A unique civilization concept, with focus on gold and trade economy: The Khazars (Khazarians).
From Wikipedia:
"The Khazars (/ˈxɑːzɑːrz/) were a semi-nomadic semitic people (possibly related to today's Ashkenazi Jews) that in the late 7th-century AD established a major commercial empire covering the southeastern section of modern European Russia, southern Ukraine, Crimea, and Kazakhstan. They created what for its duration was the most powerful polity to emerge from the break-up of the Western Turkic Khaganate. Astride a major artery of commerce between Eastern Europe and Southwestern Asia, Khazaria became one of the foremost trading empires of the early medieval world, commanding the western marches of the Silk Road and playing a key commercial role as a crossroad between China, the Middle East and Kievan Rus'. For some three centuries (c. 650–965) the Khazars dominated the vast area extending from the Volga-Don steppes to the eastern Crimea and the northern Caucasus."
Civ concept/identity in the game: The Khazars have a very open tech tree, with most Imperial Age units available. But while not a single of these units are fully upgradable (missing a lot of Imperial Age Blacksmith upgrades), they compensate this with a very strong gold economy, achieved in unique ways. Their role/niche as an economic trade civilization truly comes to life in Team Games, due to several civ bonuses and unique technologies that affects not only themselves, but their whole team.
Khazars: Economic Civilization
Civ bonus #1: Trade carts generate extra gold (+50% in Castle Age, +100% in Imperial Age)
Civ bonus #2: Military technologies/upgrades (at Barracks, Stables, Archery Ranges and Siege Workshops) costs -50% gold.
(For example: Cavalier to Paladin now costs 1300f, 375g (-375g).
Civ bonus #3: Market trades by any enemy player earns the Khazars a 10% commission in gold.
- For example, enemy buys wood/food/stone at the market for 400 gold. In actuality, he will only receive resources worth 360 gold, while the Khazar player receives the remaining 40 gold for free. Other example: An enemy sells 10,000 wood for 1400 gold in late Imperial Age. But he will only receive 1260 gold, as the remaining 140 will go to the Khazar player. To receive these collections, the Khazars needs a Market.
In Team Games, only the enemy players will be affected and the commission per trade is slightly reduced. In a 2vs2, the commission per player is 9%. In a 3vs3, it is 8%. In a 4vs4, it is 7%)
Civ bonus #4: Can build Trade Shop (available from Feudal Age)
Team Bonus: Spies are 50% cheaper
Unique building (available from Feudal Age): “Trade Shop”. Increases the collection rate of mining camps within a 5 tile radius by 20%. (For example, if a stone miner drops off 10 stone to an affected mining camp, the Khazar player will receive 2 extra/free stone upon drop-off (12 stone total). So not only does the collection rate increase by 20%, the actual mines will also last 20% longer. A mining camp can only be affected by one trade shop at a time.) Cost: 125w, 50g
Size: 2x2 tiles
Construction time: 40 seconds
Hit Points: 1000 (Feudal Age), 1200 (Castle Age), 1400 (Imperial Age)
Armor: 1 / 8 (Feudal Age), 2 / 9 (Castle Age), 3 / 10 (Imperial Age)
Trade Shop collection rate boost vs no Trade Shop (generic civ):
Collection rate from mining with no upgrades:
Gold (no Trade Shop): 22 gold/min
Gold: 27 gold/min (+5 / +23%)
Stone (no Trade Shop): 22 stone/min
Stone: 26 stone/min (+4 / +18%)
With Gold Mining and Stone Mining:
Gold (no Trade Shop): 26 gold/min
Gold: 31 gold/min (+5 / +19%)
Stone (no Trade Shop): 25 stone/min
Stone: 30 stone/min (+5 / +20%)
With Gold Shaft Mining and Stone Shaft Mining
(not available for Khazars):
Gold (Generic civ, no Trade Shop): 30 gold/min
Gold: 31 gold/min (+1 / +3%)
Stone (Generic civ, no Trade Shop): 29 stone/min
Stone: 30 stone/min (+1 / +3%)
Additional resources:
From the two 4-tile gold mines in the base (6400 gold), using a Trade Shop all throughout the game will get the Khazar 7680g from those instead (+1280 gold).
For Stone mines (2250 stone), with a Trade Shop they can take 2700 stone (+450 stone).
(The gold amount will be +1080 in case the player is forced to build 4 Trade Shops, since they cost 50g each (also -500w).
UT (Trade Shop): “Arbitrage” (Imperial Age): Boosts wood and food income by +33% for the next 8 minutes. Cost: 325g. (Can only be researched/used once).
Example, Khazars have 60 on food (1200 food/min) and 30 on wood (700 wood/min). After researching this tech, they would collect 1596 food (+396) and 931 wood (+231) for the next 8 minutes. This would net them an extra 3168 food and 1848 wood (supposing that worker efficiency is perfect), or about 5000 resources.
Since selling these resources at the Market would get you about 700 gold (5000 / 7.15) in post-Imperial Age, you could say that this tech gets you +115% resources for the 325 gold invested, compared to their market values. Of course, the trickle of resources are slower than if you were to buy them so it's not a perfect comparison.
Castle:
UT Castle Age, “Debt Collection”: Light Cavalry units costs -40% food (48 food vs 80) - 300f, 450g). You need to build at least 10 Light Cavalry for the technology to be worthwhile in terms of food cost (not counting the additional gold cost).
UT Imperial Age, “Stealth Wagon”: Own and allied trade carts receive +6/+6 armor. 500w, 750g.
How this technology improves Trade Carts:
VS Elite Skirmisher: 70 spears vs 10. +600%
VS Arbelaster: 18 arrows vs 7. +157%
VS Hussar: 14 hits vs 7. +100%
VS Cavalry Archer: 14 arrows vs 7. +100%
VS Elite Mangudai: 12 arrows vs 6. +100%
VS Paladin: 6 hits vs 4. +50%
VS Cavalier: 7 hits vs 5. +40%
UU Castle: Kievan Mercenary. All-around infantry unit. Can only be hired in groups of 10. Good vs Spearmen and Eagle Warriors. Weak against Heavy Cavalry, Archers and Monks. (Pretty much a Two-Handed Swordsman that costs no food but +75% gold, and is trained much faster).
Cost: 350g (35g per unit)
Upg cost: 700g (gains +4 attack, +1 melee armor)
Training time: 40 seconds (30s after Conscription)
HP: 60 (60)
Attack: 10 (14) - 16
Speed: 1.05 - 1.155
Armor: 0 / 1 (1 / 1) - 4 / 5
Rate of fire: 2.0
Attack bonuses: +4 (6) vs Eagle Warrior, +3 (4) vs Standard Building
Armor class: Infantry, Unique Unit
Conversion resistance: -33%
Castle Age:
VS Pikeman: 6. Killed in 15, 45s. +275%
VS Light Cavalry: 8. Killed in 9. +12.5%
VS Long Swordsman: 7. Killed in 7 (6.44). +0%
VS Berserk: 7. Killed in 5. -29% (Berserk: +40%)
VS Knight: 15. Killed in 6, 10.8s. -64% (Knight: +177%)
Imperial Age:
VS Elite Karambit Warrior: 4. Killed in 7. +75%
VS Elite Eagle (Inca): 4. Killed in 7. +75%
VS Elite Eagle (Aztec): 4. Killed in 5. +20%
VS Elite Eagle (Mayan): 6. Killed in 7. +17%
VS Hussar (Generic): 8. Killed in 9, 17.1s. +7%
VS Helvetian Spearman: 6. Killed in 4, 12.8s. +7%
VS Elite Raider: 6. Killed in 6. +0%
VS Elite Huskarl: 5. Killed in 5. +0%
VS Two-Handed Swordsman: 5. Killed in 5. +0%
VS Champion: 6. Killed in 5. -17% (Champion: +20%)
VS Elite Berserk: 7. Killed in 5. -29% (Berserk: +40%)
VS Cavalier: 13. Killed in 5, 9s. -65% (Cavalier: +160%)
VS Paladin: 17. Killed in 5, 9.5s. -72% (Paladin: +258%)
VS Arbelaster: 12 arrows. (-14% vs Champion. -76% Mayan Eagle.)
Speed: 1.05 (+17% vs Champion. +0% vs Berserk/Huskarl. -16% vs Elite Raider. -19% vs Elite Eagle. -30% vs Hussar.)
Tech tree:
Barracks: Champion, Halberdier
Stable: Paladin, Hussar, Heavy Camel Rider
Archery Range: Heavy Cavalry Archer, Arbelaster, Elite Skirmisher
Siege Workshop: Onager, Capped Ram, Heavy Scorpion, Bombard Cannon
- However, not a single fully upgradable unit, due to missing Blast Furnace, Bloodlines, Thumb Ring, Ring Archer Armor, Supplies and Siege Engineers.
Missing units: Battle Elephant, Elephant Archer, Hand Cannoneer, Siege Onager, Siege Ram, Elite Cannon Galleon
Missing technologies: Blast Furnace, Bloodlines, Thumb Ring, Ring Archer Armor, Siege Engineers, Redemption, Block Printing, Gold Shaft Mining, Stone Shaft Mining
Khazar Hussar:
VS Hussar (Generic): Kills in 16. Killed in 10. -37.5% (Generic: +60%)
VS Champion: Kills in 14, 25.2s. Killed in 6. -52% (Champ: +110%)
VS Arbalester: 19 arrows. (-21% vs Generic. Generic is: +26%)
Khazar Paladin:
VS Cavalier (Generic): Kills in 13, 24.7s.
Killed in 15, 27s. +9%
VS Paladin (Generic): Kills in 17. Killed in 13. -23.5% (Generic Paladin: +31%)
VS Arbelaster: 54 arrows. +54% vs Cavalier. -10% vs Generic Paladin.
Has +20 HP and +1 PA vs a Generic FU Cavalier.
Has -20 HP and -2 Attack vs a Generic FU Paladin.
Khazar Heavy Camel:
VS Cavalier (Generic): Kills in 7.
Killed in 10, 18s. +28.5%
VS Heavy Camel (Byzantine): Kills in 8.
Killed in 8. +0%
VS Paladin (Generic): Kills in 9.
Killed in 8, 15.2s. -16% (Paladin: +18%)
VS Heavy Camel (Berber): Kills in 10.
Killed in 8. -20% (Berber: +25%)
VS Heavy Camel (Saracen): Kills in 12.
Killed in 8. -34% (Saracen: +50%)
VS Arbelaster: 20 arrows. -17% vs Berber. (Generic Camel is +20% stronger)
Conclusion:
The Khazars would be a good civ to have on your team, due to lessening the ability for the enemy team to buy/sell resources at the Market, as well as making your trade line a lot more secure from being destroyed/raided. However it comes at the cost of not having any particularly strong late game units, especially in games where trade is actually used (they have Paladin but it lacks both Bloodlines and Blast Furnace).
In 1vs1s, their early gold and stone economy, along with very fast producing unique units at the Castle, can allow for some interesting strategies in Castle Age (like Castle dropping and then spamming infantry from that Castle into the enemy's base).
Saving 50% gold on every military upgrade also allows them to have a pretty good Archer play. Combined with Light Cav/Hussars costing 48 food per unit, and the "Arbitrage" tech (researched at the Trade Shop) could give them a nice power spike in early Imperial Age.
***************************
What do you think of this civilization concept? Would it be viable/balanced? Fun/interesting or boring/uninteresting?
From Wikipedia:
"The Khazars (/ˈxɑːzɑːrz/) were a semi-nomadic semitic people (possibly related to today's Ashkenazi Jews) that in the late 7th-century AD established a major commercial empire covering the southeastern section of modern European Russia, southern Ukraine, Crimea, and Kazakhstan. They created what for its duration was the most powerful polity to emerge from the break-up of the Western Turkic Khaganate. Astride a major artery of commerce between Eastern Europe and Southwestern Asia, Khazaria became one of the foremost trading empires of the early medieval world, commanding the western marches of the Silk Road and playing a key commercial role as a crossroad between China, the Middle East and Kievan Rus'. For some three centuries (c. 650–965) the Khazars dominated the vast area extending from the Volga-Don steppes to the eastern Crimea and the northern Caucasus."
Civ concept/identity in the game: The Khazars have a very open tech tree, with most Imperial Age units available. But while not a single of these units are fully upgradable (missing a lot of Imperial Age Blacksmith upgrades), they compensate this with a very strong gold economy, achieved in unique ways. Their role/niche as an economic trade civilization truly comes to life in Team Games, due to several civ bonuses and unique technologies that affects not only themselves, but their whole team.
Khazars: Economic Civilization
Civ bonus #1: Trade carts generate extra gold (+50% in Castle Age, +100% in Imperial Age)
Civ bonus #2: Military technologies/upgrades (at Barracks, Stables, Archery Ranges and Siege Workshops) costs -50% gold.
(For example: Cavalier to Paladin now costs 1300f, 375g (-375g).
Civ bonus #3: Market trades by any enemy player earns the Khazars a 10% commission in gold.
- For example, enemy buys wood/food/stone at the market for 400 gold. In actuality, he will only receive resources worth 360 gold, while the Khazar player receives the remaining 40 gold for free. Other example: An enemy sells 10,000 wood for 1400 gold in late Imperial Age. But he will only receive 1260 gold, as the remaining 140 will go to the Khazar player. To receive these collections, the Khazars needs a Market.
In Team Games, only the enemy players will be affected and the commission per trade is slightly reduced. In a 2vs2, the commission per player is 9%. In a 3vs3, it is 8%. In a 4vs4, it is 7%)
Civ bonus #4: Can build Trade Shop (available from Feudal Age)
Team Bonus: Spies are 50% cheaper
Unique building (available from Feudal Age): “Trade Shop”. Increases the collection rate of mining camps within a 5 tile radius by 20%. (For example, if a stone miner drops off 10 stone to an affected mining camp, the Khazar player will receive 2 extra/free stone upon drop-off (12 stone total). So not only does the collection rate increase by 20%, the actual mines will also last 20% longer. A mining camp can only be affected by one trade shop at a time.) Cost: 125w, 50g
Size: 2x2 tiles
Construction time: 40 seconds
Hit Points: 1000 (Feudal Age), 1200 (Castle Age), 1400 (Imperial Age)
Armor: 1 / 8 (Feudal Age), 2 / 9 (Castle Age), 3 / 10 (Imperial Age)
Trade Shop collection rate boost vs no Trade Shop (generic civ):
Collection rate from mining with no upgrades:
Gold (no Trade Shop): 22 gold/min
Gold: 27 gold/min (+5 / +23%)
Stone (no Trade Shop): 22 stone/min
Stone: 26 stone/min (+4 / +18%)
With Gold Mining and Stone Mining:
Gold (no Trade Shop): 26 gold/min
Gold: 31 gold/min (+5 / +19%)
Stone (no Trade Shop): 25 stone/min
Stone: 30 stone/min (+5 / +20%)
With Gold Shaft Mining and Stone Shaft Mining
(not available for Khazars):
Gold (Generic civ, no Trade Shop): 30 gold/min
Gold: 31 gold/min (+1 / +3%)
Stone (Generic civ, no Trade Shop): 29 stone/min
Stone: 30 stone/min (+1 / +3%)
Additional resources:
From the two 4-tile gold mines in the base (6400 gold), using a Trade Shop all throughout the game will get the Khazar 7680g from those instead (+1280 gold).
For Stone mines (2250 stone), with a Trade Shop they can take 2700 stone (+450 stone).
(The gold amount will be +1080 in case the player is forced to build 4 Trade Shops, since they cost 50g each (also -500w).
UT (Trade Shop): “Arbitrage” (Imperial Age): Boosts wood and food income by +33% for the next 8 minutes. Cost: 325g. (Can only be researched/used once).
Example, Khazars have 60 on food (1200 food/min) and 30 on wood (700 wood/min). After researching this tech, they would collect 1596 food (+396) and 931 wood (+231) for the next 8 minutes. This would net them an extra 3168 food and 1848 wood (supposing that worker efficiency is perfect), or about 5000 resources.
Since selling these resources at the Market would get you about 700 gold (5000 / 7.15) in post-Imperial Age, you could say that this tech gets you +115% resources for the 325 gold invested, compared to their market values. Of course, the trickle of resources are slower than if you were to buy them so it's not a perfect comparison.
Castle:
UT Castle Age, “Debt Collection”: Light Cavalry units costs -40% food (48 food vs 80) - 300f, 450g). You need to build at least 10 Light Cavalry for the technology to be worthwhile in terms of food cost (not counting the additional gold cost).
UT Imperial Age, “Stealth Wagon”: Own and allied trade carts receive +6/+6 armor. 500w, 750g.
How this technology improves Trade Carts:
VS Elite Skirmisher: 70 spears vs 10. +600%
VS Arbelaster: 18 arrows vs 7. +157%
VS Hussar: 14 hits vs 7. +100%
VS Cavalry Archer: 14 arrows vs 7. +100%
VS Elite Mangudai: 12 arrows vs 6. +100%
VS Paladin: 6 hits vs 4. +50%
VS Cavalier: 7 hits vs 5. +40%
UU Castle: Kievan Mercenary. All-around infantry unit. Can only be hired in groups of 10. Good vs Spearmen and Eagle Warriors. Weak against Heavy Cavalry, Archers and Monks. (Pretty much a Two-Handed Swordsman that costs no food but +75% gold, and is trained much faster).
Cost: 350g (35g per unit)
Upg cost: 700g (gains +4 attack, +1 melee armor)
Training time: 40 seconds (30s after Conscription)
HP: 60 (60)
Attack: 10 (14) - 16
Speed: 1.05 - 1.155
Armor: 0 / 1 (1 / 1) - 4 / 5
Rate of fire: 2.0
Attack bonuses: +4 (6) vs Eagle Warrior, +3 (4) vs Standard Building
Armor class: Infantry, Unique Unit
Conversion resistance: -33%
Castle Age:
VS Pikeman: 6. Killed in 15, 45s. +275%
VS Light Cavalry: 8. Killed in 9. +12.5%
VS Long Swordsman: 7. Killed in 7 (6.44). +0%
VS Berserk: 7. Killed in 5. -29% (Berserk: +40%)
VS Knight: 15. Killed in 6, 10.8s. -64% (Knight: +177%)
Imperial Age:
VS Elite Karambit Warrior: 4. Killed in 7. +75%
VS Elite Eagle (Inca): 4. Killed in 7. +75%
VS Elite Eagle (Aztec): 4. Killed in 5. +20%
VS Elite Eagle (Mayan): 6. Killed in 7. +17%
VS Hussar (Generic): 8. Killed in 9, 17.1s. +7%
VS Helvetian Spearman: 6. Killed in 4, 12.8s. +7%
VS Elite Raider: 6. Killed in 6. +0%
VS Elite Huskarl: 5. Killed in 5. +0%
VS Two-Handed Swordsman: 5. Killed in 5. +0%
VS Champion: 6. Killed in 5. -17% (Champion: +20%)
VS Elite Berserk: 7. Killed in 5. -29% (Berserk: +40%)
VS Cavalier: 13. Killed in 5, 9s. -65% (Cavalier: +160%)
VS Paladin: 17. Killed in 5, 9.5s. -72% (Paladin: +258%)
VS Arbelaster: 12 arrows. (-14% vs Champion. -76% Mayan Eagle.)
Speed: 1.05 (+17% vs Champion. +0% vs Berserk/Huskarl. -16% vs Elite Raider. -19% vs Elite Eagle. -30% vs Hussar.)
Tech tree:
Barracks: Champion, Halberdier
Stable: Paladin, Hussar, Heavy Camel Rider
Archery Range: Heavy Cavalry Archer, Arbelaster, Elite Skirmisher
Siege Workshop: Onager, Capped Ram, Heavy Scorpion, Bombard Cannon
- However, not a single fully upgradable unit, due to missing Blast Furnace, Bloodlines, Thumb Ring, Ring Archer Armor, Supplies and Siege Engineers.
Missing units: Battle Elephant, Elephant Archer, Hand Cannoneer, Siege Onager, Siege Ram, Elite Cannon Galleon
Missing technologies: Blast Furnace, Bloodlines, Thumb Ring, Ring Archer Armor, Siege Engineers, Redemption, Block Printing, Gold Shaft Mining, Stone Shaft Mining
Khazar Hussar:
VS Hussar (Generic): Kills in 16. Killed in 10. -37.5% (Generic: +60%)
VS Champion: Kills in 14, 25.2s. Killed in 6. -52% (Champ: +110%)
VS Arbalester: 19 arrows. (-21% vs Generic. Generic is: +26%)
Khazar Paladin:
VS Cavalier (Generic): Kills in 13, 24.7s.
Killed in 15, 27s. +9%
VS Paladin (Generic): Kills in 17. Killed in 13. -23.5% (Generic Paladin: +31%)
VS Arbelaster: 54 arrows. +54% vs Cavalier. -10% vs Generic Paladin.
Has +20 HP and +1 PA vs a Generic FU Cavalier.
Has -20 HP and -2 Attack vs a Generic FU Paladin.
Khazar Heavy Camel:
VS Cavalier (Generic): Kills in 7.
Killed in 10, 18s. +28.5%
VS Heavy Camel (Byzantine): Kills in 8.
Killed in 8. +0%
VS Paladin (Generic): Kills in 9.
Killed in 8, 15.2s. -16% (Paladin: +18%)
VS Heavy Camel (Berber): Kills in 10.
Killed in 8. -20% (Berber: +25%)
VS Heavy Camel (Saracen): Kills in 12.
Killed in 8. -34% (Saracen: +50%)
VS Arbelaster: 20 arrows. -17% vs Berber. (Generic Camel is +20% stronger)
Conclusion:
The Khazars would be a good civ to have on your team, due to lessening the ability for the enemy team to buy/sell resources at the Market, as well as making your trade line a lot more secure from being destroyed/raided. However it comes at the cost of not having any particularly strong late game units, especially in games where trade is actually used (they have Paladin but it lacks both Bloodlines and Blast Furnace).
In 1vs1s, their early gold and stone economy, along with very fast producing unique units at the Castle, can allow for some interesting strategies in Castle Age (like Castle dropping and then spamming infantry from that Castle into the enemy's base).
Saving 50% gold on every military upgrade also allows them to have a pretty good Archer play. Combined with Light Cav/Hussars costing 48 food per unit, and the "Arbitrage" tech (researched at the Trade Shop) could give them a nice power spike in early Imperial Age.
***************************
What do you think of this civilization concept? Would it be viable/balanced? Fun/interesting or boring/uninteresting?
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