Azzaman333 reviews all 31 Civs: America

Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
22,877
Location
Melbourne, AUS Reputation:131^(9/2)
AMERICA
Leader: Abraham Lincoln
Aggression Level: 3
Favorite Government: Democracy
Shunned Government: Communism
Culture Group: American

Trait Combo: Expansionist & Industrious; 9/28
The only thing saving this trait combo from being the worst is the +50% speed workers. For 3 of the 4 eras, you will have 1 trait, so fortunately it is a good one. Expansionist can help a little, since you can concentrait on building towns and improving your economy with out having to worry about reseach (goody huts do it for you).

Unique Unit: F-15; 1/31
Often referred to as the worst UU in the game, and with good reason. I dont even know what bonuses the F-15 gets over the normal jet fighter, since i have never even used it. Its also very hard to trigger a Golden Age with a jet fighter, since they are rarely killing units, and its not common for major air battles. If anyone can see a purpose for this unit, please tell me since to me it is about as useful as a boat that will sink no matter what.

AI Game Play: 7/10
Surprisingly, the AI is normally good with America. Normally has a large area, strong economy and many allies. The only downside is the lack of army they have. In the last game i can remember America in, they had at least 5% more land and a 3-4 minimum tech lead over their enemy, and they were crushed. Normally a strong rival when Industrialised.

UU & TC Blend: 0/1
A Modern Era UU for a civ which has 1 trait after the Ancient Age? Useless. And the general uselessness of the F-15 seals the deal.

Total Score: 17/70 Rank: 7/7

Comments and discussion welcomed.
 
Expansionist is a highly underrated trait. Sure, it's only mainly useful in the AA - but it can give you a *huge* early advantage in trading and finding the best places to drop a city. That, I think, is why the AI tends to do well with america - because the traits are ones that give the AI advantages, even if they don't use expansionist to it's fullest. And industrious is just excellent.
 
The F-15 has lethal bombard (like a bomber) and a higher bombard than a regular jet fighter. Not much, but I did trigger a golden age with a conquests F-15. The pre conquests F-15 didn't have the lethality and I don't know if they could trigger a golden age, I never got one.
 
AutomatedTeller said:
Expansionist is a highly underrated trait. Sure, it's only mainly useful in the AA - but it can give you a *huge* early advantage in trading and finding the best places to drop a city. That, I think, is why the AI tends to do well with america - because the traits are ones that give the AI advantages, even if they don't use expansionist to it's fullest. And industrious is just excellent.

Spot on. And since the AA is when games are won and lost, a trait that dominates it is very powerful indeed. I would add that anyone who thinks the only scientific benefit comes from goody huts needs to learn the subtle art of diplomacy. Finding other civs before they find each other is worth several techs and a lot of gold to boot.
 
Madroc said:
Spot on. And since the AA is when games are won and lost, a trait that dominates it is very powerful indeed. I would add that anyone who thinks the only scientific benefit comes from goody huts needs to learn the subtle art of diplomacy. Finding other civs before they find each other is worth several techs and a lot of gold to boot.

Agreed. Expansionist can be a decent trait. Expansionist depends alot on the difficulty setting though.

You get most bang out of expansionist at around regent/monarch difficulty.
Chances of popping a settler or a town are highest with expansionist and regent difficulty. Chieftains and warlord expansionist have a 5% chance to get nothing.

On chieftain, expansionists get only slightly better odds than non-expansionist chieftains.
On the other side of the slider, at emperor and above the AI always get alot more benefit than the player as the AI get regent odds, while the player rarely ever get more than 25 gold. Barbarians are best left OFF here.

Trade situation is quite similar. On low difficulty the AI have too little to trade. Starting with monarch level, AIs finally make enough to keep up with the tech race or make GPT deals.

Expansionist is good for regent/monarch.
 
The advantage for me with America is the ability to grab the city sites with the food bonuses first, and develop them quicker with the faster workers. Food is power. You get more cities faster, and more workers to develop them. Grab the food, and the rest will follow.
 
The only thing I'm gonna have to disagree with is the AI game play. Maybe it's different for you, but in my experiences, the Americans have been terrible when it comes to the Middle and Industrial Ages.
 
Jazzmail said:
Agreed. Expansionist can be a decent trait. Expansionist depends alot on the difficulty setting though.

You get most bang out of expansionist at around regent/monarch difficulty.

Trade situation is quite similar. On low difficulty the AI have too little to trade. Starting with monarch level, AIs finally make enough to keep up with the tech race or make GPT deals.

Expansionist is good for regent/monarch.
Actually, EXP is most useful on - Demigod.
Don't forget, certain hut benefits (Settlers/Cities) depend on how well the other Civs do...and I'd always prefer one single free Settler early on to CB+BW+WC.
 
Even on monarch, the AI civs will nearly always create their first settler before you do. That's the timeframe in which your odds of getting one are highest and the benefits the greatest.
Odds of getting a town or settler are still highest on regent.

I think barbarians are best set to none on Emperor and above.
Goody huts are a bigger advantage to the AI civs than to the player and without the combat bonus of the easy levels, barbarians become a significant annoyance.
 
Jazzmail said:
Even on monarch, the AI civs will nearly always create their first settler before you do. That's the timeframe in which your odds of getting one are highest and the benefits the greatest.
Odds of getting a town or settler are still highest on regent.

No.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=93244

I think barbarians are best set to none on Emperor and above.
Goody huts are a bigger advantage to the AI civs than to the player and without the combat bonus of the easy levels, barbarians become a significant annoyance.
Your choice (though you're of course right with the problem).
But, with an EXP Civ, I'd keep the Barbs even on Deity. Well, maybe even with a non-EXP Civ, the White Folks keep the AI occupied in the beginning, might help with a Farmer's Gambit.
For Sid, it is pointless in any case.
 
Hmm. Yeah, you're right.

the table gives probabilities for the various outcomes including cities and settlers, so for an expansionist:

chief 10+15=25
warlord 10+15=25
regent 13.3+13.3=26.6
monarch 7.7 + 15.4 = 23.1
emperor 8.3 + 16,7 = 25
demigod 14.3 + 14.3 = 28.6
diety 0 + 20 = 20

Demigod comes first place. Regent is second.
Then ofcourse someone could argue a settler is much better than a city in a poor location so that's a point for diety.
 
Back
Top Bottom