Most versatile civ

[ds61514]

Personally I love France for expanding to 3 to 5 cities very fast, especially when there is wine or incest around.

Hey I know the French are loose, but that loose?

I actually don't get all the love about Siam. Sure you can get free Wats, but that requires you to build libraries, monuments AND temples. That's a lot of strain on the economy, and thus a bit of the non-bo with the UA.

 

[Bamboocha]

Hey I know the French are loose, but that loose?

I actually don't get all the love about Siam. Sure you can get free Wats, but that requires you to build libraries, monuments AND temples. That's a lot of strain on the economy, and thus a bit of the non-bo with the UA.

Libraries and monuments will be built one way or another, and you can rush four temples with legalism. Given that, the wat isn't all that much of a strain on the economy of Siam.

 

[Noatz]

Even without the legalism trick Siam is strong. Wats are one of the best UB's in the game, the UA helps culture and science a lot and the UU can be used to spearhead wars.

Bulb Navigation, problem solved. You can upgrade Triremes immediately.

Frigates have lower sight range and movement (iirc), and require iron which you may not have. Sure you can trade for it easily enough but having to get Navigation and worry about iron when you would rather be rushing Economics or military tech at this point is annoying.