Hooo boy, what a load of shiny new things to play with! Now, ono the analysis:
Warmonger penalty for conquering a city is now halved with other civs that are also at war with the civ being conquered. => YESSSSS.
Tourism: Further Benefits from Tourism when Influential with another Civ (science, conquest and spyionage) => A much, much needed addition that will greatly help to integrate tourism into the game rather than making it feel like an add-on. The whole synergy with war gives a new meaning to the whole "offensive culture" concept, and also borrow from my own suggestions, so I can't complain
Social Policies: Added Mercenary Army social policy to Commerce (allows purchasing of Landsknechts). Trade Unions old effect (cheaper road/rail maintenance) moved to Wagon Trains. => Good change all around, for it eliminates one of its weakest policies (wagon trains)
Social Policies: Boost City-State trade bonus from +1 Gold to +2 Gold on Merchant Confederacy. => Not enough of a boost, still very generic
Social Policies: Merchant Navy now provides +4 Culture and +4 Production in the city with the East India Company. => I quite like this one here. We could use more national wonder boosting effects, they are quite unique.
Social Policies: Theocracy - Temples increase city gold output by 25% instead of 10%. => Piety needs a far more in-depth overhaul than this, me thinks
Social Policies: Boost Warrior Code from +25% to Great General creation up to +50% => Seriously, the Honour SP tree needs an in-depth surgery, not a cosmetic change. Talk about dropping the ball with this one
Social Policies: Boost Navigation School to +50% Great Admiral points (to mirror the earlier change to Warrior Code for Great Generals). => The problem does not lie within the policy itself, but rather with how much utterly useless Great Admirals are
Social Policies: Switch Ethics policy (Aesthetics tree) to Cultural Exchange (increase Tourism modifier for Open Borders, Shared Religion and Trade Routes by 15% each). The policy now gives bonuses to Open Border and Trade Routes. => This is astounding. A much necessary and original boost for what was the weakest link on the Aestethic SP tree.
Tenet: Spaceflight Pioneers: Remove +10 Science in Capital; add free Great Engineer and Great Scientist instead. => Damn. Bestest Order tenet O_o probably one of the best ideological tenets now
Tenet: Gunboat Diplomacy tenet now makes military units 50% more effective at intimidating City-States. Also rearranged tooltip text for bullying score so that the positive factors are always first, for readability => Yes autocracy need a boost, badly, but this alone won't cut it. It would be good to see more cultural boosts, futurism nonwithstanding
Great Works of Writing (like the Rosetta Stone) now available from 30% of the Hidden Antiquity Sites. An alternative use of these is to create a "Cultural Renaissance" (equal to a Great Writer's Political Treatise). => A much needed clamoured change, but only 30% of hidden antiquity sites seems like a far too little bonus. I still mantain that unique artifacts are the way to go. This is a half hearted, flavourless approach to it
There are now diplomatic bonuses for building Landmarks in both city state and major civ territory. => Anything that offers additional choices to make is good on my book
Changes to Germany => The problem always relied on its UA, not its UU. And the problem lied on how much damn boring, un-historical and generic it was, rather than its effectivity per se. However, this is a move into the right direction. The Hanse is a damn boss UB that offers a massive productive edge and nudges the player towards a certain playstyle (CS trading!) so I quite like it.
Changes to Japan => I get where Firaxis is coming from, but I don't think that the execution is that good. Atolls are only met once you hit the renaissance, and +1 culture per fishing boat is a very, very minor boost. The Zero is still a joke, even if I quite like the way they boosted it. Samurai is... something, I guess. Still, a too much flakey design.
Additional Pantheons => I cannot be the only one here that said "holy freaking crap" @ Sun God pantheon, aka "goddess of hunt in steroids and with bionic lazer shark implant". Damn, it is that good.
