Firaxis Games have announced a new playable civilization and leader for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.
The warrior-queen Dyah Gitarja is leading the Indonesian civilization, which is coming soon to the tactical strategy game. Featured above, you can view a new trailer showcasing the civilization and all its special perks.
Here’s a full breakdown on the new civ expansion, via Firaxis Games:
Dyah Gitarja went from being a princess locked in a tower to the warrior-queen regent of a 14th Century spice empire, the kingdom of Majapahit (located in modern day Indonesia). It all started with an assassination.
As the Duchess of Kahuripan, she lived a sheltered life. As described in the epic poem ‘Nagarakretagama,’ though, Gitarja’s ascent began with the murder of her half-brother, King Jayanagara in 1328. She then came to power by order of her mother the following year. Gitarja wound up ruling with the help of her spouse, Kritavardhana, during a time of chaos and open revolt.
With the help of Gajah Mada, a long-trusted advisor, she began a campaign to quell rebellions and push a massive expansion of the Majapahit Empire. Legend tells us that Gitarja even rode into battle alongside her cousin, Malayapuran king Adityawarman. Ultimately, she is remembered for expanding the boundaries of her empire to include the kingdoms of Pejeng, Dalem, Debahulu and the island of Bali while helping stabilize the kingdom.
UNIQUE UNIT: JONG
Massive jong ships, the schooner of the Majapahit fleet, dominated the Southeast Asian seas. While primarily a merchant ship and military transport, jongs were built to withstand incoming cannon fire and return the favor with its own ordinance. And, with the addition of a second rudder, a 600-ton jong was fast, yet easy to control.
UNIQUE IMPROVEMENT: KAMPUNG
In the densely-packed islands of Southeast Asia, local rulers needed to house people while also keeping them safe from floods and wildlife. These tightly-clustered communities of houses on stilts – or kampung – were the answer.
In fact, foreign visitors were so impressed by the efficiency of Indonesian and Malay kampungs with their high-population density that they adopted the term in the English ‘compound.’
CIV UNIQUE ABILITY: “GREAT NUSANTARA”
“Nusantara” is a contemporary term for the Indonesian archipelago, but for some time had been credited to Gitarja’s advisor – Gajah Mada. In an oath known as Sumpah Palapa, he vowed not to eat any food containing spices until he had conquered all of Nusantara under the glory of Majapahit. As a coastal civilization, it only makes sense Indonesian Coastal Tiles provide adjacency bonuses for certain districts. Complexes give an extra Amenity if they are adjacent to a non-lake Coastal Tile.
LEADER UNIQUE ABILITY: “EXALTED GODDESS OF THE THREE WORLDS”
The Majapahit kingdom expanded on the strength of its naval might, buoyed by the spice trade and spreading the beliefs of the Buddhist-Hindu kingdom.
The “Exalted Goddess of the Three Worlds” ability grants bonus Faith to coastal cities. This allows Gitarja to purchase Naval units with Faith at a discount, as well as eliminating movement cost for Religious unit to embark or disembark.
Both the Indonesia and Khmer civilizations are now available with the game’s Fall 2017 update. The new update brings with it a whole host of updates, mostly on religion – you can read more about it here.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is currently available for PC. In case you missed it, you can find my thorough written / video review of the game here (I highly recommend it!).
