Three Fundamental Conditions of Human Existence

The three fundamental conditions of human existence are

1. Humans in all places and times interact with the natural environment
2. Humans in all places and times interact with one another 
3. Humans in all places and times develop and act upon ideas

Does the game reflect these fundamentals? If so, how so? Also use this post to reflect on your overall experience with the game. Does it effectively portray the nature of historical change? 


The game reflects these three fundamental conditions in various aspects.

#1 Humans in all places and times interact with the natural environment

To start, humans interacting with the natural environment connects with several themes. It connects with Patterns of Population, Economics and Networks of Exchange Technology and the Environment, and Spiritual Life and Moral Codes.

Patterns of Population is not exclusive to the first fundamental condition. With regards to humans interaction with the environment, population growth depends on where the player's civilization starts (near a body of water) and luxury resources around it. You can create farms out of deserts (seems unrealistic), but the food production effects how large a population can become. The more cities in a civilization, the longer it takes for a population to expand (more mouths to feed).

Economic and Networks of Exchange theme treats the first fundamental condition through resources. If the player's civilization does not have a resource, you can trade with other civilizations/city-states to acquire it. Also, your workers can manipulate the environment to acquire more gold (building a mine on a mountain).

Technology and the Environment is self-explanatory. The technology a civilization develops is dependent on the resources located near a civilization's starting point. As I discussed previously in the sixth theme, it would be in the player's best interest to consider technologies that benefit a civilization based on geographical location.

Spiritual Life and Moral Codes, expressed through the first condition, can manipulate religion. Discovering a world wonder (such as Mt. Fuji) can create faith and inspire people. Building faith points benefits religion and culture.

#2 Humans in all places and times interact with one another


The second fundamental condition, humans interaction with one another, is the base of the game. Civilization V is a constant balance of interaction with other civilizations. Without connect historical significance to the game, it would be a great simulation for human's reliance on society. In order to survive as a species, we must be social. Without interactions with each other, we would easily go extinct. This condition is the most important aspect to human's survival. The themes that represent this one is Patterns of Population, Economics and Networks of Exchange, Politics and Power, Society and Its Categories, and Spiritual Life and Moral Codes.

Patterns of Population is not well addressed with this fundamental condition I think. There is no interaction between cities in a civilization (like SimCity). Humans couldn't exist if the leader, the player, did not control how the civilization will grow. The population in the game is decided with how the leader interacts with his/her civilization.

Economics and Networks of Exchange is also self-explanatory like technology and the environment. By trading with other civilizations/city-states, you increased the survival rate of your civilization. Trading with multiple civilizations increased culture, science, and even production within your civilization. The more interactions, the better.

Politics and Power is expressed through the leader's diplomatic relationships with the other leaders and military power. This interaction is almost counter-intuitive to economics, but a balance of it ensures a victory. Without power, the other civilizations can claim victory and dominate your civilization.

Society and Its Categories is almost non-existent in this game. Leaders can have some Gender Role, but it stretches the idea. No familial ties, kinship, or interactions in the civilizations you control. The theme is directly connected to the second fundamental condition, but not expressed in the game.

Spiritual Life and Moral Codes identifies with religion in the game. Religion is HEAVILY dependent on human interaction. With no other civilizations, religion can not spread. Missionaries and Great Prophets would have no purpose if there was no one else to interact with. 

#3 Humans in all places and times develop and act upon ideas

This last fundamental condition can be found in all the themes. Without the ideas of humans, the themes could not exist. We are the ones creating the categories and figuring how we should fit one thing in another.

Technology shapes how a civilization will look and become. The stylistic approach (artistic endeavors) is how their technology operates compared to another. Even if two civilizations reach an era, they may not have the same stylistic approaches to their architecture and units. The leaders (politics and power) come up with strategies or ideas in order to dominate other civilizations if they pursue victory within the game. As a game progresses, a civilization will build faith and can create a religion. Creation process of a religion relies on the ideas of humans.

Economically, a civilization must come up with a plan in order to become financially successful enough to support their civilization. This requires scouting and tactical diplomacy in order to access certain luxury resources that the civilization may not have. Populations grow through the ideas of the leader. Leader can focus on food production, production, cultural production, or even gold production.

All of these themes are connected with the fundamental condition. Ideas is what separates us from the other primates.
Every human has four endowments - self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change. - Stephen Covey

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Spiritual Life and Moral Codes

Felipe Fernández-Armesto and Spodek approach to studying world religions in two different ways. Much like them, the game also presents world religion in a unique way that does not follow history.

FFA follows a horizontal integration approach with world religion. Horizontal integration meaning he looks how the religions are connected to each other across space and time. In the early parts of chapter nine, he examined the early rise of world religions. The three main religions he focused on were Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism. 

Spodek took a much different approach. He focused on six different themes that apply to all world religions. He even included Hinduism. His six themes were the santifications of time, space, language and literature, artistic and cultural creativity, family and ancestors, and religious organizations.

Religion is a feature reintroduced in the Civilization V: Gods & Kings expansion pack. If you do not have this expansion, you are missing out. Just as in the real world, Religion consists of a series of beliefs, defining the religion's ideas and goals. In the game environment this is represented through a system of bonuses, which have a diverse set of possible effects. Bonuses can include +1 to culture, +2 to science, faster production, and even happiness.

Religion doesn't start at the beginning of the game (4000 BC). Much like the views of FFA and Spodek, the common world religions today didn't start with the beginning of man. The religions did not begin momentum until 1000 C.E. The one stat you must collect in order to begin a religion is faith. Faith is accumulated through buildings like shrines or terrain features and Religious City-States.

Once enough faith is collected, you can create a pantheon. A Pantheon is a belief in a certain God pertaining to a certain civilization. The civilization chooses which Pantheon they want (this is were the bonuses come in handy). 

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I tend to pick my pantheon depending on my environment. If I am located next to the see and I know my border growth will eventually lead me to the resources, I'll pick a pantheon favoring the sea. If I know my resources can make use of camps, I'll pick a god that favors hunting. This is where Technology and the Environment and Religious and Moral Code themes overlap. The religion is shaped by the environment. Pantheons are shaped by the will of the people. They will worship and sacrifice for a god that is specific to their environment.

After you have founded a pantheon, a Great Prophet will eventually appear (through further Faith accumulation, or from completing Wonders). He has the special ability to "Found a Religion." There are eleven religions to choose from with Gods & Kings expansion, thirteen with Brave New World.

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The "finding" the religion stays within a historical context because they list world religions that can be found relevant today. The neat thing about the simulator is you can choose whatever religion. French civilization can be Buddhist. Chinese civilization can become Islamic. This in my opinion, is the fun thing about the game. Free reign to go against societies organized religions.  

I personally never bothered with religion in my experience because I was too busy dominating. I know there are bonuses for fighting, but my domination victory is all about rushing and less about creating religion. Much like in real life, if you want your religion to survive, you have to spread it. It requires missionaries and prophets travelling to different civilizations and city-states preaching the word of your religion. Without this, your religion will not succeed and you run the risk of being dominated by another religion.

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Episode #3-6

I have updated more videos. I have released episodes #3 through #6. They are updated on my menu as well (hover over Videos and go down to My Gameplay). My Recent Videos are automatically updated as I upload videos on YouTube.

I recommend watching the videos in either 720p or 1080p. I do not record on the best settings (unfortunately). 

Sad part, it is only turns 60-133. Barely over 60 turns and it turns into four episodes. Oh well, it is expected. Civilization V is a long game. I plan on uploading more when I record more video. I'm getting in a groove editing these videos.

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