer the people which people seem to assume to be Maori seem to be standing on a Hōkūleʻa, a polynesian ship
Edit: btw i think inca will be revealed first since they are also in the trailer
How do you think the Maori got to New Zealand if you don't think it was on Polynesian ships, lol. If the evidence thus far haven't convinced you that we are getting the Maori, I don't know what will. Personally I didn't want the Maori, and really wanted either Tonga or Samoa, but I have come to accept what's happened.
I still struggle to believe they're including Canada, after including the Cree, especially with Laurier as the leader. He's like the anti-thesis of "big personality". Unless you're going for a stereotypical "peace, order, and good government" Canadian, in which case he's perfect. Competent, thoughtful leader doesn't really seem the Civ 6 type. More the type of name a fraudster would pick, based on 5 minutes research about Canadian PMs.
If the first video is about the Noongar, we can jump leaks again ...
I wiki'd Laurier after the leak, and his resume appears fairly interesting. Remember that the devs are amateur historians as well; they decided "hey we need a diplo civ for our upcoming Diplomatic Favour mechanic, how about Canada?", wiki'd Canadian PMs and then stumbled upon Laurier. I'm not Canadian, but he seems like a worthy choice. He shares this trait with several of the new leaders; Kristina and Eleanor too appear really stellar choices on paper to those who know little of their life.
One thing which imo fortifies the validity of the second leak is the choice of Kupe as the leader of Maori. Picking a semi-legendary leader with the intent of vexing as few people as possible is a decision only Firaxis could make. Semi-legendary leaders are also a blind spot for us Civfanatics. Nobody for instance Gorgo coming in vanilla. Or Dido in G&K, for that matter.
Having Monsieur Laurier as a leader would help to create appeal among both English speaking Canadians and French speaking. In this regard, it’s a business decision.
Thank you!
Seeing them in the trailer helped a lot actually, as it really gives the impression of wayfinding, which is what I wanted all along. I think I'm starting to embrace the idea of a Maori civ afterall...
Yeah, the Māori would've used similar ships to migrate to New Zealand. They're very important in our cultural traditions, and most tribes will affiliate to one or more of these "waka", as we call them (or "waka hourua" when specifically referring to the double-hulled, oceangoing canoes). These tribal waka usually have names. According to Māori tradition, Kupe himself travelled to New Zealand aboard a waka called the Matahourua. It could've been that very waka that the trailer was depicting.
(BTW, there have been several replica Polynesian vessels built in recent times. The most famous of these is the Hōkūleʻa from Hawaii, a double-hulled oceangoing vessel called a "waʻa kaulua" in Hawaiian, similar to a "waka hourua" in Māori.)
Wow, nice observation! I didn't notice it at all until your comment made me re-look at the trailer ... and there it was, a wheke (octopus) pendant! The person wearing it has to be Kupe now, IMO: his battle with the Giant Wheke is one of the most well-known legends in Māori culture.
Thank you for clarifying on the waka! I wasn't sure of the Māori term for double hulled boats. What would you like to see in the civ? I'm expecting Taihia as the landbased UU, but there are lots of great possibilities there.
I was expecting Kupe to have a hei matau/ tiki/manaia so gave it a closer look, was very impressed and excited it was a wheke!
Oh dear God please don't have Dido as a leader. Hannibal or Hamilcar for Carthage would get an A+ from me but I'm tired of the mythical figures as leaders gimmick.
I think the leaked info is real, but it seems to have been combined with different peoples' speculations when it comes to the list of civilizations. As far as I can tell, the only two with actual evidence supporting them are Maori/Polynesia and Carthage/Phoenicia. The two female leader images may be genuine, but it seems to me their identification is pure speculation.
If I had to guess, I would say that the Polynesian civ will be revealed first, since it figures so prominently in the trailer and is the most obvious choice. My wish is that they reveal a civ that's not on the "leaked" list, to show that it's bogus.
I think the leaked info is real, but it seems to have been combined with different peoples' speculations when it comes to the list of civilizations. As far as I can tell, the only two with actual evidence supporting them are Maori/Polynesia and Carthage/Phoenicia. The two female leader images may be genuine, but it seems to me their identification is pure speculation.
If I had to guess, I would say that the Polynesian civ will be revealed first, since it figures so prominently in the trailer and is the most obvious choice. My wish is that they reveal a civ that's not on the "leaked" list, to show that it's bogus.
There is 0 chance for that leak to be true.The leaker PMed me with more information about the leak and almost everything he PMed is proven false.
He said name of the expansion is Time and Tide.
Thank you for clarifying on the waka! I wasn't sure of the Māori term for double hulled boats. What would you like to see in the civ? I'm expecting Taihia as the landbased UU, but there are lots of great possibilities there.
I was expecting Kupe to have a hei matau/ tiki/manaia so gave it a closer look, was very impressed and excited it was a wheke!
Thanks for spotting the wheke necklace. It sealed the leader as Kupe, for me.
I'm way too excited for this possible Māori civ! For a UU, I'd pick maybe a taiaha warrior (combined spear/swordsman? or the same unit from Civ 5?) or a waka taua (war canoe). A UB might be the Pā or marae. Theme music: obvious choice would be Pōkarekare Ana, less likely might be something like E Pari Rā ... I'd love to see Tarakihi by Kiri te Kanawa (how epic would that be?), but it's definitely copyrighted.
Like you said, lots of possibilites. I can't wait!
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
(I like it by the way.
)
