Ideas for Trait Modification

[Ryoken]

I wasnt sure what forum to post this in, so moderators feel free to relocate me. I have been a little annoyed by a lack of balance among civ4 traits, so I have been brainstorming on some traits to make a simple mod to improve my experience. Maybe I will release the mod publicly, but the goal is just to make myself happy at the moment.

So I present these ideas for traits. The only other thing I am changing right now is that Harbors increase ship production speed (hence the double-speed on harbors for industrious nations). Other than that, the game would play normally as with the unmodified Beyond the Sword expansion.

Industrious:
Wonder production +25%
Double production speed of forge, factory, harbor
100% faster production of workers

Expansive
+1 culture per city
Double production speed of monument, courthouse
50% faster production of settlers

Protective
Archery and Gunpowder units receive Medic I and City Garrison I automatically
Double production speed of walls, castle, bomb shelters, and bunker

Inspirational:
+3 happiness per city
Double production speed of Temple, Monastery, Broadcast Tower

Ingenious:
Great People birth rate increased 25 percent
-25% XP needed for unit promotions
Double production speed of Library, University

Grandiose:
Wonder production +25%
Great People birth rate increased 25 percent.
Double production speed of Theatre, Colosseum, Cathedral

Aggressive:
Free Combat I and City Raider I promotion of melee and gunpowder units
Double production speed of Barracks and Drydock

Fertile:
+3 health per city
Double production speed of Aqueduct, Granary, Grocer
+1 food on plots with at least 3 food

Financial:
+1 commerce on plots with at least 2 commerce
Civic upkeep reduced 25 percent
Double production speed of Bank, Market, Grocer, Customs House

Wanderer:
Free Sentry promotion of recon, mounted, naval units
Free Navigation I promotion of naval units
Free Mobility promotion of mounted units
100% faster production of scout, explorer, and caravel
Double production speed of Lighthouse, Observatory, Spaceship Projects

Secretive:
+3 Espionage per city
Double production speed of Jail
100% faster production of spy

Flexible:
Civic upkeep reduced 50 percent
No Anarchy

Tyrannical:
+50% Great General emergence
+2 Espionage per city
-1 happiness per city
-25% anger duration from sacrificing population in all cities
Double production speed of Jail

Charismatic:
+1 culture per city
+1 happiness per city
+50% Great General emergence

Seafaring:
Free Navigation I promotion of naval units
Water tiles: +1 Commerce, +1 Food
Double production speed of Harbor, Drydock, Lighthouse
100% faster production of galley, galleon, and transport

Ferocious:
Free Amphibious and Shock promotion of melee units
Free Commando promotion of mounted units
+50% Great General emergence
100% faster production of privateer

Mechanical:
Free Combat I and Barrage I promotion of siege units
New siege weapons get +4 experience points
50% faster production of workers
Double production speed of Forge, Spaceship Projects

Administrative:
+1 Espionage per city
+1 happiness from courthouse, jail, palace, forbidden palace
Double production speed of courthouse, jail, palace, forbidden palace
50% faster production of workers




Please point out any traits you feel are relatively more or less powerful than the others or vulnerable to exploitation. Thanks guys!

One thing I like about these traits is that they can be combined into some pretty unique combinations. For example, Ragnar could be Ferocious and Aggressive; truly a vicious Viking combo (but simultaneously probably weak economically relatively). Or Ramesses could be Fertile and Grandiose; really capturing the strength of Egypt (but simultaneously probably weak militarily relatively).

 

[say1988]

A quick glance, Ferocious with the free commando would be WAY OP, especially vs. the computer. Commando is devastating against the AI, as the AI cannot deal with it.

And seafaring would be way to powerful on any water map. Financial is viewed as OP on a water map, and this has more effect on both commerce and food (especially the food bonus). Just imagine a coastal start with a few seafood.

That is just a first impression.

 

[AfterShafter]

"Protective
Archery and Gunpowder units receive Medic I and City Garrison I automatically
Double production speed of walls, castle, bomb shelters, and bunker"

This is actually a downgrade, in my opinion. Free drill helps the raw odds of every unit that has it - and, compounded with the free CG, those first strikes become VERY powerful. Also, when you go all the way to drill IV, it is actually a very advantageous series of promotions on the field and for defense. Medic? One per stack is all you need - not every unit in the stack.

What's more, compared to aggressive... CG1/medic VS CR1/combat 1? Aggressive gets a HUGE upgrade,

Yeah, this is a pretty serious downgrade to what most people consider the weakest trait, and taking away the drill screws it for the few people (like myself) who really love it as is.

 

[Kiwi Tyrant]

Tyrannical looks like a must to me! Combined with anything.

*Tyrannical/Charismatic: do you get 100% GG appearance overall?

*Fertile/Inspirational: +3 health, +3 happy, + other bonuses for all cities would be OP, especially on the higher levels.

*I'd take Grandiose over Industrious everytime.

As long as the traits are even to the point of creating debate over which ones are best, then all good! I like the option of way more traits though, especially if they are real contrasting and varied in nature.

 

[Ryoken]

Good replies. Exactly the nature of response I was looking for.

say1988:
I hadnt taken into account the AI's inability to defend against Commando. I was thinking more along the lines of seeing an AI Vikings or Mongols charging right through MY territory. I guess I need to switch that to a different promotion.

AfterShafter:
I was thinking about medic as more like a kind of built in healing boost for city dwellers, but you make a good point. I think I may add a third trait to Protective after some thought.

Kiwi Tyrant:
Good point about Fertile and Inspirational. That is a potent combo. I think I may boost Industrious a little based on your wise observation that it is inferior to Grandiose.

 

[DanF5771]

I think Fertile + Seafaring is an even more "potent" combo --> this would mean 4 food on coastal/ocean plots, right???

 

[Ginger_Ale]

Moderator Action: Moved to Ideas & Suggestions.

 

[Ryoken]

The ideas and suggestions forum.... where threads come to die....

 

[Magma_Dragoon]

Extra food traits would be the most powerful. Considering you need the industrial tech biology to make good use of plains, agricultural would be quite a springboard. It goes without saying, of course, philo+seafaring/agri would be a big no-no.