Superpower: A Civilization III Dynasty

[Franklinnoble]

Superpower: A Civilization III Dynasty

Preface:

Yes, there are plenty of Civ3 boards I could post this on – but I’m posting it here for two reasons:

1. I spend most of my time on the internet at FOFC anyway. I’d rather keep it that way, and this could potentially be a very long story.
2. The Civ3 boards have tons of these stories. I’d be just another one among thousands. Here, I’d be special. Or something.

I’ve been playing Civ3 off and on since it was initially released. I’m running the latest patched version of Civ3:Play The World (1.21f). I play at “Deity” level, which makes the AI insanely hard to keep up with, but I also cheat a little here and there, because otherwise, one can spend months in the dark ages, and that gets a little tedious. I like to spend the most time in the industrial to post-industrial WWII era. But, if the computer pisses me off, it’s off to the modern era, ICBM’s, and the smell of radioactive napalm in the morning.

I’m hoping that you can still enjoy this dynasty even if you’ve never seen Civ3, Civ2, or any other turn-based strategy game. If you’re a TBS vet, well, you’ve probably read a hundred of these, but I hope you’ll find something unique in this one. Please feel free to post comments, questions, etc. For the sake of interesting fiction, I may leave a lot of game particulars out – i.e.: I’m not going to post turn-by-turn city build orders or what tile my workers are building roads or digging mines on.

The game will start on a random map – default settings. I’ll choose 8 players – one for myself, and the 7 AI opponents. Cultural, spaceship, domination, and diplomatic victory conditions are turned off. The game is won simply by conquering the globe.

It’s going to be a little while before I post the prologue and actually start the game – if you have any input on game settings, players, etc., please feel free to post or PM them – I will be happy to take them into consideration.

[sachmo71]

I'm on board! Maybe you could name a city after me?

Have fun...I'll be reading!

[Celeval]

This may be the first dynasty I can talk my CivIII-semi-addicted fiancee to read every once in a while. That includes mine. Ah well. :-D

Good luck, looking forward to it!

[And I echo sachmo. Name your cities after FOFC members. Then we can either cheer or get ticked when they start getting taken over.]

[atatange1]

May I be so bold as to suggest that the capitol be named atatange?

[JeeberD]

JeeberD is a great name for a city!

[vex]

vexroid has a nice ring to it as the 1st city of this future, great nation.

[Blade6119]

Im not sure that blade sounds too good for a city, but maybe a great name for a nations general....head one to be exact

[vex]

Actually Blade would make a great city name, IMO.

[The Afoci]

The Afoci would be perhaps the greatest name for a city ever. Besides of course Franklinnobleville.

[Coffee Warlord]

Coffee Warlordia must be a city in your mighty empire!

I prefer a nice beachfront location.

[Franklinnoble]

So let it be written, so let it be done... great men and great cities throughout the empire of the chosen people will be named after the benevolent gods of FOFC...

[vex]

We are playing as the US, right?

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by vexroid
We are playing as the US, right?

I haven't decided on that yet. I've got to pick 8 civs total, and play as one of them. I'm leaning towards:

Germany
Egypt
France (I love beating up on the French)
England
China
America
Rome
Russia

I'm actually kinda partial towards Germany, mostly because their unique unit (the Panzer) comes along during my favorite period in history - plus they're a scientific and militaristic Civ, which complements my style of gameplay.

I just checked the Civ3 site, and it looks like they've recently updated PTW to 1.27f. Not sure if I'm going to apply it - I don't know if there's any benefit for single-player play.

[Coffee Warlord]

Bah, we need to be someone weird.

Mongols, Celts, or Vikings.

[Franklinnoble]

I don't like the Mongol UU... and their attributes are the same as the Vikings...

The Vikes are Militaristic - Expansionist (not bad) and their UU is the Berserk - an amphibious 6-2-1 unit... very nice.

I like the Celtic attributes better (Militaristic - Religious) and their UU (the Gallic Swordsman) is just a fast swordsman - not bad, either...

Time for a poll, maybe?

[RendeR]

Count me in!! I want to be a city too =)

RendeR produces!!!

[Franklinnoble]

Alright... we have a poll.

Go Vote!

[Coffee Warlord]

I actually have always felt Industrious/Scientific is the best combo. Bonus to science/production and those workers moving fast early on is *nice*.

Usually I just edit the civ profiles and set the country I want to play up with whatever bonus specialties I want. More fun that way.

[3ric]

Cool, I'll be reading. But be sure to post screenshots of your growing empire. That's crucial to any good Civ dynasty thread.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by 3ric
Cool, I'll be reading. But be sure to post screenshots of your growing empire. That's crucial to any good Civ dynasty thread.

But of course... I've done this before over at Apolyton (you know, that once-great Civ site that's never online anymore), so I'm not entirely a rank amateur here.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Coffee Warlord
I actually have always felt Industrious/Scientific is the best combo. Bonus to science/production and those workers moving fast early on is *nice*.

Usually I just edit the civ profiles and set the country I want to play up with whatever bonus specialties I want. More fun that way.

That's definately a nice combo... I like Religious, too, for the quick government flips.

I've done substantial editing with my Civ games before... I'll probably play this one mod-free, but some of my favorite mods include:

- More upgrades: Cavalry upgrade to tanks. This is how it is in real history, anyway. I also upgrade frigates to battleships, ironclads to destroyers, and destroyers to AEGIS cruisers. I basically hate having to just disband old units.

- Better bombardment: Artillery and aerial bombing is way, way underpowered in the game - the Franco-Prussian war was won entirely by superior artillery, just as the recent Gulf conflicts have been decided by guided bombs and missiles.

- More hidden nationality characters. I make "Mercenaries", which are hidden nationality Guerillas, basically, and use them to wage private little wars without going to war. This allows me to more closely emulate the kind of dirty little secret wars that go on all the time these days. I also make a hidden nationality submarine - basically, because privateers are weak to begin with, and total useless after wooden ships are obsolete.

[3ric]

What happened to Apolyton? This thread made me check it out - well, I tried to, anyway.

[SplitPersonality1]

SplitPersonalia..no

SplitPersoniton...terrible

how about just Split...it worked for Dalmatia/Yugoslavia/Croatia for 1700+ years

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by 3ric
What happened to Apolyton? This thread made me check it out - well, I tried to, anyway.

No idea... CivFanatics.com is still online, and obviously there are folks there who frequent both boards... all they say is that they have constant problems keeping their server online.

It's too bad... because CivFanatics is a pretty nice site, but Apolyton was really diverse and international, and covered a wider range of games.

[GoldenEagle]

I may have to dust off my copy of Civ3.

[JeeberD]

No kidding. I just got that urge too...

[Franklinnoble]

Save your urges for the women and goats that will be left behind in our empire's wake of destruction...

[Coffee Warlord]

Heh, want in on a little secret?

Guess what game's been causing me to delay my updating of the OOTP dynasty.

(Although, I was planning on updating it last night. I just fell asleep though.)

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Coffee Warlord
Heh, want in on a little secret?

Guess what game's been causing me to delay my updating of the OOTP dynasty.

(Although, I was planning on updating it last night. I just fell asleep though.)

I get sucked into Civ3 about every 2-3 months or so. I figured I'd share it this time around with the rest of the gang.

I'm really looking forward to the new expansion pack... looks like it's going to add MUCH more to the game than the PTW expansion did.

So far, it looks like the Americans and the Vikings are the favorites in the poll... I'm still trying to decide if I want to include any mods in my game or not... and the prologue is being written right now.

[Franklinnoble]

Prologue: In The Beginning…

What if the foundations of our world were just a little different? What if life on Earth was repeated elsewhere… another place, another time… some things remaining eerily similar, and some appearing drastically different?

This is the question asked by the almighty Franklin – the benevolent creator of a new realm, where time begins anew, and the cultures and civilizations that we know are reborn in a new place, and under new circumstances. Eight distinct tribes will be placed on a planet and left to their own devices. Each will be granted unique gifts and attributes, and all will follow a basic set of rules for behavior, but in the end, only one will remain.

Life on this world will follow some predictable patterns. The people will have an innate inclination to observing a caste system – thus their ruling families will most likely always be the same, no matter what form of self-government they choose. A man born for war could be a merchant, if he chooses, but he will never be truly content anywhere but on a battlefield. Spheres of influence on this world will remain in constant flux, and will be determined by more than just military conquest and lines on a map. When overwhelming culture permeates beyond a nation’s borders, the very borders will indeed expand to match; an obscure concept for us, but a completely natural occurrence for those in this new world.

Finally, of the eight tribes, there will be one that is chosen by the almighty to be favored above all others. This tribe will be granted wisdom, direction, and other occasional gifts of esteem. It is their history that will be chronicled here, and it is from their point of view that this tale will be told.

[The Afoci]

*tingles*

[Franklinnoble]

Alright... I'm gonna work on a few mods I have in mind for the game (and perhaps even a custom map - haven't decided if I want to surprise myself or not) along with the introduction for "the chosen tribe" tonight and post it sometime tomorrow. Last chance to get your votes in for the Civ I'm going to play as. I'll go ahead and pick whichever one has the most votes. I've played as the Americans a million times, so I'd probably rather go with another Civ, but, hey, if that's what the people want...

[Buccaneer]

Civ2 is better.

[ducks and runs away]

[vex]

Civ 2 is better, no denying that.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Buccaneer
Civ2 is better.

[ducks and runs away]

No need to run, Ornery Doo Doo... Civ2 is still a good game.

But, keep in mind that Civ2 had years of patches, expansion packs, and mods thrown at it. They were still making add-ons for it right up until Civ3 came out.

I think Civ3 has the potential to be a deeper, more playable game. It's certainly already much "prettier" than Civ2. I have high hopes for the new "Conquerors" expansion pack. Check out the features:

Sid Meier's Civilization® III: Conquests is the 2nd exciting expansion pack to Sid Meier's Civilization® III, the greatest strategy game of all-time!

Sid Meier's Civilization® III: Conquests takes players on a provocative journey through the ages as they pursue victory in the most famous conquests in history.

What does Civ® Conquests give to fans of the award-winning series? Simply put - More Civ! More to Build, More to Fight, More to Rule!

Civ fans will discover intriguing new civilizations, units, wonders, technologies, and abilities to help them triumph in eight professionally designed conquests throughout history. Compete as one of the eight new Civilizations, each with its own powerful leader, unique units and special abilities, and lead your nation to its destiny. New victory conditions, Wonders of the World, terrain elements, resources, city improvements, and governments offer endless variation in your quest to rule the world. Improved multiplayer and play-by-email support, intense diplomatic situations, and a slew of editor enhancements, round out what Time Magazine calls "the greatest computer strategy game of all time."

Do you have what it takes to lead a civilization to greatness? Or, will your nation be conquered by some greater power? You decide.

Take over the World - One Conquest at a time!

Nine professionally designed adventures challenge you to recreate the great conquests of history. Battle for control of Mesopotamia in the Cradle of Civilization, or for the rich and vast resources in the Americas. Then, embark on a campaign through time as you attempt to conquer some of the most powerful civilizations ever and earn a place among the greatest leaders in history!

GAME FEATURES
More Civilizations: Seven new powerful civilizations from the innovative Sumerians to the mystical Mayans.
More Units: Use Trebuchets to batter down the enemy's walls or Sumerian Enkidu Warriors to quickly gain military dominance.
More Techs - Map the world using Satellites to explore the entire map.
More Disasters: Beware the volcanoes, or Pompeii could become your reality.
More Diplomacy Options: Locked alliances allow good vs. evil conflicts you'll never forget.
More Map Features: Bombard the enemy and leave behind craters.
More Resources: Fight for control over Tobacco, Bananas, Oasis, Salt, Sugar, Jade, and Exotic Birds.
More Wonders: Build 5 all new wonders, including the statue of Zeus and the even all new commerce bonuses
More Government Types: - Fascism, Feudalism, Tribal Council, and Imperialism are just a few of the new ways to rule your people.
More Unit Abilities - Including Stealth Attack, Enslavement, and other bonus attack modifiers such as damage multipliers can now be applied to units
More Attributes - Including two new Civ-Types: Agricultural and Seafaring
More City Specialists - Including Civil Engineers and Police Forces
More Improvements - Including improvements to the AI, Combat System, Interface, Rally Points, Governors, Leaders, Unit-Stacks, and even Game Balance!
More Game Options - Including the ability to choose Random World Sizes and new levels of difficulty such as "Demigod" and "Sid"
Extra Content - All Civs, leaders, special units, and features included from the Civilization III: Play the World™ expansion.
...And much, much, more!

Civilization® III: Conquests requires the original Civilization® III product in order to play.

Given a few years to mature, I think Civ3 can be as good as Civ2, or even Alpha Centauri (many "fanatics" say this is the best TBS game ever).

[bamcgee]

I found that the Double Your Pleasure mod for Civ 3 made the game much more complex and interesting. I also tried to go back and play Civ2, but I'm afraid that it's just too dated now for me to enjoy much.

[Franklinnoble]

Introduction: The Birth Of A Nation


Nelson bolted towards the summer campsite at a full run – he knew he had just found something important, and the chief would have to know about it. He stopped a woman carrying a jar of water from the river and asked, “Where is he? Where’s the chief?”

It seemed like the tribe was getting bigger and bigger every day – he used to know everybody… but now he was seeing more and more people he didn’t recognize. It wasn’t surprising. The chief was known for keeping his people fed and protected, and that was better than what most tribes could count on every winter.

The woman responded, “He’s in his hut – by the cluster of boxwoods just up the path.” Nelson nodded. He knew exactly where his leader’s hut was. The chief’s inclination for keeping his residence near that particular patch of shrubbery had earned him the nickname “Chief Bush.” He continued up the path and stopped to speak to the warrior guarding the chief’s door.

“I need to speak to him.” Nelson exhaled.

The guard patted the dull blade of his heavy stone axe. “What’s it about?”

Nelson stopped for a minute, and then replied, “I really can’t tell you… but it’s very important. Please tell him I’m here.”

The guard grunted, then pulled back the flap covering the door of the hut and stuck his head in. “Some guy to see you, chief. Says he can’t tell me what it’s about.”

The chief stepped into the doorway and gave Nelson a look. “Ah, it’s you. You’re the rock fella, right?”

“Yes sir. I’ve found something else you should have a look at.”

“You mean up in the hills? What is it this time?”

Nelson glanced around. The guard was listening very closely. “It’s really better if you come see it.”

The chief paused a moment, then glanced at the warrior. He was still tapping the blade of his axe. Bush smiled and spoke to Nelson, “He’s always pattin’ that axe when he gets anxious.” He turned to the guard and spoke, “George, hang here for a bit. I’m gonna go see what rock-feller here wants to show me.”

Nelson and the chief strode off towards the hills again, and after they had gotten about a quarter mile from the campground, Nelson spoke up. “Do you remember those metals I brought to you several months ago?”

“Sure I do. Neat stuff. Not as soft as gold, so it’s probably not much use for nice jewelry and coins and such, but I gave it to Howard. He’s been playing around with it.”

There was more than one Howard in the tribe, and they were both big men. “Big Howard or Huge Howard?”

“Huge. He’s a clever dude. Fashioned a way to shape it into a sharp point and put it on the end of a wooden spear. Says he might like to have more of it, if you can get it.”

“That won’t be a problem. The cave I dug that out of is on the other side of the river, but it’s pretty close by, and there’s plenty of it in there.”

They were now walking up the slope of a rocky hillside. A cave opening was visible; several rocks and a large mound of dirt had recently been removed from it and placed just outside. Nelson led the way in. They walked about fifty feet into the cavern, and stopped as they reached the wall at the back. It was too dark to see very well, and Nelson stooped over a torch and took a flint and stone from his belt pouch and began to work at lighting it. “I was digging at the wall in here when I came across something. Something big.”

Chief Bush reached out and placed his hand against the wall. It was smooth and cool to the touch. “It doesn’t feel like rock.”

A series of sparks jumped off Nelsons flint stone and caught the torch. As it crackled to life he lifted it up over his head. Bush gasped, and took a step back from the wall. The entire cave began to glow.

Nelson grinned. “Solid gold. The whole wall, as far as I’ve been able to dig.”

Bush gaped at the wall. So far, Nelson had cleared away a section that was over ten feet high and thirty feet wide. Nobody had ever even heard of a deposit of gold like this before. “Do you know what this means?”

Nelson’s smile broadened. “It means we’re rich?”

“More than just rich, Rock-feller. This could change everything for the tribe. We won’t have to go to the winter camp anymore. We can afford to stick around here, grow some crops maybe, see if we can settle down.”

Nelson turned serious. “We’ll need to protect it. If people hear about this, they’re going to try to drive us from here.”

Bush stammered. “This is a, a, a miracle! And it’s ours. We’ll protect it, all right. We’ll talk to Howard… you get him as much of that other metal as he needs to make more spears and shields. We need to keep all this quiet until we get enough of them made to arm an entire company of warriors – we just need to find enough men.” He was pacing… rubbing his chin as he pondered the unparalleled fortune before him.

Nelson spoke up. “We’ve probably got enough food for the winter. Old man McDonald’s got a farm… he’s managed to round up and tame some of the wild cows roaming the valley – he’s already trading milk from them, and he’s raising the bulls for meat. That means we can have the hunting parties stay around here to watch the campsite.”

“It’s not a campsite anymore, Rock-feller. It’s a town. We’ll name it after the wise-man.”

Nelson snickered. “Wise? You mean crazy… that guy stood out in a storm last month and got struck dead by lightning.”

“Yeah, but most of the folks really liked old Franklin… some of his ideas were a little quirky, but he was as clever as any of us.”

Nelson nodded. He and the chief took one more look at the wall of gold, and then turned to leave the cave and head back to the river. Nelson asked one more question on the way down the hill. “So, now that we’re going to settle down and make a life here, what are we gonna call ourselves?” Knowing that the chief had a penchant for silly names, he grinned as he awaited his response.

“We’re a group of people that came together thanks to a miracle. Guess that makes us “amiric-ans.”

Well, Nelson thought, it sounded better than “rock-feller.”

[Buccaneer]

It's all about scenarios and the use of events scripting that makes Civ2 still viable (check out the many Civ2 PBEM and MP scenario games still active). Even with all of the Civ3 factions, it still doesn't match the number of custom units that many Civ2 scenarios have. It is questionable whether Conquerors will finally match Civ2's scenario-making capabilities so we'll see. By the way, Civ2 MGE is only the third expansion pack and there have been only one patch for it. However, I agree about the main game, Civ3 has a lot more to offer - except that it does force the civer to play more linearly.

Good luck with this dynasty, I'll read along.

[sachmo71]

Nelson the cave man! LOL! Great stuff, Franklin! Can't wait for more!


And to think you were on my ignore list at one time...sheesh!

[Nyarlahotep]

Amiric-ans?!?! You may end up on my ignore list yet.

[Franklinnoble]

Bah... those who can't, critique.

[Nyarlahotep]

Maybe I just can critique.

*ps - stop wasting time talking shit and get back to work on your dynasties*

[vex]

Dyyyynasssstyyyyy....

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by vexroid
Dyyyynasssstyyyyy....

I don't get it.

Are you saying I'm too slow with this?

Sorry... crappy ISP at home on the weekends... and I was stacking hay all day. Anyhow, I'll have updates soon...

[Nyarlahotep]

What a coincidence. I was stacking hay all day too. As long as by stacking hay you mean lounging around and in the pool.

[tucker342]

You know, Tucktown does have a nice ring to it

[tucker342]

Good idea for a dynasty!

[Nyarlahotep]

So does Nyarville.

[Franklinnoble]

I'm naming cities in the order that people posted in the thread... I've played and taken notes and screen shots through 2270 B.C. - and I have two cities total... Diety mode, even with all the advantages I modded for myself, is tough - the continental powers that be are way ahead right now - but that will change soon enough.

Expect a formal update soon...

[Franklinnoble]

Chapter One - An Infant State




For four hundred years after the discovery of gold near the small village of Franklin, not much happened. The town grew a little, and prospered, but it was a quiet time. Scouts explored the nearby countryside, and the tiny band of American people enjoyed a peaceful, secluded existence.

In 3600 B.C., things changed. A scouting party in the north reported contact with another nation - a nation that was already home to two cities, and was preparing to settle a third. A nation called Rome. The scouts reported back periodically with their reports of what they had seen in Rome. Most disturbing was the nation's already formidable military. It seemed that warriors were marching about the entire countryside.

Things remained quiet for another four hundred and fifty years. Then, in 3150 B.C., scouts traveling east from Rome discovered another nation - this one inhabited by people who called themselves the Celts. They were a friendly people, but also seemed to be teeming with men of war - specifically many archers and spearmen. In 2900 B.C., scouts encountered a new people - Russian spearmen just east of Franklin. The continent had become crowded with organized tribes, all whom seemed much mightier than the small nation of America.

That same year, a brave American named Sachmo set out from Franklin and headed south with a small band of settlers, two goats, and a bag of turnips. He wandered the wilderness for fifty years, but founded a new town just before dying from some sort of freak accident with one of the goats. Just as Americans begin to celebrate their new expansion, rumors of barbarians across the bay from Franklin begin to stir feelings of uneasiness among the people. Their worries are not unfounded - in 2630 B.C., a scouting party in the west was ambushed and slaughtered, and in 2350 B.C., a band of savages approaches Franklin, cutting off the road to Sachmo along the way. Leaders vow to assemble a company of archers to take aggressive action against the barbarian threat.

In 2270 B.C., an American in Sachmo, tired of having to ride his mule all the way to Franklin every time he wanted to correspond with his brother-in-law, invented a means to send messages instead. He began to write, and the trick caught on fast throughout the empire. With this new means of communication, American envoys were sent to the capital cities of every known nation to establish embassies. Once again, this served to reveal how much more powerful America's neighbors were. Despite her vast riches, America could not keep up.

In 2070 B.C., America's first foray into the domestication of horses was underway with the completion of a road from Franklin to a nearby horse ranch in the foothills to the southeast. That same year, the town of Celeval was founded to the North (named after a wealthy wine merchant who financed the expedition and had hoped to make a cozy retirement home for himself), near the borders of Rome and the city of Pompeii.

For two hundred years, things remained largely unchanged. America grew, but at a slow pace. The barbarian problem was contained, companies of spearmen were trained in Celeval (just in case...), and plans to build a magnificent Oracle in Franklin were underway.

Then, in 1870 B.C., an emissary from Rome arrived at the palace in Franklin, seeking an audience with the chieftain. Caesar demanded 100 pounds of gold as tribute to his empire. Chief Bush responded, "America does not negotiate with terrorists." Apparently unflattered at being referred to as some sort of international menace, Caesar replied with a declaration of war.

America made preparations for its defense. There would be many years before the Roman war parties could reach her cities; ample time to ensure a proper welcome for their arrival. Envoys were sent to Russia and Ireland, and while military alliances were not successfully secured, they did return with the knowledge of horseback riding and iron working. Chief Bush smiled. There was much iron in America, and many horses. Caesar would regret his insolence.