Is the Fast Worker too powerful?

[fortknox]

For all the specialized troops, it seems like you get them too early and they are outdated before you even use them or they are something you have to wait and wait for to get...

Except for India's Fast worker. You get them, and their advantage, from start to finish in the game. I instantly fell in love with them this past weekend when I started a Ghandi game. It seems like the minute I build a new city, the infastructure is in place within a decade.

The question is, is this specialized troop much more powerful than the rest (granted, it has no offensive ability, but it still seems powerful because you get it all game)?

 

[Fr8Train]

I don't think the fast worker is all that great since it doesn't actually work any faster. The only advantage to them (assuming you never move workers long distances, but instead always imporove along the way) is they can improve hills and forests the turn they enter the tile. I'd rather have a unique unit that can give me an edge in combat.

 

[Zhahz]

I don't think so. Your cities only grow so fast and even using a fairly small amount of (standard) workers I can usually keep tile development well ahead of city growth. I also tend to reach stages where my workers have little to do except road every tile or even sleep for a while.

I think fast workers are most powerful early, when your first few cities are totally undeveloped, or especially if you like to chop rush (since you can move and start chopping without losing a turn) (India starts with mining so you can chop quick if you want to), but as you develop your "army of workers" and establish a nice pace of expansion and tile dev they don't have as huge of an impact - so in that regard they're similar to any other UU (in that they have a time period where they're most effective).

If anything were to change I think that India probably shouldn't start with mining as the combo of fast workers and bronze working as a first tech has awesome chop potential. Actually, they start with mining and mysticism, so you can grab Hinduism almost every time with them and still chop early. It's kinda sick!

I do think some UUs are a bit on the weak or totally useless side, which makes fast workers look better, but that's not to say that fast workers are overpowered (more like some UUs just flat out suck).

 

[dh_epic]

It's consistently powerful, but never too powerful. Again, they don't work fast, but simply move fast. They get onto that hill tile and work it right away, which saves you one turn right off the bat. It adds up. Healthy UU.

 

[diamond geezer]

Fast workers have more advantages than the early game chop, although that is a big one - and the earlier the advantage the better it is.

You need less of them, so you can stop building them earlier. They can escape invaders more easily. They build road networks more quickly = provide an economic boost. They are particularly useful for overseas invasion as you will need less = take up less space on the transports.

 

[Vindicator7]

I would use the fast worker more if it worked faster instead of just moved around better.

It doesn't give you the dominance of its era like a pratorian, redcoat, or cossack.

 

[nihil8r]

My Panzer divisions applaud the dedication of the hardworking Indian laborer.

 

[Gufnork]

I think it's one of the worst UU's. I'm heavily into squeezing the last bit of power from your UU and when it comes to India, it's not much. Most UU's atleast doubles my empire's size, Indias saves me a turn when clearing forests or building mines. Whoopdedoo. They're better than Jaguars that are actually worse than the unit they replace, but beat few others.

 

[Fr8Train]

I agree with Gufnork...better than Jaguars, War Chariots, and maybe Musketeers and Immortals which have their occational uses...thats about it though.

 

[Draax]

I agree with Gufnork...better than Jaguars, War Chariots, and maybe Musketeers and Immortals which have their occational uses...thats about it though.

What's wrong with war chariots and immortals? I love those things.

 

[lastchance]

War Chariots and Immortals wipe any civ near you without copper off the map fairly quickly and fairly easily. Absolutely devastating.

But Fast Workers can give a very early quick edge too. They can allow you to get bronze/horses one or two turns quicker, their speed allows them work different areas more effectively.

I feel they aren't game-breaking, but still very strong.

 

[dh_epic]

Funny that someone can come in here and say they're too powerful, and someone else come in and say they're too weak.

Fast Worker is arguably the best UU in the game. But be that as it may, it's not distinctly more powerful than other powerful units, like the Praetorian, or Keshik. You could make the case for these too.

 

[CivCorpse]

Funny that someone can come in here and say they're too powerful, and someone else come in and say they're too weak.

Fast Worker is arguably the best UU in the game. But be that as it may, it's not distinctly more powerful than other powerful units, like the Praetorian, or Keshik. You could make the case for these too.

I think the players that give the most importance to UU in selecting a Civ to play are the warmongers. I have noticed they prefer the ancient era UU above the rest. Most likely this is because a 1 point difference in strength is huge percentage wise. Where players going for cultural, space or diplomatic victories concentrate more on the traits from each leader. In playing for the epic/huge map win, the Fast worker gives a tiny advantage but that advantage is compounded over the course of hundreds of turns as the UU never becomes obsolete. And are of use on every map type available. The early rush war mongers are basically without a UU on Island, archipelago, and continents when you end up on a continent by yourself. By the time you have galleys the ancient era UU's are pretty much outclassed and that is only if you are close enough that you are only seperated by coastline...wait for galleys and Prats are just ballast. Not being a war monger (atleast when playing civ) I prefer the redcoat and the panzer for UU's. The redcoat is a stalwart defender that can easily match up with infantry due to it's built in advantage against gun powder units. And the Panzer never seems to go out of style. And they are truly dominant when armor first appears in the game. Take ambush as a promotion and they can even hold their own against modern armor that doesn't have ambush yet. Just my thoughts on the UU.

 

[flytyer]

I think the players that give the most importance to UU in selecting a Civ to play are the warmongers.

I agree 100% with CivCorpse. In this game, you are either a builder or a fighter and which ever route you choose, your particular CIV and its special abilities and units will dictate wheather you are successful or fail.

 

[Shillen]

It's easily the second most powerful UU after the praetorian. Half the civs you have a hard time even finding a use for the UU. The Indian UU is useful throughout the game saving valuable worker turns.

 

[wc3promet]

It's not the Fast worker that's powerful, it's the Industrious Trait that synergises with it, making Indians a scary civilization.

 

[DaveMcW]

Fast worker is twice as powerful on Quick as on Epic.

 

[Fr8Train]

War Chariots and Immortals wipe any civ near you without copper off the map fairly quickly and fairly easily. Absolutely devastating.

But Fast Workers can give a very early quick edge too. They can allow you to get bronze/horses one or two turns quicker, their speed allows them work different areas more effectively.

I feel they aren't game-breaking, but still very strong.

Their counter (spearman) is very strong and horse archers come soon after. Like I said...they have their uses, but they are short lived. If you can deny your neighbors copper/iron then ya are fairly devastating.

And by the time you get your horses setup you and your enemies often have the technology to build better units. I'm sure they are better on Epic and on lower difficulties.

 

[Gufnork]

There are many UU's that wins the game. Fast Worker is not one of them. Therefor they are one of the worst. I can easily build a few extra workers and keep up with the Indians infrastructure. The same cannot be said for warfare, it takes more than 3-4 extra units to counter a good war UU.

 

[dh_epic]

There are many UU's that wins the game. Fast Worker is not one of them. Therefor they are one of the worst. I can easily build a few extra workers and keep up with the Indians infrastructure. The same cannot be said for warfare, it takes more than 3-4 extra units to counter a good war UU.

Not when it takes several turns to produce more workers, and they cost you more in maintainance. And you also don't account for the fact that the first worker is often the most important -- the earlier something comes into play, the better.

This UU won't conquer cities for you. But to say that the fast worker cannot win the game for you is shortsighted.