Scenes from an alternate civilization
May. 10th, 2011 11:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridlorePlayed a really fun game of Civ IV yesterday. I was the Romans under Caesar Augustus. I spread out along the southern coast of the world's main continent, as the Babylonian Empire was directly to my north. One tactic you can use against rivals is "flipping" their cities through cultural influences. Build enough culture-generating improvements in a city near the border, spend gold on culture, and you'll see your rivals' cities close to your border start to show more and more of your cultural influence. Get over 50%, and riots start breaking out. Eventually (unless the city is heavily garrisoned) the city will revolt and come over to your side.
In this game I had reached the point where my technological edge over Babylon gave me the confidence to start massing for an attack. I began piling riflemen and cannon just across the border from the cities on my hit-first list. Before I could launch my attacks, two of the cities I was going to attack revolted and joined my empire! Which led to my imagining this scene...
"Ah, Governor Zabu! There you are!"
Zabu glanced at his aide, then turned his attention to the scene across the river. "Tell me, Belibni, what do you think of that?"
Belibni looked at the Roman encampment. The orderly rows of tents showed seven legions of riflemen were camped on the very edge of Roman lands, along with over a hundred of the new cannon that had been much talked about in war councils. If the spies could be trusted, there were close to ten thousand Roman troops encamped, with more on the way.
"No horsemen, my lord.. at least none that I can see."
The Governor chuckled. "Oh, they have them. Troops of cavalry have been spotted to the west scouting out routes into Babylon. I suspect that they'll be used to raise havoc and disrupt reinforcements."
"Then you are certain they mean to attack?"
"Can they do anything else? The Incans are their vassals now, so their rear is secured. They've all but suspended civilian building projects in favor of putting men on the lines, and armies like this are building up at several border points. War is coming, and I fear we have no hope."
Belibni took a step back in shock "No hope? Surely we can defend Sippara until aid arrives, and drive them off! We could call on the Dutch for aid.."
Zabu cut the air with his hand. "Nonsense. The Dutch would cheer our demise. They are too short sighted to see that Rome would then gobble them up. Hold out? I ask you, Belibni, what forces do we have to garrison this city?
"300 archers. A company of Royal Axemen. But my lord, surely the city walls will hold them?"
"For an hour, perhaps. Then the city falls under the guns of the Romans. But there is another way..."
"My Lord?"
"Let us be realistic, Belibni. Sippara has been a Roman city for some time. The food is Roman. Roman plays bring in the crowds. People dress as Romans. We are Babylonian in name only. So I go to the Romans and surrender the city. The inevitable occurs without blood being shed. And we get to not only keep our heads, but maybe our jobs."
"Zabu, do you feel no loyalty to Babylon?"
"Loyalty to the king who expected me to defend this city with a handful of outdated troops? Loyalty to a dynasty that has squandered every chance to advance? Hammurabi XXXVI may be a nice person, but Rome is the future. There's one more reason to open the gates and fly the Roman flag."
"Oh, and what would that be, Lord Governor?"
"We've had this entire conversation in Latin."
"... I'll see if I can find a Roman flag somewhere. Hail Caesar!"
In this game I had reached the point where my technological edge over Babylon gave me the confidence to start massing for an attack. I began piling riflemen and cannon just across the border from the cities on my hit-first list. Before I could launch my attacks, two of the cities I was going to attack revolted and joined my empire! Which led to my imagining this scene...
"Ah, Governor Zabu! There you are!"
Zabu glanced at his aide, then turned his attention to the scene across the river. "Tell me, Belibni, what do you think of that?"
Belibni looked at the Roman encampment. The orderly rows of tents showed seven legions of riflemen were camped on the very edge of Roman lands, along with over a hundred of the new cannon that had been much talked about in war councils. If the spies could be trusted, there were close to ten thousand Roman troops encamped, with more on the way.
"No horsemen, my lord.. at least none that I can see."
The Governor chuckled. "Oh, they have them. Troops of cavalry have been spotted to the west scouting out routes into Babylon. I suspect that they'll be used to raise havoc and disrupt reinforcements."
"Then you are certain they mean to attack?"
"Can they do anything else? The Incans are their vassals now, so their rear is secured. They've all but suspended civilian building projects in favor of putting men on the lines, and armies like this are building up at several border points. War is coming, and I fear we have no hope."
Belibni took a step back in shock "No hope? Surely we can defend Sippara until aid arrives, and drive them off! We could call on the Dutch for aid.."
Zabu cut the air with his hand. "Nonsense. The Dutch would cheer our demise. They are too short sighted to see that Rome would then gobble them up. Hold out? I ask you, Belibni, what forces do we have to garrison this city?
"300 archers. A company of Royal Axemen. But my lord, surely the city walls will hold them?"
"For an hour, perhaps. Then the city falls under the guns of the Romans. But there is another way..."
"My Lord?"
"Let us be realistic, Belibni. Sippara has been a Roman city for some time. The food is Roman. Roman plays bring in the crowds. People dress as Romans. We are Babylonian in name only. So I go to the Romans and surrender the city. The inevitable occurs without blood being shed. And we get to not only keep our heads, but maybe our jobs."
"Zabu, do you feel no loyalty to Babylon?"
"Loyalty to the king who expected me to defend this city with a handful of outdated troops? Loyalty to a dynasty that has squandered every chance to advance? Hammurabi XXXVI may be a nice person, but Rome is the future. There's one more reason to open the gates and fly the Roman flag."
"Oh, and what would that be, Lord Governor?"
"We've had this entire conversation in Latin."
"... I'll see if I can find a Roman flag somewhere. Hail Caesar!"
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Date: 10 May 2011 21:08 (UTC)no subject
Date: 10 May 2011 22:50 (UTC)no subject
Date: 11 May 2011 00:03 (UTC)They got rid of culture flipping in CivV... Great Artists have a "culture bomb" - they have to be in your territory but any hexes that border them that aren't yours get converted. This does not work on cities.
Also, nice. :D
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Date: 11 May 2011 00:30 (UTC)>"We've had this entire conversation in Latin."
>"... I'll see if I can find a Roman flag somewhere. Hail Caesar!"
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Date: 11 May 2011 00:37 (UTC)no subject
Date: 11 May 2011 01:11 (UTC)Epic punchline. =D
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Date: 11 May 2011 04:41 (UTC)