I spent a few hours over the last week working on a model for the actual history of the world that would be compatible w/ the current rules of Civ 3. I had to tweak a few things here and there... Please consider it a work in progress. There are a couple of changes to the core engine I would implement that would do a better job, but this one could work w/ the current engine, providing that "events" can be incorporated into the game.
I limited the number of civilizations to 24. Most of the Civs are f/ the core & PTW game.
Civs spawn at historic intervals. To compensate for a late spawn, these civs would start w/ more advanced tech and bonus units relative to the year they spawn. Thus, younger Civs tend to put pressure on older Civs, sometimes displacing/usurping them, sometimes being quickly purged.
The spawn events occur at 4000 BC, 1000BC, 500AD and 1000AD.
Spawning at 4000 BC w/ just a settler and no tech:
Egyptians in (what in now modern) Egypt
Babylonians in Iraq
Indians in north-east India
Chinese in central China, along the Yang-tze river (closer to Shanghai than Beijing)
Spawning at 1000BC w/ Bronze Age tech and substantial numbers of military units in addition to the settler:
Persians in Iran
Greeks in Greece
Romans in southern Italy (city of Rome)
Phoenicians (Carthaginians) in Syria (this puts the Carthaginians back into their original lands -- but this space is hotly contested. It makes sense for the Phoenicians to quickly colonize an uncontested region, and northern Africa is much less contested.)
Spawning at 500AD w/ pre-medieval tech and a large army:
English in England (London) (represents the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who Anglicized England)
French in northern France (represents Charlemagne's Franks, as well as modern France)
Spanish in Spain (Spanish incorporate both Spain & Portugal)
Scandinavians (Vikings) in coastal Sweden/Norway (Renamed Scandinavians to give them more historical longevity -- represents the modern Scandinavian nations, particularly Sweden who at one point threatened to dominate Europe.)
Russians in western Russia
Italians in northern Italy (different f/ the Romans, who moved their capital to Byzantium/Constantinople and became the Byzantines. This Civ simulates Italy's prominence in the late Middle Ages/Renaissance as a center of global trade, then modern Italy.)
Arabs in Saudi Arabia (city of Mecca)
Japanese in Japan
Spawning at 1000AD w/ medieval tech and a huge army:
Germans in north-east Germany (Prussia)
Mongols in Mongolia
Ottoman Turks in Turkmenistan (NOT Turkey -- historically they migrated west to get out of the path of the rampaging Mongols)
Aztecs in Mexico (Mexico City)
Incas in Peru
Siamese in Thailand (this civ represents South-East Asian culture, which is vast and diverse and deserves at least some representation in the game.)
Yoruba in Mali/Ghana (West Africa had a pretty advanced civilization by medieval standards, well-deserving of representation)
Spawning in 1500AD with Age of Enlightenment Tech and an incredibly huge army:
Americans on the east of the North American continent
The Celts, Koreans, Zulu and Iroquois are replaced by the Italians, Siamese, Yoruba and Incas, respectively. The Carthaginians are called the Phoenicians, the Vikings are called Scandinavians.
If I could add a 25th Civ, it would be the Bantu of South/Central Africa, to be spawned in 1500AD.
THE HISTORY OF THE EARTH
Egypt, Babylon, India and China spawn in 4000 BC. Each Civ grows and repulses barbarian invaders. Around 1700BC, the Babylonians attack the Egyptians. Centuries of warfare follow, but neither achieves a definitive victory.
In 1000BC, the Persians, Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians are spawned. The Phoenicians found the city of Tyre, but quickly colonize North Africa, founding the city of Carthage. They also found a city in Spain and in Southern Italy. The Persians use their military might to conquer the Babylonians and the Phoenician city of Tyre, and attack the Egyptians but do not conquer them. The Greeks found Byzantium in modern Turkey and then invade and conquer Persia and Egypt by 320BC. They invade India but are unsuccessful. The Romans conquer the Phoenicians, then the Greeks and all their holdings, consolidating their hold on the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, China is growing mostly undisturbed (except for barbarian raids) while India is also able to expand nicely. Both focus on infrastructure and population growth. Rome focuses on building roads.
Rome begins expansion into northern Europe, founding colonies in modern Spain, France, England and Germany. They move their capitol f/ Rome to Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople.
In 500 AD, England, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Scandinavia, Arabia and Japan are spawned. Japan is isolated and emulates China's infrastructure intensive relatively peaceful expansion. Arabia expands explosively, gobbling up the Middle East, Egypt, North Africa and attacking India. Constantinople is under siege, but survives under Roman rule. Rome's European holdings are quickly conquered by the European Civs. Russia expands quietly into south-east Europe, but maintains amicable relations w/ the Romans. France is the most successful early on, followed by the Italians (since these regions were the most developed by the Romans.)
In 1000AD, the Germans, Mongols, Ottoman Turks, Aztecs, Incas, Siamese, Yoruba and Bantu are spawned. The Mongols are the most successful of this batch, quickly conquering large tracks of Europe and Asia. They never quite conquer all of China and India (because the game isn't great at simulating China's re-spawning, and because of their weak culture, they suffer fast culture flip losses in China. China is back on it's feet by 1300AD. India loses most of it's northern holdings, and the Mongols are able to hold these for centuries.
The Ottoman Turks, fearful of the Mongols, migrate west from their capital at Samarqand to conquer the ancient city of Constantinople, eliminating the Romans f/ the game. They change its name to Istanbul.
The Germans are successful at holding their empire despite competition f/ the more established Russians, French, Italians and Scandinavians.
Spain is the first to European power to colonize the New World around 1500AD, quickly conquering the Aztecs and Incas. However they don't move their capitol, resulting in high corruption.
In 1500AD, America is spawned and quickly expands. They overwhelm the French and English, claiming much of their holdings. France tries to conquer mainland Europe, putting pressure on the Italians, Germans and Russians. England manages to hold Canada, and conquers the French colonial holdings there.
England and France also colonize the New World, focusing on the largely uncolonized Northern Continent. England also colonizes Australia, and both England and France attack the fledging Civs of the Yoruba and Siamese, as well as some parts of South America. Yoruba also faces competition f/ the powerful Arabian empire. The Yoruba and Siamese are mostly or completely conquered by 1900, divided between England and France. England also wipes out the last of the Mongols in Northern India.
Japan savvily trades w/ America for modern technology around 1850, becoming a world power.
World Wars 1 & 2 are fought, a series of alliances and reversals of fate. It ends w/ England and France losing most of their colonial holdings to America. Japan, Germany, Turkey and Italy are largely or completely conquered. Spain moves it's capitol to Brazil. China and India are able to gain ground. Russia greatly expands in size and power. Arabia discovers oil in it's middle eastern holdings. America founds a colony south of Tyre called "Israel." The cold war begins.
The American culture grows and starts flipping Russian cities around 1990. Russia's huge wartime economy is unmanageable, so it negotiates peace w/ the Americans. Arabia and India suffer protracted conflict.
The major independent civs in 2002 are China, India, America, Russia, England, Spain (capitol in Brazil) and Arabia. Minor civs (which may or may not be independent of the majors) are Japan, Yoruba, Siam, Scandinavia, Turkey, Germany & Italy.
