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G
AME
C
ONCEPTS
Visibility
When you start a normal game, the map is blacked out except where you
have units or buildings. To explore this territory, send a unit, such as a Scout,
into that region. Rare resources, hidden assets, and the position of other
nations will be discovered. Note: When level six Science technology has been
researched, the entire game map is explored.
When portions of the map are explored, this does not mean your nation can
see what is happening there at all times. If your unit leaves and you have no
structures in the region, it grays out. Other nation’s units may move, exploit
resources, or build Cities in that area. You can directly observe only the
territory within your unit’s or building’s direct Line-of-Sight.
National Border
Your nation’s border surrounds the territory under its control. National
Borders are shown as a colored line (your national color).
Expanding National Borders
When you begin a game, the placement of your fi rst City determines where
your National Border appears. As you research Civic technologies, the radius
of that border expands. Note: Temples and Temple upgrades have an
additional border expanding effect.
Other buildings and their upgrades push your border out as well. Construct-
ing a new City near your border will expand it around the vicinity of the new
City. A similar effect occurs when you build a Fort near your border.
Competing National Borders
Eventually the National Borders of expanding nations meet. The nation that
researches more Civic technology faster and places more border expanding
structures near the competing nation’s border will push their neighbor’s
border back.
All buildings and units inside another nation’s territory take attrition damage.
Note: City Centers cannot be lost in this fashion.
City Capture
To capture an enemy City, its City Center health bar must be completely
depleted. Unlike other buildings this does not destroy the structure; it
becomes eligible for capture. To capture a City Center with a depleted health
bar, select infantry units, and move them close to the City Center. You must
have more military strength than the enemy in the City’s radius to capture
the City.
The territory surrounding a captured City becomes neutral, and a countdown
timer starts during which the City is assimilated. Once assimilated, the City
Center and the surrounding territory become part of your nation.
Note: If you capture an enemy’s capital City, this starts a capital victory timer.
If the timer expires and you still hold their capital, all of that nation’s cities
become yours.
Attrition Damage
This damage occurs when your military units enter any other non-allied
nation’s territory and is indicated by a red glow that surrounds affected units.
Attrition Damage is a technology initially researched and later upgraded at the
Tower Fortifi cation.
Note: If National Borders shift such that your buildings are enveloped by
non-allied territory, they will also suffer Attrition Damage.
