They changed the gameplay, but made the above worse. I never liked the bonfire (but I didn’t bother either because I actually liked the animations) because I never understood why someone would dance to make important decisions. In the best of cases, it would only generate experience and nothing else. However, the plaza is not the best option. If the square should replace anything it would be the market (the normal market, and not the tribal market), and the designated villagers could generate experience or coins, or simply give them different roles. For example, the yamas of the Incas that are in the square could generate drops of coins or food.
The bonfire (now plaza) could be replaced by important buildings such as a temple or something that involves a meeting of leaders. Perhaps the plaza implied a meeting of leaders and decision-making, but I am sure that there were more specialized places to define the destiny of a nation. Who would not like to see an Aztec or Inca palace instead of a simple plaza? I’m also sure Haudenosanne and Lakota have their thing.
Also not to confuse politically correct with historically correct. The historically correct would in fact make the civilization more unique and more diverse. It could add interesting mechanics that give it more identity.
For example, “mining” could be a mechanic as unique as that of the Africans and not a simple building that magically disappears. The square at least tries to be realistic and it doesn’t bother me, but I think it might be better to change it to something better than I already mentioned.
First, thank you for your work @AnaWinters . Even if it is not 100% in the game/rework, I learned a thing or two about a civilization I knew nothing about by reading your words.
Second, about the “Civ’s fine” comments: of course it is fine in terms of gameplay. But here is the thing :
We have a person that is lakota, and when she charges in with her military, it does not ring true. As a french, when I see Cuirassiers charge in, with my Gribeauval system falconets behind, I am reminded of my nation’s glorious past. It rings true, even if Gribeauval system made artillery more mobile, at the expanse of its power.
But here, e.g “New Ways” seems a bit like “thank god the europeans came and gave you new tactics”.
I don’t have an “Agincourt disaster” card, or a “British steam engine” card.
Third, and I would like to have Ana’s opinion on it, it feels like “North-American trade”+“infinite 13 bison” as a source of coin income is at least a hint to the fact that the bison was an important part of the economy.
I learned a thing or two with the cards rename. It feels to me like a small step in the right direction, but is it ?
I find this approach towards the economy to be an extremely lazy alternative to actually giving the Lakota meaningful gameplay changes to balance them for the late-game. It forces the Lakota to rely on their homecity for an economy rather than giving them a method to take advantage of their unique historical economy - The Haudenosaunee have no reason to not be able to mine (but no reason to be allowed to mine, as well), so allowing them the ability to mine so the Lakota can have it as a unique aspect of their economy would allow it to be more fleshed out and uniquely tailored to the Lakota economy.
Allow them to create bison from something like a Buffalo Pound over time within the game, remove the Farm and Estate, then give them cards as the only way to improve the rate at which bison are produced from the Buffalo Pound to replace Estate/Farm cards that other civs have, and allow them to gather coin from huntables when gathered near Tribal Marketplaces or Buffalo Pounds.
It would be reflective of how central the bison was to the Lakota economy of the time.