Which leaders you'd change

[Jon Shafer]

I suppose since I'm working on a Civil War scenario, I can't really complain about Firaxis' choice of leaders... saves me some time.

[steamthunk]

I think Queen Victoria would have been a good choice for England as well. Under her reign Britain became the greatest power on Earth. She is still the longest reigning monarch in British history.

Bismarck was recognized as one of the greatest European statesmen in the late 19th century. In addition to unifying the German state he led the Prussian army to a victorious war against Denmark and France (encircling Paris until the French sued for peace), but also had the common sense to know when to stop (taking only the Alsac-Lorraine). He made Germany the most feared/respected power on the Continent and was a master at playing the other European powers against one another with mutual protection pacts. Read "Dreadnought" by Robert K. Massie and you'll understand why Bismarck is a much better choice as German leader than that OTHER Leader.

I like using FDR in my games as Americans. Or JFK.

Ramsses over Cleopatra.

Napolean over Joan.

Breshnov/Kruschov for the Russians for that cold war empire feel.

Godzilla for Japan!

[Jac de Molay]

Substitute washington or jefferson for lincoln

Dave

[N. Machiavelli]

Originally posted by steamthunk
I think Queen Victoria would have been a good choice for England as well. Under her reign Britain became the greatest power on Earth. She is still the longest reigning monarch in British history.

Victoria was a bit of a nutball with Albert as almost a 'power-behind-the-thrown' before his death. Parlaiment pretty much ran things by that point. Victoria, it seems, wasn't even the right person at the right time; more like the figurehead at the time when everything just happened to go right around them. It's like calling Calvin Coolidge the greatest US president simply because he was in the Whitehouse during the roaring 20's, or Eisenhower in the 50's.

[Verto]

Originally posted by The Templar
I'd go with Lenin over Cathrine, and Napoleon over Joan of Arc.

While Hitler would be fun to play against, I suppose Hitler IS, after all, as offensive to Germans as Reagan is to Americans. Then again, a WWII scenario featuring Hitler and a cold war scenario featuring Reagan would both be fun.

Reagan doesn't offend me, and I'm not sure how you can compare the two...

I don't think we should automatically reject Hitler because it wouldn't be "PC" and people won't like him, etc. I don't like Mao, but he's in.

Jeanne d'arc needs to be changed to a GL. Napoleon would make a good choice, along with several kings, but I'd go with Napoleon.

I'm not sure about Lincoln for America. Mostly because of his ridiculous animation. I can't stand it.

Washington was a great general and President. On the other hand, he didn't preside during a world war, or have much of a foreign policy: England and France were really the ones closest to America.

Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase, wrote the Declaration of Independence, donated his own library to start the Library of Congress, etc.

FDR might be acceptable. He is a Democrat, though

Someone said JFK. I'm going to assume he was joking.

I want to see Nixon animated He should take lessons from Reagon about how to deal with communist countries.

Jimmy Carter? What a joke. What a joke...

Ronald Reagon was a good president. Reagonomics, fighting the evil empire, but are these the requirements for Civ3? Maybe a few leaders that aren't purely military would help balance the diplomacy/total conquest gameplay.

Bush Sr.? Gulf War, not much else.

Clinton? I'll leave it at that, lest this become OT.

I'm not overly familiar with Russian history, but would Peter the Great be a good choice?

Remember in Civ 2 how each civ had 2 leaders - a male and a female? Bring it back, because the idea that someone should be in simply because she's female, and there are so many men, is ridiculous, and it would put an end to it.

[MaxisDugan85]

Whaaaat?!?!

Gandi is a goofy choice Gandi the Barbarian! LOL!
Joan of Arc??? Napoleon , please!!!
Cleopatra? NOT!!! Rameses , YES!!!
Peter the Great or Stalin for Russia.
Hitler should be an option. Bismark is good choice tho.

I really wish we had a choice of genders. Would it really have been that hard to give us two or more choices for leaders? Adding our own leaderheads would be cool. Am I the only one who hates those freaky UGLYheads?

While Hitler would be fun to play against, I suppose Hitler IS, after all, as offensive to Germans as Reagan is to Americans. Then again, a WWII scenario featuring Hitler and a cold war scenario featuring Reagan would both be fun.

How can anyone compare Reagan to Hitler in any shape form or stretch of the imagination? Please , disagree with Ronnie's politics if you must but he wasn't an insane dictator with dreams of genocide and world domination.

[Pyrodrew]

Hitler would have been a bad choice for Firaxis.
If someone wants to download a Hitler to play against that's their choice, but Hitler does not deserve to be in the original game. If you were a German, would you want Hitler to be the default to represent you??? You would have to take time to alter the original game, just so your picture would not be Hitler.

Of course, Firaxis chose Ghandi, as well as all the others, based on their Recognizability Quotient (TM,) not on any sense of historical accuracy.

True, but I wouldn't say that Recognizability Quotient is the only factor.
Joan may have also been added to fill a Female Quota... if Cleo, Catherine, & Joan were all replaced with the others suggested here than the only female leader would be Elisabeth.

I can accept most of the leaders. The only one I voted to change was Joan.

I really wish we had a choice of genders. Would it really have been that hard to give us two or more choices for leaders?

I agree, this way you could be up against either one. Civ2 had this, but I suppose they didn't have the time to do this in Civ3.

[Tomji]

what would be cool is to be able to choose a leader. Or maybe even switch him sometimes.

[Tiberius]

I voted Joan and Chaterina, even though I wouldn't want them removed. Instead, I'd like to see one male and one female leader for each civ (Joan/Napoleon, Catherina/Peter), maybe even with different behaviour in diplomatic relations.

Anyone else thinking that Cardinal Richelieu or Louis XIV (the Sun King, apogee of French royal power) would be also good choices for France?

As for Germany, Bismarck is a very good choice. He created the modern German state (united the different german states). IMHO, a fine choice would be Konrad Adenauer, too (but he's too recent, not as important as Bismarck and too "peaceful" for Civ3).

How about having a different leader for each era or each government type?

[Lucarse]

My 2p (cents)

Joan - Napoleon
Ghandi - any other leader (the guy who went to war with alexander)
Catherine - Peter the Great!
Liz - Henry VIII

[Blaukrieger]

I think Bismarck was a great German leader. But I think the the Austrians, the other German speaking nation, cant identify themselves with him, because he made war against Austria. So I think it would be better to take a mediaval emperor. I d prefer Friedrich Barbarossa, because he was a great leader and after his death he was object of legends (Kyffhäuser).

[vmxa1]

Joan for me and maybe Russia's.

[The Pioneer]

The names never really bothered me so I haven't changed any of the names. But if I had to I would definitely change Lincoln to Washington. Lincoln was the one that kept the nation together during the greatest test but Washington was the one that holded the nation together at its conception. If it wasn't for him it would Virginians and New Englanders would've never kept together after the revolution

I would also change Joan, Catherine, the Virgin Queen and Cleopatra.

But at the end I come to a male dominated world!

So long....

[Chemical Ollie]

Suggestions for some modern world leaders that could change your opinion about some tribes:

Americans - Ronald Reagan (At least he is syncronized with the American golden age and unique unit)

English - Margareth Thatcher (for those of you who think Liz is ugly )

Babylonians - Saddam Hussein (stealth bombers, anyone?)

Persians - Ayatolla Khomeini

Zulu - Nelson Mandela (Or for those of you who like the Zulus as they are - Robert Mugabe).

[Chemical Ollie]

By the way - You could change the name of your own leader and tribe by clicking under the leader portrait in the game setup screen. I recently learned how to do it and use it quite often. You almost never see the face of your own leader during the game anyway, so just changing the name should do the job. It will also be displayed in your hall of fame if you get a high score.