Sid Meier’sCivilizationhas undergone several iterations over the years, but its core gameplay has remained similar across each version. The iconic turn-based strategy games mix historically-inspired worldbuilding with dark humor and open-ended gameplay involving real-life Civilizations, each of which isled by a playable historical figure. This format often results in wacky combinations and bizarre mixings and matchings of history.Civilizationscan be started long before their historical beginnings and continue well after their historical fall. America can be founded in the Stone Age, and the Sumerians can still hold power in the age of nuclear weapons. It can lead to crazy situations like Theodore Roosevelt sharing a continent with Cleopatra in the Middle Ages or Mahatma Gandhi waging nuclear war against the Spartans. Some players may find this mixing and matching of history jarring and confusing, but for many players, it is part of the fun.
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Although not yet confirmed, the popularity of the series would make it possible, maybe even likely,that fans can expect to seeCivilization 7at some point. Of course, that brings up an obvious question about what new civilizations or leaders could be included. One of the many real-life civilizations to be featured in the game is Ancient Egypt. This is hardly surprising. Aside from being one of the most iconic civilizations of the Ancient World, it was also an extremely influential society that made significant advancements in, among other things, mathematics, science, medicine, and architecture. Its 3000-year history includes a variety of rulers who took Egyptian society in very different directions.Civilization 6opted to have Egypt led by the iconic Pharaoh Cleopatra, butCivilization 7would have a wide range of options for other Egyptian leaders.
5Hatshepsut
Historical Context
Hatshepsut is the second documented woman to assume the title of Pharaoh in Egypt, a title usually reserved for men. By some accounts, she had to wear a fake beard to better fit the traditional image. Despite the traditional patriarchal structure of Egyptian royalty, Hatshepsut managed to land in a unique set of circumstances that gave her a huge amount of power. She became queen regent when her husband (and brother) died, his son too young to rule, but eventually assumed the title of Pharaoh for herself. Her reign boosted the Egyptian economy and expanded trade routes. One particularly successful trade expedition came from visiting a region called “Punt” and bringing back immense riches. She also produced some architectural marvels, the most iconic being the Mortuary Temple.
In-Game
Based on the information available about her reign, Hatshepsut would need to be tailored to players interested in economic victory. There are a few ways this could be done. One possibility could be having faster traders that bring in more than other civilizations. Maybe her traders can move two spaces each turn instead of just one and bring in slightly more gold. She could also be given faster production times thereby having more goods to offer more frequently than other leaders, or perhaps shorter construction times for commercial districts.
Hatshepsut’s interest in architecture could also be incorporated in the form ofadvantages to building Wonders. The Mortuary Temple should be a unique building for her, but she could come with reduced construction times or lower production costs for other wonders.
4Imhotep
Admittedly, information on Imhotep’s life is limited. It does not help that he was later mythologized and even deified by Egyptian civilization.Contrary to whatThe Mummywould have you believe, Imhotep was a personal friend of the Pharaoh Djoser and greatly admired. He was described as being a super-intelligent man who held several notable positions including a High Priest, a surgeon, and, perhaps most famously, an architect-He may have actually beaten Hippocrates to the role of the “Father of Modern Medicine.” But his best-known accomplishment was designing a tomb for the Pharoah Djoser.
Imhotep was given the task of designing a unique monument for Djoser’s burial site. The traditional design at the time was a rectangular structure called amastaba, but they wanted something more distinctive. Imhotep came up with the idea of taking a Mastaba, and then building on top of it to create a step-pyramid. This resulted in the first great pyramid and became the basis for the pyramids used by later Pharaohs. Djoser loved the design so much he had Imhotep’s name written in the tomb alongside his own- a rare honor at the time.
Technically the Pharoah at the time would have been Djoser, but Imhotep has become such a prominent and influential figure in Egyptian history that he could probably work as a leader. Based on the impact he had on multiple societal levels, the logical direction to take him would be a leader who specializes in culture, religion, and science. The cultural aspect could be developed through bonuses to constructing unique buildings like monuments and wonders. His influence on science and mathematics could be translated to faster research times, and of course, he would need to have some level of influence on religion in his civilization.
Obviously, the famous step pyramid should be a unique wonder available for Egypt.
3Ptolemy I
Ptolemy’s career began as a general under the command of Alexander the Great. When Alexander died unexpectedly young without an heir or a definitive succession plan, his empire quickly collapsed as his former generals began turning on each other. Ptolemy quickly managed to build up an army and take control of Egypt, where he set himself up as a Pharaoh. He built up a new religion based on mixing Greek and Egyptian beliefs and made Egypt a significant economic powerhouse of the Ancient World. The Ptolemaic Dynasty would last for centuries, and players ofCivilization 6will already be familiar with one of his direct descendants, the famous Cleopatra.
Ptolemy would have to be a versatile leader and require a certain level of multitasking to play effectively. This would make him a more challenging leader for experienced players. They would have to be able to balance militarism with the production of culture and science. This would obviously be easier said than done since putting too much emphasis on one over the other would inevitably create a disadvantage.
Ptolemy’s involvement with theology could also play into his interactions with other religions. The belief he tried to create was a fusion of Greek and Egyptian mythology. This could be translated into a resistance to conversion attempts by other players, with the possibility of it backfiring and convertingtheirpeople instead.
2Ramesses II
Ramesses II is probably the third or fourth mosticonic of Egypt’s pharoahs, after Tutankhamun and Cleopatra, and a favorite of 19th-century archeologists. Ramesses II’s 66-year-long reign marked one of the longest ruling periods of any Egyptian Pharaoh and saw some major developments. He became Pharoah during a period of turmoil and instability during which Egypt was threatened by multiple external parties. This included an ongoing rivalry with the rival Hittite Empire and struggles to deal with a pirate faction known only as “the sea peoples.” He did manage to outwit the sea peoples with a carefully planned trap on at least one occasion, but his feud with the Hittites led to multiple futile attempts at conquest. However, the repeated failures of either side to gain an edge over the other resulted in the earliest recorded peace treaty- one which managed to last for several decades and only ended when the Hittite empire collapsed. He was also famous for creating the famous Abu Simbel monument, a pair of massive temples carved out of a cliffside.
Ramesses II’s involvement in what might have been the first-ever peace treaty could be represented as advantages to diplomacy. He could be shown as being more effective at negotiating peace with other leaders, or perhaps improving relations with leaders he has recently been at war with. The other big issue he dealt with, the “sea peoples” who were plundering Egypt, could be translated into some sort of bonus while attacking barbarians. A simple way to do this would be to give Egyptian units extra combat strength while on the offensive, perhaps with a penalty for being on the defensive.
Abu Simbel would have to be a unique wonder for Rameses II.
1Thutmose III
Historical Context:
The son of the pharoah Hatshepsut, Thutmose III ultimately went in a different direction from his mother. He grew up spending time living among soldiers and learning how to fight, eventually becoming proficient enough that Hatshepsut put him in charge of Egypt’s military. When he took the throne, the city-state of Megiddo Egypt would be more vulnerable during the transitional period between Pharaohs, and jumped at the opportunity to exploit it. This plan backfired when Thutmose III retaliated in full force. He proved to be a very effective military commander and spent a lot of his reign conquering other regions or suppressing rebellions.
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Given his reputation as a warrior king and conqueror, Thutmose III would have to be best suited to playerswho lack the patience for diplomacy. His militarism could be reflected in the form of shorter production times for military units, or maybe an ability that produces two chariots at once similar to Tomyris inVI. He could also be given an advantage when bringing military force against rebellious cities-either in the form of extra combat strength or a bonus to maintaining loyalty in newly-reconquered regions. This would make him a great choice for dealing with his own cities if they rebel, but also for taking advantage of rebellions in other civilizations.'
