Line #1 YMMV/RiseOfNations


1	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Even the tracks that play at peacetime are pretty damn cool.
2	** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvC6kpdvS7k Across the Bog]]'' seems to be the signature track, given that it has a reprise in the CreatorDrivenSuccessor ''Rise of Legends''.
3	** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrRFsXhM4k4 The Russian]]'' which plays during battles is also very good.
4	* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: Building Lookouts and Observation Post in advance next to strategic positions, so the second you reach Industrial Age, they turn to expensive to build and especially expensive to keep building Anti-Air Guns. This allows to save so many resources, pretty much any game that won't be resolved by Medieval will end up with people building in advance their future AA structures.
5	* GameBreaker:
6	** The B-2 Stealth Bomber. It bypasses ground-based air defenses and can only be countered by Jet Fighters in staggering numbers. The only sure-fire way to really stop them is by razing their airfield and hope that the enemy doesn't build a new one in time. The catch? That airfield can be anywhere on the map.
7	** Which can be solved by yet another GameBreaker, The Space Program (a Saturn V launch stand), which gives full sight of the entire map. Games can become races for this wonder and become battles to defend them against the Stealth Bomber. It also negates the trade embargo for Nuke usage (but not the Armageddon Timer).
8	** Probably the least variable mileage entry, the Terra Cotta Army. Free basic infantry every few seconds. Forever.
9	** Another obvious wonder entry is the Palace of Versailles. Essentially, this gives you the French ability to heal units with Supply Wagons (for the French themselves, it doubles their healing rate).
10	** The four "future" research slots, which become available once the tech tree is fully filled up, are this as well. Their features range from instantaneous unit production and anti-nuclear defenses to automatic conquests.
11	** Nukes themselves are this, for fairly obvious reasons. That said, this borders on AwesomeButImpractical: launching too many brings the Armageddon Timer to zero, ending the game in nuclear apocalypse.
12	*** Also, you cannot use the market for resource exchange for a few minutes after using nuke. The more nukes you use, the longer the embargo. Fortunately, the above-mentioned Space Program wonder also nullifies the embargo.
13	** Advisor Fouche from the Napoleon Conquer the World campaign. On the strategic level, he can make two other nations go to war against each other, which has situational utility. On the tactical level, however, he is a Spy with three times the craft of a normal one who can reveal the whole map like the Space Program. He may only appear once after getting his card and using it however. Unless you modify the files for the campaign/s to make him available for purchase like any other card...
14	** Rare resources provide strong bonuses on their own, but when combined, they can completely break the game. The most obvious combo are Relics (-33% research time) with any given resource that decreases the cost of a specific type of technology, as this offers a chance to rush research at much lower prices than the other civs. A particular powerful combo involves Relics paired with Papyrus (-25% decrease costs of Science tech), as the higher the Science tech level, the cheaper ''all'' technologies get by additional -10%.
15	* GoodBadBugs: Failing (or resigning) a scripted scenario in one of the unique campaigns and attempting to attack the same territory reverts the map into a typical "Conquest" skirmish. This may come in handy for [[ThatOneLevel scenarios that may prove to be daunting otherwise]], such as the Samnite War in ''Alexander the Great''.
16	* NightmareFuel:
17	** When you kill a "person" unit with a flamethrower or Flaming Arrow, he/she catches fire, screams, and begins running away. Soon the run turns into a stagger, then the poor guy falls to his/her knees, rolls on the ground – ''still trying to put out the fire'' – and finally dies. It's almost a relief to see the [[PeacefulInDeath muscles in their body relax and the corpse lie peacefully on the ground.]]
18	** Also the fact that dead units linger on the map for a while. Over time, the corpses and debris gradually decay until finally vanishing from existence. Imagine the FridgeHorror that would ensure among units going through a field littered with the ''bones of their own countrymen.''
19	* ThatOneAttack:
20	** Ancient age rushes. Because forts and attrition damage are only available from the next age onwards, players have to rely on the weaker towers and an army of their own in order to fend off enemy invasions. Being caught unprepared in this vulnerable period will put the player in jeopardy of being eliminated right as the match has begun.
21	** Nuclear strikes, which can level an entire city and make it immediately ready for capture. Even when disregarding the Armageddon clock, it can be a frustrating experience having all of the time and resources invested in that space wiped out with one action. The only way to defend against it is with the Missile Shield, which takes a lot of resources and a long time to research.
22	* ThatOneLevel:
23	** Napoleon-Great Britain Invasion, with Portugal. Alone, the invasion is not that hard. But if you don't build up very quick, Portugal will take over the Islands. And they are very mighty. The best thing to do is take over Portugal, THEN take over England.
24	** Quite a few maps in The New World may count as well. Certain challenges include hunting down ''several'' enemy armies, gathering 1000 food while the enemy constantly attacks you, and navigating through a forest maze via rivers.
25	** ''Samnite War'' in ''Alexander the Great''. It starts off immediately with an enormous enemy army utterly annihilating your (hostile) northern neighbor, and it just gets even more chaotic from there.
26	** ''Barbarian Rally'' in the original Conquer the World is just a ''slog'' to get through, with the player having to defend a town for 15 whole minutes. Other barbarian scenarios involve the player going on the offensive, which merely take a few minutes.

Context YMMV / RiseOfNations