jammerculture
Prince
I think it would be helpful to newcomers to have a thread of condensed tips that will help new people make the transition to SOI. There are many structural differences between this mod and regular civ/RFC. in fact it is only recently that I have been able to have some success with this mod because of my inability to lose some ingrained civ strategy. This thread should be different from the main strategy thread as it should be a list of general strategic aspects that need to be learned or unlearned in order to prosper.
-Gold has a a higher importance then in other games for three main reasons:
-mercenaries: for many civs gold is easier to come by then production, especially early, so mercenaries are a better alternative to home grown troops
-commerce is harder to come by. Gold acts as a substitute as it can be gotten from many more sources then the commerce sliders, which allows a higher science slider allowing your meager commerce to go straight to science.
-Many empires span large areas which create higher maintenance costs
-Because of this, gold needs to be prioritized over raw commerce.
-do not be afraid to drop your sliders to 100% gold. this is a must in many points of this mod
-Farming (including orchards) plays a much larger role due to the lack of green land
-the agrarianism civic makes up for the lack of cottages by giving commerce to these improvements.
-The botany>cash cropping>Agricultural Science line of techs helps to boost your food producing abilities by unlocking new food producing resources. As well, windmills hold a much higher importance then previously.
-Production is easier to come by, due to lots of hills and plains. However, the lack of food is a limiting factor (see above)
-the map is expertly constructed allowing smaller cities to be more productive then in previous games. this is a key skill that needs to be learned.
-watermills can be placed on riverside forest without chopping. this is a very important technique
-slavery's whip effect has been replaced with drafting so don't count on the whip to build infrastructure. Organized religion is your best bet for civic help in this department
-Espionage has a much higher importance
-some civs have a severe lack of commercial capabilities, while others have a much easier go at it. Learning how to use espionage when you're one of the commerce starved civs is crucial
-there are many more buildings that boost the ability to create espionage points
-the super spies modcomp has been added creating even more espionage opportunities and potential
-Warfare
-mounted units are king in this mod due to the huge expanse of land that games cover.
-Historical barbarian spawns are plentiful, and can and do happen inside your borders. It is no longer feasible to leave one archer in your interior cities.
-Land is no longer power. Sometimes it is way more strategic to raid land, or raze cities then to conquer and hold. Every city needs to fulfill a specific goal in your strategy or else it should burn!
-missile cavalry hold a much stronger position in this mod. As well they have no natural counter. Spearmen are nothing but pincusions to the mongol horde! Learn to use the horse archers as well as defend against them. There is now a third tier promotion that helps against these units. For some civs it is imperative to get these promotions to survive!
-Research
-the tech tree as a whole holds far less importance then in other games. Instead, each civ has a small number of techs that are needed to succeed. Learning to figure out which ones, and the best ways to get them is key to success.
-Optimal play in this game often requires a strategy on research that is more then just "get the most beakers and great scientists". you need a plan of which techs to research, which to trade and which to steal and how to do this.
-Great People
-gone are the days when every game required setting up a dedicated GP farm. as well, concentrating on one type of GP in order to create a bulbing path is also less important.
-Great scholars have less importance then previous Great Scientists. Great prophets are often much stronger due to their ability to boost gold and production (which are the two key resources), bulbing the increased importance of religious techs and the new Great Saint ability to convert cities enmasse
-As well, a greater use of espionage makes a Great spy a fearsome weapon!
-Many UHV's require specific use of Great People, i.e. Great saints if there is a religious condition, artists for cultural.
-using Great People for golden ages is also a much more potent strategy then in the past due to stability issues, boosts in resources that are often lacking, and tight races for wonders or a military advantage. don't be afraid to burn a GP for a GA!
Above all, the modder has done an amazing job of making a mod that recreates the historic flavor of this time and place. Success stems from your ability to "get into character". If you are a civ that is a historic raider, then use the games mechanics to put an emphasis on raiding. If you are a builder, then you need to be able to defend from these raiders. Religious warfare is crucial and needs to be a part of your strategy. Know who your friends are and learn how to destroy the enemy infidels! Don't be discouraged if your plans go awry due to an unexpected enemy spawn. This is life in the medieval middle east. Instead embrace it and make it part of the fun of playing this game!
-Gold has a a higher importance then in other games for three main reasons:
-mercenaries: for many civs gold is easier to come by then production, especially early, so mercenaries are a better alternative to home grown troops
-commerce is harder to come by. Gold acts as a substitute as it can be gotten from many more sources then the commerce sliders, which allows a higher science slider allowing your meager commerce to go straight to science.
-Many empires span large areas which create higher maintenance costs
-Because of this, gold needs to be prioritized over raw commerce.
-do not be afraid to drop your sliders to 100% gold. this is a must in many points of this mod
-Farming (including orchards) plays a much larger role due to the lack of green land
-the agrarianism civic makes up for the lack of cottages by giving commerce to these improvements.
-The botany>cash cropping>Agricultural Science line of techs helps to boost your food producing abilities by unlocking new food producing resources. As well, windmills hold a much higher importance then previously.
-Production is easier to come by, due to lots of hills and plains. However, the lack of food is a limiting factor (see above)
-the map is expertly constructed allowing smaller cities to be more productive then in previous games. this is a key skill that needs to be learned.
-watermills can be placed on riverside forest without chopping. this is a very important technique
-slavery's whip effect has been replaced with drafting so don't count on the whip to build infrastructure. Organized religion is your best bet for civic help in this department
-Espionage has a much higher importance
-some civs have a severe lack of commercial capabilities, while others have a much easier go at it. Learning how to use espionage when you're one of the commerce starved civs is crucial
-there are many more buildings that boost the ability to create espionage points
-the super spies modcomp has been added creating even more espionage opportunities and potential
-Warfare
-mounted units are king in this mod due to the huge expanse of land that games cover.
-Historical barbarian spawns are plentiful, and can and do happen inside your borders. It is no longer feasible to leave one archer in your interior cities.
-Land is no longer power. Sometimes it is way more strategic to raid land, or raze cities then to conquer and hold. Every city needs to fulfill a specific goal in your strategy or else it should burn!
-missile cavalry hold a much stronger position in this mod. As well they have no natural counter. Spearmen are nothing but pincusions to the mongol horde! Learn to use the horse archers as well as defend against them. There is now a third tier promotion that helps against these units. For some civs it is imperative to get these promotions to survive!
-Research
-the tech tree as a whole holds far less importance then in other games. Instead, each civ has a small number of techs that are needed to succeed. Learning to figure out which ones, and the best ways to get them is key to success.
-Optimal play in this game often requires a strategy on research that is more then just "get the most beakers and great scientists". you need a plan of which techs to research, which to trade and which to steal and how to do this.
-Great People
-gone are the days when every game required setting up a dedicated GP farm. as well, concentrating on one type of GP in order to create a bulbing path is also less important.
-Great scholars have less importance then previous Great Scientists. Great prophets are often much stronger due to their ability to boost gold and production (which are the two key resources), bulbing the increased importance of religious techs and the new Great Saint ability to convert cities enmasse
-As well, a greater use of espionage makes a Great spy a fearsome weapon!
-Many UHV's require specific use of Great People, i.e. Great saints if there is a religious condition, artists for cultural.
-using Great People for golden ages is also a much more potent strategy then in the past due to stability issues, boosts in resources that are often lacking, and tight races for wonders or a military advantage. don't be afraid to burn a GP for a GA!
Above all, the modder has done an amazing job of making a mod that recreates the historic flavor of this time and place. Success stems from your ability to "get into character". If you are a civ that is a historic raider, then use the games mechanics to put an emphasis on raiding. If you are a builder, then you need to be able to defend from these raiders. Religious warfare is crucial and needs to be a part of your strategy. Know who your friends are and learn how to destroy the enemy infidels! Don't be discouraged if your plans go awry due to an unexpected enemy spawn. This is life in the medieval middle east. Instead embrace it and make it part of the fun of playing this game!
