First of all, I don’t speak neither English nor Chinese as my native language. So please bear with me if I make any grammar or puctuation mistakes.
This is just a conceptual suggestion, that’s why the thread will only address bonuses, units and techs. Specific bonus values and the tech tree can always be discussed and tweaked for balance later to improve this suggestion.
These are just ideas. I’m not saying the Chinese civ should be like this or that. Just take it with a grain of salt.
I wrote this inspired by the original AoM, so most bonus values should be either 10% or 15% like in the vanilla version. Of course, there are going to be exceptions, so it’d be awesome if everybody could post their opinions and we could discuss our points of view in this thread.
Note: This suggestion is mainly about taoist myths and chinese folk tales, and a lot less buddhist and hindu (almost not all). The idea behind this decision was to make it about 100% of chinese-origin mythology, while trying to be as respectful to the chinese culture as possible; with indian hindu/buddhist influence kept to the minimun. This in hopes that we could get hindu civs in the future that can portray gods such as Hanuman (Sun wukong deity counterpart) accurately.
Also, the four sacred beasts are no longer myth units. But they are still included as relic summons. It was conceptualized like this because, as the anthropologist Peng Liu says, the four sacred beasts are manifestations of divinity. Just like the prophets in abrahamanic religions are manifestations of divinity as well. For example, it’d make more sense to have John the Baptist, Jesus, and Mahoma as heroes or unique summons from relics… rather than having them as myth units. On top of that, there are still a lot of chinese sects that worship the sacred beasts as protector gods. It’d be insulting to train more than one azure dragon or the other ones in-game.
Note 2: Some technologies are named after chinese poems and proverbs; others are named after common titles of chinese folk tales. The poets are Li Yu, Tang Yin, Lüqiu Yin, Fenggan, Shide, Cao Cao, and some paraphrased quotes from Mozi.
The Chinese
Favor source: Gardens.
Wonders:
-Eastern Zhou Royal Mausoleum: Horse and Chariot pits.
-Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang: Terracotta army pit.
-Zhongyue Temple, or Longmen Grottoes.
Major gods
-Fu Xi
God power
- Blessed construction: Increases the building speed by W%/X%/Y%/Z% of one building in the archaic/classical/heroic/mythic age.
Availability: 3 charges (It can be used up to 3 times).
Technology
- Domestication: It increases the gather rate for food from heardable and poultry (chickens, ducks, etc) animals by X%.
Bonus
-Buildings cost -X% wood.
-The 8 immortal heroes regenerate their hit points X% faster.
-Academy unit line upgrades are X% cheaper.
-War chariots have +X attack.
-Nü Wa
God power
- Five colored stones and four pillars: civilian-type units (peasants, villagers, fishing ships and caravans) move X% faster for Y seconds.
Availability: 2 charges.
Technology
- Acupuncture: Peasants can regenerate X HP/second.
Bonus
-Gardens generate favor X% faster.
-Academy units cost -X%.
-Markets can be built in the classical age.
-War chariots have +X% armor.
-Shennong
God power
- Timber harvest: The team’s workers gather wood X% faster for Y seconds.
Availability: 2 charges, but very long cooldown.
Technology
- Wheelbarrow: Peasants carry +X resources.
Bonus
-Myth units take -X% bonus damage.
-Siege weapons have +X% attack.
-Wall technologies are X% cheaper and researched Y% faster.
-War chariots have +X HP.
Minor gods
Classical age
-TuDi Gong
Summary
God Power
- Landlord spirit: Land military units (except siege) deal +X% bonus damage for Y seconds. Stacks with other bonus damage effects.
Availability: 2 charges.
Technologies
- Cai Qi (財氣) extraction: Gardens generate +X% gold.
- One-horned Tian Lu (天祿): Pixiu cost -X% favor.
- Two-horned Pi Ya: Pixiu attack X% faster.
- Golden Pixiu: Turns pixiu into golden pixiu, increasing their movement speed and pierce armor by X%.
Myth unit
- Pixiu (貔貅): Myth unit that generates gold when attacks.
-He Bo
Summary
God Power
- Flooding river: Releases a surge of muddy water in a circle, creating a pool that slows down the movement speed of enemy units who enter the area by X% for Y seconds. It can be casted on both land and water terrains.
Availability: 2 charges. Long cooldown.
Technologies
- White fish-dragon scale: Gardens generate +X% food.
- Riding a white turtle to Mount KunLun: War salamanders and transport ships move +X% faster.
- HeQie, the river’s sacrifices: War salamanders gain +X% HP.
Myth unit
- War salamander: Myth unit that has X bonus damage against buildings. In the classical age, this unit can’t swim. But from the heroic age onwards, it gains the ability to swim automatically.
-Chang’e
Summary
God Power
- Moonlight blessing: All ranged units deal hack-type damage instead of pierce damage for Y seconds.
Availability: 2 charges.
Technologies
- Mid-autumn offerings: Gardens generate +X% wood.
- HouYi shoots down 9 suns: Zhuge nu and mounted archers gain +X% range and attack.
- Elixir of immortality: Jade rabbits can heal X% faster.
Myth unit
- Jade rabbit (玉兔): Myth unit that can heal friendly units, but can’t attack. Upon death, it stuns nearby enemy units for 2 seconds.
Story:
Summary
One day, the Jade Emperor decided that he wanted some help preparing the elixir of life for the immortals. Fearing that humans would be too selfish and untrustworthy for such an important role, he thought an animal would be better suited to this responsibility. The Jade Emperor came down to Earth disguised as a beggar and went to search for a worthy animal in a forest. As a famished and frail man, he cried out for help and food, and eventually three animals came to see if they could help; the monkey, the fox, and the rabbit.
The animals were sympathetic to the old beggar’s plight and went into the forest to search for food. The monkey returned laden with fruits he had gathered from up in the trees. The fox returned with some fish he had caught in a nearby stream.
Despite searching throughout the forest, the rabbit could not find any food for the old man from the woodland floor. When he returned much later, and saw the beggar sat next to the fire eating the fruits and the fish, the rabbit felt sad that he had been unable to find him any food. Realising that he could sacrifice himself so that the man could eat, the rabbit threw himself into the fire in an ultimate act of selflessness.
But at that instant the beggar turned back into the Jade Emperor and stopped the rabbit from being burned. Having found the most noble of creatures to take on the role of creating the elixirs, the Jade Emperor carried him up to the moon, where he learned to make divine medicines and he could be kept safe from humans wishing to steal the elixir of life.
The rabbit worked hard and learned to create the divine medicines, eventually mastering the skills required to pound the right ingredients together to create the elixir of life. The Jade Emperor was so delighted with the rabbit that he made the his fur a dazzling white. The heavenly glow from the rabbit’s smooth, soft fur was so bright and beautiful, that it looked like precious jade, which is why the other heavenly beings came to call him the Jade Rabbit.
If you look up at the full moon and squint slightly at the markings, you can still see the Jade Rabbit with his pestle and mortar, making the elixir of life for the immortals.
Heroic age
-Zhurong
Summary
God Power
- Inferno: Both enemy buildings and units catch fire and lose X% max HP/second within its radius.
Availability: 1 charge.
Technologies
- Brilliance palace: Town centers and castles gain +X LoS and +Y% building armor.
- Dayuan horses (大宛馬): Cavalry academy units gain +X% HP.
- Hequ horses (河曲馬): Cavalry academy units train +X% faster.
- Fiery longma bloodline: Cavalry academy units and longma gain +X% movement speed.
Myth unit
- Longma (龍馬): Myth unit that is surrounded by fire when attacks. It has X bonus damage against cavalry, and also possess good hack armor.
-Yan Wang
Summary
God Power
- Heibai Wuchang (黑白無常), Black and White Impermanence: Summons Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu.
Xie Bi’an (謝必安)
The White Guard served under the Yan Wang (阎罗王).
Ability: Emits an aura that blocks enemy god powers within its radius.
Fan Wujiu (范無救)
The Black Guard served under the Yan Wang (阎罗王).
Ability: Emits an aura that deals X damage to enemy units within its radius.
Availability: 1 charge.
Technologies
- Judgment and punishment: Myth units take -X% population space.
- Yan Wang’s invitation: Myth units return X% of their favor cost after death.
- Yan Wang’s Brush: Penumbra demons regenerate X% of their max HP per hit (instead of the inflicted damage value per hit).
- There is no dawning day at Yellow Springs: Penumbra demons attack +X% faster.
Myth unit
- Penumbra demon (罔兩): Myth unit that is a tree and rock demon who devours the brains of the dead underground. It regenerates its HP based on the damage dealt per hit.
-Jiutian Xuannü
Summary
God Power
- Six Ding Jade Maidens: Summons her legendary acolytes.
Jade Maiden of Dingmao (丁卯玉女): She deals X% bonus damage against myth units.
Jade Maiden of Dingsi (丁巳玉女): She deals X% bonus damage against myth units.
Jade Maiden of Dinghai (丁亥玉女): She deals X% bonus damage against human units.
Jade Maiden of Dingyou (丁酉玉女): She deals X% bonus damage against human units.
Jade Maiden of Dingwei (丁未玉女): She deals X% bonus damage against buildings.
Jade Maiden of Dingchou (丁丑玉女): She deals X% bonus damage against buildings.
Ability: Each jade maiden has the stealth mode skill button.
Availability: 1 charge.
Technologies
- Xuannü Jing (玄女經): Peasants take -X% population space.
- Manual of the nine heavens sword technique: Jian soldiers gain +X attack.
- The seal of the five bright-shiners for regulating demons and communicating with spirits: Qiang soldiers gain X bonus damage against myth units.
- Cinnabar feathers found in the mist: Fenghuang reduce their ability cooldown by X%.
Myth unit
- Fenghuang (鳳凰): Myth unit that releases a fire-wind slash that passes through enemies in a line every X seconds.
Mythic age
-Dragon king
Summary
God Power
- Monsoon: Heavy rain that reduces the armor of all enemy units and buildings in the map by X% for Y seconds.
Availability: 1 charge.
Technologies
- Sovereign of the four seas, five lakes, eight rivers and nine streams: War ships are X% cheaper.
- The kun dreams of the azure sky, the peng yearns for the southern ocean: All ships, kun and peng gain +X% pierce armor.
- The peng flies ten thousand miles: Kun and peng gain +X% max HP.
- Migration from Great vessel mountain: Mottled flying fish move X% faster.
Myth unit
- 1.a Kun (鯤): Myth unit that deals splash damage when attacks and has bonus damage against ships. A fish that, upon death or close to death, revives as/transforms into a peng. It has a skill button so the player can make it transform manually.
1.b Peng (鵬): A giant northern bird that can release a tornado on land or waterspout on water terrain every X seconds (old vermilion bird mechanic). Its basic attack loses its bonus damage against ships upon transformation, but gains bonus damage against siege units instead.
-
- Mottled flying fish (文鰩魚): Small fish that can’t attack, but it can fly to repair ships and siege units on land.
- Mottled flying fish (文鰩魚): Small fish that can’t attack, but it can fly to repair ships and siege units on land.
-Xi Wangmu
Summary
God Power
- Peaches of Immortality: Military units become invulnerable to physical damage for X seconds (They can still be damaged by god powers, abilities, true damage, etc).
Availability: 1 charge.
Technologies
- Da Yu (大禹) bows three times and learns from the western mountains: Castle units gain +X% bonus damage against buildings.
- Eternal Gardens and grand banquets in Mount KunLun: Gardens gain +X% HP and +Y% building armor. They also increase their trickle rate for all resources by 5%.
- Viridian feathers resting in Jade Pond (瑶池) in front of the Golden Mother of the Tortoise Hill: Three green birds are X% cheaper and trained instantly.
- Extreme Yin fangs dwelling in Jade Mountain (玉山) bring sickness and death: Chimeric tigress gains +X% HP.
Myth unit
- Three green birds (三青鳥): Birds who attack very fast and ignore armor (true damage). Training limit: max 3 at the same time.
- Chimeric tigress: Feral woman that has fangs like a tiger and a leopard’s tail. It releases a pestilence cloud around her every X seconds.
-Yuhuang Shangdi
Summary
God Power
- Attaining Golden immortality and vanquishing evil: Military buildings (including towers and castles) become invulnerable to physical damage for X seconds (They can still be damaged by god powers, abilities, true damage, etc).
Availability: 1 charge.
Technologies
- Four Rivers emerge from four Dragons trapped under four mountains: Economic buildings work X% faster (except gardens) and grant +5 population space.
- Meeting of the Cowherd and Weaver amidst the golden autumn wind and jade-glistening dew: Peasants increase all their armor types and base attack by X%.
- The Jade Emperor makes a promise in Longmen (龍門): Tian long increase their range by X%.
- The carp jumps over the Dragon Gate (龍門): Tian long refresh their abilities X% faster.
Myth unit
- Tian Long (天龍): Myth unit that can fly and release a roar that instantly kills one enemy unit.
Titan: Pangu or Huang long
Heroes:
-He Xiangu (何仙姑): Emits an aura of Z tiles that reduces the ability cooldown of the player’s myth units by Y seconds.
-Cao Guojiu (曹國舅): Emits an aura of Z tiles that increases the defense of the player’s buildings by Y%.
-Li Tieguai (李鐵拐): Emits an aura of Z tiles that increases the speed of the player’s military units by Y%.
-Lan Caihe (藍采和): Emits an aura of Z tiles that increases the work rate of the player’s gardens and peasants by Y%.
-Lü Dongbin (呂洞賓): Emits an aura of Z tiles that increases the ability damage of the player’s myth units by Y%.
-Han Xiangzi (韓湘子): Emits an aura of Z tiles that increases the attack speed of the player’s military units by Y%.
-Zhang Guolao (張果老): Emits an aura of Z tiles that increases the defense of the player’s military units by Y%.
-Zhongli Quan (鍾離權): Emits an aura of Z tiles that increases the attack of the player’s military units by Y%.
Buildings
-Infantry academy
- Jian soldier: Basic infantry unit that serves as the backbone of the chinese army. Multi-purpose swordsman, but it’s also good against siege and other infantry.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against siege-type units; and low Y bonus damage against infantry-type units. - Qiang soldier: Basic infantry unit that serves as the backbone of the chinese army. Spearman especially good against cavalry.
Characteristic: It has high X bonus damage against cavalry-type units.
-Archery academy
- Zhuge nu: Basic archer unit that serves as the backbone of the chinese army.
Characteristic: It can shoot two bolts at once. - Mounted archer: Medium archer unit that serves as the backbone of the chinese army. Cavalry archer that has medium armor. It’s good against archers and infantry.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against archer-type units and spearman-type units.
-Cavalry academy
- Light cavalry (轻骑兵): Basic cavalry unit. Raiding cavalry unit with low hack armor, but good pierce armor.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against archer-type units and civilian-type units (peasants, villagers, fishing ships and caravans). - Dark iron lancer: Heavy cavalry unit with good hack armor and pierce armor. It’s good against foot archers due to its speed and armor, but has no bonus damage against them.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against hero-type units.
Note: It has a fictional name. It’s based on Li Shimin’s black iron cavalry.
-Castle
Four new technologies can be researched from the castle.
- A mantis trying to stop a chariot: War chariots gain trample damage.
- Conjure up clouds with one turn of one’s hand and rain with another: Folding clouds gain +X% hack armor.
- Two tigers cannot share the same mountain: Sitting tigers increase their blast radius by 0.X tiles.
- One hair from nine oxen: Fire oxen are trained X% faster.
Units
-
War chariot: Elite cavalry unit of the chinese army. Heavy cavalry unit. It has X feet range.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against hero-type units; and low Y bonus damage against cavalry-type units. -
Folding Cloud: Siege unit that’s useful to bypass walls (aoe2 siege towers mechanic) and damage fortifications. It has large pierce armor, and can garrison infantry and foot archers. Its attack value is zero when there are no units garrisoned, but it gains +1 attack per unit garrisoned.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against buildings.
-
Sitting Tiger: Portable traction trebuchet that moves faster than regular stone-throwing siege weapons, but has lower range: 10-22 range.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against buildings and ships. -
Fire Ox: A flaming ox with spears attached to its sides and carrying heaps of straws on fire that hide a shrapnel bomb containing small blades. When it attacks the enemy or is killed, the fire ox disappears in an explosion while dealing damage to any enemies nearby.
Characteristic: It has X bonus damage against human units.
New relics:
-Azure scale: Summons the azure dragon (青龍).
-Vermilion feather: Summons the vermilion bird (朱雀).
-White fang: Summons the white tiger (白虎).
-Black claw: Summons the black tortoise (玄武).
-Yellow feather: Summons Hundun (混沌).
-Brown fur: Summons Qiongqi (窮奇).
-Cyan claw: Summons Taowu (檮杌).
-Purple horn: Summons Taotie (饕餮).
Source
Thanks to google translate, yandex translations, baidu image translator, etc.
-中国古代骑兵有着怎样的发展史 - 每日头条
-Cavalry in Ancient Chinese Warfare - World History Encyclopedia
-古代重骑兵是怎么出现的 重骑兵最后为什么会被淘汰了 - 聊聊历史堂
-Roberts, Jeremy (2004). “Chinese mythology from A to Z”. Amazon.
-The Chinese Pantheon Of Gods Explained
-Chinese Mythology 101: Gods & deities | Localiiz
-Pixiu | Wiki Mitología | Fandom
-Quilin | Wiki Mitología | Fandom
-Chang’e – Mythopedia
-Ulrich, Theobald (2012). “Chang E 嫦娥”. ChinaKnowledge.de. Online.
-List of legendary creatures from China - Wikipedia
-Heibai Wuchang - Wikipedia
-Tudigong - Wikipedia
-Chinese Mythology 101: Gods & deities | Localiiz
-The Chinese Pantheon Of Gods Explained
-Wai Yee Hong (2023). “The Jade Rabbit, 玉兔 – Yùtù”. Online.
-河曲馬 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书
-中国古代骑兵有着怎样的发展史 - 每日头条
-Doumu - Wikipedia
-Dianmu - Wikipedia
-King Zhuang of Chu - Wikipedia
-Cavalry in Ancient Chinese Warfare - World History Encyclopedia
-#hebo – Chinese Mythology Podcast
-Ulrich, Theobald (2012). “He Bo 河伯, the Earl of the Yellow River”. ChinaKnowledge.de. Online.
-河伯 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书
-祝融 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书
-Zhu Rong - the God of Fire
-Yan Wang – Mythopedia
-Yan Luo Wang 阎罗王 (yánluó wáng) - China Beasts and Legends
-Heibai Wuchang - Wikipedia
-黑白無常 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书
-閻羅王 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书
-Shiwang | Chinese mythology | Britannica
-King Yama: The Chinese God of Death
-Ao Guang - Wikipedia
-东海龙王 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书
-AO GUANG - the Chinese God of the Sea (Chinese mythology)
-China Fetching (2022). “Mythical Creatures and Animals in Chinese Mythology and Folklore”. Online.
-Strassberg, Richard E. (2018). “A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas”. Google books. Online.
-Dragon King – Mythopedia
-The Chinese Dragon King
-Xiaoyao You 逍遙遊
-Wangliang - Wikipedia
-魍魉鬼（罔两） - 纪妖
-Jade Emperor - Wikipedia
-Ulrich, Theobald (2010). “Xiwangmu 西王母, the Queen Mother of the West”. ChinaKnowledge.de. Online.
-James, Jean M. (1995). “An Iconographic Study of Xiwangmu during the Han Dynasty”. Jstor. Online.
-Xi Wang Mu 西王母 (xī wáng mǔ) - China Beasts and Legends