Hey guys, first I'm not sure if it's okay to commission a mod on this forum, I've seen a few people do it. If it's not allowed, please let me know. The reason for posting this is that I really miss those distinct personalities I met while playing Alpha Centauri. 
You know that feeling in Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri when you met a leader and instantly thought:
“Oh no… it’s that kind of person.”
Not because of a stat bonus like how Civ 7 is doing is now, but because they had a point of view.
Because real diplomacy is messy like that:
STEP 1: Each Civ 7 leader gets an archetype based on two primary attributes:
M+E — Martial Industrialist (ME): Amina (E+M), Edward Teach (M+E), Xerxes, King of Kings (E+M)
M+D — Warrior-Statesman (MD): Ashoka, World Conqueror (D+M), Harriet Tubman (D+M), Lakshmibai (M+D), Sayyida al Hurra (M+D), Tecumseh (M+D)
M+X — Conqueror (MX): Genghis Khan (M+X), Simón Bolívar (M+X)
M+S — Military Innovator (MS): Charlemagne (M+S), Friedrich, Oblique (M+S), Trung Trac (M+S)
M+C — Warrior-Patron (MC): Friedrich, Baroque (M+C), Napoleon, Revolutionary (M+C)
E+D — Merchant Diplomat (ED): Machiavelli (D+E), Napoleon, Emperor (E+D)
E+X — Mercantile Expansionist (EX): Isabella (X+E), Pachacuti (E+X)
E+S — Techno-Industrialist (ES)
E+C — Patron Magnate (EC): Hatshepsut (C+E), Xerxes, the Achaemenid (C+E)
D+X — Sphere-of-Influence Strategist (DX): Ashoka, World Renouncer (D+X)
D+S — Scholar Diplomat (DS): Benjamin Franklin (D+S), Himiko, Queen of Wa (D+S)
D+C — Cultural Ambassador (DC): Himiko, High Shaman (C+D), José Rizal (C+D), Lafayette (C+D)
X+S — Frontier Modernizer (XS): Confucius (X+S)
X+C — Nation-Builder (XC): Augustus (C+X)
S+C — Renaissance Visionary (SC): Catherine the Great (C+S)
STEP 2: Every archetype has its own internal compass — a set of likes/dislikes toward each attribute.
So instead of diplomacy being “do we match,” it becomes:
“What do I think of what you are?”
That’s where asymmetry is born:
Example 2: Ashoka (World Renouncer) (DX) vs Machiavelli (ED)
Ashoka → Machiavelli: fascinated
Ashoka’s power is influence. Machiavelli speaks the language of leverage. This feels like meeting someone who understands the real game.
Machiavelli → Ashoka: polite, measured
Machiavelli doesn’t “believe” in anyone. He evaluates them. “Useful. Dangerous. Keep close, keep contained.”
Ashoka sees a potential partnership with Machiavelli, but Machivaelli would consider him a tool.
STEP 3: For each archetype, assign its preference values to the 6 attribute letters. This is really the heart of what drives the whole thing. The preference values need to go from:
STEP 4: Map out the initial relationship bonus/minus of each archetype toward another archetype. Again, this is designed to be asymmetrical! So I may like you a lot, but you may not like me so much. Below are some examples, though I have the whole thing mapped out on a spreadsheet.
What do you guys think of this framework? I'm actually not sure if this is mod-able, but if it's doable, please let me know!
Yes I'd be happy to pay someone to create a mod like this!
I've other ideas too on applying the Archetypes framework to the Diplomatic Actions (ie. Merchant Diplomat get extra relationship boost when you create a trade route with him), but let's start with this first.
P.S. I posted the same threshold (without the commissioning part) on Reddit to check what other people think.
You know that feeling in Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri when you met a leader and instantly thought:
“Oh no… it’s that kind of person.”
Not because of a stat bonus like how Civ 7 is doing is now, but because they had a point of view.
- Sister Miriam making you feel judged for even researching something.
- Chairman Yang sounding like he’d “optimize” your citizens into obedience.
- Morgan pricing your soul like a commodity.
Because real diplomacy is messy like that:
- One leader admires you… while you don’t trust them at all.
- One leader needs you… while you think they’re a liability.
- Two leaders can both “like expansion,” but one sees it as enlightenment and the other sees it as conquest.
STEP 1: Each Civ 7 leader gets an archetype based on two primary attributes:
- M Militaristic
- X Expansionist
- C Cultural
- D Diplomatic
- S Scientific
- E Economic
M+E — Martial Industrialist (ME): Amina (E+M), Edward Teach (M+E), Xerxes, King of Kings (E+M)
M+D — Warrior-Statesman (MD): Ashoka, World Conqueror (D+M), Harriet Tubman (D+M), Lakshmibai (M+D), Sayyida al Hurra (M+D), Tecumseh (M+D)
M+X — Conqueror (MX): Genghis Khan (M+X), Simón Bolívar (M+X)
M+S — Military Innovator (MS): Charlemagne (M+S), Friedrich, Oblique (M+S), Trung Trac (M+S)
M+C — Warrior-Patron (MC): Friedrich, Baroque (M+C), Napoleon, Revolutionary (M+C)
E+D — Merchant Diplomat (ED): Machiavelli (D+E), Napoleon, Emperor (E+D)
E+X — Mercantile Expansionist (EX): Isabella (X+E), Pachacuti (E+X)
E+S — Techno-Industrialist (ES)
E+C — Patron Magnate (EC): Hatshepsut (C+E), Xerxes, the Achaemenid (C+E)
D+X — Sphere-of-Influence Strategist (DX): Ashoka, World Renouncer (D+X)
D+S — Scholar Diplomat (DS): Benjamin Franklin (D+S), Himiko, Queen of Wa (D+S)
D+C — Cultural Ambassador (DC): Himiko, High Shaman (C+D), José Rizal (C+D), Lafayette (C+D)
X+S — Frontier Modernizer (XS): Confucius (X+S)
X+C — Nation-Builder (XC): Augustus (C+X)
S+C — Renaissance Visionary (SC): Catherine the Great (C+S)
STEP 2: Every archetype has its own internal compass — a set of likes/dislikes toward each attribute.
So instead of diplomacy being “do we match,” it becomes:
“What do I think of what you are?”
That’s where asymmetry is born:
- A conqueror might like a merchant (supplies!)
- A merchant might fear a conqueror (instability!) Same two leaders. Different reactions. Instant story.
- Each archetype has preference values for M/E/D/X/S/C
- Relationship A → B is A’s preferences applied to B’s two attribute.
Example 2: Ashoka (World Renouncer) (DX) vs Machiavelli (ED)
Ashoka → Machiavelli: fascinated
Ashoka’s power is influence. Machiavelli speaks the language of leverage. This feels like meeting someone who understands the real game.
Machiavelli → Ashoka: polite, measured
Machiavelli doesn’t “believe” in anyone. He evaluates them. “Useful. Dangerous. Keep close, keep contained.”
Ashoka sees a potential partnership with Machiavelli, but Machivaelli would consider him a tool.
STEP 3: For each archetype, assign its preference values to the 6 attribute letters. This is really the heart of what drives the whole thing. The preference values need to go from:
- +20 strongly likes / seeks / admires
- +10 generally likes
- 0 neutral
- -10 distrusts
- -20 strongly dislikes / opposes
STEP 4: Map out the initial relationship bonus/minus of each archetype toward another archetype. Again, this is designed to be asymmetrical! So I may like you a lot, but you may not like me so much. Below are some examples, though I have the whole thing mapped out on a spreadsheet.
- Martial Industrialist (Frederick the Great) → Conqueror (Genghis Khan): +10
- Merchant Diplomat (Benjamin Franklin) → Conqueror (Alexander the Great): -40
- Conqueror (Napoleon) → Cultural Ambassador (Eleanor Roosevelt): -40
- Cultural Ambassador (Eleanor Roosevelt) → Conqueror (Napoleon): -40
- Frontier Modernizer (Catherine the Great) → Merchant Diplomat (Cosimo de’ Medici): -10
- Sphere-of-Influence Strategist (Metternich) → Nation-Builder (Augustus): +10
- Renaissance Visionary (Leonardo da Vinci) → Martial Industrialist (Tokugawa Ieyasu): -30
- Warrior-Patron (Charlemagne) → Patron Magnate (Mansa Musa): 0
- Military Innovator (Gustavus Adolphus) → Scholar Diplomat (Thomas Jefferson): 0
- Mercantile Expansionist (Cecil Rhodes) → Warrior-Statesman (Winston Churchill): -10
What do you guys think of this framework? I'm actually not sure if this is mod-able, but if it's doable, please let me know!
Yes I'd be happy to pay someone to create a mod like this!I've other ideas too on applying the Archetypes framework to the Diplomatic Actions (ie. Merchant Diplomat get extra relationship boost when you create a trade route with him), but let's start with this first.
P.S. I posted the same threshold (without the commissioning part) on Reddit to check what other people think.
