Empires of the East (Mod Ideas)

[Azeem]

Additional Wonders
*I think it's definately unfair to focus heavily on China and Japan's wonders while ignoring some of the treasures of other nations. There aren't any Mongol wonders since the Mongols in their heyday didn't really build anything of massive scale (besides conquering things of massive scale ). These Wonders might or might not be added in. Depends on whether or not I can find anyone to do the graphics for them.

Changdeokgung- +4 Culture, +1 Happiness to all cities
*Known as the "Palace of Prospering Virtue" in Korean, Changdeokgung is one of the most impressive palaces built in Korea. It was used by the kings of the Choson when the capital was moved to Hanyang (Seoul). The construction of Changdeokgung was ordered by King Taejong in October of the year 1404. Unlike Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main palace at Hanyang, Changdeokgung Palace was much more purely Korean as it was built according to Korean specifications handed down from Korea's "Three Kingdoms" Period.

The Potala Palace- +3 Culture, Buddhist Temples are built in every city
*The most noticeable feature of Lhasa, the Potala Palace sits majestically upon Marpo Ri hill. When Buddhism was introduced into Tibet, it became a major part of Tibetan way of life, thus it is fitting that legends surrounding the Potala Palace include Buddhist mythology. According to legend, the hill that the Potala Palace was built upon had a cave that was the dwelling place of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Although the original palace was built by Emperor Songsten Gampo in the 7th century, the Potala Palace we see today was built in the 17th century. Gampo's palace was incorporated into the greater buildings, which still stand today.

5 UUs ?
Anyway, since the weaponry for each of the nations were very different from one another, it's quite possible that I might wind up with 5 UUs for each nation.

By the way, anyone know where I can find the graphics for a Turtle Ship, Hwarang, Mangudai, Sampan, Junk, and Treasure Ship?

[Kuciwalker]

AoE?

[Azeem]

Probably. But AoE doesn't have a Sampan or the Hwarang.

[Azeem]

Some Notes on UUs
UUs won't only have bonuses to attack and defense, they also reflect (to a certain degree) the strategic methods of their respective nation.

Chinese- Threatened with numerous invasions from various tribes and having experienced destructive civil wars, the Chinese had to develop strong, sophisticated defenses. Most major cities in the Chinese Empire were protected by massive and heavily fortified city walls. In fact, the Chinese name for the Great Wall literally means "10,000-Mile (Wan Li) Long City (Chang Cheng)" since it appears like a string of city walls. As a result, the Chinese UUs tend to have higher Defense values.
*General UU stats: +0 Attack, +2 Defense, +1 HP bonus

Japanese- Japanese swords are forged using a special technique that only the finest Japanese swordsmiths know, making them some of the strongest swords in the world. Along with strong weaponry, Japan has a very violent history with numerous civil wars. And in these many civil wars, fierce Samurai warriors adhere strongly to their code of honor, Bushido, and fight their foes fearlessly to the death. The Japanese UUs thus have a bonus to their Attack power.
*General UU stats: +2 Attack, +0 Defense, +1 HP bonus

Koreans- Surrounded by extremely powerful empires, the Koreans were prone to invasions from their neighbors. The Koreans utilized martial arts and devised several ingenious weapons such as the Turtle Ship and the Hwacha to defend themselves against their enemies. As a result, Korean UUs are quite well-rounded - they can be used effectively for attack and defense.
*General UU stats: +1 Attack, +1 Defense, +1 HP bonus

Mongols- The Mongols' conquest of enormous empires and victories over armies with superior equipment was largely due to their tactical expertise on the battlefield and their superior mobility. The Mongol usage of cavalry allowed them to outmanuever enemy forces effectively. Thus, Mongol UUs all have a significant bonus to their Movement value and can all retreat. However, since Mongols did not wear heavy armor or built sophisticated defenses, their UUs are lacking in Defense.
*General UU stats: +1 Attack, -1 Defense, +2 Movement, +1 HP bonus

[Azeem]

I'm probably going to have to resort to "borrowing" graphics from other games since I don't know how to create them myself. Finding a Hwarang is going to be tough, though. Changdeokgung and the Potala Palace isn't going to be easy either.

[Azeem]

Finally have the Kobukson graphics! A HUGE thanks to Aaglo for creating the Kobukson (Turtle Ship) unit.

I haven't had enough time lately to work on the mod. I don't have any skill whatsoever in graphics programs, so I'll have to search for unit and building graphics on CivFanatics and Apolyton.

Anyway, some recent additions:

- Changed the "Steel Age" era to "Middle Ages". This is not the "Middle Ages" in the European context, but I named it this way to refer to the times when the government systems of East Asian nations were becoming more organized and established (such as the Shoguns taking control in Japan and the reform of the Confucian civil service examinations in China) and a time when the arts were beginning to flower. It is somewhat of a transition between the occurrences in the Iron Age, which set the foundations for culture and government, and the "Imperial Age" (which represents the culmination of cultural development and political power such as the flourishing of arts and political stability in the Tokugawa period of Japan or the golden age of the Choson Dynasty in Korea).

- Wonders aren't free, nor are they ALWAYS entirely positive. I think wonders can be way too overpowering in Civ3, so I decided that some of them should also have a particular downside. Wan Li Chang Cheng (The Great Wall) grants a significant bonus with added Army value, walls to all cities, and double strength against barbarians (along with it not being made obsolete). However, it's downside is equally significant - it costs a lot of shields to build, 6 gold per turn to maintain, and causes unhappiness to all cities in the empire. This is to reflect the mixed results of certain wonders. The Great Wall, though praised by Westerners, was built at the cost of millions of lives and was often seen by Chinese people in the history of Imperial China, as a symbol of oppression. Dynasties spent enormous sums of the treasury on the Great Wall, and people weren't at all pleased to risk their lives building it. Anger at the Qin Dynasty (the dynasty that enforced oppressive rule and forced millions to labor at the Great Wall) was so great, that the Qin was extremely short-lived and the capital city of Xianyang was burned to the ground. Of course, in Civ3, it doesn't get that extreme.

[Plotinus]

Some really interesting ideas here, Azeem - I especially like negative effects of Wonders. I hope you post this mod as I'd like to have a shot at it.

[LouLong]

Dom Pedro II is working on a Hwarang at CFC.

+ Wangyushi posted there a Chinese soldier and Dom Pedro a Qin spearman.

[Azeem]

Actually, the "Chin" spearman and swordsman posted there seems more like the "Qing" not "Qin" Dynasty. I could use them for late-Imperial Age units.

Wangyushi's Buzu (foot soldier) unit look very interesting and highly historically accurate. It would fit perfectly for the Han dynasty (the Iron Age in this mod ) period.

[Azeem]

Found some great graphics at CivFanatics. Since there's no graphic for Changdeokgung, I'm going to have to improvise a little. There's a graphic of a Korean palace available (which was "borrowed" from SimCity 3000 ), but it isn't Changdeokgung. So, for the sake of simplicity, I'll just use that to represent the Changdeokgung wonder.

Anyway, more on wonders:
*Some changes to wonders- Changdeokgung costs 4 gold per turn; the Forbidden City costs 7 gold per turn and causes 1 unhappiness in the city that has it. Keeping elaborate palaces is positively absolutely NOT cheap (Unless your kings live in wooden boxes) . The reason for the Forbidden City's causing unhappiness is because the builder of the Forbidden City was ruthless and a usurper of the Imperial throne and the Ming Emperors (and the late-Qing Dynasty emperors) were far from being popular (despite their flowery name, the Ming emperors were known for being some of the most depraved emperors in Chinese history).

Jingdezhen Porcelain Artisans: replaces "Great Iron Works" but requires "clay" resource, costs 6 gold per turn
*The most famous Chinese porcelain dates from the Ming period. Imperial patronage led to rapid and more effecient production. Jingdezhen was practically the capital of porcelain making, as most porcelain pottery was carefully and skillfully crafted at the kilns of Jingdezhen. In the early Ming period, much of the labor needed to produce quality porcelain was supplied by hereditary artisan households. Later on, labor at imperial-controlled kilns was paid. At first, the primary consumers of porcelain were the Imperial court. But as imperial orders for porcelain declined, the porcelain industry looked abroad for potential customers (such as Japan and Europe).

Imperial Academy: Builds an "Academy" in all cities
*Due to the violent reaction to the Qin Dynasty's implementation of oppressive "Legalist" ideology, later dynasties turned to Confucianism to create an orderly society. Since the rise of Confucianism as an "official" ideology, the post-Qin dynasties (except for the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty) created "Civil Service Examinations." The "Civil Service Examinations" were focused primarily on the Confucian classics, thus scholars that took the exams had to study Confucian texts long and hard. Those that passed the "Civil Service" were rewarded various posts in the government. As Confucianism gained ground in China as the "official" ideology, it spread into neigboring Korea and Japan. Eventually, the Koreans made Confucianism an integral part of their society and government.

[Azeem]

Post-Neolithic/Bronze Age Techs
*This is the current list of advances for the Post-Neolithic/Bronze Age Era. Of course, this will be subject to change. I used the original Civ3 tech tree, but renamed most of the techs.

Stone Tools
Masonry
Symbolism
Pottery
The Wheel
Warrior Code
Shamanism
Bronze Working
Written Language
Mysticism
Mathematics
Philosophy
Code of Laws
Literature
Map Making
Horseback Riding
Ancestor Worship
Trade
Bureaucratic Monarchy
Monarchy
Construction

Originally, I was going to include "Daoism" and "The Analects" as techs for this era. But I simply had them combined in "The Three Teachings" (which comes right after the "Buddhism" advance). In the Bronze Age, Daoism and Confucianism were still philosophies and were not yet truly in practice. In the Iron Age, when "The Three Teachings" (Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism) became an extremely important part of Chinese society (and other neighboring cultures as well), that was when Confucianism became the "official" ideology and when Daoism became a religion (it was originally only a philosophy).

[Ozymandias]

Originally posted by Azeem
In the Iron Age, when "The Three Teachings" (Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism) became an extremely important part of Chinese society (and other neighboring cultures as well), that was when Confucianism became the "official" ideology and when Daoism became a religion (it was originally only a philosophy).

-- Is there not a saying that all men are Confucians when they are wealthy and Taoists when they are poor?

[Azeem]

That's true to a certain degree. But there were instances of poor Confucianists and rich Daoists. People in East Asia applied Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (although they all don't really agree with each other) in their daily lives since each of "The Three Teachings" had something to offer.

[Ozymandias]

Originally posted by Azeem
That's true to a certain degree. But there were instances of poor Confucianists and rich Daoists. People in East Asia applied Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism (although they all don't really agree with each other) in their daily lives since each of "The Three Teachings" had something to offer.

I'm interested both for historical interest and my own modding purposes -- how important were these integrated "Three Teachings" beyond the Middle Kingdom? -- i.e., did they have such an effect elsewhere that an improvement called a "Confucian Academy" would be appropriate for, say, Korea? Might any other Civ have built a Forbidden Palace (the real thing, not the Civ3 "second palace")?

Thanks,

Oz

[Azeem]

Confucianism served as the basis for ethics and family values in China and Korea, and to a certain extent, Japan as well. Confucian ideology was considered so important in China and Korea that both nations made them "official" ideologies. Like the Chinese, the Koreans instituted Confucian ideology into both government and everyday life. Even today, Chinese and Korean culture remains heavily influenced by Confucian ideals of filial piety.

The primary concept of Daoism is harmony with the flow of everything (the "Way"), an ideal shared in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese culture (thus the importance of tranquil gardens among the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese gardens nobility). Although the vital force, the "Qi" ("Chi"), is not a new idea, Daoism elaborated on what the "Qi" was and how it applies to finding the "Way". Daoist concepts of balance (shown in the Yin-yang symbol) were important in many of the East Asian arts, particularly martial arts.

Buddhism was widespread all across East Asia (although it practically vanished in India). Mahayana ("Greater Vehicle") Buddhism won millions of followers when it entered China. As China became a more cosmopolitan empire under the Tang, Buddhism became more prominent in neighboring countries as well. Local variations of Buddhism appeared ranging from the faith-based Pure Land tradition to the esoteric Chan (Zen) tradition.

Although Mongolia was unaffected by the spread of Confucianism and Daoism, Buddhism did gain ground in Mongolia. The Buddhist school of thought that entered Mongolia was similar to that of Tibet's ("Vajrayana Buddhism"). Vajrayana travelled to Mongolia from the Himalayas region (Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal) and presently, the Mongolians still practice that school of Buddhist thought. But if the Mongolians became city builders (rather than city raiders ), then they would have adopted Confucianism and Daoism as well, due to the magnituted of China's influence on neighboring nations.

As for your question about the "Forbidden Palace," it was only China under the Ming Dynasty that really built one. However, the Koreans and Japanese did build extra palaces (that were obviously not open to just anyone) other than their main government centers. The Mongols didn't build any palaces at all, as they were content moving their yurts from place to place when necessary.