Favourite Civilizations!

Sweden, Russia and Shoshone. They're like the big 3 of Civ 5 for me (until they release Canada as a DLC )

My favorite civs are the versatile civs. I'm only 3 games into BNW, but have 70 victories between G&K and vanilla. So far I really enjoy the changes to the game. That being said, one of the few aspects I don't like is that many of the civs are pigeon-holed towards one particular victory condition. Brazil with culture victories for example: sure with the jungle-bias research will be good and you can use the extra artists for extending the golden age and writers for most of a policy several times over, but their design is so specifically tailored towards culture. Same with France-beta. Slightly lesser extent with Assyria for domination. Speaking of domination, using Shaka towards anything other than a domination victory is like using the Mona Lisa to cover up a hole in your wall: sure it can do the job, but has nearly boundless application towards a different purpose.
As far as versatile civs, what held true in G&K still holds true in BNW, the Aztecs and Mayans can do everything as good as, if not better than, any other civ, even the civs that are designed towards a purpose. Indonesia is right up there, but is less versatile as he can't perform equally as well on all maps.

Spain is just so fun.

The Inca, Maya, Koreans, and Zulu are my favorite civs to play in game.
The Inca, Japanese, Swedish and Persians are my favorite in the real world.

MantaRevan said:

The Inca, Maya, Koreans, and Zulu are my favorite civs to play in game.
The Inca, Japanese, Swedish and Persians are my favorite in the real world.

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The Inca got wiped out in the real world...

England and Babylon have always been the most fun to play.

Latest save with Babylon was really fun. I had an island all to my self. Built just two cities and since I had raging barbarians on my two Bowman got me loads of culture since I started by opening the Honor SP. And it is fun to build Walls of Babylon and Hanging Gardens in Babylon. And it really suits a small empire focusing on science and defense.

I can't say I have a favorite civ, but I'm currently really enjoying playing as Polynesia. Things can get a little rough starting out if you go heavy exploration, but the culture you get from Moai a little later is tremendous. It's not uncommon for me to have a ton of Moai each producing 3-5 culture per turn. On my last save, I was cranking out over 500 CPT and finished with 5 social policy trees and the freedom ideology track completed. If the map had been arranged a bit differently, it would have been even higher. When hotels and the national visitor center come around, that quickly translates into a cultural win.

And then, there's that nice ability to go ocean sailing right from the start. I never even bother building a monument when playing tall because I usually find a ruin quickly enough that grants the culture I need to get things started. I just focus early production on Maori warriors who keep their Haka war dance promotion on upgrade. ^_^

Favorite Civilizations: Native American & Mesoamerica civs (Iroquois, Shoshone, Inca, Aztec, Maya)

They've never let me down and I find them most adaptable to my style of play, although it also encourages me into certain paths depending on which one I am playing as. If I roll Aztec I will be more motivated to pump out Jaguars for as long as I can and pursue world domination. If I get Iroquois or Inca, certain terrains are not only desirable, but favorable towards them because of their of their great UA/UB synergy. Shoshone ensures that I will not be pressured to compete for land as much as other civs and being able to choose a bonus from ruins is a nice bonus. Maya is great for fast science and faith, two things I heavily prioritize in most of my games. I also favor Civs with Early UUs and all of these deliver. There's also probably a bit of personal bias there since I hail from around those areas.

Least favorite civs: Most of Europe (France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden)

For whatever reason, I have never been too interested in the European civs. Some of them have nice bonuses and their history is quite significant but I personally don't feel too attracted to the Civs from this area. I find some of them to be quite boring or unintuitive to my playing style. They have things I will either not use or find much use of myself. I've played as most of them but I can't honestly say if I would have preformed better or worse with any other Civ in a particular situation I found myself with them. Poland, Portugal, and Russia are alright, but the rest of Europe is lost on my favor.


Honorable Mentions: Greco-Roman (Greece, Rome, Byzantium), Mesopotamia (Assyria, Babylon, Persia), East Asia (Japan, China, Korea), Arabia.

I particularly like the history and components of these civilizations and play as them often when I am not selecting a random leader most of the time. I admire the history of the Hellenic-Roman nations and the area of Mesopotamia has always been of interest to me. I also used to play as them the most in previous Civ games and I guess it has continued to stick with me through habit. Not only that but they boast some lovely bonuses that I find especially useful and beneficial to the way I play. East Asian Civs like China, Korea, and Japan are especially strong and I really like the feel from them when I play them. CKNs and Samurai tear everything up and Korea is hands-down one of the best Civs for scientific dominance. Arabia is just fantastic at everything, nuff said. They specialize in religion and trade, which means they suit me quite nicely. It is probably the best Civ overall in general if you ask me, right next to China.

Anyone else I haven't mentioned I have little opinion of or little experience with, but I don't particularly like or dislike them.

Germany or Egypt.

Germany, for a Domination game. Panzers!
Egipt, for Wonders and cultural game. And yellow is my favourite colour
And recently i'm falling in love with Venice, lot of gold, GMV buying CS for all around the globe and powerful fleets looking around the trade routes.

Polynesia

Only Rome, although to use their UA is pretty hard and their UUs are not that great.

I just love Rome as a civ for their history and great conquests. Maybe in civ5 Rome could be more appealing.

But I still like to play them get Iron -> Legions and Ballistas and conquer, I have gold problems to field an army in this stage, but it's fun.

Why, Egypt, I can go like this: Great Library, give me that tech baby, Stonehenge, off guys, I'm speeding ahead all you ers except for Boudicca, Oracle, why thank you, I really wanted to finish tradition quickly, Great Wall of China, we're not Chinese but you guys will have a hard time attacking me, Colossus, I'm rich ers, yada yada yada. Their UA is just awesome.

Burial Tomb is great, War Chariot isn't so great but I guess it's ok.

Ximixanga said:

For whatever reason, I have never been too interested in the European civs. Some of them have nice bonuses and their history is quite significant but I personally don't feel too attracted to the Civs from this area. I find some of them to be quite boring or unintuitive to my playing style. They have things I will either not use or find much use of myself. I've played as most of them but I can't honestly say if I would have preformed better or worse with any other Civ in a particular situation I found myself with them. Poland, Portugal, and Russia are alright, but the rest of Europe is lost on my favor.

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I'm with you 100% on that.
I almost never play European civs because they simply bore me. Some are a lot better than others. I'd be more willing to play Greece or the Celts than say Austria or Spain.

Sturmgewher88mm said:

Germany:

Free units and extra gold from barbarian camps, reduced maintenance on land units, cheap Landsknechts, and dominating panzers!

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Ja. My fav as well for pretty much the same reasons. All the barbs to garrison cities later on for free culture (and maint free with policies), panzers to squash everything.

Lots of landsk also good for guarding, barb hunting, and later on, garrison.

(but I still just love large groups of panzers spreading out. Fantastic for capturing fleeing workers too!)

I change my mind all the time... but right now Germany and France are my favourites. (fall patch)
Shoshone is fun up until I have settled all my cities.

Ive played a lot of Greece lately to compare them to Germany for diplo win. But Germany is just superior.

EDIT; Not SUPERIOR superior.... just better for me and my playstyle!

Securion said:

EDIT; Not SUPERIOR superior.... just better for me and my playstyle!

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So you're NOT describing the Germans as the Master Race? </godwin>

France and China of course!

France UA and UU is super duper useful! I'm usually playing defensive at early game, but get a little bit or even be warmonger(If necessary) after I got my Musketeer. Talking about the their UA, IMO this is the best civ to play culture! Uffizi + Louvre = GG!

For China, I am usually playing defensive until someone declare war on me and I'll probably out-tech them and crush them with my Chu-Ko-Nu!

I enjoy Poland for the diversity of options the UA presents, and kicking units around with the winged hussars. It also keeps my very Polish girlfriend off my back ("CIV again?!"). Doskunale! Also like the Maya for bonus great peoples and the pyramid that gets you off and running.

Naudilent said:

I enjoy Poland for the diversity of options the UA presents, and kicking units around with the winged hussars. It also keeps my very Polish girlfriend off my back ("CIV again?!").

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Replace girlfriend with wife and that could be me... And also let us not forget those Ducal Stables - they are pretty useful. Poland is indeed awesome.
Apart from that I also like Austria and Spain.