Preamble
This post follows on from squamiger’s work [Civ Proposal: The Omanis] on the framework for a potential Omani civilization. I drew on it for inspiration, and as a natural consequence — when you draw inspiration from something, you always want to do better and go further! So I pushed my research further, going as far as to build out a full model for an Omani civilization.
Economic side :
My aim was to make the civilization more unique and less Europeanized. I started by establishing a new unique building, the souk, on which the civilization’s entire economic strategy rests. It will be as important as the Trading Post might be for the Danes, or the Cattle Market for the African civilizations. Unlockable at Age 2. Three economic paths revolve around the souk: caravans, the incense trade, and livestock.
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Caravans: the Bedouin Merchant can be created from the souk. It travels to a trading post to bring goods back to the souk. It imports gold, or incense via a technology. The greater the distance traveled, the more resources it will bring back. This economic path can be profitable, provided you protect your Bedouin Merchant! You can rely on the Omani civilization’s bonuses to help secure your caravan convoy.
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The incense trade replaces the European exchange system. This new system introduces a new resource: incense. It is gathered from the incense tree, unlockable via cards or age-advancement bonuses. Incense has a higher value than gold and can be sold for any resource at a very good rate. Since its gathering rate is very low (0.30/s), you’ll need to plan your strategy carefully before committing to it!
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Livestock is the last path, more familiar to players, which consists of selling livestock (goats, in this case) for wood or gold. Even though livestock doesn’t benefit from any substantial upgrade or unique technologies like its African counterparts, it could be a useful crutch for your economy, especially if the game drags on.
There remains one more economic path, more traditional and not managed by the souk: agriculture! Boosted by your falajs, an irrigation system that increases the production of surrounding fields. You’ll be able to choose between food production or a gold production that is less abundant than plantations.
Military side :
The sabla is the military building that combines cavalry and infantry, much like the war camps of the African civilizations. In case of an agression, or to support your army offensivly, you can use the sabla’s special ability, which doubles the training speed of your units.
The Omani army is thus built around mobile and powerful melee infantry. While your Kattara Warriors and Baluchi Infantry excel at melee combat, your army lacks good firearms and will therefore be fairly mediocre at range. With their high hit points and strong melee damage, your Baluchi Infantry will be the backbone of your offensive strategies. You can pair Javelin Riders with Kattara warrior for an early aggression, or wait until Age 3 to unlock the powerful Dhalūl Camelry.
For all defensive strategies, you can rely on forts and tribal militias, which defend your strategic interests and can even go as far as to harass your enemy. Even though the civilization has no unique artillery, you can rely on European artillery once you unlock the costly Imported Cannons technology, or on Gatling camels from your home city.
Age system :
For age advancement, you have the option of choosing between three main paths. First, the defensive path, represented by the Ghafiri Confederation, which grants you the ability to call the militias one more time while increasing their number and quality!
The second path is represented by the Hinawi Confederation, more economic in nature, which involves expanding your caravan network or stockpiling incense for lucrative income.
The third path, more traditional, is that of the colonial powers. In exchange for a steeper cost to advance an age, they will offer you good shipments as well as convenient technologies to ensure your survival against powerful industrial civilizations.
Civilization Bonus
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Starts with 1 Sultan and 5 villagers.
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Home City: Muscat
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You receive a fort wagon every age.
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The tribal garrison replaces the militia and lets you deploy them in town centers and forts.
Strengths and Weaknesses
(Good)
- Melee units
- Multiple economics strategies
- Defense
- Naval
- Scout
(Bad)
- Skirmishing
- Artillery
- Industrial Age: the late game could prove difficult against civilizations with modern infrastructure, technologies, and military units.
New Resource and huntable animal
Incense is a scarce resource, even today, because the tree that produces this resin requires very specific meteorological and geological conditions. Even today, incense is mainly harvested by practicing wild picking.
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Incense: gathered from incense trees. A currency that can only be exchanged at the souk, which offers very good exchange rates for all resources.
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Incense Tree: /100 incense (0.30/s)
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Arabian Oryx (/400 food)
Buildings
- Watchtower (modeled on the African civilizations, with desert units as trainable units).
- Falaj (irrigation system that includes a well)
- Fields
- Souk (market + tavern)
- Sabla (acts as a military operations center; replaces the barracks and stable)
- Walls
- Port
- Town Center
- House
- Trading Post
- Embassy
- Minaret
- Omani Fort (also called Qal’a)
Unique Units
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Fathila: low-cost musketman with few hit points, but fast and effective in melee. - Available at the Sabla. - Age 2
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Kattara Warrior: fast melee infantry with a good melee attack rate. Razha ability: your Kattara Warriors dodge melee damage taken for 5 seconds. - Available at the Sabla - Age 2
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Baluchi Infantry: janissary-type heavy infantry with lower ranged damage (22), but greater range (14). - Available at forts - Age 3
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Dhalūl Camelry: fast heavy cavalry with a x1.25 bonus against heavy cavalry. Gains the Musket ability. - Available at the Sabla - Age 3
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Sultan’s Personal Guard: versatile infantry whose combat effectiveness increases near forts and the Sultan. Has a powerful ranged attack (64), solid range (20), but a slow rate of fire (>4). Can also mount a horse to become a hybrid cavalry unit. - Available at forts and from your Sultan - Age 4.
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Bedouin Merchant: carries gold from trading posts to souks; their gold storage increases as you advance ages: +10%/+15%/+20%
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Imam
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Sultan
Generic / Shared Units
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Desert Archer (Watchtower)
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Desert Warrior (Watchtower)
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Desert Raider (Watchtower)
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Javelin Rider (Sabla)
Tribal Units
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Tribal Horseman (Ghafiri Confederation)
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Bedouin Horse Archer (Ghafiri Confederation)
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African Vagabond (Ghafiri Confederation)
Unique Naval Units
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Ngalawa
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Sambuk
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Ghanjah Dhow Dhow
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Baghlah
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Pearl Dhow (/3): fishing boat, more resilient, which passively gathers gold (1.15/s).
Unique Buildings
Omani Fort
(/1, +1 starting Age 3), with lower damage and hit points compared to its European counterpart. However, it has increased line of sight and range. You can build forts using Omani fort wagons available from your town center.
- Tribal Garrison: Sends 5 African Vagabonds who progressively lose hit points.
- Age 3 - Imported Cannons: allows you to purchase falconets, culverins, and mortars from your Omani fort.
- Age 3 - Barracking: You can garrison your Baluchi Infantry. They progressively regain hit points while garrisoned.
- Reinforcement: Age 2 - Your tribal garrison increases from 5 to 10 units. Age 3 - Your tribal garrison increases from 10 to 15 units. Age 4 - Your tribal garrison increases from 15 to 20 units.
- Passive ability: Regenerates the hit points of your nearby merchant units.
- Age 3 - Baluchi Infantry
- Age 4 - Sultan’s Personal Guard
Souk
(/1) - (buildable at Age 2): trains Bedouin Merchants (150 gold) and Goats (100 food). (all technologies):
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Incense trading replaces traditional market trading. You cannot buy incense, only sell it. Exchange rates fluctuate like European market rates.
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Exchange 300 food for 125 incense.
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Exchange 300 wood for 150 incense.
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Exchange 300 gold for 175 incense.
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Livestock trading:
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Exchange a fattened goat for 300 gold
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Exchange a fattened goat for 300 wood.
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Slowly fattens your livestock
- Age 2 - Fusion: gathers gold from mines 20% faster
- Age 2 - Log Floating: gathers wood 20% faster
- Age 2 - Dishdasha: your villagers move 5% faster
- Age 2 - Improved Falaj: your irrigation system increases the productivity of your fields by 10%.
- Age 2 - Improved Caravan: increases the movement speed of your Bedouin Merchants by 5%. Age 3 - Improved Caravan II: increases the movement speed of your Bedouin Merchants by 7%.
- Age 3 - Desert Coalition: reduces the population cost of your desert units by 1; they also train faster.
- Age 3 - Trade: your Bedouin Merchants carry 20% more goods.
- Age 3 - Smuggled Weapons: your settlers gain the musket attack ability.
- Age 4 - Desert Pearl: your fishing boats and pearl dhows also gather gold in their nets.
Sabla
(/3) (unique technologies only)
- Active ability, Territorial Defense: your sablas train units 100% faster for 15 seconds.
Minaret
Trains Imams. (unique technologies only):
- Passive ability: Regeneration
- Age 2 - Islamic Knowledge: all technologies are researched 10% faster. Age 3 - Islamic Knowledge II: all technologies are researched 25% faster. Age 4 - Islamic Knowledge III: all technologies are researched 50% faster.
- Age 3 - Ibadism: all your economic units now slowly regenerate hit points.
- Age 3 - State Religion: your Sultan now increases the kill experience of your nearby units by 30%.
Falaj
(placed like walls, with wells instead of pillars): increases field productivity and livestock fattening by 15%; if connected to a water source, productivity and fattening then increase by 30% total.
Fields
Build limit /15 - Gatherer limit /5 - Cost: 100 wood.
- Fattens your livestock faster
- Made up of date palms; you can choose between standard food production or a lower gold production compared to European plantations and African fields (0.35/s)
- Age 2 - Improved Fields: you gather food 10% and gold 5% faster. Age 3 - Advanced Fields: you gather food 15% and gold 10% faster. Age 4 - Agriculture: you gather food 20% and gold 15% faster.
New Technology
- [Town Center] - Fort Wagon: Delivers an Omani fort wagon.
- [Town Center] - Tribal Garrison: Sends 5 African Vagabonds who progressively lose hit points.
- [Port] - Bay of Muscat: your port becomes invisible for 30 seconds
New cards
→ Does not receive any card improving the productivity of fields, falajs, or livestock.
- Age 1 - Ivory: your souk specializes in the ivory trade. Provides a steady income of gold (1.25/s). Your villagers mine gold 10% faster.
- Age 1 - Spices: your souk specializes in the spice trade. Provides a steady income of food (1.75/s). Your villagers gather food 10% faster.
- Age 1 - Exotic Wood: your souk specializes in the exotic wood trade. Provides a steady income of wood (1.50/s). Your villagers gather wood 10% faster.
- Age 1 - Tribal Diplomacy: the cost of tribal garrisons decreases by 15%.
- Age 1 - Advanced Falaj: builds faster and increases the water-source connection bonus by 10%.
- Age 1 - Falconer: your Sultan gains the Falconry ability: once activated, a falcon appears for 10 seconds. Use it as a scout.
- Age 1 - Maritime Economy: receive 2 fishing boats.
- Age 2 - Incense [infinite]: each field produces one incense tree.
- Age 2 - Incense: each field produces 2 incense trees.
- Age 2 - Rhino Shield: gives your Kattara a larger shield: decreases the movement speed of your Kattara units by -5%, but increases their ranged and melee resistance by 10%.
- Age 2 - Land of Incense: your Bedouin Merchants now carry incense instead of gold, at a lower rate.
- Age 2 - Oryx: delivers 9 Arabian Oryx.
- Age 2 - Sayf Sword: your Kattara Warriors arm themselves with a curved blade. Damage area: 1, but their attack rate decreases (1.2 → 1.5). They are renamed Sayf Warrior.
- Age 2 - Advanced Souk: sends a souk wagon. Souks have better resource exchange rates: +15% incense sale.
- Age 2 - Al-Taghrooda [Team]: camel units move faster, +7.5%.
- Age 3 - Damask Rose: converts your date palm crops into damask roses. You now produce only gold, but at a much higher rate (0.55/s).
- Age 3 - Incense: each field produces 3 incense trees.
- Age 3 - Oryx: delivers 15 Arabian Oryx.
- Age 3 - Omani Dagger: your Kattara Warriors and Baluchi Infantry attack faster: -15% attack rate.
- Age 3 - Desert Alliance: receive 5 Desert Archers, 5 Desert Warriors, and 5 Desert Raiders.
- Age 3 - Gatling Camels: receive 2 Gatling Camels.
- Age 3 - Arabian Purebreds: all your mounted cavalry units gain 25% additional hit points and +10% movement speed.
- Age 3 - Close Combat: the melee attacks of all your infantry increase by 15%.
- Age 3 - Corsair Friendship: receive a dhow carrying 8 Barbary Pirates. They are now available from your Baghlah.
- Age 4 - Incense: each field produces 4 incense trees.
- Age 4 - British Legacy: your Baluchi Infantry is now equipped with the Martini-Henry, converting them into light ranged infantry. Damage: 22 → 12; Range: 14 → 20; Melee resistance → Ranged resistance. Ranged damage dealt increases the closer the unit is to its target.
- Age 4 - Oryx: delivers 24 Arabian Oryx.
- Age 4 - Matchlock Musket: increases the ranged damage of your riflemans by +15%; their range by +1.
- Age 4 - Sedentary: receive 1 Gatling Camel and enables its training at a reduced gold cost in forts. 450 gold → 350 gold, 100 wood.
- Age 4 - Mercenaries of Africa I: receive 10 Hadrami Dervishes and enables their training at souks.
- Age 4 - Mercenaries of Africa II: receive 10 Circassian Lancers and enables their training at souks.
- Age 4 - Mercenaries of Africa III: receive 10 Mijikenda Bowmen and enables their training at souks.
- Age 4 - Swahili Army: receive 15 Askaris.
Ages
Ghafiri Confederation
Age 2
Allows you to call the tribal garrison one additional time. Their hit points decrease twice as slowly.
Technology
- Bani Harras: watchtowers attack faster (3 → 2).
Age 3
Allows you to call the tribal garrison one additional time. The hit points and damage of tribal units increase by 30%.
Technology
- Bani Qitab: half of your garrison is now composed of Tribal Horsemen
Age 4
Allows you to call the tribal garrison one additional time. All your military units, including your tribal units, move faster near forts.
Technology
- Na’im: replaces African Vagabonds with Bedouin Horse Archers
Hinawi Confederation
Age 2
Each field generates an incense tree. Grants one additional Bedouin Merchant (/6).
Technology
- Bani Hina: your watchtowers deal more damage to enemies, especially to ships.
Age 3
Each field generates an incense tree. Grants one additional Bedouin Merchant (/7).
Technology
- Harasis: increases the hit points of your Bedouin Merchants by 50% and their line of sight by 25%.
Age 4
Each field generates an incense tree. Grants one additional Bedouin Merchant (/8).
Technology
- Bani Hasan: receive as many watchtower wagons as you have forts. Your watchtowers are more effective near forts.
Colonial Ally
Age 2 - Portugal
→ 1000 food
- Each newly built port slowly trains a caravel.
- Delivers an arsenal wagon.
Technologies
- Cartaz System: for every enemy naval unit created, you now receive a shipment of 30 gold (for fishing boats) and 70 gold (for warships).
- Modern Garrison: replaces your tribal levy with a standard European militia
Age 3 - India
–>1400 food, 1100 gold
- Replaces Javelin Riders with Zamburaks at the sabla.
- Delivers 8 Gurkhas
Technologies
- Bombay Marine: your warships’ line of sight is considerably increased.
- Treaty of 1798: each fort you own receives a garrison of 8 Gurkhas and 5 Baluchis.
Age 4 - Zanzibar
→ 2200 food, 1300 gold
- Your Bedouin Merchant carries 10% more goods for each of your trading posts present on the map.
- Delivers 3 trading posts
Technologies
- Triangular Trade: your Bedouin Merchants 25% additional resources.
- Cloves: you can now collect cloves in your fields, which gives you gold much faster (0.47/s).
Thank you for reading me!