Since BNW, Austria has become hands-down my pick for most useful civ in the game:
The UA is now even more powerful, as trade-routes and the right SPs and/or religious beliefs allow one to amass more gold than ever. In the past, I might get into triple digits of GPT only during a golden age or in the final 50 turns. Now in BNW, I can get that level of GPT already by the beginning of the mid-game depending on who sends trade-routes to me and what I build/own for maintenance, often even without a golden age.
The UB now affects an even greater number of Great People, and if combined with Tower of Pisa, a Garden, and the National Epic, results in tremendous Great People generation. All the more because the Great Works Great People are all cheaper than usual, IIRC.
The AI also now seems less likely to DoW, meaning that more CSes are available to marry, and even further, the AI tends to sit on its wealth despite having more of it and doesn't even go after CSes any harder.
Austria was always a contender for best all-around civ once G&K came out. But BNW practically seals it for me.
The UA is now even more powerful, as trade-routes and the right SPs and/or religious beliefs allow one to amass more gold than ever. In the past, I might get into triple digits of GPT only during a golden age or in the final 50 turns. Now in BNW, I can get that level of GPT already by the beginning of the mid-game depending on who sends trade-routes to me and what I build/own for maintenance, often even without a golden age.
The UB now affects an even greater number of Great People, and if combined with Tower of Pisa, a Garden, and the National Epic, results in tremendous Great People generation. All the more because the Great Works Great People are all cheaper than usual, IIRC.
The AI also now seems less likely to DoW, meaning that more CSes are available to marry, and even further, the AI tends to sit on its wealth despite having more of it and doesn't even go after CSes any harder.
Austria was always a contender for best all-around civ once G&K came out. But BNW practically seals it for me.
