History Tearjerker / Civilization

** After you defeat France, Catherine de Medici calmly [[GracefulLoser accepts her defeat]] and [[FaceDeathWithDignity possible death]]. "I have lived long enough to know when I am defeated. Carry on." Even sadder if you know that, Catherine outlived her husband and most of her children.

* In ''Civ V'', the player gets to see unique "defeat" scenes for each civilization when you wipe them off the map, in which the civs' leaders react to their defeat and the loss of their empire. Some are stoic, some are angry and vengeful, aand some just... break down. Many of these are appropriately tragic as the leaders grieve for their losses, plus several of them have burning sounds and the sounds of screaming in the background and quite a few strongly imply (and in some cases outright state) that the leaders are about to be executed (and are well aware of this).
** In some cases this is especially so if one can appreciate the BilingualBonus, as what the leader is actually saying doesn't always line up with what the text gives you. For example, Genghis Khan's text has [[GracefulLoser him congratulating you on your victory,]] whereas he himself merely says "I await my execution" and hangs his head, totally dejected and resigned to his death. These also play when they're caught spying, which takes the edge off a bit, but they can still be quite emotional. Other particularly tragic ones include.
** We find Willem Van Oranje keening over his desk, praying to God for mercy on him and his people. This one hits especially hard because the voice actor does a very good job expressing his sadness; the guy sounds like he's about to burst into tears at any moment.
*** Even sadder if you know that these were reportedly his actual final words after being shot by an assassin.

** Pacal of the Mayans spends much of his time claiming that his shamans have foreseen the apocalypse and that's it's coming soon. When you wipe him out, he falls to his knees and realizes that ''you'' are the cataclysm, [[YouBastard which has brought destruction to his lands and death to his people.]] He refers to you as "the path to the black storm," and says that with you comes the "pain which is always hot." Again, while the sounds of burning play in the background.

** When you declare war, most of the leaders react with some variation of "bring it on". And then there's Darius of Persia, who recoils in shock, accompanied by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXfq8BL36o8 the saddest war theme in the game]], as if he knows he has no way of winning. It's a bit of a contrast with his arrogant behavior before that point.
*** It doesn't get any better if you're ''playing'' as Persia, either. Though they're no slouches at war, their bonuses are more focused around trade, culture, and golden ages. If you were going for a more peaceful victory condition but outside circumstances pushed you into war, Darius' theme can make you wonder [[HeelRealization whether something in your strategy has gone horribly wrong]].

** After conquering The United States, Theodore Roosevelt congratulates you with the most defeated tone in his voice, making it seem like admitting defeat is the most painful thing he's ever done
** After you defeat France, Catherine de Medici calmly [[GracefulLoser accepts her defeat]] and [[FaceDeathWithDignity possible death]]. "I have lived long enough to know when I am defeated. Carry on." Even sadder if you know that, because she left long enough, Catherine outlived her husband and most of her children.

* Speaking of ''Civ VI'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnSyocyljzY Scythia's theme music]] stands out from the other civs' because even at its most powerful, there's a real sense of melancholy to it. Kind of underscores the fact that there isn't a Scythia anymore.

* Speaking of ''Civ VI'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnSyocyljzY Scythia's theme music]] stands out from the other civs' because even at its most powerful, there's a real sense of melancholy to it. Kind of underscores the fact that there isn't a Scythia anymore. Fuck those ossetians.

* Speaking of ''Civ VI'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnSyocyljzY Scythia's theme music]] stands out from the other civs' because even at its most powerful, there's a real sense of melancholy to it. Kind of underscores the fact that there isn't a Scythia anymore.

* Civ VI once again brings back the animated and voiced defeat scenes, and with the far more expressive and animated leaders, they are even more of a TearJerker than ever.
** Much like Willem Van Oranje in Civ V, a defeated Pedro II says his actual last words: "May God grant me these last wishes; peace and prosperity for Brazil."

* Meta-wise, we have the story of the Eternal War also covered on the Awesome page. A player called Lycerius wrote about how he had continued his Civ II game for ten years as an experiment, the result being a CrapsackWorld of massive proportions--but he was determined to bring it all to an end. After sharing the save file with other players, some succeeded. Then, one year after the original post, [[http://www.reddit.com/r/theeternalwar/comments/1g6jcd/update_to_the_eternal_war_11_year_old_civ_ii_game/ came an update from Lycerius himself]] which served as a huge WhamEpisode. This comment by Mikuro sums it all up:

** In some cases this is especially so if one can appreciate the BilingualBonus, as what the leader is actually saying doesn't always line up with what the text gives you - for example, Genghis Khan's text has [[GracefulLoser him congratulating you on your victory,]] whereas he himself merely says "I await my execution" and hangs his head, totally dejected and resigned to his death. These also play when they're caught spying, which takes the edge off a bit, but they can still be quite emotional. Other particularly tragic ones include.
** We find Willem Van Oranje keening over his desk, praying to God for mercy on him and his people. This one hits especially hard because the voice actor does a very good job expressing his sadness - the guy sounds like he's about to burst into tears at any moment.

* Meta-wise, we have the story of the Eternal War also covered on the Awesome page. A player called Lycerius wrote about how he had continued his Civ II game for ten years as an experiment, the result being a CrapsackWorld of massive proportions - but he was determined to bring it all to an end. After sharing the save file with other players, some succeeded. Then, one year after the original post, [[http://www.reddit.com/r/theeternalwar/comments/1g6jcd/update_to_the_eternal_war_11_year_old_civ_ii_game/ came an update from Lycerius himself]] which served as a huge WhamEpisode. This comment by Mikuro sums it all up:

* In Civ V, the player gets to see unique "defeat" scenes for each civilization when you wipe them off the map, in which the civs' leaders react to their defeat and the loss of their empire. Some are stoic, some are angry and vengeful, aand some just... break down. Many of these are appropriately tragic as the leaders grieve for their losses, plus several of them have burning sounds and the sounds of screaming in the background and quite a few strongly imply (and in some cases outright state) that the leaders are about to be executed (and are well aware of this). In some cases this is especially so if one can appreciate the BilingualBonus, as what the leader is actually saying doesn't always line up with what the text gives you - for example, Genghis Khan's text has [[GracefulLoser him congratulating you on your victory,]] whereas he himself merely says "I await my execution" and hangs his head, totally dejected and resigned to his death. These also play when they're caught spying, which takes the edge off a bit, but they can still be quite emotional. Other particularly tragic ones include.

** Pacal of the Mayans spends much of his time claiming that his shamans have forseen the apocalyse and that's it's coming soon. When you wipe him out, he falls to his knees and realizes that ''you'' are the cataclysm, [[YouBastard which has brought destruction to his lands and death to his people.]] He refers to you as "the path to the black storm," and says that with you comes the "pain which is always hot." Again, while the sounds of burning play in the background.

* Meta-wise, we have the story of the Eternal War also covered on the Awesome page. A player called Lycerius wrote about how he had continued his Civ II game for ten years as an experiment, the result being a CrapsackWorld of massive proportions - but he was determined to bring it all to an end. After sharing the save file with other players, some succeded. Then, one year after the original post, [[http://www.reddit.com/r/theeternalwar/comments/1g6jcd/update_to_the_eternal_war_11_year_old_civ_ii_game/ came an update from Lycerius himself]] which served as a huge WhamEpisode. This comment by Mikuro sums it all up:

** HeWhoFightsMonsters at its finest.

** HeWhoFightsMonsters's at its finest.

--> My goal for the next few years is to try and end the war and thus use the engineers to clear swamps and fallout so that farming may resume. I want to rebuild the world. But I'm not sure how.
** HeWhoFightsMonsters's at its finest.

-->[[spoiler: what need would there be for my glorious Celtic Communist state to exist in a world at peace? How would I justify to the masses the need for brutal dictatorship and big brother’s watchful eye if there is no longer an external threat to protect them from? I couldn't. And so the external threat must be maintained of course.]]

* Meta-wise, we have the story of the Eternal War also covered on the Awesome page. A player called Lycerius wrote about how he had continued his Civ II game for ten years as an experiment, the result being a CrapsackWorld of massive proportions - but he was determined to bring it all to an end. After sharing the save file with other players, some succeded. Then, one year after the original post, [[http://www.reddit.com/r/theeternalwar/comments/1g6jcd/update_to_the_eternal_war_11_year_old_civ_ii_game/ came an update from Lycerius himself]] which served as a huge WhamEpisode.
This comment by Mikuro sums it all up:

--> My goal for the next few years is to try and end the war and thus use the engineers to clear swamps and fallout so that farming may resume. I want to rebuild the world. But I'm not sure how.

-->[[spoiler: what need would there be for my glorious Celtic Communist state to exist in a world at peace? How would I justify to the masses the need for brutal dictatorship and big brother’s watchful eye if there is no longer an external threat to protect them from? I couldn't. And so the external threat must be maintained of course.]]

** HeWhoFightsMonsters's at its finest.

--> My goal for the next few years is to try and end the war and thus use the engineers to clear swamps and fallout so that farming may resume. I want to rebuild the world. But I'm not sure how.

-->[[spoiler: what need would there be for my glorious Celtic Communist state to exist in a world at peace? How would I justify to the masses the need for brutal dictatorship and big brother’s watchful eye if there is no longer an external threat to protect them from? I couldn't. And so the external threat must be maintained of course.]]

* HeWhoFightsMonsters at its finest.

--> My goal for the next few years is to try and end the war and thus use the engineers to clear swamps and fallout so that farming may resume. I want to rebuild the world. But I'm not sure how.

-->[[spoiler: what need would there be for my glorious Celtic Communist state to exist in a world at peace? How would I justify to the masses the need for brutal dictatorship and big brother’s watchful eye if there is no longer an external threat to protect them from? I couldn't. And so the external threat must be maintained of course.]]

* Meta-wise, we have the story of the Eternal War also covered on the Awesome page. A player called Lycerius wrote about how he had continued his Civ II game for ten years as an experiment, the result being a CrapsackWorld of massive proportions - but he was determined to bring it all to an end. After sharing the save file with other players, some succeded. Then, one year after the original post, [[http://www.reddit.com/r/theeternalwar/comments/1g6jcd/update_to_the_eternal_war_11_year_old_civ_ii_game/ came an update from Lycerius himself]] which served as a huge WhamEpisode. This comment by Mikuro sums it all up:

-->[[spoiler: what need would there be for my glorious Celtic Communist state to exist in a world at peace? How would I justify to the masses the need for brutal dictatorship and big brother’s watchful eye if there is no longer an external threat to protect them from? I couldn't. And so the external threat must be maintained of course.[[/spoiler]]

** When you declare war, most of the leaders react with some variation of "bring it on". And then there's Darius of Persia, who recoils in shock, accompanied by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXfq8BL36o8 the saddest war theme in the game]], as if he knows he has no way of winning. It's a bit of a contrast with his arrogant behavior before that point.

** We find Willem Van Oranje keening over his desk, praying to God for mercy on him and his people. This one hits especially hard because the voice actor does a very good job expressing his sadness - the guy sounds like he's about the burst into tears at any moment.

** Pacal of the Mayans spends much of his time claiming that his shamans have forseen the apocalyse and that's it's coming soon. When you wipe him out, he falls to his knees and realizes that ''you'' are the cataclysm, [[YouBastard which has brought destruction to his lands and death to his people.]] He refers to you as "the path to the black storm," and says that with you comes the "pain which is always hot." Again, while the sounds of burning play in the background.