One of the first choices players will make before starting a game of Civilization 6 is which Civ and leader they wish to play with. This is an extremely important choice, as players wanting to win a certain way should pick the best civ for each victory condition. Unfortunately, choosing a leader is something players will rarely need to put any thought into, as most civilizations only have one leader which is chosen by default upon picking that civ. Firaxis Games could fix this by adding more leader options to each civ, and it wouldn't mess with the game's balance.
What civ the player chooses affects what types of units they can train, what unique buildings they have access to, and what sorts of things the player will excel at. For example, Canada has some unique passive abilities which lend towards getting a diplomatic victory while Macedonia's unique troops make it much more suited for a domination victory. Despite there being only one leader for most civs in Civilization 6, the game takes care to separate what abilities come from the civ itself and which come from the leader. Because of this, it seems like the systems may already be in place.
Civilizations With Two Leaders
Initially, the only civilization with two leaders was Greece, and players had the choice between Pericles or Gorgo. The latter offers a much more aggressive playstyle, while Pericles' culture boosts promote taking a different approach. With the introduction of DLCs, three other civilizations have joined the list of ones with two leader choices, the English, French, and Indian civs. England and France are unique in that their second leader are actually the same, being Eleanor of Aquitaine, who historically had a hand in both countries' history. Finally, India received Chandragupta as its second leader, representing the less peaceful side of the country's history.
Having two leaders helps make civilizations feel more varied within themselves, and gives the developers more freedom to play with different concepts. English players can try to colonize the world with Victoria or use Eleanor's loyalty boosting abilities to gain power all while still playing the civ they like the best. Likewise, a player may be very much into the idea of playing Greece, but not be a huge fan of Gorgo's militant tendencies. That player has the option to play Pericles and try something new. This kind of freedom should be given to all civs, and developers shouldn't be shy about trying certain combinations.
Civ 6 Potential New Leaders
The list of civs and leaders in Civilization 6 is already expansive, but adding secondary leader options would only require developers to think up abilities for these leaders that would synergize with the existing civilization abilities. This may not be the easiest task, but it would go a long way to making games feel more diverse. There are several famous leaders which come to the mind quickly as well which players no doubt would love to see added to the game.
For example, the American civ offers Teddy Roosevelt as a leader, but any other popular presidents could work as well, with George Washington being a popular choice. Charlemagne is another frequently requested addition who could serve as a leader for Germany and perhaps other civilizations as well in a similar way to how Eleanor works. Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden would provide that civ with a more militant playstyle, while any of Rome's famous leaders could be great choices as well.
Civilization 6Â is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
