Civilization V

Features

Unique skill "Explicit Destiny": increases unit visibility and gives a discount when buying cells.

Unique units: minuteman (replaces musketeer), B-17 bomber (replaces bomber).

The United States of America is the world's superpower, which means that if it wanted to, it could destroy the entire planet. It is a relatively young state: it was created in the late eighteenth century, practically self-destructed in the mid-nineteenth century, and became the most powerful military, economic, technological, and cultural force in the twentieth century. Who knows what awaits the United States in the twenty-first century?

Leader: George Washington (1732-1799 AD).

George Washington was one of the outstanding men who lived in the American colonies in the late eighteenth century. He was less warlike than John Adams, not as imaginative as Benjamin Franklin, and not as brilliant a mind as Thomas Jefferson. Nevertheless, Washington was a true leader in both wartime and peacetime. Under his leadership, the Continental Army won against an extremely strong opponent, and this triumph brought independence and freedom to the United States. Washington met adversity with great firmness and courage, and people were willing to die for him.

Interesting fact: American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the surface of the Moon. This happened on July 20, 1969.

Features

Unique skill "No sun sets over the empire": +2 EXP for all naval units able to move across the ocean.

Unique units: English archer (replaces crossbowman), line ship (replaces frigate).

England is located in the United Kingdom, a "green and pleasant" island off the western shores of Europe. It is the largest part of the political entity known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As a nation of seafaring people, the English have been spreading their power not only in Europe but around the world for the past 500 years.

Although the island nation lost most of its colonies after the First and Second World Wars, its inhabitants have not lost their pride. And today, at the beginning of the 21st century, Great Britain remains one of the leading powers in Europe and in the world.

Leader: Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

Elizabeth I was an amazing woman who lived in an amazing time. Her unmistakable instinct for survival, her ability to "go head to head," her personal charm and cruelty placed her among the most powerful rulers in history. No words can describe her better than her own: "I know I have a body, and it is the body of a weak and helpless woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king."

Interesting Fact: Before the invention of mechanical clocks in the 14th century, the most sophisticated and complex device in Europe, and possibly the world, was the organ in Winchester Cathedral in England. It was built around 950 AD and consisted of 400 pipes. The air was blown by 26 bellows, which required 70 people to operate.

Features

Unique skill "Trade Caravan": gold +2 from each trade route.

Unique unit: an archer on a camel (replaces the knight).

Unique building: bazaar (replaces the market).

ХThe Caliphate (Arab Kingdom) emerged after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD. It was founded by Muhammad's disciples, who developed the political foundations laid down by him. During its existence, the caliphate grew greatly, absorbing Spain, North Africa, the Middle East, Anatolia, the Balkans and Persia. The Arab possessions were comparable to, and perhaps even surpassed, those of the Roman Empire at the zenith of its power.

Leader: Harun al-Rashid (763-809 CE).

Harun al-Rashid, or Harun the Just (ruled 785-809 was the fifth caliph of the Abbasid dynasty. At this time, the caliphate stretched from Spain in the west to Anatolia in the north and India in the east - it was the largest and most powerful political force in the world. Harun was an excellent ruler, and his reign was an era of scientific and cultural rise of the country and prosperity for his subjects.

Features

Unique skill "Prisoner Sacrifice": for each enemy unit killed, the empire receives culture points.

Unique unit: jaguar (replaces warrior).

Unique building: floating gardens (replaces watermill).

The Aztec Empire was a powerful civilization that existed in Central Mexico for about a hundred years (XV-XVI centuries). The Aztecs reached incredible heights in cultural development. Nowadays Aztecs are often mentioned in connection with their bloody religious rituals. The incredibly hasty death of their civilization as a result of an encounter with an external threat is still a source of much controversy.

Leader: Montezuma (1397-1469 AD).

A mighty warrior and leader, Montezuma I took the Aztec power to the heights of glory and greatness. He should not be confused with his hapless grandson Montezuma II, who watched helplessly as the Spanish conquistadors destroyed his empire. Montezuma expanded the borders of his empire by personally leading his troops from victory to victory. He worked hard to improve the lives of his subjects. Under Montezuma's rule, the Aztec Empire truly prospered.

Interesting fact: The Aztec calendar consisted of two cycles that were counted in parallel: the shiupowalli, a civil cycle of 365 days, and the tonalpowalli, a sacred calendar of 260 days. Every 52 years, the end of these cycles coincided, marking the end of one century and the beginning of the next.

Features

Unique skill "Teutonic Fury": when you destroy a barbarian camp, there is a 50% chance of getting 25 units of gold and a barbarian unit to join you.

Unique units: Landsknecht (replaces the pikeman), Panzer (replaces the tank).

Various Germanic tribes have inhabited north-central Europe for several millennia, but the modern political entity called Germany is quite young: it was formed by the brilliant Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck about 140 years ago. In the short period of its existence, Germany has had a great impact on human history. After World Wars I and II, which were disasters for the country, Germany established a strong alliance with its former rival, France, and concentrated its energies on rebuilding the country's industrial and scientific and technological potential. As a result of these efforts, Germany once again became one of Europe's leading powers.

Leader: Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898)Otto von Bismarck, nicknamed the Iron Chancellor, was arguably the most important figure in German history. During his long political career, Bismarck unified Germany and laid the foundations of an empire. As a result, Germany grew from a weak and loose confederation of states into a powerful country that dominated continental Europe.

Interesting fact: Germany is known as "beer country" for a reason. It is home to almost 1,300 breweries brewing almost 5,000 types of beer. Germans consume an average of 140 liters of beer per person per year, second only to the Irish and Czechs.

Features

Unique skill "Hellenic League": the influence on the polis is reduced twice as slow, and restored twice as fast.

Unique units: hetair (replaces the horseman), hoplite (replaces the kopjack).

This country has had a truly enormous impact on Western culture and history. Classical Greece gave the world many of its greatest artists, philosophers, scientists, historians, playwrights and generals. Its warriors and colonists spread their culture throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East, from where it began its triumphant march around the world.

The Greeks are credited with an incredible number of discoveries and cultural achievements. They were the first to hold sports competitions, write poems, and build buildings specifically for theatrical productions. As for politics, the Greeks gave the world the concept of democracy and republic. The influence of this country is still felt everywhere: modern doctors take the Hippocratic Oath, and architects are guided by classical ancient Greek proportions. Western civilization can to a large extent be called a continuation of the civilization of classical Greece.

Leader: Alexander the Great (356-323 BC).

Alexander the Great is undoubtedly one of the greatest military leaders of all times and peoples. In just 13 years he victoriously led his army through Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, conquering all civilizations that were on his way. His conquests allowed Hellenic culture to spread throughout the known world, and Greek became the language of culture, science and art for the next few centuries in many nations.

Interesting fact: The national anthem of Greece consists of 158 verses. Currently, no Greek knows all of them.

Features

Unique skill "Monument Builders": the speed of creating wonders +20%.

Unique unit: battle chariot (replaces the archer on the chariot).

Unique building: tomb (replaces monastery).

Few civilizations have left such a deep trace in the history of mankind as the Egyptian civilization, which originated on the banks of the Nile about 5000 years ago. It is not without reason that it is considered one of the oldest on our planet. It was in Egypt that writing was invented. This happened around 3000 BC. In addition, with the help of complex mathematical formulas, Egyptian priests with great accuracy calculated the movement of the planets in the sky. And, of course, the Egyptians were the greatest architects of antiquity. They created majestic monuments and temples, which we still look at with awe.

Leader: Ramses the Great (1303-1203 B.C.)

Ramses II is considered the greatest and most powerful pharaoh of Egypt. He ascended the throne at the age of twenty and ruled the country for more than sixty years. Ramses is remembered for his military talents as well as the extensive building program he implemented. He also erected a new capital, Per-Ramses.

Interesting Fact: There are many versions of how the famous Great Sphinx lost its nose. The most popular one attributes the sculpture's deterioration to a French cannonball that struck the Sphinx in 1798. However, according to the notes of the Danish traveler Norden, the statue was already damaged in 1737. The medieval Cairo historian al-Maqrizi blames the crime against culture on the Islamic fanatic Saim al-Dahra, who was lynched for vandalism in 1378.

Features

Unique skill "Population Growth": people's dissatisfaction with the number of cities is doubled, and dissatisfaction with the total population is halved. (Build fewer cities, but let their population grow!).

Unique unit: battle elephant (replaces the chariot archer).

Unique Building: Red Fort (replaces the castle).

The Republic of India is the second most populous and largest democracy. India is a country of contrasts, a country of astonishing wealth and appalling poverty. Developed modern cities neighbor here with backward villages, beauty with ugliness, hope with despair. It is the cradle of one of the oldest civilizations on the planet. Today, India is once again striving to take its rightful place among the world's great powers.

Leader: Gandhi (1869-1948).

Mohandas Gandhi was an Indian patriot who led a non-violent movement for India's independence from British imperial rule to victory in the mid-twentieth century. He was the founder of "satyagraha," or resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, which had a huge impact on the struggle for Indian sovereignty.

Interesting Fact: The Indian film industry is called Bollywood. More movies are made there each year than in the United States, France, Italy and China combined.

Features

Unique skill "Warpath": units can move through forest and rainforest as if they were roads in friendly territory.

Unique unit: mohawk warrior (replaces swordsman).

Unique building: long house (replaces workshop).

The Iroquois League was formed around 1579 A.D. It was an alliance of five (later six) American Indian tribes. The Iroquois are an amazing people: their numbers probably never exceeded 20,000, they had no written language and no industrial base, and yet for two centuries they held off the onslaught of the French, English, Dutch, and later American colonists.

Leader: Gaiawatha (born about 1450).

Gaiawatha (or Ayonventa) was a legendary chief of the Onondaga Indians who, together with the equally legendary Deganawida, created an alliance of Iroquois tribes. Little is known about Guyawatha. He taught his people agriculture, navigation, medicine and the arts. Gaiawatha was also considered a gifted orator: it was he who managed to persuade five tribes -the Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, and Mohawk-to form the Haudenosaunee League, that is, an alliance of tribes.

Interesting Fact: In 1772, near the settlement of Elizabethton, the first constitution written by Europeans in the Americas was adopted. It was based on the Iroquois League Code of Laws, or "Great Law of Peace," formed by an alliance of Indian tribes nearly 200 years earlier.

Features

Unique skill "Art of War": the effectiveness and speed of appearance of great warlords is increased.

Unique unit: zhuge nu (replaces crossbowman).

Unique building: paper workshop (replaces library).

The history of China goes back about six thousand years. Modern man has inhabited the region for at least 18,000 years. The Chinese have always been known for their industriousness and inquisitive minds. They have given mankind many inventions, including paper, gunpowder, the compass, and typesetting. China has survived centuries of colonial conquest and imperialism, and today is once again a powerful, independent industrial power.

Leader: Wu Zetian (625-705 CE).

As in most civilizations, China has been predominantly male-dominated throughout its history. Until very recently, women had virtually no rights and the direct path to power was completely closed to them. It was virtually impossible for a woman to achieve the title of emperor and become the most powerful person in China. This has happened only once in the history of the Celestial Empire. The exception to the rule was Wu Zetian, one of the most outstanding rulers the world has ever seen.

Interesting fact: Almost four thousand years ago, in the second millennium BC, an exotic dessert, later called ice cream, was invented in China. The recipe for the treat, consisting of snow, ice and pieces of fruit, was brought to Europe by the traveler Marco Polo only in the early fourteenth century.

Features

Unique skill "Barbarian Corsairs": when you destroy a Barbarian marine unit, there is a 50% chance that it will switch to your side and give you 25 units of gold.

Unique units: janissary (replaces musketeer), sipah (replaces lancer).

The Ottoman Empire was formed in Anatolia, in present-day Turkey, in the early 13th century and existed for six centuries. As it grew, it extended its power to three continents. At the height of its power, it challenged all of Europe and won. The Ottoman Empire conquered the Middle East, Egypt and North Africa, not to mention the Balkans. It swept the Byzantine Empire off the face of the earth. Without a doubt, it can be ranked alongside Great Britain, the Arab Caliphate and the Roman Empire.

Leader: Suleiman the Magnificent (1494-1566).

Suleiman I, known by his nicknames the Magnificent, the Lawgiver and the Great Turk, was an Islamic caliph and sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He ascended the throne in 1520 and ruled until his death in 1566. During this time, Suleiman greatly expanded the territory of the Sublime Porte to the fear and envy of the leaders of the nations of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. By the time he passed away, he was known throughout the world. Everyone in Europe envied his incredible wealth, and his magnificent treasury contained unprecedented valuables like no one else in history. He was admired for his military skills and respected for his fair treatment of non-Muslims. Everyone - Muslims and Christians alike - agreed that Suleiman was worthy of the title "The Magnificent".

Interesting fact: Even in modern Turkey, the tradition of hospitality is very strong. Any stranger met on the doorstep of a house is considered a "guest from god" for at least three days.

Features

Unique skill "Achaemenid Heritage": Golden Ages last 50% longer. Units gain a movement bonus and +10% to attack and defense during the golden age.

Unique unit: immortal (replaces the kopjack).

Unique building: satrap's court (replaces the bank).

Formed in 559 B.C. after a successful revolt against the Midians, under the Achaemenids the Persian Empire existed for about two hundred years, and all this time it was surrounded by enemies on almost all sides. At the height of its power, Persia possessed lands from India to Egypt and the Balkans. Its territories stretched across three continents, and its subjects spoke dozens of languages. At their best, the Achaemenid kings were lawmakers who treated their subject peoples with mercy and fairness and tried not to interfere in the internal affairs of the provinces unless they caused them trouble. Unfortunately, they were destined to clash with Alexander the Great.

Leader: Darius I (550-486 BC).

The son of a satrap (ruler) of Parthia, Darius I came to power as a result of a conspiracy after the death of Cambyses II in 522 B.C. An administrative genius, during his reign Darius reorganized the vast Persian Empire, greatly increasing its power and wealth. In addition, he erected many great structures in Persia. He built roads, changed the system of government of the empire, protected the borders of his power, and generally treated his subjects much better than other rulers of his time. Darius was not an outstanding military leader, but he led many successful campaigns against internal and external enemies.

Interesting Fact: The Caspian Horse is one of the oldest breeds of miniature horses in the world and may have been bred by the Persians.

Features

Unique skill "Glory of Rome": +25% bonus to production when constructing buildings (in another city) that have already been constructed in the capital.

Unique units: ballista (replaces catapult), legionnaire (replaces swordsman).

The Roman Empire is the most prominent and longest-lived state entity in the West. Rome was founded in the 8th century BC, and parts of the empire that disintegrated lasted until the 14th century AD. Its inhabitants were a warlike people. At the height of its power, the Roman Empire conquered most of England, all of Western Europe, North Africa, Egypt, Greece, and the Middle East. It was Rome that laid the foundations of Western culture, law, art, architecture, religion, language, and warfare.

Leader: Octavian Augustus (63 B.C. - 14 A.D.).

Named Gaius Octavius at birth, Augustus became the first Roman emperor. He ended Rome's century-long civil war and ushered in two hundred years of Pax Romana ("Roman Peace"), the golden age of Roman literature and culture. During Augustus' long reign, Rome prospered as never before, and the empire became the most powerful force in the Mediterranean. Augustus' reforms allowed Rome to rule the known world for nearly two hundred years without major wars or conflicts. Few leaders in history can boast of such success.

Interesting fact: Ancient Rome was famous for its cooks. It was they who first invented a dish resembling modern hamburgers. By the way, after dinner parties in Rome, it was customary to take away the leftovers in special bags.

Features

Unique Motherland skill : resources give +1 to production and horse, iron and uranium reserves are doubled.

Unique unit: Cossack (replaces cavalryman).

Unique building: ostrog (replaces barracks).

Winston Churchill once said: "Russia is a shrouded mystery within a puzzle." It is located partly in Asia and partly in Europe, but it does not identify itself completely with either. Russia is fabulously rich in natural resources, but Russians themselves have lived in blatant poverty since time immemorial. Russia has survived the invasions of the Goths, Huns, Tatar-Mongols, French and Germans, without losing its national character. Russia had time to be at the zenith of glory and on the verge of collapse, the monarchy was replaced by a communist dictatorship, which gave way to democracy - and all in a hundred years! Undoubtedly, Russia is one of the most mysterious and surprising powers in history.

Leader: Catherine the Great (AD 1729-1796)

Catherine the Great ruled Russia in the second half of the 18th century. During her reign, the Russian Empire expanded considerably: tens of thousands of square kilometers were incorporated into it, both peacefully and by force of arms. A beautiful and intelligent woman, Catherine made her court one of the centers of the European Enlightenment. German by birth, she became one of the greatest rulers in Russian history.

Interesting Fact: During the reign of Peter the Great, every Russian nobleman who wished to wear a beard had to pay a special tax.

Features

Unique skill "Father of Nations": +50% to food and culture given by friendly polities.

Unique units: Naresuan's war elephant (replaces knight).

Unique building: wat (replaces university).

Siam, now called Thailand, is located in Southeast Asia. It borders Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. In its rich history, this mysterious land of dark forests and ancient mountains has seen occupation and revolution, flood and famine, the birth and collapse of empires. In the West, there is a rather idealized view of Siam, based mainly on the entertaining but highly inaccurate movie "Anna and the King". However, reality is more interesting than the sweet fantasies of an English governess. In fact, the unique achievement of the Siamese government can be considered the fact that Siam is the only state in all of Southeast Asia that has never fallen under the rule of Western powers.

Leader: Ramkamheng (1240-1298).

In 1279, a prince named Ramkamheng ascended to the throne of the small kingdom of Sukhothai. Over the next twenty years, his military genius and keen diplomatic acumen enabled him to expand the state's borders, making Siam the most influential power in Southeast Asia.

ИInteresting fact: In history, beautiful Thai women have won the Miss Universe title twice. Apasra Khongsakula won the competition in 1965 and Portnip Nakirunkanok in 1988.