What 5 Civilizations Should Always Be In Civ?

[Quagga]

Also, this is absolutely wrong. English is a world language because of the British Empire. It has nothing to do with the USA. USA and American English is only 'influential' now because of modern media especially the internet.

Latin and French were long considered the languages of science, during and after the British Empire. It is not so today.

I agree that the British Empire did much to propagate English, but television shows like "Dallas" were what spread the language in recent times. I met a woman in Hong Kong with an American accent. She learned English from Sesame Street.

Another factor is that so few people in the US speak any other language. (Contrast this with the multi-lingual skills of Europeans.) Doing business with Americans means learning to speak English.

 

[majk-iii]

Greece
Chinese
Egypt
Babylon
India
-Runner up as #6 is: Persia. (perhaps it should be higher up?)

The Six great cultural forerunners in history... i even left out Rome... imagine that.

 

[majk-iii]

Actually... babylon could be swapped for sumeria (or even the asyrians?)... but i loved them in civ 3.

 

[Seleukos Helios]

The pivotal civilizations, that can be considered to have developed their concepts of civilization more or less individualy and then influenced the rest of the world, while retaining their national identity throughout all of history are:

Greece
Egypt
India
China
+ Mesopotamian civ

The Mesopotamian case is a bit more tricky than the other four. Sumeria can be considered as the pioneer of civilization in that area, but it was later assimilated by the Babylonians who were in turn eventualy subjugated by the Persians. Of those three civs only the Persians have survived throughout history (they are nowadays known as Iran), usualy playing a major role in world affairs.

So #5 is Persia.

The Aztecs, although an original civilization, uninfluenced by the five above, came into existence too late and were wiped out too early to have any major significance for the rest of the world.

 

[Akka]

Your understanding of history is weak.

No, I was purposedly showing the ridiculousness of your statement "England was at the origin of USA so whatever accomplishment by the USA should be credited to England".

It's too simplistic to view it like this.

Of course, it's too simplistic, it wasn't my point.
Cf above.

 

[dpaajones]

No, I was purposedly showing the ridiculousness of your statement "England was at the origin of USA so whatever accomplishment by the USA should be credited to England".

I didn't say that.

 

[Wodan]

Rome, Greece, Egpyt, Persia, and China

The five big classical states, and each one has continued as a civ to the modern day. If you don't have them, you don't have civ. India would be sixth.

I disagree. Rome hasn't continued as a civ. It was conquered, mostly by Germanic peoples, and overrun. 500 yrs later, it's numerous city states. A couple hundred years later, it's united but it's a totally different conglomeration, politically, ethnically, and culturally. It doesn't have anything to do with the Roman Empire. About the only thing you can say is that it occupies the same geographical location.

Same is true of Greece (except it wasn't conquered until much later; however it was absorbed and combined into/with the Romans), Egypt, Persia, and China.

Anyway, personally I voted based on what nations/civs had the biggest impact on world history/events.

Based on that criteria, nations such as the Mongolians should certainly qualify, as would India (Maurya/Gupta empire), and America. I didn't vote for Aztecs etc. They were non-factors, for the most part, in world history. Just goes to show you what happens if you don't prioritize your beaker input.

Wodan

EDIT: I would, however, qualify Sumer/Babylon/Mesopotamia. Anyone who events beer has certainly impacted world history.

 

[Reprisal]

1. China
2. Greece
3. Egypt
4. India
5. Rome

In that order...

 

[Armorydave]

China, Mongolia, Eqypt, Germany and America. No particular order.

 

[tycoonist]

rome, germany, china, russia, england
purely for there impact on humanity
(Germany & russia had to fight it out with America though)

 

[SkippyT]

Just the normal stuff:
1. China
2. Greece
3. Egypt
4. Rome
5. India

 

[DrewTate]

Rome HAS to be the number one civ all the time. They're what everybody thinks of first.

1) Rome
2) Greece
3) England
4) China (they're gay in the game though)
5) Persia (Even tho Iran is a hole in the earth now)

 

[Duraska]

1. Rome (the very definition of empire.)
2. America (the world's new "Rome")
3. Egypt (how could a game featuring ancient civs not have one of the best?)
4. England (colonializm at it's finest)
5. Japan (a very interesting and old empire)

 

[luckrock]

China-- the longest history and occupied top populations and GPD&GNP in pass 4 thousands years and today 20% world populations and abt8% world economy ,science discover include Chinese Alpha,Compass,Gunpower,PrintingPress,etc and Culture should be considered the one of 5 representing Civil.
Greece--the western world philo and science and construction is orgined from Ancient Greek,with Greek charater.
Rome--succeed in Greek and dominates known western world for 2 thousands
and contributes with most pop Chris religion and famous constructions like theater, statuary,etc.
Inida--one of ancient civil contributes with 0-9 number ,buddism,polytheism,today still abt 17% world populations
America--choosen cuz of its represent of old inia-america and today world super power

 

[Piemaster]

No idea why there is so much England hating in this thread. Running up the list of reasons why England is a perfectly good choice for the top 5:

- A major world power for probably over 1000 years (depending on how you define major). Okay, this isn't as good as like 4000 years or whatever for Egypt and China, but it is pretty damn impressive compared with most Civilisations.

- The most powerful and influential country in the world for a fair chunk of this period (19th century and some of the 20th).

- Built a pretty big empire at one point by anybodys standards.

- No culture? True, if you don't count Shakespeare (and other authors and poets), soccer (and a number of other sports), democracy (to an extent, already argued to death), the English language etc.

- Large contributions to science over the years.

- They're still going (which is something that some people think is important).


Now I'm not saying that the English are 'more worthy' than Greece or China or whatever (to be honest it is very difficult to compare civilisations from different eras, because they existed in very different environments), but it would take a very odd argument (or a Frenchman) to say that the English aren't the most worthy modern-day European Civ to include. Their history and world influence since year x are unparalleled by any other modern European nation.

 

[Piemaster]

BTW, I voted:

Rome
China
England
Egypt
Persia (I was kind of unsure about 5th, could have gone a number of ways)

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

You forgot Sweden

 

[Ben E Gas]

True, America is very young, but I feel they have to be in there. A lot of the technological advances were by americans (I know, a lot of them were by other civs as well). Also, I probably feel this way because I'm american and have studied American history and know how much America has influenced the rest of the world. Again, I know, the rest of the world has influenced America as well, it is a melting pot. I think if they weren't in the game a lot of people would complain about it until they added them in an expansion.

 

[Hitti-Litti]

Also, this is absolutely wrong. English is a world language because of the British Empire. It has nothing to do with the USA. USA and American English is only 'influential' now because of modern media especially the internet.

Yeah, I have heard (I'm not sure is it true) that if few votes in US congress or whatsoever would have gone other way, USA would speak German.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

Confederate States of America
Texas
California
The 13 Colonies
The Apache

Confederate States of America? what would their UU be? A drunken inbread? Not exactly a civilization. Texas I'll agree with.