WIP: Vox Populi online Manual

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[This may need many changes, it's not complete and lacks format, please wait a little before commenting]



Hi, everyone. Remember those times when you bought a game in a box and there was a little manual inside? Not that old, you mean? Well, there's nothing like that for Vox Populi. There's a wiki. There's the civilopedia inside the game. And some guides in civfanatics and reddit forums. Oh. And a long, exhausting, complete changelog and guide. Here, we'll try to provide the basics for any newcomer, hopefully something that can be read in less time than it takes to finish a game.

INTRODUCTION​

So, what is Vox Populi?

This popular mod is a complete overhaul of Sid Meier's Civilization V, Brave New World, with all DLCs. The mod itself is comprised of these mods:



-Community Patch, corrects some vanilla mechanics, enhances AI and basically allows for further modding.

-Community Balance Overhaul, adds a lot of new content and try to balance them all in the most engaging way.

-City State Diplomacy, adds city state quests and diplomatic units.

-Civ4 Diplomacy Features, back to tech trading and enhanced trading with other civs.

-More Luxuries, adds more luxuries.


Optionally, it can be installed with support for 43 civs at the same time and with a customized EUI version (enhanced interface). It also installs the Communitas map script.


Why Vox Populi?

It's a mod focused on balance, tactical gameplay with meaningful decisions throughout the whole game, reasonable and fair challenge, that has been tested and improved for years. Certainly, a top quality mod overhaul for Firaxis' Brave New World.


Game goals

Civilization is a turn based game where you pick a civilization, settle and develop cities, build units and fight, trade and engage in politics, from prehistoric times to the future. Everything in a beautiful hexagonal map. The goal is to be the first to achieve a victory condition, while having fun.

SETTING UP A GAME​

I highly recommend to install Vox Populi with EUI support and also FlagPromotions mod. To set up a game open your CIV V BNW game through the MOD menu, and SET UP a new game. Choose your Civilization, map type, map size, game pace and difficulty. In advanced setup, you can disable some victory conditions, force only one random victory, customize your map, choose your oponents or let it at random. There are options to disable events or just bad events, change barb behaviour or restore CIV V tech trading system, among other things.

 

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BASIC CONCEPTS​

CIVILIZATIONS

In Vox Populi, every civilization has three unique treats. An unique ability from the leader, an unique unit and an unique infrastructure, building or improvement. There's a small explanation of each one in the set up screen, but some of them have hidden bonuses.

Let me introduce you to Cassimir, King of Poland.

"Greetings!".

His uniques makes this civilization feel not very unique, but it's quite strong nonetheless. It's a good civilization to learn the basic game, as no special strategies are needed.

"Thanks, I suppose".

Poland gets a free policy every passing Age, as her leader trait. Free policies are quite valuable, since they are costly.

"This is what happens when the law is clear and respected!".

Well, yes, thank you, your Highness.

"Our knights also have no rival in the world, and our people know how to breed excellent horse races"

Winged Hussar, the polish unique unit, is actually a lancer replacement, stronger, with a tactical ability, not the best in the world, but Cassimir is right about their horses, they can produce horses in their Ducal Stables, a building that replaces the Stables, that let Poland produce better mounted units rather quick.

In addition to their uniques, each civilization has a flavour. Some leaders might prefer to make alliances with city states, other might attack you at the first sign of weakness.



UNITS

Units are people or armies that can be moved across the map. Civil units can't fight, some can be captured, while others directly die when attacked by a military unit. The most important unit is the Settler, that can settle cities. Then, worker units can build improvements and roads, and may remove terrain features like forests and marshes. Great People are special units focused in one type of skills (Great Merchants focus on gold, Great Generals focus on land combat). Diplomats improve City States relationship. Missionaries and Inquisitors spread and protect religions. Traders are special units that can only move in stablished trade routes.

Military units are needed both for protection and for advancing on enemies, more in the combat section. Military units can be disbanded for some gold, when the cost is too high.

The first settler founds the starting capital. Our friend Cassimir usually spawns near plains and grasslands, so he can find horses more easily, and usually is inland.

"What!? Warsow is inland, it should never be in the wet humid coast!"

Calm down, your Highness. While it can be used in the same spot where it spawns, to beging producing as soon as posible, sometimes it is useful to choose another location. Settling over trees directly chopp the trees (even without the required technology) and gives production to the city, hills provide extra defense and being next to a river or in the coast allows for a few special buildings.

CITIES

Cities are the core of the economy. There, citizens are born that work on controlled terrain inside city limits, or in specialists slots available for some buildings, and yielding local benefits. Citizens need food for living and extra food for growing. City workers and specialists produce 'yields', such as gold and culture, when working in the proper place. Idle workers still produce some production.

Cities can produce and purchase units, buildings, wonders and collaborate in projects. Cities can expand the empire borders with local culture or purchasing tiles. Buildings may be sold when gold is needed. When a city is revolting it can't produce or sell anything neither. Conquered cities might be left as puppets, returned to the rightful owner, or be controlled after a revolt period. Puppets are weak cities, that just slowly build their own buildings, but don't add technological or social costs and suffer less unhappiness.


RESOURCES

Basic terrains have basic yields when worked, but sometimes resources can be found in some tiles. A resource basically increase the yields of the tile. Having a worker unit improve a resource increase its yields even more. And finally, some buildings can further improve the yields from a resource or improvement. Improvements also connects resources to the global pool, even when not being worked.

Natural wonders, cannot be improved, but their yields increase upong ages. Some provide special bonuses.

Luxury resources, when connected (usually by improving the resource in owned territory) also give a bit of happiness. Purchased luxuries give happiness too.

Strategic resources, when connected, allows for production of special units and buildings.

Both luxury and strategic resources can be traded. Controlling more than 50% of any special resource in the world grants a monopoly, with extra bonuses. Controlling more than 25% of a strategic resource grants a combat bonus.

Note: Luxuries are distributed in clusters around the world map, so monopolies are quite easy to obtain.

"My armies always have extra attack power, we have always so many horses".

Your extra horses from the Ducal Stable certainly helps in getting this tactical monopoly, but those horses are not in the fields, so your people are not working on them. They are just useful for your army.

"Who cares? Even crossbowmen are fighting better, they feel greatness and pride."

I just wanted to point that the economy might not be improved as much as your armies.

"My economy will improve when my armies finish with what I'm planning, you'll see!".

 

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[Reserved for Great People, Golden Ages, Archaeologists and tourism]

 

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RELIGION​

Religion is a extremely powerful bonus for any player. It all begins by earning faith points. It can be found in goody huts, gifted by religious city states, in some natural wonders, and working some luxuries, but the most common source is shrines, temples and pantheons.


Pantheon.

With enough faith points, we can choose a pantheon not already chosen. Every civ can have a pantheon. Pantheons usually give some extra faith and culture or whatever, when conditions are met.



Founding a Religion.

With enough faith points, a Great Prophet is born. A Prophet can be used to spread a stablished religion or to create a holy site (faith, culture and tourism yields). But this first Prophet should be used to found a religion in a city, which becomes the Holy City. Not every civ can found a religion, so it's a race. Founding allows to pick a founder belief (bonus just for the founder) and a follower belief (bonus for the city that follows this religion). Missionaries can be bought that would spread the religion.


Usurping.

Losing the religion race is not the end of the world. An aggressive civilization may conquer a holy city and be recognized as the founder, benefitting from all bonuses.

"Why are you looking at me that way?"
Your Majesty, I find it rather suspicious that you didn't bother to build any shrine or temple. You know the people is happier when they find the solace of the faith. We are also concerned that our armies are far away from our capital.
"Have no worries. The army is headed towards the Holy City of Judaism, to claim what is our truly right. We'll make sure that their heathen rites, and their thites, are devoted to the goodness of the polish people."

Enhancing a Religion.

Another Great Prophet may enhance the official religion (the one founded or the majority followed in the empire). Enhancing grants another follower bonus for the cities and an extra bonus that usually helps with spreading the religion. It also allows to build an special temple with enough followers that allow that religion to Reform. Inquisitors can be bought that would prevent the city from being converted, or could remove heresy.


Reforming a Religion.

With enough followers and building the special holy building, or thanks to a special wonder, a Religion can be reformed, granting an amazing bonus to the founder, and extra votes in the world congress.


Spreading the Religion.

Passively. When a city follows a religion (the majority of its citizens follow that religion) the city naturally create religious pressure. This helps to convert citizens in the same and in nearby cities. Further religious buildings and policies increase this effect, but currently is not very good for spreading outside the owned empire.

Actively. Missionaries and Great Prophets is the main force for spreading. Trade routes may help a bit, specially with City States.

CORPORATIONS
​

In modern age, a civilization with any monopoly can build a Corporation, related to a set of monopolies. Only one Corporation of a kind can be built per game. The city where the corporation is built hosts the Main Office. Other owned cities may build Local Offices. Completing trade routes from any owned office to a foreign city creates a Foreign Office.

Every corporation works differently, but usually more local offices increases the bonus for every office. So, if every office gives +3 production, having 3 offices means +9 production in each city.

Additionally, trade routes to cities that already have a foreign office usually gives extra bonuses to the city where the trade route is originated.

[Note, even if you have a monopoly, another civ may get the only Corporation you are able to build just before you do, and you'll miss poorly].

 

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DIPLOMACY​

POLITICS

In the trade screen (click in the leader face) there are several politics options. War can be declared, or bribed, peace negotiated. You can offer or demand vassallage (protected by the liege, but have to pay a fee and join in wars). You can denounce someone so his enemies like you and his friends hate you. You can offer open borders, embassies, declare friendship, trade technologies. Votes can be purchased. And of course, you can buy and sell resources.



CITY STATES

Befriending city states gives several benefits. Just being friends gives some bonus to your capital, they also let your units pass and heal into their territory. Being allies usually gives bonus to all your cities and they join in your wars. Furthermore, if you build the diplomatic buildings in every city, each friend and ally city states is giving extra yields everywhere. When they are allied, they also share whatever resource or luxury they may have.

On the other hand, if you can scare a City State with your army, you might demand tribute from them, losing influence but getting a good sum of gold, for a good boost to your economy.

To be on the friendly side, you just need to complete their quests, save them from barbarian invasions, gift them some of your units or send them diplomatic units. Diplomatic units need paper to be produced, and paper is obtained in diplomatic buildings. Great Diplomats not only increase your influence with a City State, they also reduces influence from other civs, but you need to work many clerks to get some GD.

"Now what?"
You know, Your Majesty, a delegation from Hanoi is waiting for audience.
"Let them rot".
But, but, they have that wonderful inciense luxury, found nowhere else in the world, that our people is anxious to purchase! That could alleviate our war weariness.
"I have no interest in such pityful things, and we can spare not the gold or the time to work on any agreement".
They could also be good allies in our current war, protecting our rear.
"I highly doubt it. I am the tactician here and I know better".
Yes, Your Majesty. Such a lose! My wife has a dearing for that aromatic paste.

You can also pledge to protect a city state, giving a boost to your influence and their strength, but should you fail to protect them, the penalty is huge.



WORLD CONGRESS - UNITED NATIONS

Once every civ is met and a certain tech reached, it starts the World Congress. In the WC civs decide on three resolutions every while. Civs gets votes for: leading the Congress (be the one the meets them all), religion (spread successfully and reform), embassies (expend Great Diplomats in City State territory, only one allowed per CS), policies, wonders and, specially, having CS allies. Some resolutions are world projects where every civ competes. One of these projects is the United Nations. Once the United Nations is formed, and an ideology is chosen as world ideology, sessions to chose the world leader can begin. It is unlikely to purchase votes for having you elected, so it's a fight for keeping CS alliances.


SPECIAL AGENTS (SPIES)

Spies are special units that only work on cities, managed through the covert actions screen. In owned cities, they protect against other spies. In city states, they attempt coups d'etat, improving influence. In major capitals they may try to steal (gold, technologies) or sabbotage as a spy, or may increase politic options as a diplomat, such as purchasing votes and increasing tourism. Spies in secondary cities might steal great works of art, instead of technologies.

All spies remove fog of war where they are located. They might be killed if captured by another spy, and some turns will be needed for another spy to spawn.

 

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COMBAT​

Sooner or later, you'll need to fight. Vox Populi AI is not dumb, it can move and shoot, find weak points, change plans in the middle of a fight and send three groups of units to a pince attack and decoy, while bribing another civ to attack your rear. This is no joke. You are warned.


MOVEMENT

Basic units have 2 movement points. They may use them for moving or attacking. Basic terrain has a cost of 1 movement point, harsh terrain costs 2 movement points, and it adds up. Some actions end up the turn for a unit immediatly: attacking, crossing a river, crossing the Great Wall, embarking/disembarking, and side-steping an enemy unit (moving on his zone of control). Roads decrease movement cost (moving from a tile with a road to another tile with a road). Flying units aren't affected by roads or terrain. Scout units ignore terrain penalties. Some promotions help with movement. Siege units move slowlier in enemy territory.


TERRAIN BONUSES

Most units can benefit from terrain while defending. Hills, forests and jungles, forts and citadels. These units also may fortify, which means additional defense in the next turn.

Melee attacks suffer penalties for attacking across rivers, without amphibious promotions.


GARRISONS

Units in cities, forts and citadels are garrisoned. They can kill an adjacent unit and shall not move from their position. City garrisons are damaged upon the damage the city receives, and garrison unit promotions are not taken into account, only its Combat Strength.


HEALING

Units heals 20 HP in owned cities when resting (no action in that turn). 15HP in friendly territory, 10 HP in neutral and 5 in enemy. Adjacent units with medic promotions can increase healing by 5 or 10 HP. Pillaging enemy tiles heals 25 HP.


FLANKING

When a defending unit has fewer adjacent friendly units than the attacking units, the attacker gets flanking bonuses. This works even if the other units are weak. So, high mobile units, like scouts and mounted are perfect for flanking an enemy unit before beginning any attack.


UNIT TYPES

-Scouts. High vision, good movement, bad attack. Used for recon, provide flanking and decoy (send it to pillage another place).

-Melee. All purpose unit, good defense, might be used against cities, specially the swordsman type. Protect units behind while being dangerous themselves.

-Ranged. Long ranged attacks, weak defense. Provide support and a second line of damage.

-Mounted melee. Fast movement, high damage, may move after attack. Kill fleeing and lonely units. Flanking when posible.

-Ranged melee. Fast movement, short ranged damage, may move after attack. Hit and run tactics. Weakens enemies in most terrains. Surprisingly strong against ships.

-Siege units. Long ranged attack, low damage vs units, high damage vs cities, very weak. The main tool for taking cities safely, they are useful too against fortified positions and big enemy clusters.

-Naval melee. Fast moving, high damage vs ships. This is a defense against naval ranged and amphibious invasions.

-Naval ranged. Short range high damage. They control seas and shores, but need some melee as escorts.

-Bombers. Very long ranged, weak attack. They are relativelly safe in your cities and carry ships, useful for killing supporting units in the rear and to take cities before the enemy gets planes or anti-air units.


PROMOTIONS

When military units earn experience, they level up and can purchase promotions. Every new level requires more experience. Each unit type has its own promotions set. Most promotions are designed as binary trees, where each branch enhances one playstyle, and some promotions may be shared.
Some promotions are earned for free or granted by buildings or techs, just watch for them in the unit tooltip.

"This cannot work. Our tercios aren't trained in city combat."
We won't need it, sire. Well crush them in the fields, and with no opposition left, we'll just bomb their walls night and day and conquer Paris with no damages.
"Still. I would have prefered to take that city earlier, even if some men might die. We are delaying this campaign too much! Next time, be sure to have some units get into city combat".

SUPPLY LIMITS

Military buildings and population