Discussions about the different Civ bonuses

I think it would be interesting to hear players on these forums tell us of what they think about the different civilization bonuses, how it will affect the game and what civs will suit what kind of player. Since it seems we will be fed with new civ bonus info quite regularly (Gandhi and Lincoln available since recently) there should be enough to feed the discussions.

The thing with the bonuses just applying on certain ages is a new thing that will demand some different thinking and planning if you want to utilize it to the maximum. You can give any kind of comments you have regarding everything that has to do with these bonuses.

So let's start, what do you think of the currently available civs?

I'm very interested in reading your replies. Together we might get the upper hand vs those players who are not reading

Official current bonuses taken from the official website:

Bonuses for Mongolian Civilization
Starting: +1 production from Mountains
Ancient: Half-price Horsemen
Medieval: +50% trade from captured cities
Industrial: +2 food from desert regions
Modern: Free Communism tech
Unique Units: Horseman becomes Keshik

Bonuses for Egyptian Civilization
Starting: Begin the game with a Wonder
Ancient: +2 food from desert regions
Medieval: Receive knowledge of Irrigation
Industrial: +1 Rifleman movement
Modern: +50% caravan gold

Bonuses for Indian Civilization
Starting: Begin with access to all resources
Ancient: Cities not affected by Anarchy
Medieval: Free Religion tech
Industrial: Half-price Settlers
Modern: Half-price Courthouse

Bonuses for American Civilization
Starting: Begin the game with a Great Person
Ancient: 2% interest on gold
Medieval: Rush units at half-price
Industrial: +1 food from plains
Modern: Factories provide 3x production
Unique Units: Tank becomes Sherman Tank, Bomber becomes Flying Fortress, Fighter becomes Mustang Fighter

Magwill said:

The thing with the bonuses just applying on certain ages is a new thing that will demand some different thinking and planning if you want to utilize it to the maximum. You can give any kind of comments you have regarding everything that has to do with these bonuses.

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Are you certain that bonuses apply only during the age they are acquired and do not persist through other ages? If so, if I may ask, where did you hear this?

-rdm

rdm180 said:

Are you certain that bonuses apply only during the age they are acquired and do not persist through other ages? If so, if I may ask, where did you hear this?

-rdm

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EDIT: http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170373

I just read here that they do go over to the next era. I'm not going to look up the source right now due to lack of time but it is said that they have got this information from their in-house visits.

Seems like there weren't many people who had something to say about the bonuses and I don't know why I will use my humble intuition later today to give my share of thought on the matter.

I can't see Ghandi's half-price Settlers at Industrial being much use. Nor indeed, his half-priced Courthouse at Modern. At that late stage of the game the land-grab phase should be well and truly over, and with every city already sporting a Courthouse!

Ghandi does get off to a terrific start though, so it could just be heavy nerfing to compensate for the fact. As for America, and their 3x production at factories at Modern: OUCH, that's gonna hurt bigtime!!

IIRC, the pre-alpha version we played back in November the bonuses did NOT carry over to the newer ages. But again, that was a pre-alpha version, and things may have changed.

Padma said:

IIRC, the pre-alpha version we played back in November the bonuses did NOT carry over to the newer ages. But again, that was a pre-alpha version, and things may have changed.

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Would be nice to get a official reply on this then to see what they have decided on, since it surely will affect what you do.

But wouldn't for example that you cannot be affected by Anarchy be a very overpowered bonus if you had it during the rest of the game as well? Perhaps their info is wrong, I still think that having the bonuses for a specific age is more realistic and will make for a bit more thinking and planning when you play as you can prepare for your bonus and to gain as much as you can from it. For example India then, during the Ancient Age you could do stuff that cause anarchy and get away with it and you will have to take advantage of that period then.

Magwill said:

But wouldn't for example that you cannot be affected by Anarchy be a very overpowered bonus if you had it during the rest of the game as well?

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I think that simply means that the peasants don't revolt between changes in government, Magwill. And that consequently, the transition from one government to the next, occurs in only one turn.

Sgt Grimes said:

I think that simply means that the peasants don't revolt between changes in government, Magwill. And that consequently, the transition from one government to the next, occurs in only one turn.

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I tend to change often but maybe that just means I'm a bad player who doesn't know what he is doing I have never taken the step to become really good at Civ, it has just been occasional casual gaming to me.

It's actually a pretty powerful bonus to have, when you consider all the lost production and revenue that occurs when changing government. As you will know, it's typically a two or three turn process, although it can sometimes take much longer. So, a player such as yourself, who likes the 'try before you buy' approach to changing government, might actually find it quite handy being able to experiment without being penalized for doing so.

Sgt Grimes said:

It's actually a pretty powerful bonus to have, when you consider all the lost production and revenue that occurs when changing government. As you will know, it's typically a two or three turn process, although it can sometimes take much longer. So, a player such as yourself, who likes the 'try before you buy' approach to changing government, might actually find it quite handy being able to experiment without being penalized for doing so.

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Yup, although it should be even shorter now in CivRev right?

I was wondering a bit what you more experienced people think of the great person start that America have. I don't know the impact of a great person in CivRev but what about a comparison of a civilization's growth during the start comparing a civ with India's share of resources. Which one do you think will boost the construction process better?

Also, is Starting an age of itself or does it simply indicate that you get it together with Ancient when you start?

If the game is anything like civ 4, India's starting bonus by far seems the best so far, imagine how big you could make your early game cities with a bonus like that in civ4 where it is critical to keep your city sizes small until you can get religion/Hereditary rule or Representation civics/resources. Of course we don't know that yet and the wonders and great people could be all really good too.

The late game bonuses obviously aren't as useful for India, but the game could be different too and it might balance out the fact that their early game bonuses seem so good.


I would think you get the starting bonuses the entire game... wonders and great people's effects are there forever (until wonders obselete anyway, if they do in this game). Also I would think you keep the bonuses from previous ages, some of these offer a one time benefit (a tech), that can't ever be taken from you, and also Egypt and Mongolias desert bonus, if that was lost and your city was working a desert tile it'd starve.... I mean desert tiles could still be as useless as they are in civ4, but I'd think not because that wouldn't be a very useful bonus, even if it didn't obsolete.

here is the Kicker with india… You have access to them but you still need the techs to unlock them, but still knowing that you have coal, oil and nuclear fuel at the end of the game is assuring

mikeyredk said:

here is the Kicker with india? You have access to them but you still need the techs to unlock them, but still knowing that you have coal, oil and nuclear fuel at the end of the game is assuring

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if the bonuses carry over from age to age I guess.

Sgt Grimes said:

As for America, and their 3x production at factories at Modern: OUCH, that's gonna hurt bigtime!!

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solution: don't let America reach the modern ages

Have they not decided on all the Civs unique units yet?

bonafide11 said:

Have they not decided on all the Civs unique units yet?

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I don't know but it feels as usual strange if one civ gets more unique units than another one. Would be nice with at least 3 per civ.

Back to the bonuses... I was wondering about Egypt's +2 food from desert. Now we know that we won't get any options for creating our maps as it will be totally randomized. The question is then how useful this bonus will be. I mean there are two different possibilities. Either the world is created with a certain planet tilt so you have like Earth that some areas have more sun etc and therefore there is desert there. The other possibility is that there is just random pieces of land everywhere. If the first alternative is correct, then this bonus is a waste if you are not close to the desert. If the second alternative is correct, then the interesting question is how many tiles are actually desert if its totally random. I mean we haven't seen maps with lots of desert have we? And if someone has, please link a screen.

I was under the impression that India's resource bonus meant that, to use a CivIV example, you don't need Animal Husbandry to build a pasture.

I like the Gypo initial bonus, a free wonder seems like a nice bonus, I just hope it doesn't just mean free Stonehenge, I hope there's more choice.

I'm wondering what the "Free Communism Tech" or "Free Religion Tech" means compared to "Receives Knowledge of Irrigation"

Also wondering what "50% More Trade from Conquered Cities" means, seems like it could be an interesting bonus, and a great motivation for warmongering (not that anyone playing as the Great Khan should need one)

America seems to rock real hard, more so than any of the other civs. 2% interest on gold! Remember the quote about compound interest in CivIV.

I'm guessing every civ gets more than one UU, but perhaps not. It would be an interesting way to balance civs. Those with less powerful bonuses get more UUs.

Wonder if there are UBs

AbbieRevo said:

I was under the impression that India's resource bonus meant that, to use a CivIV example, you don't need Animal Husbandry to build a pasture.

I like the Gypo initial bonus, a free wonder seems like a nice bonus, I just hope it doesn't just mean free Stonehenge, I hope there's more choice.

I'm wondering what the "Free Communism Tech" or "Free Religion Tech" means compared to "Receives Knowledge of Irrigation"

Also wondering what "50% More Trade from Conquered Cities" means, seems like it could be an interesting bonus, and a great motivation for warmongering (not that anyone playing as the Great Khan should need one)

America seems to rock real hard, more so than any of the other civs. 2% interest on gold! Remember the quote about compound interest in CivIV.

I'm guessing every civ gets more than one UU, but perhaps not. It would be an interesting way to balance civs. Those with less powerful bonuses get more UUs.

Wonder if there are UBs

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I just read over at the official 2kforums that the unique units do not have altered stats so I guess they do not use it for balancing.

Magwill said:

I just read over at the official 2kforums that the unique units do not have altered stats so I guess they do not use it for balancing.

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If the unique units don't have altered stats, what makes them unique? I would be really disappointed with this game if a Keshik and a Horseman are the same unit with different graphics.

In one of Dan's 'poly vids, I think I heard someone mention that Aztec units heal whenever they win a battle...