Civs' UUs and UBs...

[stannis]

This isn't a complaint, just something that bothers me a little - why do some civs have 2 UUs and others have 1 UU and 1 UB? The former mostly seem to be European/Western civs. Was there any explanation of this or am I missing something here? Thanks.

 

[Keejus]

I doubt an official explanation was ever given, but I can imagine that it's hard to come up with good UUs for the homogenous first world (other than historical ones, of course). Civ IV had malls and stock exchanges and such, which aren't really unique to a single nation. And if UBs weren't mandatory, well, Rome and the Mongols might be better represented with multiple UUs, too.

It's a shame, because UBs tend to be cooler and more impactful than UUs, but then again, what exactly would you give a civilization like America?

 

[stannis]

Fair points, but they managed to do it in Civ 4, so with a little effort they could have done it here too. UBs are a great way of giving each individual civ a little "flavour" and a modest boost in a certain area. I know each civ now has a unique ability which kind of represents that, but I think "all or nothing" would have been better - 2 UUs for every civ, or 1 UU and 1 UB, etc.

 

[seasnake]

I like the variety. i like that Polynesia/Inca have Unique Improvements, which are powerful if done properly but require an investment in playing style to make them effective. I like that some get powerful building, but others have two units that either have awesome synergy (looking at Rome, Spain and the Ottomans, which rule in their eras) or they have a 1-2 punch that gives them an advantage now and later (Denmark and France stand up), and of course let us never forget the power of:

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

Which makes Mongolia a very fun civ (the more fight, the more Khans you get, which prolong your fighting!)

Variety is the spice of life.

 

[elprofesor]

I think the reason of the UB shortage in western civs is that the tech tree is largely based on their evolution. The "base buildings" are the western versions of these. Thus it's strange that a western civ has a UB (krepost, for russians, being the rare exception). On the other hand, the "exotic" civs get an "exotic" UB...

 

[sav]

It's a shame, because UBs tend to be cooler and more impactful than UUs, but then again, what exactly would you give a civilization like America?

Wal Mart? Don't know of any other country where you can buy nappies and guns from the same store.

 

[bryanw1995]

What would walmart give you, a +2 white trash rating?

 

[Furycrab]

UB tend to be good when it's before renaissance, for a Western civ to have a UB it would have to be industrial or Modern and like all the Civ games before it, UB at that late a stage in the game have to be really really powerful to want to build them.

 

[seasnake]

What would walmart give you, a +2 white trash rating?

Ouch, I like Wal Mart. They're cheaper than anyone else in town and have a good return policy. And what's so bad about being able to buy many things from one store, is it somehow more meritorious to go to two stores? How far apart should they be?

Anyway, the Mall was actually a great building for America in Civ IV, the really have a big cultural impact here.

 

[guczy]

UB tend to be good when it's before renaissance, for a Western civ to have a UB it would have to be industrial or Modern and like all the Civ games before it, UB at that late a stage in the game have to be really really powerful to want to build them.

I don't understand this...why couldnt Greece have the agora or Rome the forum or Germany a brewery as UB? Or is western civ = USA?

 

[jagdtigerciv]

There are tonnes of UB that western civs could have. Even America, as has been joked in here, has many great historical options for those with legitimate interest in American history ....

I don't think it's the lack of options, since I think any given civ in the game currently, somebody could probably come up with 1-5 additional flavour buildings. I think it was simply a design decision.

...

Or... its because "America has nothing of value" as this thread suggest ...

 

[bhavv]

Mall would be a good UB for America.

 

[Calouste]

UB tend to be good when it's before renaissance, for a Western civ to have a UB it would have to be industrial or Modern and like all the Civ games before it, UB at that late a stage in the game have to be really really powerful to want to build them.

Yep, in Civ4 people complained about most of the late game buildings. The only one that got some admiration was the Dike.

The last UB in Civ5 is Satrap's court, which is early Renaissance. Most of them are Ancient or Classical.

 

[Pouakai]

I hated the fact that a civ HAD to have a UU and a UB in Civ 4. I like this new way much better, it allows for more variety. Trading Post, Obelisk, Mall, Shale Plant. Rubbish, to put it nicely. Sure, they were good ingame, but horrible ideas that are not in the least unique.

 

[Babri]

I like the ciV approach. A UB should be unique. Malls & stockexchanges are common buildings unlike Mughal Forts or Wats which you won't find all over the world.

 

[TPQ]

what exactly would you give a civilization like America?

That's easy. Military Industrial Complex. Gives +10% gold, +10% to military techs and +1gpt for every source of oil you have from puppeted cities, but only gives these bonuses if you are constantly at war with at least one other Civ.

 

[bhavv]

I like the ciV approach. A UB should be unique. Malls & stockexchanges are common buildings unlike Mughal Forts or Wats which you won't find all over the world.

Actually, 'Malls' dont exist outside of the US because nowhere else calls them that. E.G. in the UK we have supermarkets and shopping centres, but nothing that would be called a mall. They are the same thing though, just different nomenclature.

 

[Keejus]

Supermarkets are not quite the same as malls, unless you use the term differently. A shopping center is exactly the same as a mall, though.

That's like saying they don't have mobile phones in the US.

 

[bhavv]

I know that, yet whenever I think of 'Shopping Malls', I always think of the US.

 

[_hero_]

They probably just went with whatever they felt to be most interesting or unique to the civ. A lot of the European civs UBs spread across the continent and weren't unique to a single civ. I feel like if they are going to make a UU or UB they want it to be something that historically was unique to that civilization alone if at all possible.

As far as the civs with 2 UUs, I can't really think of any UB that is more unique to those Civs then either of their UUs.