I increased the number of free units in the early game Joe.
The first 10 units are without upkeep, more due to Handicap level and only if you are in Anarchism and want to War would it cost you too much, or if you wanted to keep hoards of animals for later use.
As Alberts removed the +1 per military unit cost for Anarchism you have even more leeway when it comes to units even when going to war or having loads of animals saved.
When I start a Small, Epic, Monarch game on current SVN I end up with 18 (eighteen) free units before upkeep starts kicking in @ turn 1. So 5 units is BS, and 3 out exploring is too.
Sorry Joe, but that one you are wrong about, not just an opinion, but numbers do not lie.
Your opinion about how you dislike the part up until Tribalism is noted though, and if you can point to what in general it is you do not like (and not the units as you have plenty with 18 free units) then something might be able to be done about it.
As for maintenaces, yes, they were raised, BUT the modifiers from Civics were largely removed or reduced and that results in a net value of a slight reduction if expanding slowly, and a slight increase if expanding more, and a very high increase if expanding very fast.
As for Culture Victory, yes, I can do that, not too hard, but the question is WHEN do you think a win by Cultural Victory should be possible? By Reinassance Era? By Modern Era? Which Era should it at first be possible to win by Culture?
Right now I think it can come too early but you might think my too early is too late. *smile* Though if it should be possible earlier then there should be ways to counteract it too, without having to resort to war and take a city out to stop a rival.
Cheers