Fast Worker

[cybrxkhan]

I just wanted to ask all of you... I never played as the indians, but why do they get the most unique UU out there, one that i find not that useful? is +1 movement for a worker that useful, when they already have two? i mean, maybe in an emergency when you need to harvest a resource immediately to build some units, but other than that, is there really a point? why can't India just get a real UU, like some kinda Mahout/Elephant or something else?

[DrewBledsoe]

Originally Posted by cybrxkhan

I just wanted to ask all of you... I never played as the indians, but why do they get the most unique UU out there, one that i find not that useful? is +1 movement for a worker that useful, when they already have two? i mean, maybe in an emergency when you need to harvest a resource immediately to build some units, but other than that, is there really a point? why can't India just get a real UU, like some kinda Mahout/Elephant or something else?

They are mosy useful early on (for normal speed), in that they can for example move onto a forest tile and start building a road, or a hill and start a mine, all in the same turn. This when accumulated, can save quite a lot of turns. This is much less prevelent on marathon, as it takes much longer to construct improvements, and the bonus is not as noticable.

[cybrxkhan]

They are mosy useful early on (for normal speed), in that they can for example move onto a forest tile and start building a road, or a hill and start a mine, all in the same turn. This when accumulated, can save quite a lot of turns. This is much less prevelent on marathon, as it takes much longer to construct improvements, and the bonus is not as noticable.

hmm. i usually play on quick games. anyhow, because a lot of the real action doesn't start, at least for me, until late medieval and usually reinessance, i don't think the early start is that advantaegous, because then everybody catches up with tem sooner or later.

[NKVD]

yeah for the indians UU stands for Useless Unit

[FuRRie]

NKVD, you clearly haven't played with India a lot or you don't understand how powerfull the Indian UU is.

[cybrxkhan]

so, i dunno, whats the best strategic use of the Fast Worker?

[r_rolo1]

Worker first (duh!) and start improving tiles ASAP. Improved tiles sometimes worth more than 2 unimproved ones and that will push you up

[TeraHammer]

Chop chop chop chop the chop the chop the chop

[Gooblah]

I'm Indian (but don't take offense to NKVD). Anyways, the Fast Worker's extra movement can aid him in building roads and improvements quickly. This aids both a military (faster unit movement and creation due to hooking of iron/copper/oil/aluminum/horses/ivory) and a civ as a whole due to a quick buliding of a solid trade network. If only Fast Workers stayed Fast Workers when you attacked them...

[cybrxkhan]

If only Fast Workers stayed Fast Workers when you attacked them...

well, i see everyone's point. but i still think that a War Elephant unit would've been better, like a canon-mounted one. (one of my Indian friends would think that too)

[magicalsushi]

Originally Posted by cybrxkhan

hmm. i usually play on quick games. anyhow, because a lot of the real action doesn't start, at least for me, until late medieval and usually reinessance, i don't think the early start is that advantaegous, because then everybody catches up with tem sooner or later.

You'll reach the medieval/renaissance eras sooner if you're able to get your resources hooked up quickly with fast workers. The extra food, production, commerce and strategic resouces are worth much more at the start of the game than they are later, so an advantage at that point is worth a lot more than it might seem.

[Saluki]

Fast workers are also useful throughout the entire game, unlike a typical UU. They're cumulative advantage over the course of the entire game can be significant.

[Orion071]

When most of the land is settled and I have Open Borders with everybody, I like to send a couple of Fast Workers around as super-fast scouts. They can sure cover the continent in a hurry!

[Traitorfish]

Originally Posted by Saluki

Fast workers are also useful throughout the entire game, unlike a typical UU. They're cumulative advantage over the course of the entire game can be significant.

Agreed- while Fast Worker's may lack the short-term power of a Pretorian or a Conquistador, they are useful for the full 6,000 years of gameplay, something which cannot be said for any other UU.

[DrewBledsoe]

Originally Posted by Traitorfish

Agreed- while Fast Worker's may lack the short-term power of a Pretorian or a Conquistador, they are useful for the full 6,000 years of gameplay, something which cannot be said for any other UU.

For this reason, some of the games most hardcore players (not me , but I won't disagree) quite rightly regard the Indian Worker as the best UU. Every other UU has a window of usefulness, and in some games none whatsoever ( e.g. Rome without Iron till late, Persia without horses till late). The Indian worker never stops being useful.

[Jerrymander]

The Indians have the best UU in the game. Statistical-wise and gameplay-wise, it is prevalent over all the other UUs.

I use one to scout.

[NKVD]

Originally Posted by FuRRie

NKVD, you clearly haven't played with India a lot or you don't understand how powerfull the Indian UU is.

actually i love asoka traits but each time i take them i have an unsuccesful game. they may be fast but dont forget your city can only work the tiles = to its population...and I'm always one or two square in advance before the pop up (with normal workers). plus each time indians play in my map (AI) they always are the weakest.

its like everybody are talking about how quick you can connect ressources like there would have built 1 worker for 4 cities... to me 4 workers vs 4 fast workers going to hookup bananas doesnt make a big difference. Not even talking about the skip turns i do with my workers so they have nothing to do on the turn i discover a new technology to hook up th new ressource within 2-3 turns

[KMadCandy]

i love those guys. for me it's not hooking up resources faster later in the game. it's the mining/chopping faster early on since they don't lose movement, and later the military advantages. i mean seriously, those guys rock hardcore as my army corps of engineers.

if i have walk thru jungle or hills to get where i'm going for a fight, a stack the right size for the game speed can move on to that tile and finish the road the same turn. my reinforcements get to walk on a road (or railroad) that wasn't there the turn before, on tiles that would have taken their entire turn to cross even for 2-movement troops. that's not just convenience. that saves serious time like having a medic around when you need one does! you don't always need an army COE, depends on the map etc, but when you need it, there is nothing else in the game that replaces the fast worker's ability to do that for you.

[flamingzaroc121]

Originally Posted by cybrxkhan

well, i see everyone's point. but i still think that a War Elephant unit would've been better, like a canon-mounted one. (one of my Indian friends would think that too)

but wouldnt you want to save a mounted Elephant for Vietnam if they are in

[Illini Rule]

I found that you dont need to make as many workers when you have fast workers. This gives me time to build an extra building earlier