What scenarios for the 2nd expansion?

[LordShiva]

Note: This isn't another one of those "What should the next XP be about?" threads that fills up with ideas that won't be implemented until Civ6. Let's be realistic for a change.

New civs, leaders, traits, etc. don't impress me much, and while new ideas can be cool, as a Civ-conservative I'm always wary of them and their potential to change my beloved game beyond recognition.

But I love scenarios. They're what I look forward to most in expansions. I remember spending hours and hours on Test of Time , and the scenarios in Conquests weren't half bad either (Shogun , even though the Ninjas made it too easy to exploit, and Middle Ages as Theodora ). Civ4's Rome and Genghis scenarios are a blast. Of course, no scenario has yet to equal CtP2's Alexander, but a scenario only needs to be 1/10th as good to be a truly great experience.

So, what scenarios would you like to see in the 2nd expansion? It's probably too late to influence Firaxis in any way, as development is likely well under way, but it's fun to discuss.

I'd like to see:

• an Age of Discovery-esque scenario, maybe with events and such built in that would make it reminiscent of Colonization
• an epic WW2 scenario
• Ancient Middle-East (maybe ancient Egypt vs. Hyksos, or Sumerians, or something) with lengthy ancient tech trees
• an India scenario We've history too! An Ashoka or a Chandragupta scenario (Indian Unification, almost) would be fun.
• The Great Game in Africa, with European powers racing to tap the mineral wealth of its dark inner reaches

Any other ideas?

[Diadem]

What about a colonization style scenario? The colonization of America I mean, of course, like in the game colonization.

You can play either as an European power, trying to colonize America, or as a native American tribe, trying to hold your own.

Europeans start significantly more advanced, but with barely any population, and no effective methods of producing food. Native Americans start with huge well built empires, but much less technology, and they will lose 10% of their population each turn due to foreign diseases for the first few turns

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Diadem
What about a colonization style scenario? The colonization of America I mean, of course, like in the game colonization.

Originally posted by LordShiva
an Age of Discovery-esque scenario, maybe with events and such built in that would make it reminiscent of Colonization

But I agree, it's a good idea. And there could be all sorts of nifty scripting for stuff like declaring independence, etc.

[Thedrin]

Europe 1500 - 1650 or so. Hapsburgs against pretty much everyone. Alterations to the game:

Remake the UN as the Holy Roman Empire which involves only the German states.

A European map so simulate the colonies of the New World with ocean based resources. Ownership is governed by the civ which stations a navy upon it and owning such a resource grants gold per turn.

[eris]

I voted for WW2 Epic. I think it would be a challenge to balance in Civ terms, but it would be the grandest of battles.

I don't know how it would work, but I would love to see scenarios based more on the other factors besides military victories, on commerce or culture, or even a modern age UN variant. I can only offer the vaguest of suggestions:

US vs Soviet Union Cold War: Can you keep an economy going under the ever increasing load of military demands? For playability, leave history behind and add China and EU and Mansa Musa owning all of Africa, whatever.

Cultural Center of Europe: Some say it is Paris. Some say it is Rome. Can you make your capitol the definitive Cultural apex of the continent?

There have to be other and better examples, things that use the mechanics already in place. Warfare cannot be eliminated, otherwise you have Sim, not Civ. Still, there ought to be ways to put heavy emphasis on the other measureable factors, just for us builders who bought Warlords anyways, if nothing else.

[zeace]

My favourite scenario of all time was a Civ II Lord of the Rings Scenario. It'd be difficult in Civ IV since all the units had custom graphics, but I played that scenario more than all others combined. I don't know how the licensing would work to put it in an XP, but Firaxis might swing something.

The best part of the scenario was if you got the ring to the volcano, you'd destroy a whole bunch of Sauron's army. Without that, Sauron's army was almost too big to fight.

It's big problem was that the ring was a nuke, and Frodo was a submarine (converted to walk on land and be invisible). If you mis-moved the ring and it didn't end its turn on Frodo, you'd nuke whatever happened to be in the square and you'd lose the ring. You had to run with Auto-save every turn. A Civ IV version would hopefully not resort to such silliness.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by zeace
It's big problem was that the ring was a nuke,

That was genius, given what the designers were working with.

[Kuciwalker]

Yeah, it's odd. For the most part Civ 3 (and definately Civ 4) allowed far more powerful scenario creation, but I didn't see nearly as much innovative scenarios for them.

[Will9]

Crusades. I don't think there has been one of these (except that feature in the Earth 1000AD scenario)

[Dis]

some great ancient scenarios this XP, so it's time for some modern ones (perhaps this is what they had in mind all along)

WW1: often forgotten war, but some really cool stuff (if killing and maiming can ever be considered cool ) went on. The inclusion of tanks, chemical warfare (though it's effectiveness was limited).

epic ww2: come on, who doesn't want this? And I want to see Hitler as a leader . this should be on a global scale. But I'd be okay with 2 separate scenarios: one in Europe, North africa and maybe parts of the ME, and the other a pacific scenario.

age of discovery. fun, fun, fun. What can I say. My favourite scenario from civ3: conquests. I think this could be much more interesting with religion involved.

colonization of africa seems interesting. I bet there's a lot they can do with that.

And last, but not least. Modern age cold war scenario. I want to see nukes flying!!!

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Dis
colonization of africa seems interesting. I bet there's a lot they can do with that.

QFT. "Great Explorers," national (colonial) projects like great railroad lines, disease, cannibals, maneaters :drool:

[Dis]

diseases

who didn't like the plague in civ3?

[Thedrin]

Originally posted by Dis
diseases

who didn't like the plague in civ3?

I saw it in the map editor but never found it in game. Was it at the end of the Middle Ages scenario or was the late game disaster that was supposed to happen related to Ghengis Khan being listed among the scenarios leaders? I never made it more than half way through that game.

[Dis]

middle ages scenario. (though I thought it was somewhere else as well).

[CerberusIV]

The two I'd like to see are the US Civil War and the struggle for control of India between Britain and France fighting each other (Seven Years War) and the native princes.