Zegangani
King
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2020
- Messages
- 898
Now that we got all the necessary Information (Abilities) and Spotlights (Graphics) on all the Leaders in the Leader Pass, what's your Impression of them? how would you rate their Abilities and Leader Models? and most of all, how would you rate them from best to worst (or vice versa - you may do so based on their Ability, Model, or overall Design)?
(Please don't answer based on whether the Leader Pack was Free or not. But you may do so considering Time and Resource Pressure on the Devs or in comparison between previous DLCs)
As an Anthology Owner who got the Leader Pass for Free, I didn't care much about the Quality of the Leaders, as it feels like a free Bonus Content for me that I'd rather have than not. But still, I'll be playing with these new Leaders in the same Game as the other existing Leaders, so ofc I'm gonna base them based on the latter, their Quality, Uniqueness, Balance and also Appearance. Which I think is fair..
Here's my Rating of the LP Leaders based inclusively on synergy with Civ Ability, contrast to the other (existing) Leader's Ability, Leader Choice, and my own Playstyle:
1) Ludwig II: Model: while the Clothes' Fabric doesn't look very high Quality, the Model and Accessory look very nice and polished. And I love the Leader Animations and Voice(even though it doesn't fit the leader that well). Ability: Definitely one of my Favorite Wonder (non-)builders! I don't think I'll ever play Germany as Frederick ever again lol ! The Devs managed to introduce a truly Unique Ability out of a Bug (technically), and I really wish they would have gone more out of the box like this with the other LP Leaders. 8/10.
2) Sundiata Keita: Model: Great Leader Model, but hate his generic Scepter. Ability: Not only shifts Mali more into Culture Victory, his Great Writings literally replace Mines! He adds a Unique play to an already unique Civ. 7.5/10.
3) Yongle: Model: not a big fan of his Model ngl, especially his Belt looks so simple and uninspired. I hope FXS won't stick too much to historical Pictures when designing Leaders for Civ7, but give themselves more creative/artistic freedom (so we don't have that Yongle vs Sejong debate again). Ability: Insanely powerful! But the good/interesting kind of powerful. Yongle offers any kind of play you wanna pursue. What else is there to say about him? 7.5/10 (would have given him 8.5 if it wasn't his Model that I can't say to admire)
4) Tokugawa: Model: one of the more "realistic" looking leaders in the Game (proportions and face model), but his Armor looks too plastic, something about it makes it quite boring to look at tbh. Ability: definitely one of the best designed ones, the emphasize on Domestic Trade Routes is both powerful and and immersive from a historic PoV. His Ability suits my playstyle very well in early to mid Game, but the Tourism and Loyalty Bonus aren't impactful enough though. A 7.5/10.
5) Age of Steam Victoria: Model: very stylish. From a Quality PoV, she's the best Model so far in the LP. Ability: Man! that looks so powerful! must come from the advancements from the Age of Steam
. While it's another simple and straightforward Ability, it's like Ptolemaic Cleopatra's Ability in that regard: the more interesting kind of simple, not bland at all. 7/10.
6) Ptolemaic Cleopatra: Model: One of the better Leader Models, clearly. Ability: requires a lucky/good Map start, on the other hand, flood plains start biases aren't very hard to meet. Very good for tall Play and Culture Victory, especially the Appeal Ability is quite strong with the other Egypt kit. Uncomplicated yet not bland. 7/10
7) Nzinga Mbande: Model: She's my #2 of the best Leader Models from LP, really wish that the rest of the LP Leaders had similar great Hair. Ability: Too bad the original design was changed, though I like the decolonization theme, while her Ability is bland, it's still strong and the fact that you can build HS with Kongo, and finally being able to fully utilize the Civ Ability for Relics makes Ana Nzinga a Game changer. 7/10
8) Varangian Harald: Model: I would lie if I would say that I liked it. I don't. I think Viking Harald is way more impressive and good looking. Ability: I think he steps up the Ability of Gilgamesh and Matthias to the next Level. Definitely an engaging Ability, that also taps well with the Leader historically. 6.5/10
9) Theodora: Model: I like everything about her except the Clothing/Accessoires and the plastic/unpolished Hair. The Animation, VA, Face/Head Design, Proportions are all well done, but Idk, she seems like a real Queen in a Cosplayer's cheap Costume. But not as bad as Ramses'. Ability: Another Simple yet powerful Ability. While it's not very involving, I still like it. 6.5/10.
10) Unifier Qin Shi Huang: Model: a bit of a downgrade from his Vanilla Model, and also looks from WoW. But not too bad. Ability: I really like it. He's quite a diversion from the more peaceful Vanilla Qin, and offers a very engaging way to go for Domination. He also offers something that no other Leader can offer: He literally allows the Player to want to get attacked by Barbarians! Unfortunately, this is too much RNG reliant, but he's a Persona, so, it's half as bad. 6.5/10
11) Julius Caesar: Model: Too much out of Proportion, too much out of WoW, even though the design itself is very good, as well as the expressions/animations. Ability: Finally a Domination focused Rome! His Ability would actually fit more with the base Game, and isn't balanced well with other DLC/XP Leaders, especially since it doesn't scale well with Eras. But still, makes conquest very rewarding. 6/10.
12) Muhtesem Suleiman: Model: everything looks great, except his Clothes' Color doesn't go well with his tan. They should have either made his skin color more bright, or choose a different color for his Clothes, as now it just looks like a color mish-mash. Ability: I honestly don't know what to think of this, on one hand it's a powerful ability that can help you with either Science or Culture Victory, on the other hand it's situational and forces you to go for specific strategies, and the Combat Ability relies to much on other Players rather than you, and becomes quickly irrelevant. Overall, I would give him a 6/10.
13) Ramses II: Model: very underwhelming, one of the worst in the Game IMO, and definitely the worst from the LP. He's the most Leader that I was anticipating from the LP, but Boy does he underdeliver. Idk, but he just looks like someone pretending/cosplaying as Ramses II. Ability: Strong, but too straightforward/dull. Not very engaging + not adequate for a Leader with such rich History. 5.5/10
14) Abraham Lincoln: Model: too thin for my taste, but apart from that he is definitely one of the best Models of the LP. Ability: I like the interaction with Loyalty, but since this latter as a Game Mechanism isn't well balanced in the Game and easily ignorable, it rather falls flat here for me. It's the free Units from IZ that make Abe Strong. Because he had great Potential to interact with some existing Mechanics based on his History, he wasn't interesting enough on that front for me (will take the Moment to praise Suk's Design of Abe, I recommend anyone who hasn't to try it). So I would give him a 5.5/10.
15) Elizabeth I: Model: Could have been easily the best Leader Model from NFP, if it weren't the plastic Pearls and Buttons, who completely distort that nice appearance for me. Ability: Another Trade Routes oriented Ability, this is almost exclusively focused on that ==> very boring and unimaginative. Nothing new or interesting. Would have accepted that for any previous Leaders, but not for her, not for a Leader from the last Pack. 5/10
16) Sejong: Model: the better looking Yongle, even if it's just for the fact that he has Clothes in a different Color than Yellow, but the Book looks very ugly and uninspired IMO (in other words, I like his Model, but not that much). Ability: Synergizes pretty well with the Civ Ability, and can be quite powerful, but as I haven't tried him yet I'm not sure how to utilize his LUA, looks too micromanagy to make use of but I could be wrong on that. Though, it doesn't look interesting enough for me to play as. 5/10.
17) Sultan Saladin: Model: The Armor looks very odd on Saladin, as his Body isn't really suited for it, hence doesn't look very impressive in it. On it's own, the Armor looks very nice, except the Arm Plates, which look like from WoW. Ability: The most boring Ability from the LP if you ask me. Powerful, but too boring. Saladin is a very odd choice to make a Persona for. 5/10.
18) Nader Shah: Model: great Leader Model! (but not perfect). Ability: requires domination/conquest to make use of (and in the early game only, after that, it's insignificant), but Cyrus is already better at Domination, so why would I want Nader Shah for that? He's redundant as an alternative Leader if his presence is simply another take on Domination. 5/10
19) Wu Zetian: Model: pretty nice, I don't like how the Chinese LP Leaders all have the same Yellow/Golden color palette, but her it fits the most. Ability: very underwhelming if you ask me. The Spy can be useful in early Game, but only if RNG is good to you. You can't really utilize her Ability to gain much from it, and since I dislike the Espionage mechanic in the Game anyway, Wu Zetian becomes another Leader that I need to use a Mod for to make her worth playing. 4.5/10.
All in all, although I like the Leader Models overall, or at least find them OK, I'm pretty disappointed in most of their Abilities though. It's clear that their Abilities aren't anything new, and that the Devs might have some Time/Resource Pressure when designing the Leaders, but I'm sure with just a little more effort they would clearly could have come with better and more unique Abilities, at least for most Leaders. The Effects and Modifiers System in Civ 6 offers nearly limitless possibilities when it comes to new Abilities, it's just up to the Imagination (and Experience) on how you use it (and Modders have proven that countless times). Not to say that I'm unhappy about the Leader Pass, it's just that I'm a bit underwhelmed overall, even though it had some nice Ideas here and there.
(Please don't answer based on whether the Leader Pack was Free or not. But you may do so considering Time and Resource Pressure on the Devs or in comparison between previous DLCs)
As an Anthology Owner who got the Leader Pass for Free, I didn't care much about the Quality of the Leaders, as it feels like a free Bonus Content for me that I'd rather have than not. But still, I'll be playing with these new Leaders in the same Game as the other existing Leaders, so ofc I'm gonna base them based on the latter, their Quality, Uniqueness, Balance and also Appearance. Which I think is fair..
Here's my Rating of the LP Leaders based inclusively on synergy with Civ Ability, contrast to the other (existing) Leader's Ability, Leader Choice, and my own Playstyle:
1) Ludwig II: Model: while the Clothes' Fabric doesn't look very high Quality, the Model and Accessory look very nice and polished. And I love the Leader Animations and Voice(even though it doesn't fit the leader that well). Ability: Definitely one of my Favorite Wonder (non-)builders! I don't think I'll ever play Germany as Frederick ever again lol ! The Devs managed to introduce a truly Unique Ability out of a Bug (technically), and I really wish they would have gone more out of the box like this with the other LP Leaders. 8/10.
2) Sundiata Keita: Model: Great Leader Model, but hate his generic Scepter. Ability: Not only shifts Mali more into Culture Victory, his Great Writings literally replace Mines! He adds a Unique play to an already unique Civ. 7.5/10.
3) Yongle: Model: not a big fan of his Model ngl, especially his Belt looks so simple and uninspired. I hope FXS won't stick too much to historical Pictures when designing Leaders for Civ7, but give themselves more creative/artistic freedom (so we don't have that Yongle vs Sejong debate again). Ability: Insanely powerful! But the good/interesting kind of powerful. Yongle offers any kind of play you wanna pursue. What else is there to say about him? 7.5/10 (would have given him 8.5 if it wasn't his Model that I can't say to admire)
4) Tokugawa: Model: one of the more "realistic" looking leaders in the Game (proportions and face model), but his Armor looks too plastic, something about it makes it quite boring to look at tbh. Ability: definitely one of the best designed ones, the emphasize on Domestic Trade Routes is both powerful and and immersive from a historic PoV. His Ability suits my playstyle very well in early to mid Game, but the Tourism and Loyalty Bonus aren't impactful enough though. A 7.5/10.
5) Age of Steam Victoria: Model: very stylish. From a Quality PoV, she's the best Model so far in the LP. Ability: Man! that looks so powerful! must come from the advancements from the Age of Steam
. While it's another simple and straightforward Ability, it's like Ptolemaic Cleopatra's Ability in that regard: the more interesting kind of simple, not bland at all. 7/10.6) Ptolemaic Cleopatra: Model: One of the better Leader Models, clearly. Ability: requires a lucky/good Map start, on the other hand, flood plains start biases aren't very hard to meet. Very good for tall Play and Culture Victory, especially the Appeal Ability is quite strong with the other Egypt kit. Uncomplicated yet not bland. 7/10
7) Nzinga Mbande: Model: She's my #2 of the best Leader Models from LP, really wish that the rest of the LP Leaders had similar great Hair. Ability: Too bad the original design was changed, though I like the decolonization theme, while her Ability is bland, it's still strong and the fact that you can build HS with Kongo, and finally being able to fully utilize the Civ Ability for Relics makes Ana Nzinga a Game changer. 7/10
8) Varangian Harald: Model: I would lie if I would say that I liked it. I don't. I think Viking Harald is way more impressive and good looking. Ability: I think he steps up the Ability of Gilgamesh and Matthias to the next Level. Definitely an engaging Ability, that also taps well with the Leader historically. 6.5/10
9) Theodora: Model: I like everything about her except the Clothing/Accessoires and the plastic/unpolished Hair. The Animation, VA, Face/Head Design, Proportions are all well done, but Idk, she seems like a real Queen in a Cosplayer's cheap Costume. But not as bad as Ramses'. Ability: Another Simple yet powerful Ability. While it's not very involving, I still like it. 6.5/10.
10) Unifier Qin Shi Huang: Model: a bit of a downgrade from his Vanilla Model, and also looks from WoW. But not too bad. Ability: I really like it. He's quite a diversion from the more peaceful Vanilla Qin, and offers a very engaging way to go for Domination. He also offers something that no other Leader can offer: He literally allows the Player to want to get attacked by Barbarians! Unfortunately, this is too much RNG reliant, but he's a Persona, so, it's half as bad. 6.5/10
11) Julius Caesar: Model: Too much out of Proportion, too much out of WoW, even though the design itself is very good, as well as the expressions/animations. Ability: Finally a Domination focused Rome! His Ability would actually fit more with the base Game, and isn't balanced well with other DLC/XP Leaders, especially since it doesn't scale well with Eras. But still, makes conquest very rewarding. 6/10.
12) Muhtesem Suleiman: Model: everything looks great, except his Clothes' Color doesn't go well with his tan. They should have either made his skin color more bright, or choose a different color for his Clothes, as now it just looks like a color mish-mash. Ability: I honestly don't know what to think of this, on one hand it's a powerful ability that can help you with either Science or Culture Victory, on the other hand it's situational and forces you to go for specific strategies, and the Combat Ability relies to much on other Players rather than you, and becomes quickly irrelevant. Overall, I would give him a 6/10.
13) Ramses II: Model: very underwhelming, one of the worst in the Game IMO, and definitely the worst from the LP. He's the most Leader that I was anticipating from the LP, but Boy does he underdeliver. Idk, but he just looks like someone pretending/cosplaying as Ramses II. Ability: Strong, but too straightforward/dull. Not very engaging + not adequate for a Leader with such rich History. 5.5/10
14) Abraham Lincoln: Model: too thin for my taste, but apart from that he is definitely one of the best Models of the LP. Ability: I like the interaction with Loyalty, but since this latter as a Game Mechanism isn't well balanced in the Game and easily ignorable, it rather falls flat here for me. It's the free Units from IZ that make Abe Strong. Because he had great Potential to interact with some existing Mechanics based on his History, he wasn't interesting enough on that front for me (will take the Moment to praise Suk's Design of Abe, I recommend anyone who hasn't to try it). So I would give him a 5.5/10.
15) Elizabeth I: Model: Could have been easily the best Leader Model from NFP, if it weren't the plastic Pearls and Buttons, who completely distort that nice appearance for me. Ability: Another Trade Routes oriented Ability, this is almost exclusively focused on that ==> very boring and unimaginative. Nothing new or interesting. Would have accepted that for any previous Leaders, but not for her, not for a Leader from the last Pack. 5/10
16) Sejong: Model: the better looking Yongle, even if it's just for the fact that he has Clothes in a different Color than Yellow, but the Book looks very ugly and uninspired IMO (in other words, I like his Model, but not that much). Ability: Synergizes pretty well with the Civ Ability, and can be quite powerful, but as I haven't tried him yet I'm not sure how to utilize his LUA, looks too micromanagy to make use of but I could be wrong on that. Though, it doesn't look interesting enough for me to play as. 5/10.
17) Sultan Saladin: Model: The Armor looks very odd on Saladin, as his Body isn't really suited for it, hence doesn't look very impressive in it. On it's own, the Armor looks very nice, except the Arm Plates, which look like from WoW. Ability: The most boring Ability from the LP if you ask me. Powerful, but too boring. Saladin is a very odd choice to make a Persona for. 5/10.
18) Nader Shah: Model: great Leader Model! (but not perfect). Ability: requires domination/conquest to make use of (and in the early game only, after that, it's insignificant), but Cyrus is already better at Domination, so why would I want Nader Shah for that? He's redundant as an alternative Leader if his presence is simply another take on Domination. 5/10
19) Wu Zetian: Model: pretty nice, I don't like how the Chinese LP Leaders all have the same Yellow/Golden color palette, but her it fits the most. Ability: very underwhelming if you ask me. The Spy can be useful in early Game, but only if RNG is good to you. You can't really utilize her Ability to gain much from it, and since I dislike the Espionage mechanic in the Game anyway, Wu Zetian becomes another Leader that I need to use a Mod for to make her worth playing. 4.5/10.
All in all, although I like the Leader Models overall, or at least find them OK, I'm pretty disappointed in most of their Abilities though. It's clear that their Abilities aren't anything new, and that the Devs might have some Time/Resource Pressure when designing the Leaders, but I'm sure with just a little more effort they would clearly could have come with better and more unique Abilities, at least for most Leaders. The Effects and Modifiers System in Civ 6 offers nearly limitless possibilities when it comes to new Abilities, it's just up to the Imagination (and Experience) on how you use it (and Modders have proven that countless times). Not to say that I'm unhappy about the Leader Pass, it's just that I'm a bit underwhelmed overall, even though it had some nice Ideas here and there.
Tokugawa, Sundiata and Nzinga for me….
