Is it just me or does the expansionist trait totally suck?

[Xanikk999]

I mean all they get is basically a scout, cheaper aquedects/granarys and better things from goody huts.

Thats gotta be the worst trait in the whole game. This is why i never play civs with the expansionist trait.

Wouldnt it make more sense to have them grow cities faster or have faster settler production instead of the crap they get now?

 

[adog]

I used to like them alot on lower levels, but as you get higher they are pretty much useless.

 

[Little Corporal]

It's just you. They get multiple scouts(you can build more you know) to quickly explore the map, which has three advantages.
First,(true for all levels) is that you can find good city locations quickly and easily.
Second,(for low levels) you get good stuff from goody huts (and even on high levels, you can pop the huts without fear, because even if you get nothing, barbs will never pop out to munch your scout and the AI won't get the hut)
Third,(for high levels) you can quickly meet all the civs on your landmass, and set up good trades much quicker.
The granary/aqueduct stuff is just a bonus, I usually don't even remember it being there.

 

[azzaman333]

The granary/aqueduct stuff is just a bonus, I usually don't even remember it being there.

Thats because the granary/aquaduct stuff doesnt exist.

(Agricultural get cheap aquaducts, no discount ever on Granary)

 

[DBear]

Sounds like you play on archi maps a lot. Yeah, expansionist is pretty weak on those.

 

[Tone]

Second,(for low levels) you get good stuff from goody huts (and even on high levels, you can pop the huts without fear, because even if you get nothing, barbs will never pop out to munch your scout and the AI won't get the hut)
Third,(for high levels) you can quickly meet all the civs on your landmass, and set up good trades much quicker.

Totally agree. These skills are not always appreciated by players and I think that if handled correctly you can get an early tech lead which the AI can then find difficult to take from you. The key is to get several scouts out though.

If you can make contact with the AI before they have met each other, every deal you do for techs will enable you to sell those techs at monopoly prices. All this trading will improve the AI attitude towards you as well.

Add in the chance that on the lower levels you can pop an early settler from a hut (which gives a massive advantage) and this trait can be a gamebreaker.

I agree that the trait does not have benefits that last the whole game plus it is pretty poor on 'pelago maps and so it is not the strongest trait to have but on a pangea map it is great to play.

I'd recommend you give it a go on pangea. Most expansionist civs have poor UU though (F15, Impi, 3-man chariot, ... ) but I rate Russia, as cossacks have the blitz ability, or Mongols for cheap knights with mountain crossing ability as two civs that are worth playing IMO.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

if you pay attention to the AI, the expansionist civs are often the ones with the largest empires.

Expansionist can be a dominant trait in the AA, which can give you a big headstart.

After that, it's not so useful, which is good, because it balances.

 

[Padma]

It's generally the people newest to the game who dislike Expansionist. Agreed, it's pretty worthless on an Archipelago map, but on Pangea in particular, and to a lesser extent on Continents, its early boost can be substantial, even decisive.

 

[Tiptronic]

IMHO on sid it is a useful trait which has helped me win many times

 

[Bartleby]

IMHO on sid it is a useful trait which has helped me win many times

You're gonna have to be more specific.

 

[rescuerick]

i have been playing the Americans mostly. expansionist trait really gives you a huge jump the larger the map size and for me if you are playing a pan or continents map. you can do minimal researh but pop enough huts to give you most of the AA techs and you will usually have the tech lead. after the AA, it is up to you to maintain the lead... also, as mentioned earlier, you have a higher probability of popping early settlers. popped one on my second turn (regent) last game and i am sure this is why i got my highest score (2 of my first 3 cities were settler factories). popped one within my first 5 turns my current game and i think i am running away with it (i think, because the half the other civs are on another continent). find good places, found cities, expand, expand, expand...

 

[adog]

^^^ You don't get much out of goody huts on the higher levels.

 

[Marsden]

My immediate feeling is to agree, but then all the better players say good things. I think I'll just say it's one of my least favorite traits. It is good on a huge pangea on warlord. I got just about every ancient tech without spending any money.

 

[rysingsun]

its an ok trait on huge pangeas even on deity. i've used it to get almost all the ancient age techs and parity with the others as well as full contacts that early and quite a plausible world map.

i still like agri and commercial better

 

[guare]

it have some qualities, otherwise, it wouldnt be a "trait"

but its no match for the industrious trait.

 

[Little Corporal]

it have some qualities, otherwise, it wouldnt be a "trait"

but its no match for the industrious trait.

I value expansionist over industrious, the advantage it gives you can give you a tremendous advantage in the AA that leads to a tremendous advantage throughout the game. I would rate scientific and agricultural over expansionist though.

 

[rescuerick]

...but its no match for the industrious trait.

that is why i prefer the americans. i am reluctant to play a non industrious civ and since i only have vanilla, agricultural is not an option...

 

[Turner]

When I played Vanilla/PTW, it was hard to not play an industrious civ. Most of the civs I enjoy playing are industrious.

Get C3C, and play with Agricultural. I did the same with Agri that I did with Industrious when I first got Conquests.

 

[Runes]

My favorite trait is Scientific. I think Expansionist is excellent for Pangea maps as well as maps where there is a lower water level. The extra scout is excellent, but if you accidentally run into a barbarian...

I think that in terms of Civ traits, it comes down to personal tastes.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

agri and scientific... man, if only the enkidu warrior didnt' suck as a UU, Sumeria would be the bomb...