Unoffical Civ VI poll. Vote for your 3 civs you would most like to see. Part X : Islands

[Greywulf]

Pre-colonial Polynesian nations as "cultural civs" by Civ6 reckoning is a very modern, historiographical viewpoint. Historically, in truth, the Polynesians, while they had a lot of ceremony around their religions and monarchies (but didn't most civilizations back then, in truth?) were indeed VERY well known as fierce, frightening warriors, aggressive, fearless explorers, and very pushy, belligerent traders - a reputation almost akin to South Seas Vikings - and that was almost across the board except maybe the much latter-day Tahitians and Hawaiians.

Oh yes, they were indeed, however the Maori are really outstanding in this ~ even among other Polynesian cultures. They will be predominately focused on military if we get the Maori.
If that is what you want in the Polynesian civ, then by all means vote for the Maori...And personally I would hope that we get more than one Polynesian civ, and get the Maori as well as some other civ (like Tonga or Hawaii), so we can get representation of more of Polynesian culture as a whole. As I think that most likely we are only going to get one Polynesian culture, I am more focused elsewhere, as I have certain things I want to see in the Polynesian civ, one of which being that they are not too focused on military. I don't think military should be neglected, don't get me wrong, but at the same time I don't want the main focus to be on that either. Pre-colonial Polynesia was rich in culture too, but at any rate, the game goes through history and plays through every age, so it would not be unusual or unhistorical for Polynesia to get more modern cultural benefits.

 

[Guandao]

I voted for the Maori, Australian Aboriginals, and the Taino. I would like at least one Polynesian Civ (but not Hawaii since Kamehameha appeared in Civ5). The Maori are one of the more prominent Polynesian people, with several possible leader choices. Other possible Polynesian choices include Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti. Rapanui is too small for my tastes to be an official Civ. Micronesia would be cool if we knew more about their leaders. Vanuatu is a possibility.

One is enough for me, so I voted for two non-Polynesian "Civs". It was either Australian Aboriginals or Fiji for the second vote. I decided the Fijians were as militaristic as the Maori (as well as cannibals), so decided to pick the Aboriginals (despite their pre-Colonial lifestyle and lack of cities ). There are possible leaders (Jandamarra, Yagan, Windradyne, Pemulwuy etc). The biggest issue to putting an Aboriginal Civ in the game is the disapproval of Aboriginal elders towards the use of their ancestor's images for a game (basically the same with the Cree and Puebloans).

The Taino are my favorite Caribbean Civilization (their batey ballcourts, Zemi, petroglyphs and ritual seats catch my attention). Biggest issue for them is that the language isn't as well attested as say, Nahuatl or Quechua. It's in the same boat as the Powhatan language (very influential in giving loanwords to the European languages at the beginning of the colonization). We could use a better attested relative of Taino, like Wayuu. I don't think we know too much about Anacaona but I like the idea of having her as the leader (with some censorship to the clothing of course). I thought the Lucayans and Arawaks were part of the greater Taino group?

 

[Patine]

I voted for the Maori, Australian Aboriginals, and the Taino. I would like at least one Polynesian Civ (but not Hawaii since Kamehameha appeared in Civ5). The Maori are one of the more prominent Polynesian people, with several possible leader choices. Other possible Polynesian choices include Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti. Rapanui is too small for my tastes to be an official Civ. Micronesia would be cool if we knew more about their leaders. Vanuatu is a possibility.

One is enough for me, so I voted for two non-Polynesian "Civs". It was either Australian Aboriginals or Fiji for the second vote. I decided the Fijians were as militaristic as the Maori (as well as cannibals), so decided to pick the Aboriginals (despite their pre-Colonial lifestyle and lack of cities ). There are possible leaders (Jandamarra, Yagan, Windradyne, Pemulwuy etc). The biggest issue to putting an Aboriginal Civ in the game is the disapproval of Aboriginal elders towards the use of their ancestor's images for a game (basically the same with the Cree and Puebloans).

The Taino are my favorite Caribbean Civilization (their batey ballcourts, Zemi, petroglyphs and ritual seats catch my attention). Biggest issue for them is that the language isn't as well attested as say, Nahuatl or Quechua. It's in the same boat as the Powhatan language (very influential in giving loanwords to the European languages at the beginning of the colonization). We could use a better attested relative of Taino, like Wayuu. I don't think we know too much about Anacaona but I like the idea of having her as the leader (with some censorship to the clothing of course). I thought the Lucayans and Arawaks were part of the greater Taino group?

You know, funny thing is, I heard about this Cree "headman," vetoing Poundmaker's appearance, and wondered who he was. And I'm serious here. I work as a social worker in Edmonton, Canada. I deal with a LOT of Treaty Cree and Metis of strong Cree heritage, and have a lot of them as co-workers, acquaintances, friends, and even an ex (and possibly recurring) long-term girlfriend. As far as I was ever aware, there are, on an organizational level, in the modern day, numerous Cree First Nations (Hobema, Sawmill, Red Earth, White Mountain, Frog Lake, etc.) all of which have their own chief, their own elders, their own First Nation infrastructure, are divided between different treaty zones (4,5,6, and 8, mostly), and have separate representatives on the Canadian Grand Assembly of First Nations. I have NEVER, with all of these dealings, friends, and acquaintances, ever heard hide nor hair of this overarching, unifying Cree patriarch above all other Cree chiefs. Who was this guy that single-handedly vetoed Poundmaker's appearance in the game, and by what unlateral authority? Maybe Firaxis is buying too much into his personal claims of singular authority and representation.

 

[Guandao]

You know, funny thing is, I heard about this Cree "headman," vetoing Poundmaker's appearance, and wondered who he was. And I'm serious here. I work as a social worker in Edmonton, Canada. I deal with a LOT of Treaty Cree and Metis of strong Cree heritage, and have a lot of them as co-workers, acquaintances, friends, and even an ex (and possibly recurring) long-term girlfriend. As far as I was ever aware, there are, on an organizational level, in the modern day, numerous Cree First Nations (Hobema, Sawmill, Red Earth, White Mountain, Frog Lake, etc.) all of which have their own chief, their own elders, their own First Nation infrastructure, are divided between different treaty zones (4,5,6, and 8, mostly), and have separate representatives on the Canadian Grand Assembly of First Nations. I have NEVER, with all of these dealings, friends, and acquaintances, ever heard hide nor hair of this overarching, unifying Cree patriarch above all other Cree chiefs. Who was this guy that single-handedly vetoed Poundmaker's appearance in the game, and by what unlateral authority? Maybe Firaxis is buying too much into his personal claims of singular authority and representation.

Apparently, as headman of the Poundmaker Cree nation, he somehow has a say in the representation of Poundmaker in a video game.

 

[awesome]

Obviously not, since Poundmaker is in the game anyway.

 

[Morningcalm]

The Maori are interesting for their militarism, and their trade deals for muskets which allowed them to attack each other and neighbors. Maori forts (pa) at times even withstood assaults by the British.

Further, their culture and religion were quite advanced and interesting (and visually arresting), and Hongi Hika's relative tolerance of outsiders led to some interesting diplomacy as well.

I look forward to seeing carved wooden ancestors in Maori wharenui (communal meeting houses), or perhaps pa (encampment replacements, though the Zulu already have that).

Their music should sound somewhat like "Go Forward" (from the soundtrack of the Whale Rider movie), replete with the Maori chanting therein.

They do indeed have prominent leaders with interesting histories, and are spoiled for choice in that regard (Hono Heke, Te Rauparaha, Te Wherowhero, to name a few). But I think the leader presenting the most interesting agenda/leader ability possibilities is Hongi Hika, who should (in game) like trade deals for strategic resources, or perhaps has a chance to acquire them from regular trade routes and/or religious conversion. Each strategic resource should also grant food bonuses given the role of such resources in an agricultural revolution in Maori lands (in part brought by the trade of such resources). And maybe upon entering an age, Hongi Hika automatically gains slight tech boosts for techs with infantry upgrades, and researching such tech creates a free unit of that type in the capital upon research completion.

Hongi Hika is also notably drawn by someone in his lifetime, so we have a fairly good idea of what he looked like, and his leader portrait with facial tattoos would be awe-inspiring indeed. I would just hope Firaxis presents him as a serious leader (in the style of Cyrus) rather than as a joke (Pedro the Aardvark Animation creation, Alexander the Plastic-Surgeried).

 

[TahamiTsunami]

Definitely agreed for Hongi Hika leading the Maori.

Out of curiosity, was Kiribati conquered by the Tonga empire? It seems a bit vague depending on the source. If it was, then this coconut fiber armor seems pretty tempting for a UU.

 

[Patine]

Definitely agreed for Hongi Hika leading the Maori.

Out of curiosity, was Kiribati conquered by the Tonga empire? It seems a bit vague depending on the source. If it was, then this coconut fiber armor seems pretty tempting for a UU.

No nation even remotely self-identifying as Kiribati existed until the mid- to late-20th Century. Prior to that, it would have been a scattering of tiny unrelated and unconnected Polynesian and Micronesian communities (Pacific Island city-states of sorts, perhaps - though very small, even by that reckoning). Even the modern national demonym, I-Kiribati, is, linguistically, a purely geographical reference of origin.

 

[TahamiTsunami]

I do appreciate learning about the history of its name. I suppose I should've worded it as: 'Were the islands that are today called Kiribati ruled by the Tongans?' I believe you're saying they weren't right?

 

[Patine]

I do appreciate learning about the history of its name. I suppose I should've worded it as: 'Were the islands that are today called Kiribati ruled by the Tongans?' I believe you're saying they weren't right?

I believe a few of them, but certainly not all.

 

[TahamiTsunami]

That makes sense, thank you for letting me know. With that in mind, it doesn't seem far-fetched that warriors with coconut fiber armor could perhaps be a UU (or perhaps a secondary UU) for the Tonga.