DLC Recommendations

[crashcrush]

I'm considering buying a DLC. So, without turning this into a debate on whether DLC is gouging/corporate greed/etc, I'm curious which DLC folks have been most happy with. Polynesia, Spanish/Incas, or Vikings and why.

I'm leaning Spanish/Inca myself, but interested in others perspectives.

 

[The_Quasar]

They are worth it, not just because of the new civ, but because of the scenarios too... iirc the New World scenario comes with the Spanish/Inca, and that is well worth the money on it's own...

The Mongol Scenario and the 1066 Scenario (with the Vikings) are also very good fun, and recommended.

 

[ButSam]

I believe you can get Babylon now if you didn't get them at the beginning. I highly recommend it; Babylon is my favorite civ in all of Civ 5 (although I don't have the Polynesian pack and Vikings, but I have the Spain/Inca, which is also good). Babylon is so versatile, really helps for any victory condition. They are about to be nerfed slightly with the next patch, but even 1.5x great scientist rate is still going to be strong.

So, there's my 2 cents.

 

[Haig]

I'd take them all, they give new views and strategies to the game, and it's cool to get different adversaries too.

The Mongols, which are the one we got free are actually my least favorite, too straightforward I guess.

Inca and Spanish are my favorites, both very unique, and it's cool to make a colonial Empire with Spain. Spain is fun also for later era starts if you like those once in a while.
Inca is both very strong and interesting, good for production powerhouse civ, it's nice to use hills and mountains to new advantages.

Haven't tried Babylon that much but it has it's fans. Bowmen are very good, an underrated UU!

Polynesia is another one people dig a lot, the embarked bonus is good but I haven't found a good synergy with their UA + maori warriors + moai statues... Great thememusic and boat graphs..

Just finished a game with Denmark (lost to Babylon!) and I like them, I played a game where I pillaged some weak civs to stone age, I wasn't that popular Civ with other leaders but some civs forgave my sins thankfully.
Berserkers are great looking and great marines, but the july patch downgrades them a bit, but it's ok.
Ski infantry is ok I guess, but it's nice to have a rifleman UU.

Seriously, get them all! Save a few bucks from your expensive fair trade coffee and buy the cheapest coffee you find at your cheap-mart. You have already enough cash for Denmark!
Repeat with other "luxury resources" and you'll get them all..

 

[Civsassin]

Vikings = war
Babylon = science and defense
Spain = war and expansion
Polynesia = culture and expansion
Mongols = war

They're all good depending on which play style you prefer. I like the vikings and Babylon.

 

[aatami]

If I where you, I would get all of the extra civs and the multiplayer map pack 1, because it features new random maps.

 

[RealHuhn]

Maybe I'm in the minority with my opinion but the scenarios are very boring.

But the new civs are fun.

My favs:
Polynesia: The most innovative civ. Feels a lot different than the rest.
Babylon: One of the best civs in the game. Improved academies will be fun

After that it's Inca -> Vikings -> Spain.

 

[Dai]

I agree with RealHuhn; the scenarios are just little diversions that you slog through a few times if you care about achievements, and I'd hardly consider them a factor whatsoever in your decision-making. The Polynesian one in particular gets old about a quarter of the way into your first playthrough. Nevertheless, I'd put Polynesia very high on the list for Polynesia itself, a Civ that really changes the way the game is played in a fun and fresh way.

 

[chaotoroboto]

I agree with RealHuhn; the scenarios are just little diversions that you slog through a few times if you care about achievements, and I'd hardly consider them a factor whatsoever in your decision-making. The Polynesian one in particular gets old about a quarter of the way into your first playthrough. Nevertheless, I'd put Polynesia very high on the list for Polynesia itself, a Civ that really changes the way the game is played in a fun and fresh way.

Yeah, I have more fun playing as polynesia than I do with any other Civ. I have to play on a lower level and I don't usually win, but I have more fun. If fun is your goal, then Polynesia is the best.

I own all of them and I think the only one that isn't fun to play is the Inca. But Spain is fun, so that balances for me.

 

[Keejus]

You really can't go wrong with Polynesia, Inca/Spain or Denmark

Babylon is ridiculously powerful, but I find them to be boring, flavor-wise

 

[Randall Turner]

I don't have a burning desire to play any of the DLC packages**. But I'm starting to think I might be missing out on interesting opponents, at the least.

** - it seems to me that the DLC civs are generally just too powerful. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing for the AI, if it can use their advantages intelligently. That seems like a pretty big "if", though.

 

[Polycrates]

I don't have a burning desire to play any of the DLC packages**. But I'm starting to think I might be missing out on interesting opponents, at the least.

** - it seems to me that the DLC civs are generally just too powerful. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing for the AI, if it can use their advantages intelligently. That seems like a pretty big "if", though.

Babylon is perhaps "too powerful", though the nerf to them in the newest patch might change this. I really wouldn't consider any of the others too powerful. Their abilities make them interesting though - they're far enough removed from the vanilla civs that you benefit from employing an unorthodox gamestyle. And that's the draw. Also the scenarios, which I never cared about until I tried them and found them really involving.

Babylon - Very powerful but possibly the least interesting to play of the DLC civs. No scenario. Has easily the coolest leaderhead in the whole game, even discounting his magnificent beard. Makes a good AI opponent, since he has good AI flavour values.

Inca/Spain - Good scenario, you get two civs but you pay for both even if you only want one. Inca are probably my favourite civ in the game - they're a pretty top-tier civ and they're a blast to play. Spain seems a bit poorly-designed, to be honest, and I've avoided using them. Inca tend to do well as an AI opponent (though I've run into the "stuck on one city" AI bug with them once - hopefully the next patch sorts this out)

Polynesia - Easily the most unique civ; on certain maps they're crazy powerful, on others less so. Lots of fun. Their scenario is okay, if you can get past the really grating leaderheads. They're interesting as an AI opponent, since they know everybody from very early on.

Denmark - The best all-round package, I think. Cool civ with a really fun mechanic, cool leaderhead, and really excellent, well-polished scenario.

 

[civnoob13]

Polynesia and The Incas are my two favourite civs in the game - they're both very fun to play with, especially the Incas.

 

[Morningcalm]

Agreed on Polynesia and the Inca. I do think the Denmark DLC has the most interesting (right off the bat) scenario, whereas the New World DLC scenario is a dull random map rehash, and the Polynesia one is interesting but not quite as much as the Denmark one.

1066= WAR.

 

[Dai]

Yeah, I don't think the DLC civs (excepting known outlier Babylon) are generally too powerful. In fact, one of the things that impresses me about Polynesia is that it's such a unique civ yet it still falls in the middle range of civs in terms of raw power. (Maybe middlish-high, but it's a member of the pack.) I almost wish they had split the Wayfaring mechanic (can embark over seas immediately) and the Moai mechanic (can build a culture-generating tile improvement) over two civs, since either on its own is enough to make a civ super unique and fun to play.

 

[killmeplease]

Polynesia is the best DLC and scenario i think, i have really enjoyed it.
And Vikings are the less interesting in my opinion.

 

[ColinTH]

Polynesia as others have said, great fun to play as especially if you like goody huts. Never tried the Scenario.
Babylon are a seriously good civ, the patch unfortunately will have an affect, perhaps a good thing!
Inca, Spain and Mongolia are all unique to play with or against, never played the scenario's.
Denmark - Just purchased this DLC, mainly because I was bored. I thoroughly enjoyed the Scenario, it is war all the way and four different civs to play as. Personally I enjoyed defending playing as King Harold 1066 more than the other three. The viking Berserkers have alot going for them, they can defend in the sea, they can also land, move and attack all in one turn! I loved the fact that there was no science or happiness to worry about, (just war)! It gave my brain a rest from all the normal happiness, science, trading and diplomacy issues, and I must say it seemed to be pretty well Historically correct.

 

[TM Moot]

Denmark - Just purchased this DLC, mainly because I was bored. I thoroughly enjoyed the Scenario, it is war all the way and four different civs to play as. Personally I enjoyed defending playing as King Harold 1066 more than the other three. The viking Berserkers have alot going for them, they can defend in the sea, they can also land, move and attack all in one turn! I loved the fact that there was no science or happiness to worry about, (just war)! It gave my brain a rest from all the normal happiness, science, trading and diplomacy issues, and I must say it seemed to be pretty well Historically correct.

Plus one.

Enjoyed the Denamrk scenario, a good variation on vanilla civ5. And, likewise, I especially enjoyed defending England against all the invaders, would definitely recommend giving it a go.

The New World scenario is also good, more so as an exploring European rather then a native American civ.

Haven't completed a Polynesian or Mongol scenario yet, so can't say much.

 

[CYZ]

It really depends on your playstyle and such. Care to tell us something more about that? Would make it easier.

For me personally. I don't enjoy war much nor do I like scenarios. The obvious choice would be Inca/Spain since those two Civs have, in my opinion, the most unique way of playing the game.

Spain is just begging for an exploration/tall approach. My usual goal is to settle one city next to a Natural Wonder, even if it's on the other side of the continent. After that rush to the new world and settle next to any Natural Wonders there. It makes for a tall empire with cities spread accross the map, very interesting.

Inca are very fun due to their UI. It works for both wide and tall and really shines on hilly mountain map. Plus their unique unit is pretty unique with the retreat ability.


As for the rest. Babylon seems fun for defense but their ability is simple and boring (albeit powerfull). Denmark and Mongolia are pure war and not interesting for me (although if you really enjoy war, they are pretty neat I guess).

Polynesia is again pretty unique. But their ability is really overpowered in some and underpowered in other games. Their unit is again boring. Moai can be real fun but are very map dependant again. And to be honest, the AI is still too weak on naval maps to make Polynesia fun.

 

[_hero_]

Another interesting thing to consider is how the AI plays these civs.

Polynesia- Never has many cities but they are all huge cities that are very difficult to take out
Babylon- Usually plays small and defensive, again hard to take out
Mongolia- Expands all over the freaking place with crappy cities
Spain- Usually a non-factor as the AI. Likes to rush to their UUs.
Inca- On the higher difficulties they like to spam slingers and warriors and do a nasty rush. Those slingers are really annoying to take out with their retreating.
Vikings- Warmongers with reckless abandon. If you like having waves of troops come after you, then you'll enjoy playing against them. Otherwise, you'll want to stack up your defensive units and buildings.