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First Steps & Tribe Management
Humankind

First Steps & Tribe Management

Learn the essential first steps for managing your tribe in Humankind. This guide covers early game strategies, AI bonuses on higher difficulties, and optimal map settings for success.

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First Steps & Tribe Management

Learn the essential first steps for managing your tribe in Humankind. This guide covers early game strategies, AI bonuses on higher difficulties, and optimal map settings for success.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Early Game Strategy: Avoid war until at least the Classical era, preferably Medieval. Establish trade routes for luxury resources to compensate for AI stability bonuses. Prioritize Agrarian and Builder cultures to scale into the late game when AI FIMS bonuses become less significant. Expand your empire widely rather than focusing on a few large cities.
  2. 2
    Fame Accumulation: The primary goal is to acquire as many stars/Fame as possible. Do not rush to transcend cultures if it means missing out on era stars. It's possible to be in a dominant position but still lose due to insufficient Fame.
  3. 3
    End Game Trigger: The fastest and most consistent way to win is typically the science ending (researching all technologies). If mid-game conquest was successful, eliminating or vassalizing all other cultures can also be a viable, potentially faster, strategy, especially with fewer AI players.
Tips
  • AI Bonuses Explained: AI receive +3 Food/Industry/Money/Science per respective worker/farmer/trader/researcher and +60 Stability. They also get +2 Combat Strength. These flat bonuses are less impactful in the late game compared to percentage bonuses.
  • Combat Strength: The +2 Combat Strength bonus makes early combat extremely difficult. Consider the Professional Soldiers Civic and the Homeland ideology axis later in the game to balance this deficit.
  • Stability: Trading for luxury resources is key to managing stability, especially as the game progresses and AI bonuses become less pronounced.
  • Expansion: Building wide is generally more effective than building tall for scaling into the late game.
  • Culture Transcendence: Be mindful that transcending cultures too early can lead to missing out on Fame opportunities.
  • Map Settings: For optimal play, consider:
    • World Size: Huge (allows for more expansion before conflict and diverse minor cultures).
  • World Shape: Large Pangea (facilitates scouting and trade partner access).
  • Land Percentage: 70-80% (balances land for expansion with enough ocean for trade routes).
  • Climate: New World (ensures specific environmental conditions).
  • Minor Cultures: Utilize money to assimilate minor cultures if you are forced to choose a non-optimal starting culture.

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