Nations

Nations are the major states that are vying for Victory in Old World.

Player nations
There are seven major Nations present in Old World, with an eighth one, the Hatti, being present if the Heroes of the Aegean DLC is installed. The Archetype of the starting Nation Leader can be changed in the map settings and the class of each family can be randomized as well.

Laws
Laws provide a permanent bonus to a Nation. They come in two mutually-exclusive groups and five levels of penalties. The Laws button will glow when there is a group without any active law and enough Civics to pass it.

No Upkeep Laws
No Upkeep Laws cost 250 Civics to pass and have no yearly costs.

Low Upkeep Laws
Low Upkeep Laws cost 400 Civics to pass and have low yearly costs.

Medium Upkeep Laws
Medium Upkeep Laws cost 400 Civics to pass and have medium yearly costs.

High Upkeep Laws
High Upkeep Laws cost 400 Civics to pass and have high yearly costs.

Very High Upkeep Laws
Very High Upkeep Laws cost 400 Civics to pass and have very high yearly costs.

Succession
Once a Nation Leader dies, its Heir becomes the new Nation Leader. If the Nation doesn't have a heir when the Nation Leader dies the game ends. Which child becomes Heir depends on the Succession Law. The Heir can also be chosen manually via a character action, but this carries a penalty of 10 Legitimacy. There are 5 possible Succession Laws, with the starting one being decided in the new game settings. Changing Succession Law initially costs 100 Civics, and the cost increases by 50 for each subsequent change.

Families
Families are the leading clans within a Nation that control its cities, with different dispositions and conflicting interests. Their preferences determine what Ambitions a Nation Leader can pursue. The Opinion that a family has towards its Nation's Leader can trigger various events. Each Nation has 4 Families, which may belong to one of 10 classes. The first City founded for a Family will be the Family Seat. Only 3 Families may be used by each Nation.

Each Family will have two preferred luxury resources. Each one of their cities that doesn't have the luxury resource will decrease the Family's Opinion by 10. In addition, if a Family has fewer cities than the other Families it will suffer an Opinion penalty.

Tribes
Tribes occupy certain City Sites at the start of the game. Tribes that aren't allied with any Nation will eventually spawn a raiders army. Raiders are always at War with all Nations and will attack the nearest City. How far raiders are willing to travel depends on the game difficulty.

Carthage and Nation Leaders with the Orator archetype can hire Tribe units as mercenaries. The price depends on the unit's Strength, the Opinion of the Tribe and the number of mercenaries recruited so far.

There are 7 Tribes present in Old World: