CIVILIZATION VI - First Look: France

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ABOUT CIVILIZATION VI
Civilization VI offers new ways to interact with your world, expand your empire across the map, advance your culture, and compete against history’s greatest leaders to build a civilization that will stand the test of time.

ABOUT CIVILIZATION
Originally created by legendary game designer Sid Meier, Civilization is a turn-based strategy game in which you attempt to build an empire to stand the test of time. Become Ruler of the World by establishing and leading a civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Age. Wage war, conduct diplomacy, advance your culture, and go head-to-head with history’s greatest leaders as you attempt to build the greatest civilization the world has ever known.

[danielcharland]

What this game needs is multiple leaders for each civ that you can choose from.

[sirderik]

french spy : now listen very carefully I shall say this only once.

[Pinstar]

It bothers me that they attacked with the front line troops first at 1:30 and THEN bombarded with the artillery. Bad tactics. Order of operations people!

[whycantijusthaveausernameo]

I love how everyone is trying so hard to be 'historically accurate' when this is a game about rewriting history. Have Japan found Christianity, become the worlds biggest military tyrant as Ghandi. That's part of the fun.

[Fummy]

She wasn't even a ruling Queen, just consort to Henry II and later regent to their sons. She wasn't even French but Italian.

[XKaiminalX]

>Most powerful European Queen of the 16th Century
Queen Elizabeth the 1st would like a word..

[ICHBinCOOLERalsJeman]

strongest personailty, France doesnt get Napoleon

i call bullshit!

[awilbroappears]

I am very sorry but some of these leader choices are just... incomprehensible.
Victoria didn't do anything herself. She wasn't the one to expand Britain during the 20th century, the Tojo guy of Japan achieved very little compared to leaders as emperor go daigo, meiji, ieyasu or toyotomi hideyoshi. And now this woman... of all the great french leaders
I can understand that you want to show some undervalued parts of history but this is just too far...

[minotaur]

why not charlemange? more medieval leaders plsss

[FwendlyMushwoom]

"She was the most powerful European queen of the 16th century."

...Uh, Elizabeth I? You know, a queen who actually ruled in her own right?

[travish.]

I've thought a lot about this since Catherine de Medici was announced. As a life long player of France in the civ series, and a lover of French history I was a little disappointed. (I was really hoping for Louis XIV) However I understand why it was done and I am now anxiously anticipating Civ 6's release and playing as Catherine. These are my thoughts on why Catherine de Medici was chosen over other French leaders.

Why not Napoleon I, Napoleon III, Louis XIV, or De Gaulle?
All four of these leaders in their time ruling France focused on aggressive expansionist foreign policies, while fostering a cultural boom domestically. While these four are perhaps the most globally recognizable leaders of France, the notion of a militarized France spreading out and winning a cultural/domination victory has been used throughout the entire civ series. The developers of Civ 6 (as can easily be seen by the graphics) wanted a new spin on each nation and thus they broke the old mold for France. Catherine de Medici still promises large cultural potential which is fitting ( Catherine's magnificences (festivals) & patronage of the arts) while adding greatly to France's spying power through her ladies in waiting. France is now a small intelligent cultured nation.

Why not another woman? (Joan of Arc, Madame de Pompadour, Marie Antoinette)
Although Joan of Arc was a brilliant General (and has made appearances in civ 2 & 3), she never directly ruled France. A good comparison for this would be if Douglas MacArther was made the leader of the USA. Both did great things for their nations, but neither ran it. Madame de Pompadour was the enlightened mistress of Louis XV, yet she was just a mistress and had no claim to the throne. Marie Antoinette's legacy was cut short (no pun intended) but, none the less she never ruled France independently of her husband Louis XVI. Catherine de Medici although an Italian by birth, did rule for a period as Queen Regent which is the closest thing a woman could get to holding royal power in the Ancien Regime (as Marie de Medici could attest).

Why not Clovis I, Hugh Capet, Francis I, Henry IV, Louis-Philippe or Clemenceau?
Although all these men and many others were influential, and added immensely to the cultural & intellectual fabric of France over the centuries, none of them individually are as globally known as the individuals mentioned prior in the post. I don't like to rank the historical accomplishments of one individual over another's, but in this context the game developers needed to do exactly that: pick one leader above all others to represent their vision of France in Civ 6. This time it wasn't them.

These are just my thoughts, anyone is free to debate them. I am always primed for a good discussion about la belle France so if you want to comment feel free to do so. Thanks!

[zeuthras]

An Italian for France? How about a Turk for Greece, now that you're at it?

[treman]

wow firaxis, I'm impressed you've managed to give the leaders plenty of bonuses and a distinct personality. The game just seems so balanced simplistic and beautiful. Great job

[JRWatchman]

Regarding the disapproval by some of the leaders chosen for some of the civs, maybe a good idea for future DLC would be multiple leaders for the same civ which the player can choose from at the starting menu or in world builder. Each leader could have varying objectives and benefits. This would be a new way of doing leaders.

[pmbartoli]

Catherine de Médicis is far to be the greatest French leader in history, BUT she's the greatest powerful woman in French history to rule the Kingdom. France never had a Queen like in England, only men in power. But Catherine de Médicis was in fact the center of the power during the reigns of her 3 sons, François II, Charles IX & Henri III, from 1559 to 1589. So if Sid Meier’s Civilization wants to put a woman as a leader of France, she's the most logical one, far more than a 2-years general as Jeanne d'Arc in Civ3 ! The fact is that there's a dark legend around Catherine de Médicis, largely unfounded, because she was Queen Mother during the terrible Wars of Religions, the Massacre of Saint-Barthélemy, and so on. France wasn't at a moment of grandeur, it was a time of division. From 1572 (Saint-Barthélemy) to 1589, the south was largely independant as it was mostly calvinist. That's why I'm surprised. But it is very difficult to find women that have ruled over France, unfortunately.

[Pokiz]

Louis XIV ? Napoléon ? Charles de Gaulle ?

[Gamingwiz]

Isn't it kinda out of place to have an Italian represent the French civilization? It feels like having Hirohito represent China or George III representing the United States.

[Ricky-weup]

Is it me or is this the first leader that looks really good in this art style? LIke the others look sort of good and some kind of bad *cough* Montezuma *cough* but this one look just awesome. Anyway I can't wait to play!

[Davidhench]

I think I've figured out the marketing strategy for this game, default leaders that are just meh and not very iconic, then dlc leaders for the same country that are way more popular and make people want to buy them, therefore making Firaxis more money.

[aruhe]

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