ferretbacon
Obsessor
So, just to be clear, you're saying that because there's a single civ out there that has a privateer replacement, no other civ should have a privateer replacement? On the back of that alone, it's a poor idea?
That doesn't work. There aren't enough units in the game to think you should only have a single replacement for each one. We're basically talking needless symmetry.
That's exactly what I'm saying.
Few things to note here.
First, there's a minor semantics issue out. I know Civ IV used the word "carrack", but that's actually a Spanish word. The Portuguese use the word "nau" to refer to this type of ship. This was already mentioned earlier in the thread. Didn't stick, I guess.
Second, the caravel is a Portuguese invention. In fact, in the context of being the first to get out onto the oceans and being the first to explore the world, the caravel was *the* Portuguese invention. It's what let them do that. Doesn't make sense to swap it out, particularly with a ship that came later.
It does make sense to swap out the privateer, though. The Portuguese were the ones with the shipping lane monopoly, so they didn't need privateers. Privateering was how the johnny-come-lately civ's got in on the action, by going after Portugal's cargo ships.
Speaking of cargo ships, that's really what the nau/carrack is. Of course, it had guns, but all cargo ships had guns. Contrary to how BNW is presenting cargo ships, nobody just sailed across an ocean in privateer-infested waters without a cannon (or even a spyglass for that matter, as cargo ships apparently have no line-of-sight). Given that incongruity, the nau makes about as much sense as a cargo ship replacement as it does a privateer replacement.
I revised my suggestion a bit since you quoted it, but I already had Nau in parenthesis, so the fact wasn't lost on me.
Portugal and the Netherlands both have a legacy for naval trade. Sure, a unit can have more than one unique replacement in the game (just ask the Musketman), but why not replace the Caravel even if the Caravel is a Portuguese innovation. Unfortunately, it's already been appropriated as the general first oceanic vessel in the game, so it isn't like the Portuguese have any special claim to it from a gameplay perspective.
For reference, here is my 'finalized' suggestion:
UA: Age of Discovery Receive double gold when first meeting a City State; if you are the first to circumnavigate the globe, receive a free Social Policy and enter a Golden Age.
UU: Carrack (or Nau), replaces Caravel. Available at Compass instead of Astronomy. Same stats as Caravel except it receives +1 sight and +1 movement. If gifted to a City State, receive a gold bonus.
UB: Feitoria, replaces Harbor. Adds 5 and +50 HP; each ocean tile worked by the city generates +1 gold .
You do bring up some good points though, so here is an alternate:
UA: Age of Discovery Receive double gold when first meeting a City State; if you are the first to circumnavigate the globe, receive a free Social Policy and enter a Golden Age. Caravel available at Compass.
UU: Carrack (or Nau), replaces Privateer. Loses the Prize Ships and Coastal Raider promotions, but has 6 movement. When stacked on a Cargo Ship or embarked unit, confers its movement points to that unit. Receives a significant defensive bonus when attacked (20%).
UB: Feitoria, replaces Harbor. 4 maintenance. Adds 5 and +50 HP; each ocean tile worked by the city generates +1 gold, +2 gold if on a separate continent from your capital.
After revision, I think I like this version better.