Sorry if this is in the wrong board...but these would be my thoughts on ideal civics balance, post-BtS...without adding any civics...(I'm thinking of posting on that, also...)
1) This really dosen't directly have to do with civics, but it affects them indirectly: fix Corporations. Namely, lower their upkeep to a reasonable, but impacting, level, make it so foreign corps have the current upkeep levels in your cities, but no upkeep for their founders PLUS they get the gold bonus for their founders granted by the corporate headquarters.
2) Currently, Government seems like the most balanced category to me...BUT....
Hereditary Rule needs some motivation to stay in other than diplomatic, after
the pyramids are built. I suggest lowered upkeep or +1 military exp. from
castles. Maybe even a return to Medium upkeep in combination, if that's OP.
Meanwhile, PS is undeniably weak, and solution is not lowering it's upkeep.
The civilopedia wrongly states that there is a espianoge bonus: this fits with
the flavor of the civic, and would be a nice buff. In Fact, I think Hereditary
rule should be: +1, +1 exp. from Castles, +1 or 2
WW (glory and honor for fighting for the king) while PS should have +1
each unit in city, +50% Esp., +25% unit production.
3) Simply put: who's going to use anything but Free Speech or Vassalage
unless your empire is small and you're going for a Bueracratic Space Race?
Put Bueracracy back at medium, it wasn't overpowered, and put Free Speech
at high. Then, frankly, remove the free units from Vassalage: the exp. is
powerful enough, and the fact that it has synergy with Pacifism is silly. This
would enable Nationhood balance amidst the other Legals.
4) Come to think about it, I use the Labors equally, depending of victory tried for...if you have any suggestions for better balance here, speak up.
5) I think the above change to corps would make mercantilism and Free
Market viable civics again...Environmentalism too. Honestly, remove the food
bonus from SP or something...it needs to not be THE CIVIC. I understand this
is a Sid Meier game, but someone needs to tell him countries don't magically
become much more powerful by transferring ownership of property to the
State...despite what Marx would have you believe. (and even if it did, this is
a game, not a history simulator.)
6) My only suggestion as far as religion goes is to make it so Theocracy allows
the spread of non-state religions, but disallows temples and cathedrals of said
religions and cause +1per religion present. This allows for "religion
sabotage" to re-enter the game post-corps, but allows theocratic civs to pull
some benefit from non-state, e.g., the science and culture from
monastaries,and the ability to switch state religions/religion civics without
self-sabotage.
Comments? Criticism? Keep in mind these are just the musings of a Noble-level player who did little research for this post, and no number crunching whatsoever...but I pride myself on knowing SOMETHING about the game. Try not to flame if this was a bunch of n00bage.
