Ottomans Strategy Guide

Learn how to conquer Humankind on the highest difficulty with this comprehensive Ottoman strategy guide. Master FIMS bonuses, combat, and expansion.

This guide provides strategies for beating Humankind on its highest difficulty, focusing on the Ottoman civilization. The author, having beaten the game multiple times on this setting, shares insights on leveraging AI bonuses and player advantages.

Humankind Difficulty and General Strategy:

On the highest difficulty, AI receive significant bonuses: +3 Food, Industry, Money, and Science per respective specialist, +60 Stability, and +2 Combat Strength on all units. While these bonuses are substantial early on, they scale less effectively than player strategies in the late game. Combat should generally be avoided until the Classical or Medieval era due to the AI's combat strength advantage. Trading for luxury resources is crucial to offset stability penalties. The recommended strategy involves expanding widely rather than focusing on a single city ('tall' play), prioritizing Agrarian and Builder cultures early, and leveraging late-game FIMS bonuses. The primary goal is to accumulate the most Fame by the end of the game, with the science victory being the fastest and most consistent. Alternatively, eliminating or vassalizing all other cultures can be a viable end-game condition if conquest has progressed well.

Map Settings:

Optimal map settings to support this strategy include:

• World Size: Huge, to allow for greater expansion and more opportunities to interact with minor cultures.
• World Shape: Large Pangea, for easier scouting and access to trading partners.
• Land Percentage: 70-80%, providing ample land for expansion while maintaining sufficient ocean for naval trade routes.
• Climate: New World, to ensure diverse starting conditions.