Library

The **Library** is a research building available in the Classical Age to the Atlanteans, Chinese, Egyptians, and Greeks. The Library primarily researches technologies dedicated to scientific, defensive and engineering improvements. The Norse equivalent is the Tingholl.

## Strategy

Though not entirely necessary to winning a game, the Library is regardless a very important building dedicated to research; much like the Armory. In terms of general strategy the Library is required to upgrade Towers, Walls, and increase the attack, and range of Ships and Siege Weapons.

However beyond that Libraries are integral to strategies that depend on Archers, Defense, and even Economic. The Library also aids in long drawn out games by providing powerful technologies that can push the game in their favor.

Apart from the Greeks (which research unique military technologies at either the Palaestra or Fortress) the Chinese, Egyptians, and Atlanteans have access to special military upgrades, typically focusing on a particular strength of their civilization's army:

* The Atlanteans get Analog Computing which increases the range, speed and line of sight of their Ships, and Atlantean Court which functions as a weaker version of Bloodlines which also reduces Cavalry and Cavalry Archer cost.
* The Chinese only get Rocketry, which increases the range and damage of their Archers, Cavalry Archers, Siege Crossbows and Fire Lancers.
* The Egyptians get Chariot Yoke which increases the hitpoints and speed of their Scythe Chariots and Chariot Archers, and Torsion Engines, which increases the damage done by Siege Weapons, as well as decreasing their cost.

Generally speaking however the Atlanteans have the weakest Library, with access to only their unique technologies, shared Library technologies, all Tower upgrades (except Arrowslits due to having access to the Ballista Tower upgrade) and Cupellation, fitting to their declining power in the late game. In contrast the Egyptians have the strongest Library, as they only lack Arrowslits (due to also being able to upgrade their Towers into Ballista Towers) and Geometry (due to their free economic buildings, and gold costing military buildings)

## Unique Technologies

Atlanteans:

* Atlantean Court
* Analog Computing
* Bronze Wall
* Iron Wall
* Orichalkos Wall
* Polygonal Masonry (Atlas)

Chinese:

* Compass
* Rocketry
* Great Wall

Egyptians:

* Citadel Wall
* Chariot Yoke
* Torsion Engines

Greeks:

* Philosophy
* Athenian Wall (Athena)
* Oracle (Apollo)

## Availability Grid

The following table shows the availability of the technologies for every civilization.

Technologies available to all civilizations are not listed, these are as follows: Stone Wall, Watch Tower, Crenellations, Boiling Oil, Ballistics, Alchemy, Engineers, and Military Stratagem.

## History

"*Since the invention of writing, efforts to archive or file articles have existed mostly to keep track of religious and government records aswell as events. Originally stored in dedicated archive rooms, writing expanded to include scientific, mythical tales, and even early historical accounts, and dedicated buildings for these forms of these writings were built so their knowledge could be shared to and read by others who needed this information. Libraries typically also housed a department of research to advance knowledge, philosophically debate -- as well as fact check and verify housed information.*

*The largest and most famous Library was the Library at Alexandria, built during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, which was believed to have held some 40,000 to 400,000 scrolls at the library's height of relevence. Despite misinformation however the library began to decline due to a purge of intellectuals in 145 BC, and a general lack of funding lead to most of the housed writings being taken elsewhere. The final blow to the main library came when the Roman general Julius Caesar and his legionaries burnt down in 48 BC, though whether as deliberate arson or accidental is not known. Though it's research department; the Mouseion likely survived into the late imperial period (though with little to no funding or support) where it was most likely destroyed during the Palymrene invasion of the 270s AD.*"

## Gallery

Egyptian LibraryGreek LibraryAtlantean Library