Tips and/or suggestions for starting game

[Saber Cherry]

All of this is completely (nation+pretender)-dependant. I could probably write a computer program to generate this advice, on a given input (though it would take quite a while).

I'll give an example of Magic Research, which is roughly 1/2 of your consideration when determining a strategy.

Magic:

1) Consider the magic levels of the mages of the nation: M
1a) Consider the ratio of gold/research (gold/RP) for your nation: GPR.
1b) Consider the freely achievable magic levels, using spells such as "Summon Earthpower": Mf.
1c) Consider the costed achievable magic levels, using items such as "Thistle Mace": Mc
1d) Consider the combined levels, including spells achievable only with Mc: Mcf
1e) Consider summoned mage levels, including spells achievable only with Mc: Mcfs.
1f) Consider common independants, such as Druids (2 nature, 2 holy) and Sages (1 random).
1g) Consider ultimate levels, considering all summoned mages plus their summons or boosting items (recusively): Mu.
1h) Note that there is also the set Mx, which includes rare combinations (like double unlinked randoms), empowerment, lucky independant mage provinces, and battle spells boosted by an additional gem. Mx is not very important except in the last case, and common indy mages (druids). Mu is a proper subset of Mx.

2) Consider gem income: GI.
2a) Consider base national gem income, GIn, from the capitol.
2b) Consider seaRchable magic site income, GIr, the income that can be found by searching with national mages. Naturally, this is mostly limited to the magic levels of national mages - water mages will mainly find sites giving water gems.
2c) Consider common "level-0" magic sites, like Kelp Forests (or something), that give magic gems and can be found by non-mages.
2d) Consider your nations's inherent site-scrying ability (from M), with spells like "Gnome Lore" and "Acashic Record". The gems generated from 2a through 2d are "GInrs".
2e) Also consider the extended scrying ability from Mc (for example, a 2-astral mage plus a 2-astral Starshine Skullcap allows Acashic Record), GInrse, but this is not too important in the early-midgame.
2f) Consider gem-generating items: Clam of Pearls, Fever Fetish, Earth Blood Stone.

3) Consider which spells and items in M are "good" (e.g. Falling Fires, Falling Frost, Blade Wind, Nether Darts, Shadow Blast, Mass Protection, Relief... and various Rituals).
3a) If you are C'tis (with Raise Skeletons), Abysia (with Falling Fires), Pythium (with Stellar Cascades, Mind Burn, Solar Rays, etc), Vanheim (Blade Wind), and so forth, you're golden.
3b) Otherwise, goto 4.

4) Consider construction.
4a) Ulm has a 25% forge bonus.
4b) Nations with 3 Earth magic can forge Dwarven Hammers (-25% forging cost).
4c) Nations with 2 Earth magic can forge Earth Boots, +1 Earth, then Dwarven Hammers.
4d) Nations that can easily summon supercombattants MUST RESEARCH CONSTRUCTION. A supercombattant (SC) "chassis" is a leader that has high HP and high stats, and all the normal slots (head, body, feet, 2+ hands, 2+ miscellaneous). A supercombattant is an SC chassis with most of these slots filled with magically forged items. Supercombattants often get 100-1000 kills, rising in the hall of heroes to gain huge stat boosts.

5) Consider which spells and items in Mf are "good".
5a) Adjust your boosted GPR according to national availability of items like Owl Quill, Skull Mentor, Lightless Lantern, and cheap researchers like Specters.
5b) Calculate the RP cost of attaining them, including "Summon Xpower" spells.
5c) Go for the most cost-effective ones, including RP and gold.

6) Consider which spells and items in Mcf are "good".
6a) Calculate the RP cost of attaining them, including booster spells AND construction.
6b) Go for the most cost-effective ones, including (2b) plus gems for forging.

7) Consider which spells in Mu or Mx are "good".
7a) Calculate the RP cost of attaining them, including booster spells, construction, and conjuration/enchantment for summoning powerful mages.
7b) Go for the most cost-effective ones. This time, it includes (3b) plus gems for conjuring mages, and random chance...

8) Consider Blood. It is the lone magic resource that all nations can break into.
8a) It helps to have a human rainbow Pretender that can forge Sanguine Dousing Rods, Brazen Skulls, and so forth.
8b) Regardless, set aside some provinces at 0% tax with scouts doing "Blood Hunt".
8c) Eventually, use blood slaves for empowerment of national mages (or your pretender) to summon massive blood summons: Ice Devils, Arch Devils, Father Illearth, etc.
8d) You can also make Blood Thorns, an awesome life-stealing weapon for supercombattants.

9) Consider Alchemy. It lets you transform gems into other gems, at a massive 50% loss. I use it all the time.
9a) Alchemy is most efficient on Astral gems.
9b) Astral gems come from Astral nations, and... Clams.
9c) Nations with Fire gems, like Abysia, can turn them into 15 gold each in the early game for a massive head start. Fire gems are not very useful anyway.



As you can see, even magic research is too difficult to determine statically (meaning, without any input such as nation, theme, and pretender). But if you ask for suggestions on a given triple (nation, theme, pretender) or ask for advice on completing a triple (which pretender for this nation+theme ?), people can be pretty helpful.