Do you play OP civs like Korea or Babylon?

[Artifex1]

Do you think it kills the fun? Or do you think they are not OP in the first place?

 

[myclan]

I will try them for once, and play them again if my random civilizaiton happens to be them

 

[Tandaw]

I would never really consider the Babs OP in any way...sure they are decent at what they do but so are so many others. You are talking purely science civs I notice so is that your definition of OP? I'd say on the grand scheme of things there really isnt a civ that is so imbalanced as to be OP. Korea is really great at science but if they are in my game I usually make a point of taking them out early so they dont become a runaway, which only really happens if everyone gives them breathing room and leaves them alone

 

[NASAROG]

I'm working on playing all CIV's once, and then I play random afterwards.

 

[Loucypher]

Tandaw, it's commonly accepted that the 3 civs with Science bonuses (Korea, Babylon and the Maya) are pretty OP due to the nature of Science in the game. Being earlier to a tech means you get a better shot at important wonders, better units, better city defense, better policies, etc etc. The other civ that's generally considered to be OP is Poland.
I don't like playing as Babylon because, frankly, their gameplan bores me. Get a few big cities, spam academies early on, turtle up...I'll pass. Blandest UB, too. Korea, they can be fun, but only on Deity/Immortal (I generally play Emperor, though I can beat Deity if I focus), they're very easy to win with. The Mayans are flexible enough to have fun with no matter what you do, and them + Poland I'll gladly play as. They're not my faves, but they're fun enough.

 

[Tandaw]

Okay I can accept how the Science bonus' when used right can make a big difference. But it all depends on your opponents, the map, and how the game progresses. If Korea starts beside Shaka or Attila etc and that player or AI has had a great start and early games, you might find yourself stuck in a war or defensive battery that detracts from you science potential. In the mean time, someone else has popped the GL, rushed NC and is pouring out science from their higher amount of cities and higher pop that you can’t catch. Just because you're Korea doesn’t mean circumstances will play out to make you King.
Likewise the Mayans are great, but their huge science potential is only significantly better than someone else’s if they have the chance to go wide. If you start a game and get boxed into a three/four city stand than you're not that much more of a science machine than anyone else.
And, while the Babs free scientist is nice, their 50% GS generation bonus can be surpassed by a Sweden with a goodly amount of friends. And what about Assyria? A steamrolling Assyria can quickly become the tech leader.
Yes Poland’s a good civ, but their free social policies hardly make them OP. I've never had an AI play them well. In the hand of a human player they are good if played right but I don’t find they ever consistently lead the game. Again, it’s always about circumstances

 

[joncnunn]

These two civs are best if you want to move up a level.

Once your comfortable at a given level, it's rather boring to be playing them at your normal level.

 

[Loucypher]

Alright, let's see your points.
- Start beside Shaka/Atilla
Yeah see, that goes for all civs. And even then, Science civs can more easily maintain their science then other victims of early warmongers can. Oh, and Korea/Babs/Maya need no stinkin' GL to rush ahead in science. In fact, on higher difficulties it usually gets ignored because the AI is too fast anyway. Furthermore, Korea has come medieval a pretty impressive attack-slayer-unit in its arsenal, which helps a lot.
- Mayans
Even with only 3 cities, if you get those cities early, that's still 6 beakers pre-modifiers from various other buildings. The Mayans have science as A bonus, not THE bonus. They're also fast to religion and can get an early great scientist for an additional 8 beakers.
- Babylon
Sure, Sweden can surpass Babylon's range, but on normal maps, that isn't easy. Furthermore, Babylon needs no work to get those Scientists. Also, they have that very early game Scientist, which is an immediate 8 beakers, which at that point is huge. Sweden will not, ignoring world wonders with Scientist points, get that Scientist ball rolling until they reach Education.
Interestingly enough, Babylon and the Maya both have great tools to fend off early warmongers too. Babylon has better walls and a stronger archer, while the Maya can ignore Archery.
Poland, in human hands, is bonkers. Those policies allow them to pull mix-and-match strategies where other civs have to focus. Want a religion-heavy City State game? Poland can fill out both Piety and Patronage with ease. Need more gold instead? Slowly fill in Commerce while blazing through the policy tree.

It's all about being in the hands of humans. Those 4 civs are the best for a good reason in human hands.

 

[budweiser]

I play like to Korea, but not Babylon. I believe Babylon needs to go wide, so I dont like to spend the time on it. Korea can stay tall, but of course can also go wide for more specialist slots.

 

[SULOMON]

Bablyions seems incredibly boring as does Poland so I haven't played them. I have played the Maya a couple of times though.

 

[budweiser]

Bablyions seems incredibly boring as does Poland so I haven't played them. I have played the Maya a couple of times though.

Poland isnt boring, most of the time I conquer the world with them.

 

[Sherlock]

Love Babylon. It's my go-to civilization. It's the civilization I compare everything else to.

 

[reddishrecue]

I don't think Korea is that OP since other civilizations like Russia or Siam can make alliances against you and keep up in technology. As for Babylon, the early academy from the free great scientist leaves Babylon open to early barbarians that can walk into and plunder.

 

[Doktor Vic Tim]

I do like playing as Spain. In most conditions, they can be quite OP.

It is delicious when you get two-teamed in multiplayer by Maya and Babylon, and they brag about it.

You know how Secularism is considered to be one of the best policies in the game? Korea gets it for free.

 

[SULOMON]

Poland isnt boring, most of the time I conquer the world with them.

It's that their UA doesn't seem to encourage any particular playstyle even if it is a very good UA.

 

[danaphanous]

No, I haven't really done much with either. I understand that technically finishing science faster is better, but as long as I'm winning I don't much care about the margin. I'd rather have a civ with a cool UI or ability and role-play a bit. I could see using them if I was playing science VC/Deity but kinda boring and unnecessary otherwise in my opinion.

edit: okay, Hw'atcha is cool!

 

[Cromagnus]

Korea benefits just as much from going wide as babylon... The Korean UA gives a fixed per-city science bonus... not per population. Just like Babylon. The Maya as well. The only reason they all benefit more from going tall is the science penalty. Well, that and happiness issues.

Poland gets a noticeable science boost from getting Rationalism filled out faster. They get the +25% GS points earlier, Secularism earlier, +17% to universities earlier. It's not quite as dramatic as the other three in some ways, but in many ways, it's *more* dramatic. You get Order rush-buying earlier, which can be the difference between rush-buying labs and not rush-buying labs... You can complete Commerce for a HUGE happiness boost before Ideology, and on Deity, happiness before Ideology is hard to come by. They can fill out Rationalism faster to get more benefit from RAs. So, on the higher difficulty levels, they really excel at science victory. Perhaps more so than the other 3 when all is said and done.

 

[subtledoctor]

I played Babylon once and it was just totally ridiculous. That Academy basically changed the whole game. Now I try to play civs with less powerful UAs to get more of a 'pure' civ experience: England on a Pangaea map, Greece with the # of CS's cut in half, etc.

I'm generally a huge Social Policy whore, I love getting as many as possible... but I refuse to play as Poland. It's like a bah of crack in front of a drug addict, a jar of cookies when you're on a diet - it calls out to me... but to give in would be a moral failure. I won't do it.

 

[reddishrecue]

If you bulb a technology with the early great scientist as Babylon, you will get very little science. Placing an academy that early will be the best bet.

 

[kaspergm]

I rarely play Korea. Too OP and doesn't have a very fun unique twist imo. I like play Babylon. Maya is one of my favorite civs, and Spain also gets a lot of play, because of their very unique properties.