Thank you for taking an interest in this mod. I have put a lot of time and effort into it and hope that you enjoy playing it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

Readme sections: *** The Idea Behind the Mod *** Changes to Original Civ3 *** Credits List

The Idea Behind the Mod

One of my main goals in developing this mod was to create a game that followed the development of human civilization more closely than the original Civ3. What does this mean? I have deliberately made early expansion more difficult and slowed down city growth for the first half of the Ancient Age.

In different parts of the world, simple farming settlements grew into large cities by the end of the Neolithic Age, about 3500 BC. This development, known as the urban revolution, marked the beginning of civilization. In fact the word "civilization" comes from the Latin root "civitas," meaning city. The development of cities was only one characteristic of early civilizations. Other characteristics included complex religions and governments, specialized skills and occupations, social classes, and methods of recordkeeping.

The earliest cities appeared in four great river valleys. Cities may have emerged as early as 6000 B.C. in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in western Asia. Other cities developed in the valleys of the Nile River in North Africa, the Indus River in South Asia, and the Huang (Yellow) River in East Asia. Condidtions in the river valleys favored the development of cities, fertile soil in the valleys made it possible for farmers to produce a surplus of food. When the rivers flooded, the water deposits of silt made the land especially fertile. Flood waters also brought needed moisture to the land and people used river water for irrigaton during dry periods. In addition, the rivers contained plentiful fish and attracted animals, two additional sources of food. Finally, the rivers served as transportation arteries, which allowed people to trade for goods they did not have.

With food surpluses, the populations of farming settlements increased, and villages grew into cities. The populations of the earliest cities ranged from several thousand to half a million residents. City dwellers undertook major projects such as clearing new farm land and constructing temples, palaces and walls for defense. Because such projects required organization and leadership, they contributed to the development of governments. In the early cities, government and religion were closely related. City dwellers were plytheistic, worshipping many gods. They believed that gods and goddesses controlled the forces of nature. It was, therefore, important to them to win the god's favor in order to prevent disasters. Priests developed elaborate rituals to try to influence the gods. Because the priests were the only ones who knew how to perform these rituals they gained enormous power.

Priests probably headed the government as priest-kings. The form of government in which priests serve as kings is called theocracy. Gradually, successful military leaders began to replace the priest-kings as rulers. Scholars theorize that these leaders emerged as a result of warfare between cities over scarce resources. Miliatary rulers had clear responsibilities. They shared the priests' task of keeping the gods friendly, and they were responsible for defending their cities against enemies. They acted as judges, made laws, and appointed officials to keep order. They also supervised the building of great wonders.

The surplus food allowed specialized occupations to gradually develop. Because of the surplus, some people did not have to farm. Rather, they could trade products or labor for the food they needed. Skilled workers called artisans hammered out plows, scythes, helmets, and swords. Jewelers shaped precious metals into charms and necklaces. Sculptors, potters, painters, priests, and government officials acquired specialized skills and knowledge. As a city grew, a more complex social structure emerged. The social structure defined a person's place in society. At the top of the structure was the priest-king or king. Below the priest-king or king was a class of priests and nobles. Nobles generally based their power and wealth on owning large amounts of land. In some cities, government officals and wealthy merchants formed the class below the nobility. Artisans and small traders ranked next, followed by the largest class made up of peasant farmers and workers. At the bottom of the social structure were the slaves. Slaves were men, women, and children who were taken captive in war or were enslaved to pay their debts.

I have attempted to emulate this development through the early stages of the game.

Kal-El, October 2002