Empires of the East (Mod Ideas)

[Azeem]

I'm currently working on an East Asia mod, which starts with the Bronze Age to the Imperial Age (towards the end of the Ming Dynasty and the golden age of the Qing in China).

Anyone is free to use these ideas that I'm experimenting on. Don't expect this to mod to be released publicly, since I'm not much of a programmer or graphic artist.

There are three eras: the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Steel Age, and the Imperial Age. The beginning of the "Bronze Age" in this scenario is actually at the end of the "Neolithic Age" when nomadic bands eventually become more sedentary and agricultural "tribes".

Civilizations
China
Leader- Emperor Ying Zheng; Capital- Xianyang*; Unique Units- War Chariot, Zhuge Nu, Rider, Treasure Junk
*NOTE: Xianyang was the capital of the Qin, when China was united as an empire. The Xia, the Shang, and the Zhou were earlier dynasties, but it is recongnized by historian that it was in the time of the Qin that China was officially established as a unified empire. So rather than having Anyang (the Shang capital) as the capital city, I had Xianyang instead.

Japan
Leader- Emperor Jimmu*; Capital- Nara; Unique Units- Yari Ashigaru, Samurai, Sohei, Ashigaru Musketman
*NOTE: Yeah, Jimmu Tenno is actually a mythological "first emperor" of Japan, but he is, according to Japanese folk lore, the descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the ancestor of the Imperial family. But I had Emperor Jimmu replace Tokugawa since Jimmu Tenno is more of a representative of Japanese culture.

Mongolia
Leader- Genghis Khan Temujin; Capital- Karakorum; Unique Units: Keshik, Mangudai, Turkic Auxilaries*, Chinese Seige Engineers*
*NOTE: One of the Mongols' greatest strengths was that they were willing to incorporate other ethnicities, who had various specialities of their own (such as Chinese seige engineers), into the Mongol army. In their conquests, they employed Turkic, Chinese, Korean, and Persian troops.

Korea
Leader- King Wang Kon; Capital- Seoul*; Unique Units- Korean Horse Archer, Hwarang, Kobukson, Hwacha
*NOTE: I'm not very informed in Korean history, but my sources indicate that Seoul was the location for the old Choson capital. It might have had a different name, but I'm not sure what it is.

EDIT: I'm adding a fourth unique unit to all civs.

[Azeem]

*Adding on.

Resources:

Bonus Resources
Bamboo- +1 Shield, +1 Commerce
Wheat- standard Civ3 values
Fish- standard Civ3 values
Whale- standard Civ3 values
Rice- +2 Food
Gold- +2 Commerce
Oasis- standard Civ3 values
Salt- +1 Commerce
Tea- +1 Commerce

Luxury Resources
Jade- +4 Commerce
Gems- +3 Commerce
Clay- +1 Shield, +1 Commerce; required for "Jingdezhen Porcelain Artisans" small wonder
Lacquer- +2 Commerce; required for "Lacquerware Workshop" improvement
Silk- +2 Commerce; required for "Silk Weaver" improvement and "The Silk Road" wonder
Spices- standard Civ3 values

Strategic Resources
Copper- +1 Shield; required for various Bronze Age units
Iron- +2 Shields; required for various Iron, Steel, and Imperial Age units
Horses- standard Civ3 values; required for all mounted units
Timber- +1 Shield; required for all ships and certain improvements and wonders

Great Wonders
Wan Li Chang Cheng (The Great Wall)

The Silk Road

Daibutsu

The Treasure Fleet (Zheng He's Voyage)

Great Pyramid Tomb (Tomb of the First Emperor)

Sunzi's "The Art of War"

Small Wonders
Jingdezhen Porcelain Artisans

The Forbidden City

Martial Arts Dojo

The Imperial Academy

Grand Pagoda

[LouLong]

Re: Empires of the East (Mod Ideas)

Originally posted by Azeem
I'm currently working on an East Asia mod, which starts with the Bronze Age to the Imperial Age (towards the end of the Ming Dynasty and the golden age of the Qing in China).

Strange you consider the Qing to be the Golden Age of China. Actually the Qing dynasty was Mandchu, not Chinese. Second : Ming means brilliant in Chinese and would fit more as the Chinese Golden Age (albeit the Tang could compete on that one, but much earlier).

[Azeem]

I'm referring to the golden age WITHIN the Qing Dynasty (the reigns of emperors like Kangxi and Qianlong). That golden age ended towards the end of Qianlong's reign. True, the Qing were not "Chinese" but neither were the Tang originally. The name "Chinese" or "Han Chinese" is conceptual, as ALL "Chinese" people are actually a mix of various ethnicities. The concept of "Han Chinese" was an attempt by Sun Zhongshan (Sun Yatsen) to inspire "Chinese" nationalism by blaming the Manchurians for all the problems China faced, so "Han Chinese" was originally a racist and xenophobic concept. Besides, the first Qing emperors, as one of my professors says, "Out-Chinesed" the Chinese themselves as they promoted Chinese arts.

Back to the Tang- there is evidence that the first Tang emperor Taizong may have been partly of Turkic (Central Asian) descent. Even the famous Tang poet Li Bo was actually a Turkic who originated from what is now Xinjiang province in China.

The Ming was a golden age of arts, but had some of the least competent and depraved of emperors. Emperor Taizu was clever, but a completely paranoid (what kind of moron would purge some of his most capable officers???). Just because the Ming called themselves "bright" didn't mean that they were bright at all. The only reason why the Ming Dynasty lasted so long was because the emperors, who spent more time fulfilling their sexual fantasies than anything else, retreated from the business of directly running the country and allowed capable officials to take over.

The early Qing had competent emperors AND a golden age of arts, thus the early Qing period counts as a golden age.

Keep in mind that China is not just a land of "Chinese" people, but a mix of a whole bunch of different ethnicities.

[Azeem]

*More to the list. Note that some of the improvements cause unhappiness. I think I've made it too easy to make people happy, so I also added some improvements that also causes your citizens to be pissed off.

City Improvements
Palace- standard Civ3 values but with +1 Culture value

Barracks- standaard Civ3 values

Temple- standard Civ3 values

Granary- standard Civ3 values

Marketplace- standard Civ3 values; 5 are required for the "Silk Road" wonder

Library- standard Civ3 values

*Work Camp- +3 shields, costs 2 gold per turn and causes 1 unhappiness
Work Camps represent the conscription of peasant laborers by governments to work on various building projects. Of course, peasant laborers weren't always too happy to work for their government, especially considering the work conditions (millions of peasants died building the Great Wall).

Drama Pavilion- +2 happiness, costs 2 gold per turn
*Although drama developed in East Asia a bit later than classical Greece, East Asian cultures have a rich tradition of drama such as the unique Chinese "operas" and the Japanese Kabuki plays. Like Europe, drama in East Asia was enjoyed by both the elites and the common people.

Academy- +50% Research output, +2 Culture, costs 3 gold per turn
*Learning from the Qin Dynasty's mistake of implementing oppressive Legalist methodology in domestic policies, the Han Dynasty made Confucianism the official national ideology. Confucianism became an important part of government and education, thus a scholar had to be well-versed in the Confucian classics in order to consider himself truly educated. Imperial China was not the only country to have Confucianism as the established ideology; the Koreans aslo implemented Confucianism in government and society.

Buddhist Temple- +1 happiness, +3 Culture, costs 2 gold per turn
*Although not native to East Asian countries (as Buddhism originated from India), Buddhism became one of the most significant traditions to take root in East Asia. After taking root, Buddhism became largely localized. Various Buddhist schools emerged ranging from the widely populary faith-based Pure Land Mahayana school which venerates the Amithaba Buddha (the "Buddha of Infinite Light", not to be confused with the historical Sakyamuni Buddha) to the cryptic, esoteric Chan/Zen traditions which emphasizes the importance of meditation.

Daoist Temple- +1 happiness, +2 Culture, costs 2 gold per turn
*One of the "Three Teachings" of China, Though Daoism is of Chinese origin, its influence spread into the neighboring countries of Korea and Japan. Founded during the Warring States Period by the philosopher known only as Lao-zi, Daoism began as a philosophy which was skeptical of established "learning." Daoism stressed the importance of individuality. The goal of Daoism was to go along with the metaphysical flow of the world and harmony came only from the balance of the complementary forces of yin and yang. Daoism's metaphysics became the basis of martial arts, medicine, and even architecture in East Asia. Though originally a philosophy and metaphysical theory, Daoism later evolved into a religion as a response to Buddhism's popularity.

Courthouse- standard Civ3 values

Harbor- standard Civ3 values

City Administration- allows city to grow to size 2, costs 3 gold per turn

Trade Port- +1 trade to all water tiles, +50% Luxuries, costs 2 gold per turn and requires a harbor

Trade Guild- same values as "Bank"

Artisans' Shops- +2 Shields, costs 2 gold per turn

Execution Site- reduces corruption; causes 1 unhappiness, costs 2 gold per turn
*The death penalty was very, very common. Execution wasn't unfamiliar to the average person. It happened all the time, especially under the reign of a ruler who didn't take criticism lightly (Qin Shi Huang Di of the Qin Dynasty and several of the Ming emperors, for example). When a person was charged with a crime, he or she didn't always have the luxury of a fair trial.

City Walls- standard Civ3 values

Fortifcations- Bombard:8, Defense:25, Naval:8, Naval Bombard:8, costs 2 gold per turn
*Cities are extremely important to any empire, thus many rulers in East Asian countries invested significantly in city defense. The Chinese, who experienced many invasions and civil wars, heavily fortified their cities to withstand seiges and repel invasions.

Hospital- standard Civ3 values

Citizens
Entertainer- increases luxuries

Merchant- increases commerce

Scholar- increases research

Civil Servant- reduces corruption

[Azeem]

*More on Great Wonders.

Great Wonders
Wan Li Chang Cheng (The Great Wall)- adds City Walls to all cities, doubles strength against barbarians, +50 defense strength, does not become obselete, but costs 6 gold per turn (that thing wasn't cheap) and causes 2 unhappiness in the city that builds it (people weren't to pleased to build it)

The Silk Road- +1 trade to all trade-producing tiles, gives the civ free civilization advances, requires 6 Marketplaces and Silk
*The famed "Silk Road" was the great trade route between China and the nations to the west. Due to trade along this route, which passed from the cosmopolitan city of Chang'an to as far west as the Mediterranean city of Antioch, numerous goods as well of ideas were exchanged. Trade with other nations brought prosperity to the Chinese empire. Numerous new ideas and religions, such as Buddhism and Islam, had also entered China via the Silk Road.

Daibutsu- doubles the effects of all Buddhist Temples
*Built in the Kamakura period of Japan (when Kamakura was capital of Japan under the rule of Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo and Emperor Shi-jo), the great Daibustu is a statue of massive proportions. It is approximately 37 feet high and weighs about 93 tons. The Daibutsu statue was cast either by Ono Goroemon or Tanji Hisamoto in around 1252 CE during the time when Buddhism became a powerful religious (and even political) force in Japan. Daibutsu belongs to the Kotokuin Temple of the Jodo sect, which is a Pure Land Mahayana school of Buddhism. The statue itself is a representation of the "Buddha of Infinite Light", the Amitabha Buddha (not to be confused with the historical Sakyamuni Buddha), who is known as "Amidabutsu" in Japan.

The Treasure Fleet (Zheng He's Voyage)- same effect as "Magellan's Voyage"
*Zheng He, a Muslim eunuch of the Ming Dynasty Imperial court, is the most famous Chinese navigator in East Asian history. His "Treasure Fleet" consisted of numerous massive "Treasure Ships", which were the pinnacle of Chinese naval technology in the Ming Dynasty. Zheng He went on many voyages to distant lands as an explorer. But unlike European exploration, the voyages of Zheng He did not lead to China becoming an imperialist colonial power, although it did give China a bit more exposure to the outside world. According to some historians, Zheng He may have sailed as far as the West coast of North America.

Great Pyramid Tomb (Pyramid Tomb of Emperor Qin)- same effect as "Great Pyramid"
*King Ying Zheng of the Qin Dynasty became known in history as Qin Shi Huang Di, the First Emperor of China. Uniting China through force and ruling with an iron fist, Qin Shi Huang Di is one of the most controversial figures in Chinese history. Emperor Qin unified the warring states, which had been tearing each other apart for centuries, and transformed China into a mighty empire, but on the other hand, he was paranoid and an egomaniac. Thousands suffered due to his madness. Emperor Qin constructed a massive pyramid tomb near what is now the city of Xi An, which was only recently discovered. According to historical records, the tomb of Emperor Qin contains all the wealth of the Qin Empire, but is also filled with lethal booby traps.

Sunzi's "The Art of War"- standard Civ3 values

[Optimizer]

How far will the map stretch?

Tibet should be added as a civilization.

[Azeem]

I haven't decided how big the map would be. Like I said, it's likely that this mod won't be publicly released for download since I don't have the technical expertise or any graphics programs. Most likely, I'll have to resort to borrowing graphics from other mods. Unless anyone else around here is willing to do the map and some of the graphics...

As for Tibet, thanks for reminding me about that. I knew I forgot to add something else.

[Azeem]

Units
*I'm still deciding what the values should be so I'll add them in later. I also haven't decided which eras certain UUs should be in (need to do some extra research on that ). The names for the eras are also subject to change ("Steel Age" sounds too awkward ). Again, you are free to use these ideas in your mods.
NOTE: This list is far from being completed. There's still a lot I will add later on.

Bronze Age
Warrior

Bronze Axeman

Archer

Bronze Spearman

Chariot

War Chariot (Chinese UU)
*Although War Chariots were very much used in the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, the Bronze Age Chinese had also made significant use of chariots for military purposes.

Galley

Iron Age
Swordsman

Iron Pikeman

Crossbowman
*Crossbows were very effective and very ancient weapons in Eastern Asia. They were used significantly in the armies of the Chinese Empire by the times of the Han.

Sampan
*Though much smaller than the "Junk" ship, the Sampan was equally as advanced in its design as the Junk. Sampans were used for transport, fishing, etc.

Fanchuan (a.k.a. "Junks")

Hwarang (Korean UU)
*The "Hwarang" organization of Korea's past is apparently interpreted by scholars in many different ways ranging from fierce martial arts warriors to an organization of gay men ( ). But despite the controversy, the "Hwarang" have been an important part of Korean history (interestingly, the title "Hwarang" is commonly used in modern Korea). According to many sources, the "Hwarang" came into existence during the time of the kingdom of Silla. Strangely, the "Hwarang" were known as "Flower Knights". But regardless of their unusual name, many sources claim that they were expert martial artists that practiced a martial art known as "Hwarangdo".

Horseman

Steel Age
Heavy Cavalry

Samurai (Japanese UU)

Imperial Age
Cannon Warship

Zhuge Nu (a.k.a. the "Chu-ko-nu"; Chinese UU)
*Named after the famous "Three Kingdoms" era strategist, Zhuge Liang, the Zhuge Nu was a crossbow that could fire a succession of darts without having to manually reload them. Some versions could fire two darts at the same time. The Zhuge Nu was easy to use and very deadly. By the time of the Ming Dynasty, the Zhuge Nu utilized a magazine containing up to ten darts. NOTE: Although the Zhuge Nu was invented in the "Three Kingdoms" era, the Zhuge Nu in its most advanced form existed in the Ming Dynasty, thus I have it in the "Imperial Age".

Mangudai (Mongol UU)

Sohei (Japanese UU)

Kobukson (Korean UU)

[Kuciwalker]

Trade Port- +1 trade to all water tiles, +50% Luxuries, costs 2 gold per turn and requires a harbor

Maybe you should give this the water trade flag, rather than Harbor.

[Azeem]

Originally posted by skywalker

Trade Port- +1 trade to all water tiles, +50% Luxuries, costs 2 gold per turn and requires a harbor

Maybe you should give this the water trade flag, rather than Harbor.

I might have that changed, but I think it would be more proper to keep the "water trade flag" onto the harbor to represent the establishment of water trade routes early on. Merchants would have needed to established a trade route before port cities could become "Trade Ports". That's my logic behind it (though it probably doesn't make much sense ).

[wangyushi]

It's a good idea. I'll try it.

[wangyushi]

It's a good idea. I'll try it. Thanks.

[Shogun Gunner]

I would be interested in this mod when it comes out!

[Azeem]

A bit of info on the UUs I've added:

Treasure Junk (Chinese UU)
The great "Treasure Ships" of Zheng He's fleet in the Ming Dynasty were the some of the most advanced and largest ships in the world during their time. These "Treasure Ships" were the pinnacle of Chinese naval engineering. Zheng He, with his fleet of these gigantic ships, went on numerous voyages to distant lands. Some historians say that there's even evidence that Zheng He's fleet may have sailed as far as the western coast of North America. During the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial navy played an important part in protecting ocean trade routes and fighting off Japanese pirates, who had constantly preyed on trade vessels.

Ashigaru Musketman (Japanese UU)
The introduction of gunpowder weapons such as muskets and arquebuses completely changed Japanese warfare during the Sengoku Jidai (the "Age of the Country at War", a.k.a. the Japanese "Warring States Period"). In the past, skilled samurai determined the outcomes of battle. But now with the introduction of easy-to-use muskets, even the highly unskilled Ashigaru (conscripted peasant soldiers) can kill even the fiercest samurai.

Chinese Siege Engineer (Mongol UU)
One of the biggest strengths of the Mongol conquerors (besides their terror tactics) were their willingness to employ people of various ethnicities in their armies. Each of the ethnicities that the Mongols employed contributed greatly to the Mongolian army such as the Mongol use of Persian and Turkic troops. The Mongols, in their conquest of China even employed Chinese siege engineers, who sided with the Mongols against the northern Jin Dynasty (who were a foreign tribe called the "Jurchens" that conquered the northern regions of China earlier).

Korean Horse Archer (Korean UU)
Horse Archers were very common in East Asia, especially among the Mongolians and the Koreans. Archery in Korea is a respected martial art, as it takes a high degree of skill to use the bow effectively.

Note on Leaderheads: I'm not a graphic artist, so I'm not going to make animated leaderheads and I'm defintely not going to use Civ3's hideous leaderheads . So I'll simply have still leaderheads. But rather than using simply flags (like some of the Conquest scenarios), I'll use ancient paintings of these individuals (Yin Zheng, Jimmu Tenno, Genghis Khan, and Wang Kon).