Being a huge history nerd, if a player was inclined, would the game support the ability to play a semi-historically accurate (as much as possible) playthrough for your culture (and maybe a option at game-start to make AI opponents also stick to quasi-historical paths)? For example something like: Greeks -> Romans -> Byzantines -> Ottomans -> Turkey? Or maybe Celts -> Romans -> Anglo-Saxons -> England? With the limited amount of cultures available, will this even be possible? Maybe with future DLCs, mods, or ability to add custom create civs?

Other thoughts: when selecting a new culture for your next era--for "realism" purposes of a semi-historical playthrough, maybe you only select a culture based on what other cultures you have come into contact with? E.g. if I'm the Romans, I can't select my successor culture to be the Aztecs--unless I've made contact with that culture somehow (e.g. happened to encounter them during exploration). But if I've had interactions with many other cultures (Celts, Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, Scythians), I can select from those culture's next logical Era-choice. So I can create a fun head-canon story that the Romans, after years of conflict with the Scythian (or Hun) hordes chose to adopt/assimilate parts of their culture and now have access to sweet horse archer technology bonuses in the next Era? Or something along those lines :) Basically, I would want to play in way that the culture selection is somewhat logical historically grounded standpoint or a fun alternative-historical possibility (w/some logic (i.e cultures have interacted) behind it). Of course, this is just me! So if other players want to go from Assyrian -> Celt -> Mongolian -> French -> USSR, the game should support that style too! 

Also--need real-world map(s) as well, have those been confirmed?

I think that would be a player's choice, not a game mode. Also, you can play the same culture for multiple eras, so you could do something like Mycenaen Greeks -> Romans -> Romans again instead of Byzantines -> Ottomans -> Ottomans again instead of Turkey (if Turkey and Byzantines are not in the game or in mods, that is) if you wanted to play a single culture for the whole game. Limiting the cultures a player can adopt based on the game world would be the player's decision.

I definitely agree about including an Earth type map though, I think they were playing on a Meditteranean/ European map for some of the screenshots but including a map of the whole world would be really cool. There are of course issues with resource distribution in the real world but I still think it would be fun to play.

So far we don't plan to restrict the culture selection, aside from every culture being present in the game only once (so for example if another player already picked Babylon, you will not be able to pick Babylon as well).

However, I think that with the cultures that will be available in the game, a (semi-)historical playthrough should be possible, even if we can't possibly reflect all of the complexities of real history.

Thanks for the reply! While on this subject, I have been pondering what it means to select the same culture for the next era. Say for example, if I want to re-select Myceneans for the Classical Era, will there be any changes to the Mycenean culture in the new Era? Or do the same bonuses, units, etc. still all apply? I was thinking it would be cool to make some small changes to the culture when going from one Era to the next. Obviously, it would not be feasible to develop essentially a new culture in the next Era with new units, models, etc. (we're already getting I think 60 so I won't get greedy!) but maybe tweak the bonuses and rename the culture-faction? This could potentially be a way to squeeze more cultures ("sub-cultures"?) into the game without developing a bunch of new ones. Here's an example: For the Romans in the Classical Era, if you guys don't want to do a Byzantine culture in the next Era (though I really hope you do!), then maybe if the player chooses to re-select the Romans in the Medieval Era, the culture-faction name changes from Romans to Byzantines and the culture's bonuses or unique technology change. Though this may not be the best example considering the cultures are different in many ways (Latin-> Greek, Pagan-> Christian) but this could work in other examples. I am not an expert in Chinese history or culture but I am assuming there is more cultural continuity between certain Eras potentially so this idea could help. Thanks for reading! I'm very excited for this game :) 

basileus48 wrote:

Thanks for the reply! While on this subject, I have been pondering what it means to select the same culture for the next era. Say for example, if I want to re-select Myceneans for the Classical Era, will there be any changes to the Mycenean culture in the new Era? Or do the same bonuses, units, etc. still all apply? I was thinking it would be cool to make some small changes to the culture when going from one Era to the next. Obviously, it would not be feasible to develop essentially a new culture in the next Era with new units, models, etc. (we're already getting I think 60 so I won't get greedy!) but maybe tweak the bonuses and rename the culture-faction? This could potentially be a way to squeeze more cultures ("sub-cultures"?) into the game without developing a bunch of new ones. Here's an example: For the Romans in the Classical Era, if you guys don't want to do a Byzantine culture in the next Era (though I really hope you do!), then maybe if the player chooses to re-select the Romans in the Medieval Era, the culture-faction name changes from Romans to Byzantines and the culture's bonuses or unique technology change. Though this may not be the best example considering the cultures are different in many ways (Latin-> Greek, Pagan-> Christian) but this could work in other examples. I am not an expert in Chinese history or culture but I am assuming there is more cultural continuity between certain Eras potentially so this idea could help. Thanks for reading! I'm very excited for this game :) 

They've talked about this before, reselecting the same culture doesn't give any new bonuses, but you do get a substantial fame boost. Basically, if you are already stronger than your rivals you can last as the same culture longer, making you famous for how long your empire lasted, but at the same time slightly stagnating your culture, which risks you being weaker in the long run.

Dinode's description basically covers it: If you maintain your culture, you will gain more fame for what you achieve, but you also forego new bonuses, Emblematic Quarter, and Emblematic Unit.

cromcrom wrote:

OMG, the return of the emblematic Quarter and emblematic Unit...Hmmmm, let me guess: Hunnic horse archer, roman legionnary, english longbowman, french knight, german landsknecht/barbarians, zulu impis, viking berzerkers, spanish jinetes, arab light cavalry, ottoman mameluks, indian war elephants, cree scouts, scottish schirlton, japanese samourai, chinese cho ku nu, greek hoplites, macedonian phalanx... :-(  Please stop, just stop :-(

The return of the historical 4X genre. I feel like the game you described in another thread is not going to be this game because this game is meant to be a stylized depiction of history featuring famous historical cultures and the military units and special buildings that made them famous, which is the game that I and many others hope to play. Not that your idea isn't cool but this isn't that game and I don't think your criticism is adding much input to this thread mate.

Cromcrom,

you have made a thread about the style of game you would like to see, and you have been told in no uncertain terms by other fans and by myself that Humankind is not aimed to be that style of game. While I certainly do not think the basic premise you asked for in your thread is entirely unreasonable for a game, it is not the permise we are pursuing for a historical game.

Now I have seen you post your opinion that this is a "failed concept at its root" in several other threads.

I will kindly ask you once to refrain from disrupting the discussions other people are having by vocally proclaiming your distaste for games drawing on history and your preference for more fantastical combinations, or otherwise face the consequences.

The-Cat-o-Nine-Tales wrote:

So far we don't plan to restrict the culture selection, aside from every culture being present in the game only once (so for example if another player already picked Babylon, you will not be able to pick Babylon as well).

However, I think that with the cultures that will be available in the game, a (semi-)historical playthrough should be possible, even if we can't possibly reflect all of the complexities of real history.

That is something I was thinking about. So right at launch there would be only a 10 player maximum in the game, or cultures being unique picked is a toggle?

Or you can't reveal more info on that yet?

Salterius wrote: That is something I was thinking about. So right at launch there would be only a 10 player maximum in the game, or cultures being unique picked is a toggle?

Or you can't reveal more info on that yet?

According to steam page, the maximum of players is 8.

I always loved to play scenarios in Civ. In some of these scenarios the world was simulated and you would start in the year 1440 for example. I really enjoyed this because I saw it as an alternative history timeline that I was able to play. This gave the game a bit more role playing aspect.

On top of that I really liked the TSL(true starting location) game modes. In this modes you start on the location of the map of the civ that you are playing and take it from there. So you had more equal chances, compared to a scenario where you could start as a Civ with lost of cities and resources. I really hope that they will add this to humankind!

Shukfir wrote:

Amon_II wrote:

I always loved to play scenarios in Civ. In some of these scenarios the world was simulated and you would start in the year 1440 for example. I really enjoyed this because I saw it as an alternative history timeline that I was able to play. This gave the game a bit more role playing aspect.

On top of that I really liked the TSL(true starting location) game modes. In this modes you start on the location of the map of the civ that you are playing and take it from there. So you had more equal chances, compared to a scenario where you could start as a Civ with lost of cities and resources. I really hope that they will add this to humankind!

But in Humankind any nation can change it's cuture. Egypt can become USA. Olmecs can turn to Chinese. So firstly it will be an alternative history, but then will become... much more alternative.

Restricting culture upgrade options might be something that's moddable, for the purposes of scenarios.