Follow up on Economics and Networks Exchange with a dusting of Politics and Power

Temple of Abu Simbel

                       I felt that I should comment a bit further on the topic of Economics and Networks of Exchange before I moved onto the issue of Politics and Power. In Civilization V I had discovered that luxury goods play a large role for the Egyptian Empire. Like in our readings the Egyptian Empire controlled a large number of Asian Luxury goods including spices, porcelain, and dyes. Thus far in the game I have made my citizens and other city-states happy by connecting them with luxury resources like cinnamon, cotton, and various dyes. I find that my citizens get very well temperamental when it comes to what they want. It can be hard to find these resources for my people. The most recent luxury good that my citizens want are whales????? What okay I will work on that people. I have not to my knowledge participated in any caravans but I have set up a number of trading posts which has opened up my trading to various other civilizations playing the game. I am yet to fully understand the overreaching consequences of the trading posts but I look forward to seeing what they bring to the game.
     

Now onto Politics and Power!!!!!

Hieroglyphics of the Battle of Kadesh 

                    Politics play a large role in the Civilization V game. You can’t turn a corner in a game without running into a rival civilization. Walls spring up everywhere, including in my own civilization.

                     Diplomacy has been a key player in my civilization since the start of the game. It started out as being able to pass through others lands peacefully and then evolved into trade alliances with the Iroquois and Ottoman Empires. The more tiles that I started to buy the more I angered my diplomatic friends. The Ottoman Empire in particular accused me of being greedy and that my greedy ways would hurt me in the future and then a few hours later they are congratulating me on a new acquisition. Like power and politics in today’s day and age it is extremely confusing in the game.

Papyrus of the Battle of Kadesh

                     In the game you have to be careful to amass your power in ways that will not anger allies yet at the same time allow you to make the most out of the resources you have at hand. I try to amass power through creating trading posts, being allies with a variety of people, and making my people happier than other civilizations (something at which I am currently failing at). Power struggles are represented in the game in skirmished with other civilizations, fortifications of cities, and controlling and creating the bigger and best things. Creating wonders is one of the fastest ways to gain political prowess. I think I have only created two wonders which could be a reason why I am dead last in a lot of the standings.

Ramses II charging Nubians

                     Last night in fact the Iroquois and Ottoman Empires waged war upon my civilization and I lost a large number of my units. I can see how being a part of my own world war hurt my resources, decimated my people and created unrest just like it did in the parties involved in WWI, WWII, Vietnam and other wars of today’s age. The Civilization V game represents human history power struggles in good way in my mind. It does however make it seem somewhat skewed because it puts civilizations that would have not been around at the same time at war with each other but I think that is just an aspect of the game to make it intriguing to games at large. 

            Politics and power are play one of the biggest roles in the game in my opinion. Of course the other themes are influential in power and politics as well. If a civilization does not have resources that others want, doesn't have a larger number of cities that are producing exponentially then the power that they hold is minimal. Economic, military, and cultural prowess all aide in making a civilization politically powerful.

This video gives some history on the Battle of Kadesh. 

I like these one's better but for some reason it would not show up when I tried to add the link to the video uploader. These videos use video technology to showcase this decisive battle in Egyptian history.Watch all three for a complete idea. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnQ_J29wegU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK-R5Nz7o5k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz3DoCjmBMw