Ok I give in (a bit)...Which DLC if any do you recommend?

[Larsenex]

I am completely against this form of product but I want more Civs to choose from than what comes with the basic package. I fired up Civ 5 again and I am having fun as Rome on Warlord setting as a game. Granted I am relearning all about Happiness and science buy meh Ill get better. With that said, what DLC do you all think is a must have for fun? I am thinking about getting at max four.

Also if you have a Mod you recommend please let me know.

 

[forty2j]

Personally I'm enjoying the scenarios that come with each new Civ. I may never play as Spain or Inca, but found the New World scenario quite interesting.

Polynesia is the one new Civ that probably offers the most difference in gameplay in the core game from the stock Civs.

 

[Larsenex]

Ah I am looking for Civs but senarios are something I had not considered. I usually play with only Domination/Science as the two vic conditions and go from there.

 

[Drawmeus]

Polynesia gives a totally unique gameplay experience and if I was going to recommend just one DLC, that'd be it. The upcoming Danes look like another really well-crafted DLC.

Spain and the Inca are both *ok* - they're both fun civs and they do have some different considerations than anyone else (particularly spain fighting wars against 'natives' in order to claim natural wonders), but they don't approach the level of uniqueness of Polynesia.

Babylon is pretty much just another civ. It's fine, its UA enables a few special tactics, but it's just not that different from what's already there and its UA is really better if you're the kind of player who wants to attack Immortal/Deity with specific strategies laid out at game start and carefully executed. For general play it's really nothing special, a nice tech boost but not a huge consideration.

 

[chazzycat]

I like them all...Inca is my fave but Spain, Mongols, Polynesia & Babylon are all fun and bring something different to the table.

Inca - the new mountain/hill race, solid economic traits & cool terrace farms
Mongols - awesome unstoppable war machine
Polynesia - very fun on water maps, fast expansion & exploration, Moia allows for cool cultural strategies
Spain - once you hit renaissance, exploring & trying to grab all the natural wonders with Conquistadors is fun. Can be a bit plain if you're not lucky with natural wonders.
Babylon - science powerhouse. Free early GS opens many possibly strategies, and increased GS rate will mean tons of great scientists. Probably my least favorite as far as flavor, but definitely powerful.

 

[eric_]

Inca/Spain and Polynesia are all great, imo.

I could live without Mongols and Babylon, although I haven't played as either very much yet.

 

[King Patrick]

I have all the DLCs. My two favorites to play are Polynesia and the Inca. Of course, Polynesia works best on archipelago or small continents maps. The Inca are neat because if you wait for the right map, you end up with an empire with a very different feel from the others - cities & terrace farms along twisting highland mountain valleys.

Spain and Mongolia are fun to have in the game as rival civs. Particularly Spain - someone described Isabella as "the little sister that goes to war with you." Genghis Khan is another lunatic in the vein of Montezuma, always fun at a party. Babylon's okay, it's the most like the other civs already in the game - Nebby's basically another science nerd like Wu Zetien, except he'll plant cities all over the planet if left unchecked.

 

[BluebeardRex]

Haven't got the Babylon DLC yet, but of the others, I throughly recommend the double bill of Izzy and Pac-Man. Interesting Civs to play against, the couple of games I played with them were fun, but the scenario is well considered especially as the "New World" is different each time.

Polynesia is fun too, it must be said, a very different type of civ to the existing ones, and reasonably well rounded with an early UU and a cultural UI.

 

[seasnake]

Well the Mongols are free, but I like them a lot.

Spain/Inca pack is excellent for the two good civs, but the scenario is okay.

I'd definitely get the Danes when they come out.

Babylon and Polynesia are a lot of fun too, don't get me wrong, but I think they're the lowest priority acquisition.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Polynesia is fun. I haven't yet had a chance to play the Inca or Babylon, but I actually had trouble finding a good way to play with Spain. Still, the Spanish artwork is nice, for what that's worth.

 

[seasnake]

Spain you have to roleplay a little, you need to build scouts and beeline navigation so you can explore the world for Natural Wonders, if you find them the gold bonus is incredible and can be spent on city state buddies OR units. When you find them, seize them! In hands of Spain they are like great wonders you don't have to build. I had Mt. Fuji one game and it was an awesome 10 culture per turn, plus 2 science. Of course I had to kill a city state to get it, which soured my relationship with India, but so what. I was Spain, that's what we do.

Also, the Tercio and Conquistador rock. Let's see, settlers that can defend themselves like knights and defend while embarked, and a Musketman as good as most Rifles. I built a bunch of Tercios and skipped Rifling for a long time and grabbed some wonder techs. I had a skirmish with Alexander and My Tercios carved up his units.

So yeah, spain is great, but you have to plan to play to their strengths.

 

[Drawmeus]

Mongols I find are one that's more about having the AI play it than me actually playing it. Genghis Khan definitely spices up the diplomatic scene.

 

[The Kingmaker]

Babylon.

I can't live without 'em (if you couldn't tell by my avatar).

 

[Larsenex]

How do I get the 'free' civ of the Mongols? I can play the senario but I cannot choose them as a civ for the AI....

 

[seasnake]

I just connected to Steam and it uploaded them as an option. I never had to get it, just connected and it automatically added them to the game.

 

[jdog5000]

I totally understand the "DLC is evil" mindset, but IMO Firaxis is going about it in a reasonable way. It's not like they're selling unit packs or something like that, each civ DLC has both a cool new civ but also a scenario crafted around them ... it's not just nickel and diming you for base game content, you do get something unique that they've spent time designing.

Plus, it really does seem that the DLC model has allowed them to keep patching longer than before instead of rushing off to make an expansion which has really improved the game.

So DLC isn't purely bad. And I'm sure eventually there will be a package of all the DLC together for a lower price for those who those who can wait or need to save their dough.

My two favorites to play are Polynesia and the Inca. Of course, Polynesia works best on archipelago or small continents maps. The Inca are neat because if you wait for the right map, you end up with an empire with a very different feel from the others - cities & terrace farms along twisting highland mountain valleys.

This is my feeling exactly, these two are the most unique and interesting additions so far to play as in the base game.

I would also recommend considering/trying the scenarios which come with ... they can be quite fun and focus on different ways to play or introduce the new civ pretty well. My favorite scenario so far is the New World, it can be really fun to rush to settle and conquer the Americas or a challenge to push the colonists back into the sea.

The 1066 scenario in the Dane DLC sounds really cool and looks like it might have some custom units in it from the video.

How do I get the 'free' civ of the Mongols? I can play the senario but I cannot choose them as a civ for the AI....

You might need to look at the bottom of the list, I think the DLC civs don't show up in alphabetical order.

 

[Morningcalm]

Polynesia is a decent one, has a good scenario too, I think it's far more challenging than the New World scenario, though it does lack some of the diplomatic intrigue and cross-continental warfare that the New World scenario has.

Inca + Spain are probably the best value though. Polynesia is $5 for 1 civ, Inca+Spain around $7 for 2 civs. You could also wait until they do another Steam holiday sale, at which point the prices for the Civ V DLC will likely go down.

 

[snarzberry]

While the upcoming Danes look they are going to be a powerhouse with the 3 move, marine, longswordsman otherwise known as a beserker the one thing I will predict is that they'll get old real fast as there is just one obviously superior way to play them due to just how good that unit is on its own and in synergy with their UA.

I mean can you imagine a situation where the best thing to do is something other than rush steel and attack with an army of beserkers?

 

[Furiey]

Personally I can do without map packs.
The Mongols and their scenario is free.
That leaves the Civs and scenario packs.
Spain/Inca gives you 2 new Civs with the scenario, Polynesia gives you 1 new Civ and a scenario, Babylon you just get the Civ, but it is Babylon. Look at those, decide what you want to spend and maybe wait until they are on sale.

 

[aatami]

I would recommend all of the extra civilizations.