Afterworld (Civ4)

Afterworld's main menu

Afterworld is a scenario for the Beyond the Sword expansion of Civilization IV.

Setting and Gameplay

This scenario is set in the distant future, when man has completely expanded throughout the entire universe and found no alien life. The capital of humanity's vast empire is Augustine. Criminals are offered a chance to have their consciousnesses taken out of their bodies to be placed in a dream, while their bodies (known from that point on as GoLeMs) are used for hard physical labor on artificially constructed planets. The scenario's setting is one of these planets, where something wrong has happened causing the convicts to mutate into horrific creatures known as Aberrants, beings who feed on electricity. If none can be found, the Aberrants will become even more savage and feed on each other, gradually becoming stronger and stronger. The most savage form of an Aberrant is known as a Feral, with high strength and the ability to revive itself on the tile it was standing on upon death multiple times.

A science team was sent to research the Aberrants, but soon after making landfall it was presumably overrun. The player assumes command of an elite military team composed of five "Gravebringers" - Jal, Atticus, Riest, Ragah, and Sever - whose orders are to recover the scientists' research.

All of the units have 10 strength and 4 movement, except for Ragah, who has 12 strength. If a single squadmate is killed in action (outside of a scripted event), the scenario ends in defeat.

Plot

The Gravebringers land on the planet and encounter the Aberrants, the first being Bleeders. Soon after, the planet's malfunctioning security systems designate the Gravebringers as targets, forcing them to shut it down. The squad then discovers their first Feral, a bulky monster extremely difficult to take down. Tensions grow in the squad as it progresses, notably between Ragah and Sever over Sever's apparent selfishness and indifferent willingness to sacrifice others to achieve ends.

The squad eventually reaches the scientists' research, and Jal begins sending the data back to Augustine. However, security doors inhibit future progress and Sever, proving Ragah wrong, sacrifices himself to open the doors and allow the rest of the squad to escape without him.

As the surviving Gravebringers make their escape, they find a final monstrosity known as the Entity, which appears as a giant cloud of radiation and has 9999 strength. They must use ranged attacks to deplete its strength before dealing the final blow, after which they are able to escape the planet. The scenario ends with Jal's report on the researchers' findings.

Trivia

• In the game, if you roll the mouse over a unit, it will say it has the ability to build a Mine - and this is true, but the only "mines" it can build are Landmines.
• Level 2 Landmines, when detonated by creatures, can destroy walls. Players may be tempted to use this to rescue Sever; however, the game will automatically fail you with the message "A Gravedigger has died!" if Sever can get back to the group.
• It is hinted that Atticus used to be a criminal, as he knows far more about the GoLeMs than any of the other Gravebringers, even knowing what it is like to be in the dream world a criminal's consciousness is in.
• Sever likes to poke fun at Ragah whenever there is a Feral around, so long as they are a healthy distance away from it. This results in conversations like the following:

  Sever: Ugly and unrelenting, just like your lady, Ragah.

  Ragah: Nah, this thing likes you a lot more than her.

  Sever: Oh, great. Ragah's girlfriend is back.

Gallery

Afterworld screenshot

Afterworld screenshot