Ponies Play Civilization

(Please note that this story takes some artistic license on, and/or entirely alter the rules and mechanics, as well as aesthetic designs of the game Civilization (IE: class buffs/de-buffs), for the purposes of the story, from what they are in the actual game, and, for story purposes, it is also a board game, instead of a computer game. Please keep these facts in mind.)

Turn(s) 0:

“It’s just, I don’t really think it’ll be something I’ll enjoy… the whole premise seems so… brutish.”

Twilight persisted; “Rarity, we have enough pieces for six players.”

“And… all five of you are already playing…?”

The girls nodded, Rarity sighed.

“Alright… fine.”

“Great!” Twilight cheered, “Just pick a civilization!”

Rarity thought for a moment, “I want to be France.”

“Um… a-actually…” Fluttershy murmured “I… I already… uh… already picked… F-France… B-but you can have it, i-if you want…”

“Oh, no-no-no darling it’s fine! Keep it! I’ll just go for… uh… Rome, then!”

“Aah… well… Rainbow Dash already chose Rome.” said Twilight, apologetically

“Why would Rainbow want Rome?”

Rainbow Dash pumped her hooves in the air; “Sparta! Sparta! Sparta!”

“Alright…” Rarity breathed, agitated, absently adjusting her mane as she thought.  “…England…?”

“Nope…” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck, and grinned sheepishly, “I took England”

“Oh for Celestias sake! Just tell me who’s playing what and what’s left, and I’ll pick from that!”

“Alright,” Twilight took a breath, “Rainbow’s playing Rome, Fluttershy’s playing France, Pinkie has Russia, I chose England, and Applejack took the US.” Twilight paused for a moment and took another breath, “that leaves China, Africa, Spain, India, Japan, and Germany.”

Rarity sighed again. “Oh… I don’t know… how about…” she waved her hooves in a flustered manner, before blurting out “Germany… I guess…”

“Germany…” Said Twilight, sifting through class sheets, “Ah! ‘Germany: Receives half of all intended research points, but gains double creation speed for all offensive units.’ Sound good?”

“Sure…?”

“Great!”

Turn(s) 1-5:

Each of the strange wooden boards clicked, and a series of small hexagons rose up from their centers. Most were black, but each mare had a set of seven, that were lit. Six of said tiles were tessellated around the seventh, upon which, stood a small figurine with the word ‘settler’ carved into its base.

“You’ll not want to move your settler first turn,” Twilight advised “otherwise you’ll be a turn behind on your city.”

“Yes!” Pinkie declared, characteristically overzealous “The mighty Russian Empire begins on a hill! We shall find much victory in battle!”

“Is that good?” Rarity whispered to Rainbow, who was sitting next to her

“High ground.” She remarked, “Plus 10% bonus in attacks.”

“Aah…”

“I think I’m on the coast of somethin’.” Applejack informed them.

They each pressed a small notch on the board, and set their settlers to found a city, then ended their turn by tapping the small stopwatch inlayed in the top right corner of the board.

‘~Next Turn~’

The words appeared on a small plaque by the top of the board

The center hexagon retracted, then returned, without the settler, but now with a small model city instead. The small area of seven lit hexagons expanded outward one ‘ring’, revealing a total 19 hexes.

“YES!” Pinkie shouted again, “and it’s flanked by a mountain range! Today is a good day for The Russian Empire!”

Twilight, who was apparently their resident GM, said “You’re going to want to assign your population to an occupation to start producing resources, then start sending out scouts, to cover as much ground as possible while you get some initial research and food and whatnot.”

Rarity began by moving her scout east.

Pinkie began moving hers southwest.

Rainbow began moving north.

Twilight began moving her scout east, but quickly discovered a large body of water, so she continued to the north.

Fluttershy, whose city appeared to be near the very bottom of a small peninsula, began moving her scout northwest, up the short stretch of land.

Applejack began moving north along the water, affirming that she was on the coast of a continent.

Each mares’ exploration brought them to the following conclusions:

Germany had begun continental, and had small group of hills to the north.

France had begun near the tip of a peninsula that curved up into it's respective mainland coastline.

Russia had begun set in a hilly and mountainous region to the north, and of rough terrain to the south/southeast.

England had begun a short distance from either an ocean or a lake

The US had begun on the eastern coast of a continent/island.

Rome had begun continental, and had a desert to the north east.

~~Next Turn~~

Turn(s) 6:

"Oh-oh! O-O-O-O-H-!" Pinkie bounced erratically in her seat, pointing at her board (which only she could see) "Green! Greeeen!! Who's green?"

"Uh... I... am?" Rarity lifted a hoof nervously.

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