Manifest Destiny - What's the advantage?

[SalmonSoil]

It seems they will be the best civ for colonization. Being able to plant one city and have it's borders expand to block rival colonies being founded.

 

[EmpireOfCats]

I wondered about this, too. But as others have said, the extra hex view range will make a big difference in the beginning, and you should be able to gulp up more land. Both are fitting for America, or at least can made to fit with a crowbar. I'm more puzzled about the B-17, but we'll have to wait and see what that does. I miss my SEALs already.

"Manifest Destiny", in very, very rough terms, is the American equivalent to the "White Man's Burden" of the Brits, or the Am deutschen Wesen soll die Welt genesen ("Germany's mentality will heal the world") of pre-Weimar Germany: An excuse to go around, take control and tell other people what to do. It could have been worse: Imagine if we had been real imperialists and had kept all of Mexico and the Philippines.

(Though I always wonder if it would have been better to just annex Cuba along with Puerto Rico. History would have been slightly different, and all the seniors wouldn't be crowded in Florida and Arizona.)

 

[MacReady]

You're forgetting, I'm AMERICAN! Diplomacy? Delayed gratification? I want it in a smoldering heap, and I want it NOW!!!

So it means George Washington was not AMERICAN, because he and other founding fathers were all about diplomacy, trading, non-interwentionism.

Manifest Destiny (America): All land military units have +1 sight range. 25% discount when purchasing tiles.
Extra sight doesn't apply to water military units.

 

[stealth_nsk]

So it means George Washington was not AMERICAN

He was born in British Empire

 

[CHEESE!]

Even if England's SA was 0 movement, 0 strength, and no cities-

Even if her Longbowman was a self-destructing unit-

Even if the Ship of the Line exploded and killed friendly units-

Even if her leader was Nick Griffin-

I would still play my first as England.

 

[Caeserportugal]

I belive America and Rome are the civs for new players. America has a UP that combines well with all social policies and Romes has two early UU which can help new players in warfare.

 

[Schuesseled]

Being an American, I really would like to play my first ciV game as America, but I can't see a reason to. First, what "American" quality is Manifest Destiny (Military Units have +1 sight range, 25% discount purchasing tiles) supposed to portray? Louis & Clark expedition? Louisiana Purchase? Seems kinda weak as a SA. It also seems to have the least synergy of any civ between SA and UU/UB. The Minuteman (combat bonus in friendly territory) doesn't play very well with this SA.

Can anybody tell me what a proper strategy would be as America? I see how an early game landgrab would work, but it doesn't convey any culture bonus, military bonus, or monetary bonus (maybe more tradable goods via cheaper land-grabs?).

Thoughts?

Yes it does, Using the american ability you can expand your land cheaper than you can with other civs, and when you build minutemen you'll have a larger space within wihich they will have a bonus. Simple.

 

[Diplomat32]

Do we know if the cost to purchase a tile increased during the game? I am guessing it does. If so, it will definitely make the American special ability more useful since the savings will be greater as the cost increases. I think the ability will definitely get more useful as you develop your civ and have more gold.

 

[Ahriman]

+1 sight range has the potential to be very useful in warfare.

 

[CultureManiac]

+1 sight range has the potential to be very useful in warfare.

... as well as keeping track of enemy movements and scouting out other civs. If enemy units get close to your borders, you will definitely see them before they see you, and if you want to check out your neighbour, you may be able to take a peek and back off without them knowing you were there.

Somehow, the image of Paul Revere riding to give advance warning just popped ino my head

 

[SuperSmash5]

This one kinda stumped me. I'm not really sure what it's good for since I'm not sure how land purchasing will work. Maybe the +1 sight will be able to help in multiplayer for sneak attacks, but idk.

 

[Polobo]

I figure the cost to purchase tiles remains the same throughout the game. As your absoulte gold yield increases your expenses and #-of-cities increases so the effective proportion of gold/unclaimed-tiles will remain in the same ballpark.

Mid-game and later social policies are probably going to be much more difficult for America to grab since their SA really wants to be used to expand and build new cities and then focus on gold, not culture, to pick-up additional tiles.

Swapping between farms and trading posts is going to be a primary activity and you'll need the extra tiles to have both available. You'll also want markets fairly early so some of the excess food (when you are not growing to work those extra tiles) can be converted into the more effective merchant specialists.

It'd probably be worthwhile to have a few cities focused on food/specialists while others provide gold that can be used to purchase tiles as population growth occurs. These mega-citites will be your production backbone when the time comes to defend or strike-out. They also, because of the high population, are where you'd want science multipliers.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Actually, America's greater scouting ability... and abillity to get new tiles suggests that it would do well to rapidly expand early on, getting the Liberty branch for its early SPs. (possibly Tradition for the Monarchy as well)

You end up early on with a large poorly developed civ. You then can fairly rapidly build up if you focus on gold so that your cities are working the best possible tiles. (you can spread your cities out because they can maximize their terrain use easily)

 

[Ahriman]

You then can fairly rapidly build up if you focus on gold so that your cities are working the best possible tiles.

The minutemen UU would be useful in allowing yourself to defend yourself with a smaller army, since each unit is more effective defensively, while you build up your economy.

 

[edpovi]

I wonder if an American Scout unit, with the promotion for +1 sight, can actually get +2 sight range. It's also possidble, the American UA gives this promotion to all land units, and wouldn't be able to stack this ability.

 

[playshogi]

I don't think buying tiles will be done very often, so that feature won't save much gold during the course of a game. A better return on gold is to gain favor with city-states. Unless, you have to choose spending culture between gaining tiles or social policies, then you might have to buy more tiles with gold.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I don't think buying tiles will be done very often, so that feature won't save much gold during the course of a game. A better return on gold is to gain favor with city-states. Unless, you have to choose spending culture between gaining tiles or social policies, then you might have to buy more tiles with gold.

Well they stated that it will often be done.

I have a feeling culture will only Slowly acquire tiles... since you start with 6, that means a newly founded city would be capable of working all its tiles even if it didn't grow until size 7.

Also Culture is expensive (only 1/turn normally from capital... no religions to give free culture... only 1 civ that has 'creative' trait, wonders only give 1/turn)

A monument gives 1 culture per turn for a cost of 1 gold per turn.

I would expect that with Monarchy and/or the American ability it would be easier to Not build the monument and save the money (ie if it costs 100 culture to acquire an average tile, it will also cost no more than 100 gold as a base price.)

(because buying the tile with gold instead of building a monument doesn't give you any social policies)

 

[bjbrains]

Well they stated that it will often be done.

I have a feeling culture will only Slowly acquire tiles... since you start with 6, that means a newly founded city would be capable of working all its tiles even if it didn't grow until size 7.

Also Culture is expensive (only 1/turn normally from capital... no religions to give free culture... only 1 civ that has 'creative' trait, wonders only give 1/turn)

A monument gives 1 culture per turn for a cost of 1 gold per turn.

I would expect that with Monarchy and/or the American ability it would be easier to Not build the monument and save the money (ie if it costs 100 culture to acquire an average tile, it will also cost no more than 100 gold as a base price.)

(because buying the tile with gold instead of building a monument doesn't give you any social policies)

Buying tiles will definitely happen for the reasons you state. A 25% discount makes buying tiles significantly more affordable as well (don't forget that going down liberty will make buying tiles even cheaper).

On the sight bonus: Extra intelligence is far more important under the new combat system, where unit formations are vital. Also, you get bonuses for discovering natural wonders and city states on top of the normal goody huts- what's not to like?

America should be able to scout more effectively than everyone else, and grab liberty and begin expanding quickly while using cheaper tile-buying to secure important resources. Then, the minuteman helps secure the empire against other powerful late medieval/early renaissance warmongers. Then America can leverage their large empire into the endgame, where they obviously have the B17 to help win wars, on top of a hopefully larger empire/production base.

 

[City Raider]

I'm actually looking forward to playing my first game with the Americans. I'm a peaceful builder type player so I think they'll fall right into my wheel house. REX out peacefully buying as many tiles as possible, and then work my way toward minutemen. At which point you have the defensive foundation to concentrate on infrastructure and maximizing your land as you work on a culture/space win.

I don't think buying tiles will be done very often, so that feature won't save much gold during the course of a game. A better return on gold is to gain favor with city-states. Unless, you have to choose spending culture between gaining tiles or social policies, then you might have to buy more tiles with gold.

I'm going to be trying to buy tiles left and right. Plant a city and start buying, especially if I can block off a large chuck of land with a few purchases and then back fill.

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Regardless of cost of a tile, the discount the Americans have means they will be able to buy 4 tiles while rivals can only buy 3. I think this can be a big advantage. Obviously the more you buy the better. Essentially, buy 3 tiles, get one free.

 

[Rusty Edge]

So it means George Washington was not AMERICAN, because he and other founding fathers were all about diplomacy, trading, non-interwentionism.

I'd like to talk about George rather than what it means to be an American.

He was good with math. He wanted to be a midshipman in the Royal Navy, but became a surveyor instead. Working on the frontier he developed a great sense of the size and scale of the colonies and territory beyond. I know he envisioned settling the Cumberland and Ohio vallies, and displacing the French, Spanish and Indians in the process. He was a land speculator, too. I think he may well have envisioned a transcontinental country. In any event his geographical skillset is a very underrated thing when it comes to fighting the revolution against people who've lived their lives in Britain.

Certainly Jefferson envisioned a Manifest Destiny, because he not only exceded his authority with the Louisiana Purchase, but sent Louis and Clark ( who were scouting & mapping the path for expansion, afterall )beyond it to the Pacific.