Sneak Peek: Iceland and Ottomans

[sonicmyst]

In case you haven't noticed, Tides of Power ad in-game has description of the upcoming Iceland and Ottoman's abilities and associated wonder:

Iceland (Exploration Age):

Unique Ability - Kringla Heimsins: Receive a set amount of Culture when you discover a Natural Wonder in Distant Lands and a smaller, set amount of Culture for every set number of Tiles Explored (effect scales based on game speed). Missionaries cost a set percentage more.

Associated wonder: Reykjaholt

Ottomans (Modern Age)

Unique Ability - Devlet-i `Aliye-i `Osmaniye: Archaeology Ruins in the Ottomans; territory generate an additional Artifact for all players. Infantry and Naval Units receive increased Combat Strength when attacking.
Associated Wonder: Sultanahmet Camii

 

[Siptah]

Uh, Ottomans get a new wonder? That’s a positive surprise. I just assumed they‘d get the Grand Bazaar.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Uh, Ottomans get a new wonder? That’s a positive surprise. I just assumed they‘d get the Grand Bazaar.

But the Grand Bazaar is in Exploration, while the Ottomans will be in Modern.
Though the Grand Bazaar being in a different age than the civilization that built it is weird.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

But the Grand Bazaar is in Exploration, while the Ottomans will be in Modern.
Though the Grand Bazaar being in a different age than the civilization that built it is weird.

The Ottoman Empire spanned 650+ years across Civ 7's arbitrary Exploration/Modern boundary. The Grand Bazaar is from the earlier (and arguably more interesting) era, while the civ is positioned in the later era, probably to emphasize their role in WW1. The civ's wonder is the Blue Mosque, which is a pretty good choice and indicates that the Hagia Sofia will probably be assigned to the Byzantines eventually.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

The Ottoman Empire spanned 650+ years across Civ 7's arbitrary Exploration/Modern boundary. The Grand Bazaar is from the earlier (and arguably more interesting) era, while the civ is positioned in the later era, probably to emphasize their role in WW1. The civ's wonder is the Blue Mosque, which is a pretty good choice and indicates that the Hagia Sofia will probably be assigned to the Byzantines eventually.

I know. I just find it funny that they introduced it when they knew they were going to make the Ottomans Modern. I'm not sure of any other instance where this happens in game? Of course, I guess that's what might happen when you have civilizations that span across different ages.
I don't think anyone is doubting the Hagia Sophia will be assigned to the Byzantines.

 

[Leucarum]

Iceland look like they pair really badly with Tonga amusingly... If you've already scouted the map then they just increase your missionary cost?

 

[stealth_nsk]

Iceland look like they pair really badly with Tonga amusingly... If you've already scouted the map then they just increase your missionary cost?

1. I guess discovery of natural wonders works like with Isabella, there already discovered ones just trigger at the beginning of an age. Which means that if you go from Tonga to Iceland, you just receive a big bucket of culture on start.
2. So far the true power of most civilizations was not directly in their ability. I guess Iceland has some cool tricks in their policies and unique infrastructure.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I know. I just find it funny that they introduced it when they knew they were going to make the Ottomans Modern. I'm not sure of any other instance where this happens in game? Of course, I guess that's what might happen when you have civilizations that span across different ages.
I don't think anyone is doubting the Hagia Sophia will be assigned to the Byzantines.

Oxford is sort of a reversal of the situation. Teaching began there as early as 1096 during the Norman era (although the royal charter was from 1296 during the Plantagenet dynasty), but it is assigned as a Modern wonder.

 

[queenpea]

What is the Icelandic wonder? It seems to be a village according to Google?

 

[stealth_nsk]

What is the Icelandic wonder? It seems to be a village according to Google?

As I understand, the name used in the wonder is old name (Reykjaholt instead of Reykholt), which was an important place in Icelandic sagas.

EDIT: As I understand it's kind of religious place?

 

[Leucarum]

1. I guess discovery of natural wonders works like with Isabella, there already discovered ones just trigger at the beginning of an age. Which means that if you go from Tonga to Iceland, you just receive a big bucket of culture on start.
2. So far the true power of most civilizations was not directly in their ability. I guess Iceland has some cool tricks in their policies and unique infrastructure.

Did not know that was how Isabella works... If so then they work insanely well with Tonga and it's the polar.opposite of what I said.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

1. I guess discovery of natural wonders works like with Isabella, there already discovered ones just trigger at the beginning of an age. Which means that if you go from Tonga to Iceland, you just receive a big bucket of culture on start.
2. So far the true power of most civilizations was not directly in their ability. I guess Iceland has some cool tricks in their policies and unique infrastructure.

I'm guessing both Iceland and Ottomans have their best tricks nested in their unique civics.

Iceland: On the face of it, getting a small trickle of culture by exploring with intermitent bursts for finding wonders isn't helping the culture legacy much because the Piety civic is right at the beginning of the tree. It does help the economic legacy though by unlocking settlement cap expansions (not that you can't just go over the cap, but it makes it easier). So what neat tricks does Iceland have farther into their civics tree? Tundra bonuses? More benefits for settling natural wonders?

Ottomans: This unique ability isn't helping them specifically at all. There's no guarantee that an artifact will spawn in Ottoman territory and another civ might well beat them to it. So what do they have in their civics tree? Something that causes artifacts to spawn on culture buildings? Higher chances of getting artifacts from overbuilding?

 

[Leucarum]

I'm guessing both Iceland and Ottomans have their best tricks nested in their unique civics.

Iceland: On the face of it, getting a small trickle of culture by exploring with intermitent bursts for finding wonders isn't helping the culture legacy much because the Piety civic is right at the beginning of the tree. It does help the economic legacy though by unlocking settlement cap expansions (not that you can't just go over the cap, but it makes it easier). So what neat tricks does Iceland have farther into their civics tree? Tundra bonuses? More benefits for settling natural wonders?

Ottomans: This unique ability isn't helping them specifically at all. There's no guarantee that an artifact will spawn in Ottoman territory and another civ might well beat them to it. So what do they have in their civics tree? Something that causes artifacts to spawn on culture buildings? Higher chances of getting artifacts from overbuilding?

Agreed. Very limited information here. And nothing overwhelmingly amazing.

If I recall correctly Civ abilities have usually been the first things to leak? Maybe FXS strategically burying the lead for their new civs

 

[stealth_nsk]

I'm guessing both Iceland and Ottomans have their best tricks nested in their unique civics.

Iceland: On the face of it, getting a small trickle of culture by exploring with intermitent bursts for finding wonders isn't helping the culture legacy much because the Piety civic is right at the beginning of the tree. It does help the economic legacy though by unlocking settlement cap expansions (not that you can't just go over the cap, but it makes it easier). So what neat tricks does Iceland have farther into their civics tree? Tundra bonuses? More benefits for settling natural wonders?

Just an example - they could have additional relic slots and additional ways to generate relics, which don't require missionaries. It generally fits the direction for new civs, there they have unorthodox approach to legacy path.

Ottomans: This unique ability isn't helping them specifically at all. There's no guarantee that an artifact will spawn in Ottoman territory and another civ might well beat them to it. So what do they have in their civics tree? Something that causes artifacts to spawn on culture buildings? Higher chances of getting artifacts from overbuilding?

Potentially yes, I guess spawning artefacts somehow.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

Oxford is sort of a reversal of the situation. Teaching began there as early as 1096 during the Norman era (although the royal charter was from 1296 during the Plantagenet dynasty), but it is assigned as a Modern wonder.

I thought about Oxford too, but at this point Oxford in Civ just feels like an anomaly in every game.
But I guess I associate Oxford more with England/Great Britain, and since they are in Modern I at least feel like that's justified.

As I understand, the name used in the wonder is old name (Reykjaholt instead of Reykholt), which was an important place in Icelandic sagas.

EDIT: As I understand it's kind of religious place?

It's also the village where Snorri Sturluson lived.

 

[uppi]

Uh, Ottomans get a new wonder? That’s a positive surprise. I just assumed they‘d get the Grand Bazaar.

Unless I am forgetting a civ, all Exporation and Modern DLC civs came with their own wonder. Only Antiquity DLC civs have been assigned an existing wonder

 

[Lord Lakely]

As I understand, the name used in the wonder is old name (Reykjaholt instead of Reykholt), which was an important place in Icelandic sagas.

EDIT: As I understand it's kind of religious place?

It's a cabin near a geothermal pool where snorri sturlusson (author of the edda) lived.

 

[TheGhostEnthusiast]

Potentially yes, I guess spawning artefacts somehow.

Given that they also have combat bonuses, they could have some form of ability that generates Artifacts in conquered Cities. Frederick and Assyria already get a Great Work just from taking one, but it seems that an excavation would most likely be a part of the process for the Ottomans... it's probably my own limited/biased perspective talking, but my first thought is the generation of Artifacts on Wonders or within Capitals specifically, which could add some additional depth to the question of what to conquer compared to getting the same reward from any Settlement.

I guess that they could also just leave it as is and there'd still be somewhat of a unique gameplay loop in the form of seeking out Settlements that have naturally spawned Archaeology Ruins, though I wonder how reliable or even interesting that would really be... Strong naval bonuses could probably help you get to your targets quickly, even if it would still be somewhat up to chance.

I tried looking into the ability's name to see if it was referencing a particular part of history the gameplay might be trying to simulate, but it's just the Turkish name for the empire.

On a different note, I do like that a Civilization which was "failing" in this period receives a malus in the form of increased motivation for other players to meddle with their affairs; scrambling to defend the vast empire you've conquered from hordes of Explorers looking to mooch off your Unique Ability sounds like it would make one feel like a historical titan struggling to hold onto its splendor in the face of foreign powers, at least on paper.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

I tried looking into the ability's name to see if it was referencing a particular part of history the gameplay might be trying to simulate, but it's just the Turkish name for the empire.

My first thought was the mass discovery of Egyptian artifacts when they were under Ottoman rule?
And in the end, it benefited the British and the French when they occupied Ottoman Egypt, which is why the ability works for all civs.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

My first thought was the mass discovery of Egyptian artifacts when they were under Ottoman rule?

I was thinking it was just the obscene amount of archeaological works that were first performed in Ottoman territory. Egypt is first among many. Then there's Palmyra, Petra, Hellenic sites in the levant, all the early historic sites in Mesopotamia, the catalog of Roman ruins in Asia Minor, Schliemann's destruction/uncovering of Troy, and so much more.