Kanem-Bornu concept

Kanem-Bornu (700-1893 A.D.) was an incredibly long-lasting empire in the Sahel/Sahara region that prospered by controlling trans-Saharan trade, but was also forced to move its capital in the middle of its existence (transitioning from the Kanem to the Bornu empire in 1380 AD). I gave them good camels and trade as well as a funky “easier-to-relocate-your-town” bonus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanem%E2%80%93Bornu_Empire

Kanem-Bornu civ (African architecture):

Nomadic Archer and Camel civ

Bonuses:

- Civilian buildings (except houses and TCs) +67% build speed.

So: Mills, markets, mining camps, lumber camps, monasteries, universities, blacksmith, dock. Like the Spanish bonus, but much stronger and restricted—so better age up times and maybe eco, but no tower rush/TC drop/castle drop benefits.

- All buildings (except farms/fish traps) refund 35% of their cost when destroyed OR deleted.

(Does not affect unfinished building foundations which refund resources like normal.)

- Archers and Camel units (includes both UUs) benefit from Parthian Tactics

Note the lack of plate barding armor.

- Start with Scout Camel [replaces scout cavalry], can build scout camel line from stable (2nd UU).

Scout / camel hybrid. Auto-upgrades like scout line when reaching feudal, can be upgraded to light camels in castle age for 200f/100g. Starts & upgrades with the same conversion resistance, anti-monk bonus, and attack rate as scout cavalry. Starts +1 LOS compared to scout cavalry (not affected by team bonus), LOS upgraded like scout cavalry with each age. Dark age movement speed = 1.15, movement speed and build time the same as standard camels in feudal and beyond (slightly slower than normal scouts/light cav).

Cost = (70f/10g)

Stats: dark age - -> feudal (light camel upgrade). Hp = 50 --> 50 (70). Attack = 2 --> 4 (6). Bonus damage vs. cavalry = +1 --> +2 (+5). Armor = 0/1 --> 0/1 (1/1)

Team bonus:

- +2 LOS for camel/heavy camel line

Unique Technologies:

Caravan Guards (400f / 300g): Trade units gain +15% movement speed and gain a weak ranged attack, with bonus vs. cavalry and ships. Attack affected by standard archer attack/range/accuracy techs.

- Base stats: 4 pierce damage, 3 range, Rate of Fire = 2.50. Bonus: +6 vs. cavalry, +8 vs. ships.

Desert Raiders (850f / 500g): Camel line and Scout camel line gain trample damage (+5 bonus vs. adjacent units while attacking, like logistica / druzhina ) and an added +2 bonus vs. cavalry

Unique Unit: Sahel bowman (fast & quick firing but very weak bowman with a bonus vs. Unique units, also affected by parthian tactics, through civ bonus)

- Cost: 30w/35g. Upgrade = 650w / 400g.

Base stats (elite): hp = 30 (30). Pierce attack = 3 (4). Bonuses = +3 (+5) vs. unique units. Range = 3 (4). Armor = 1/0 (2/0). Rate of Fire = 1.9 (-20% with thumb ring). Movement speed = 1.15.

Tech tree (only buildings with missing techs shown):

Barracks: halberdier, supplies. Archery Range: hand cannoneer. Stable: scout cavalry, cavalier, steppe lancer, battle elephant. Monastery: sanctity, atonement, illumination. Siege-shop: SO, BBC, siege ram. Blacksmith: plate barding armor, plate mail armor. University: keep, bombard tower, architecture, fortified wall, siege engineers. Castle: hoardings. Dock: shipwright, heavy demolition ship, elite cannon galleon. Eco: two man saw, stone shaft mining.

Summary:

Strong: camels, archers, fighting enemy unique units (with your own UU), late-game trade.

Weak: infantry, siege, knight line.

Passable: monks, ships, cavalry archer (FU, but no bonuses), defenses.

Hard to place: eco. Getting 35% of your resources back from deleting a building could be quite nice with milling deer/replenishing lumber camps, but I'm not sure if that is enough to make a strong eco. It would also be nice when losing castles/towers to get some stone back. I welcome feedback on this bonus as well--does it sound too strong? Too weak? Of course, 35% is just the number I chose, maybe a different refund %, or a different implementation of the bonus (say only wood, not stone refunded) would be better/more balanced...