Rise of Nations, developed by Big Huge Games and originally published by Microsoft Game Studios, is a real-time strategy game about building cities, expanding national borders, managing six resources, researching technologies, advancing through history, and capturing enemy cities.
This beginner guide focuses on the original game as represented by the current Extended Edition package. Extended Edition includes Rise of Nations and Thrones and Patriots, so current-package play can include expansion content such as the 24-nation roster. Save exact build orders, nation rankings, multiplayer balance, and Conquer the World routes for dedicated strategy work.
Essential Tips
1. Treat Cities as Your Economy and Your Border
Cities are more than production points.
Cities produce citizens, influence national borders, anchor nearby buildings, and can be captured when their hit points fall. Plan new cities around resources, defense, and border control instead of placing them only where there is empty space.
2. Keep Citizens Working
Idle citizens delay every other system.
Citizens gather resources, construct buildings, repair structures, and can garrison for safety. If citizens are standing still, your next technology, age advance, military unit, wonder, or defense arrives later.
3. Learn the Six-Resource Shape
Rise of Nations is not just food and wood.
Food, Timber, Metal, Oil, Wealth, and Knowledge each pull your economy in a different direction. Food and Timber carry much of the early game; Metal and Oil matter more as armies modernize; Wealth supports many units, buildings, and research paths; Knowledge drives research.
4. Watch the Commerce Limit
Gathering above the cap wastes effort.
The commerce limit controls how much income your nation can actually support. If one resource is capped while others lag behind, rebalance workers and research Commerce when your economy as a whole is ready to use the higher cap.
5. Add Economy Buildings Around Each City
A city without support buildings is leaving income behind.
Farms, woodcutter camps, markets, universities, temples, and resource-enhancement buildings all solve different problems. Build what your current plan needs: food for citizens and early troops, Timber for infrastructure, Wealth through markets and caravans, Knowledge through scholars, and border pressure through temples.
6. Use the Library as Your Strategic Dashboard
Library research decides what your nation can become next.
Military, Civic, Commerce, and Science research unlock economy growth, city expansion, production options, and age advancement. A beginner-safe default is to make the economy functional first, then add military research when defense, pressure, or population needs demand it.
7. Advance Ages With a Follow-Up
A new age is a transition, not a finish line.
The eight ages move from Ancient through Information. Later ages unlock stronger units, buildings, technologies, aircraft, missiles, and economy upgrades, but advancing without resources and production ready can leave you exposed.
8. Scout for Resources and Intent
Scouting tells you what to build before you need it.
Scout ruins, rare resources, enemy borders, undefended expansions, and the enemy’s army mix. Early information prevents blind research and helps you train counters before the fight reaches your cities.
9. Build Mixed Armies
One favorite unit is easy to answer.
Rise of Nations encourages diversity through counters and rising costs for repeated production of the same unit. Use infantry, cavalry or vehicles, ranged options, siege, support units, and later air or naval tools according to the map and age.
10. Bring Siege for Cities and Fortifications
Ordinary units win fights; siege ends positions.
Siege and artillery help capture cities, destroy fortifications, and break defended areas. If you are attacking a city without siege, you may win small skirmishes while failing to take the objective.
11. Respect Attrition and Supply
Enemy territory is dangerous even before the army arrives.
Unsupported troops can suffer attrition in hostile territory. Bring supply support when invading, and use your own borders, towers, forts, and city defenses to punish careless raids.
12. Pick Wonders and Nations for a Plan
Bonuses are strongest when they solve an actual problem.
Original Rise of Nations has 18 nations; the current Extended Edition package includes the Thrones and Patriots expansion and lists 24 nations. Nations and wonders provide bonuses, but beginner planning should stay broad: use them to support your economy, resource shortage, army plan, or border strategy rather than chasing a fixed ranking.
Resource Planning
| Resource | Beginner Job | Common Planning Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Citizens, many early/basic units, age and economy needs | Underbuilding farms while trying to expand |
| Timber | Buildings, farms, ships, infrastructure, many early needs | Spending it all before adding production or economy support |
| Metal | Heavy units, ships, artillery, aircraft, tanks, anti-air | Ignoring mines until modern armies require it |
| Oil | Mechanized units, aircraft, missiles, late anti-air | Reaching later ages with no oil plan |
| Wealth | Research, units, buildings, caravans, markets, rare resources | Forgetting trade and taxation while stockpiling other resources |
| Knowledge | Library research and later advanced needs | Building too few universities or scholars |
Use this table as a planning lens, not a fixed build order. Tune worker splits and timings around the match you are actually playing.
Ages and Research
| Stage | Beginner Focus |
|---|---|
| Ancient | Establish citizens, farms, Timber, scouting, and first Library choices |
| Classical | Add stronger expansion tools, cavalry, siege access, Metal, and Knowledge |
| Medieval | Prepare for better siege, supply wagons, spies, and stronger defenses |
| Gunpowder / Enlightenment | Recheck army counters as ranged and artillery roles shift |
| Industrial / Modern | Plan for tanks, aircraft, Oil, anti-air, and wider map control |
| Information | Treat late upgrades, air power, missiles, and advanced technologies as resource-heavy commitments |
The safest pattern is to research toward the economy you are actually using, then time age advancement so new buildings and units can be produced immediately.
Combat and Attrition
- Scout the enemy army: Counters only work if you know what you are answering.
- Use control groups: Keep cavalry or fast units separate so they can reach artillery, archers, or exposed support units.
- Protect siege: Siege helps take cities, but it needs ordinary units around it.
- Target support pieces: Generals, supply units, siege, and spies can matter more than the nearest front-line unit.
- Garrison citizens under pressure: Save workers first, then rebuild production and train counters from a safer city.
- Invade with supply: Attrition can drain unsupported troops in enemy territory.
- Defend with borders: Towers, forts, city fire, and attrition make raids riskier when the enemy overextends.
- Counterattack after a hold: Once a push fails, use your surviving army and siege to pressure the nearest enemy city or economy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not leave citizens idle - Every idle worker slows resources, buildings, repairs, and research.
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Do not place cities without a resource or border reason - Cities need to support expansion, defense, or economy.
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Do not overcap one resource while starving the others - A lopsided economy turns the commerce limit into waste.
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Do not delay Knowledge forever - Research falls behind when universities and scholars are ignored.
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Do not age up with no follow-up - New ages need production, resources, and defense ready.
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Do not attack cities without siege - Fortified positions are expensive to break with ordinary units alone.
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Do not send unsupported armies deep into enemy territory - Attrition and counterattacks punish careless invasions.
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Do not build only one unit type - Counters and scaling costs reward mixed armies.
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Do not ignore rare resources and ruins - Scouting can turn map control into practical economy gains.
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Do not build wonders just because they are available - Choose wonders that fix a shortage or strengthen your current plan.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Cities | Place them for resources, borders, and defense |
| Economy | Balance all six resources and watch commerce limits |
| Research | Use the Library to support your current plan |
| Ages | Advance with production and resources ready |
| Scouting | Find ruins, rare resources, enemy plans, and weak borders |
| Combat | Mix counters, siege, and support units |
| Attrition | Bring supply when invading and defend inside your borders |
| Wonders | Pick bonuses that solve a real strategic need |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Rise of Nations.
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