German unique ability is overpowered and crazy

[Celevin]

I agree with Celevin in general on the germans. The ability is too much of a crapshoot. Either there are lots of camps, and I swarm other civs early, which is effective but isn't particularly fun or satisfying, or there aren't, and I'm playing a dud civ.

Landsknechts also aren't really that fun, since on lower difficulty levels combat is far too easy, and on Immortal and Deity its about unit preservation and getting 4:1 or better kill ratios. A slightly cheaper unit doesn't help much here.

Its not just about strength, its about fun to play.

I find Germans, Ottomans, Aztecs and Americans very dull to play, whereas everyone else their ability influences playstyle in an interesting way. [Egyptians not so much either, since I tend no to go for wonders early game, and I don't like war chariots.]

But I like my Aztecs, even if their UA sucks.

I've been theorizing on how to balance it, and I come up short. I've got a function that changes for both empire size, and turn number... So hard!

 

[stii]

Unless you have an unusually high-hammer start, you should never have any trouble gunning straight for calendar, starting Stonehenge, then getting mining/masonry and setting up the quarry. Depending on speed and variables like starting area yields, it's feasible to knock off 3-4 turns by hooking up the marble before 'Henge completes.

Makes me wonder if you've ever tried it.

No it isn't.

On standard speed you can bearly even get the marble connected before stonehenge finishes.

Assuming a size 4 city. so 7 beakers per turn

Mining is 38 so 6 turns
Masonary is 60 so 9 turns
Building a quarry is 7 turns
So 22 total

Stone henge is 120 hammer so even at a miserable 5 a turn with no chops it is still finished 24 turns later. And this assumes you only have 5 hammers when even two irrigated hills plus two grasslands gives you 6.

So yes in fact I have tried it and it is you who has no idea what they are talking about.

 

[Slowpoke]

If you're going military, every speed slower is essentially a difficulty lower (deity marathon -> emperor standard). So german rush isn't incredibly OP compared to something like Greek rush.

 

[stii]

Does it follow that quick makes it harder? I have no clue what the difference between standard and quick even is.

 

[Slowpoke]

pretty much yeah. Although quick is a bit absurd with the whole units being outdated by the time they get to the enemy city.

 

[hellboy909]

Just beat the game on Diety for the first time last night using Germany. Duel, Pangea, Marathon (mmm, cheesy!)

At turn 79 I had 3 Warriors, 3 Archers and 5 Spearmen. And I didn't have to build a single damn one of them. Fun!

 

[majorkong]

pretty much yeah. Although quick is a bit absurd with the whole units being outdated by the time they get to the enemy city.

I like quick, and it's not nearly that bad.