First, I would like to clarify:
Semi-Variant Civilizations aren’t intended to replace the current official civilizations, nor are they meant to directly enter Ranked play.
The current official designs can remain the standard for competitive play, maintaining balance and consistency.
Instead, Semi-Variants are mainly designed for single-player content, custom games, and community-created scenarios.
The goal is to allow players to explore different interpretations of the same civilization.
A civilization may have different identities depending on whether it’s represented during its founding stage, expansion period, mature imperial era, or even through an alternate historical outcome.
The following examples aren’t replacements for the official designs. They’re only examples of possible directions.
Wei: From Cao Cao’s Wei to Imperial Wei
The current Wei design can be viewed as a Cao Cao version of Wei.
It focuses on:
- Cao Cao as the central identity;
- elite specialized units;
- high-level tactical control.
This represents the period when Wei was rising under Cao Cao’s leadership.
However, another possible interpretation is a more developed Imperial Wei.
After consolidating northern China, Wei became a more centralized state with a larger military structure.
A possible Imperial Wei variant could explore:
- Removing Cao Cao as the main identity.
- Moving Xianbei Raider to the Castle, replacing Cao Cao’s current production position, and giving it an Elite upgrade.
- Adjusting the unit’s stats to fit the balance expectations of a Castle-produced unit.
- Providing a more complete military structure, with adjustments to unique units, technologies, and other related elements.
Possible Civilization Bonuses
- Each economic technology researched provides +5 population space.
- Selected heavy cavalry units gain +1/+2 bonus damage against buildings in the Castle and Imperial Ages.
- Traction Trebuchets and the Mangonel-line gain +1 pierce armor when all three armor upgrades (Scale, Chain, and Plate Armor) have been researched.
(This results in a maximum of +3 pierce armor for these siege units.)
(Unlike the current version, this variant provides Wei with the complete Blacksmith technology tree.)
This doesn’t mean the current Wei design is incorrect.
It simply represents a different stage of Wei’s development:
Cao Cao’s Wei:
A rising power built around a powerful leader and elite forces.
Imperial Wei:
A mature state built around institutions and large-scale warfare.
Wu: A Successful Northern Diplomatic Route
Wu also has multiple possible interpretations.
The traditional image of Wu focuses on river warfare, and regional defense.
However, the official design can also be viewed as another possible historical route.
What if Sun Quan (孫權) successfully developed a northern diplomatic connection?
Liaodong was a strategically important frontier region northeast of Wei, known for its quality warhorses.
Gongsun Yuan (公孫淵) was the ruler of Liaodong during the Three Kingdoms period. He attempted to balance relations between Wei and Wu while maintaining his own regional power.
Sun Quan didn’t merely consider this option — he actually sent envoys to establish contact with Gongsun Yuan as part of his strategy against Wei.
However, this diplomatic effort failed when Gongsun Yuan changed his position and eventually aligned with Wei.
In an alternate scenario where this alliance succeeded, Wu could have gained access to northern military resources, improved horse supplies, and stronger cavalry capabilities.
This would represent another possible development path:
Naval power → Diplomacy → Northern resources → Military expansion
Shu: Different Stages of Liu Bei’s Rise
Shu also changed significantly throughout Liu Bei’s career.
Possible interpretations include:
Early Liu Bei:
A mobile military force with limited resources, relying on alliances and focused on survival.
Northern Expedition Shu:
During Zhuge Liang’s (諸葛亮) era, Shu became a more mature state with organized military institutions and a long-term strategic warfare approach.
Therefore, missing technologies or limitations can represent a specific historical stage rather than a permanent weakness.
The Purpose of Semi-Variant Civilizations
The goal of Semi-Variant Civilizations is not to replace official designs or challenge Ranked balance.
The current civilizations can remain the standard for competitive play, while Semi-Variants provide a space for players to explore different historical interpretations through single-player, custom games, and private matches.
A civilization does not always have only one identity. Different periods, political choices, and historical possibilities can create different military styles.
Semi-Variants simply allow these possibilities to coexist.