In the spirit of the Pirates' Republic - where the loose-ish temporal and conceptual boundaries of these Ages establishing a degree of speculation - a true Medieval Age (against Antiquity and Exploration) would also have room for a true "Western Roman Empire" as if it had survived Odoacer AND a Holy Roman Empire AND a Justinian Eastern Rome. Meanwhile Exploration could present a "what if" Byzantine power.
As much as I'd like a true Medieval Age, I don't see the need to have a separate Western Roman Empire and an Eastern Roman Empire. I think a single Byzantine civ would be enough. Then the Ottomans could be in Exploration.
The fall of Constantinople is one of the dates that historians look to as the end of the Medieval Age after all.
In regard to the Khmer, that could at least allow them to have a religion, something that they are known for but currently unable to have due to them being in Antiquity.
And that's much better addressed by developing some way to represent spiritual and religious matter in Ancient that's distinct from Exploration, than by adding a whole new era just to fix that problem.
New eras, above all other things, shoudl be bottom-up design: start with a mechanical concept for an era, develop it, and THEN worry about where it fits into the game and what civiliation woudl be into it.
As opposed to how just about everyone in this forum seems to approach it, which is start by thinking about civilizations that belong in it, then worry about mechanics later/never.
And that's much better addressed by developing some way to represent spiritual and religious matter in Ancient that's distinct from Exploration, than by adding a whole new era just to fix that problem.
New eras, above all other things, shoudl be bottom-up design: start with a mechanical concept for an era, develop it, and THEN worry about where it fits into the game and what civiliation woudl be into it.
As opposed to how just about everyone in this forum seems to approach it, which is start by thinking about civilizations that belong in it, then worry about mechanics later/never.
That's fair, though I have thought about those things as well.
Religion and Relics could move to the earlier era, while culture in the new Exploration Age could revolve around collecting great works of art, which are currently missing. Treasure ships would stay in Exploration, because Spain, Pirates, and Ming need those, and Guilds could be in the new era to advance economically.
That's just a snippet but probably should stick to Pirates now in this thread.
Thoughts on the Pirates:
This is a fun and flavorful civ. The unique way that they interact with the economic and militaristic legacies feels very immersive. I find it endlessly funny that I can sail a Buccaneer straight into another civ's borders and they don't care a whit, but when I deploy a squad of Sloops therein, chaos breaks loose. Grabbing traders and treasure convoys is great. I really like how the Buccaneers can found settlements, creating bases around other civs' trade routes.
I didn't go to war in this game because I wanted to see how much I could do before the AI civs would declare war on me. It turns out that they have a high tolerance for my shenanigans, unfortunately. So I didn't test the coastal raiding bonuses or the ability to create trasure convoys right from another civ's town (or capture settlers and the like).
The main thing that broke immersion to me is that the Pirates still interact with the Science and Cultural legacies in the same way as other civs, and that feels weird. Pirate missionaries and pirate metropolises are not part of the pirate fantasy.
The main thing that broke immersion to me is that the Pirates still interact with the Science and Cultural legacies in the same way as other civs, and that feels weird. Pirate missionaries and pirate metropolises are not part of the pirate fantasy.
Does the Pirate civ have in-game historical predecessors and successors?
I belive the Romans and any other future Ancient Era Germanic civilization should be able to unlock Pirates in the Exploration era and Pirates should be able to unlock Britain, America and, in the future, Haiti and/or Colombia
Does the Pirate civ have in-game historical predecessors and successors?
I belive the Romans and any other future Ancient Era Germanic civilization should be able to unlock Pirates in the Exploration era and Pirates should be able to unlock Britain, America and, in the future, Haiti and/or Colombia
There are 3 types of unlocks - historical, thematical and geographical. Aksum and Carthage make sense as thematic unlocks, they all are focused on seafaring. If we get Taino, I assume they will be geographic unlock.
There are 3 types of unlocks - historical, thematical and geographical. Aksum and Carthage make sense as thematic unlocks, they all are focused on seafaring. If we get Taino, I assume they will be geographic unlock.
For leaders, there's plenty of them. Here's the table for Abbasids, for example (strategical=themetical):
For civilizations it's a bit more rare, but, for example, Persia unlocking Bulgaria or Hawaii unlocking Meiji are more about strategy than history or geography.
For leaders, there's plenty of them. Here's the table for Abbasids, for example (strategical=themetical): View attachment 747049
For civilizations it's a bit more rare, but, for example, Persia unlocking Bulgaria or Hawaii unlocking Meiji are more about strategy than history or geography.
Persia->Bulgaria can be considered strategic/thematic (although also historical/geographic given that it was occupied by Persia for a century or so)
Hawaii to Meijii is more about history/geography because of the lack of other civs at launch (Meijii is probably the closest geographically)…after all there is also Maya/Mississippi->Hawaii (which is geographic as well)
Overall I would say Pirates are the only ones with nongeographic links. All other civ links are to a few of the closest geographic civs. (ie was in /near their empire at some point)
I played 37 Exploration turns As Teach/Pirates on Immortal and will be trying again as Isabella/Pirates. I spawned near the South Pole, and had a NW on each side of me (Paine East and Blowholes West). Needless to say, not being able to settle either was very frustrating. Sailing around Blowhole caused tons of damage, as it took 4 turns of Ocean travel. So I emerged ready to be attacked by a Hostile IP nearby lol.
To the East, I was able to do some minor raiding (argh!), but soon found Tecumseh sailing Cats...? I could damage them at sea, but they would make landfall and lay waste to my ships. Sloops are incredibly flimsy, and even Cogs seemed to take 1/3 damage.
Crossed 3 tiles of Ocean to another island with Hostile IP - they also attacked mercilessly with an Archer and soon many ships. Huh? I wonder if the Naval Patch increased the spawn rate of them. It certainly feels like they spawn much earlier?
Compared to the many games as Isabella/Chola it was crazy how little exploration I was able to achieve. Plus I had near 0 Happiness. Lots of Niter and Silver nearby and no way to get it. I will try Teach again later, too many new things to stay on top of?
I’m sure this is obvious, but not to me: how do you plunder trade routes in Antiquity? I just played as Tonga on an archipelago map and hoped to do enough plundering to unlock Pirates, but despite sailing around opponents who were at war with me, couldn’t spot where the trade routes actually were to plunder them! (No trouble pillaging other stuff.)
You have to move one of your military units onto the hex of the trader unit. A new button will become available to plunder trade route. Only works once the trade route is established.
Best to look at the edges of their civs or in the capital.
This is important. In one of my games yesterday I also wondered why I could not plunder a trade route. But then I realised that the unit I tried to plunder was a merchant.
After a trade route is created, a trader unit appears, which moves back and forth along the trade route. It is this unit that you have to catch and plunder.
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