So how do you think about the seafaring trait?

[Longasc]

We have now heard good reasons why Expansionist is probably underestimated.

The runner-up was SEAFARING - how about that trait?

Does 1 extra sea movement really help in the beginning?
Does increased commerce on cities near the shore work like a "half-commercial" trait?

Or is it simply good/bad because many seafaring nations get powerful or weak ships? How well does it on archipelago, continent or pangea maps?


I intentionally left out my ideas about this trait, just feel free to discuss its merits.

 

[Turner]

Powerful, very powerful.

My game as the Dutch, I dominated early and long. That extra movement point really comes in handy. By having a ship made early on, I was able to send it out to scout and make contact with almost every civ, when not all civs had contact with each other. This helped my trading. Not to mention seeing more of the map.

 

[tofe99]

Fully agree with Turner_727!
I am also playing as the Dutch right now, and the combo is very powerful. Both have plus food in the city center what means that even in despotism you can set up a settler factory with only one bonus tile (cattle or wheat). Currently I have 2 settler factories and a worker factory going. On emperor already at the 60th turn I was the leader in terms of score. With 1-2 well placed early war Holland is unstoppable...
Regarding only the seafaring trait, obviously it is much less powerful in pangea, but very good at continents or archipelago. The game I am playing right now is archipelago, I got to know everybody (standard map) around the 40th turn, and even now 110th turn my enemies don't know each other...

 

[AdHHH]

Agreed. Seafaring Civs essentially start with the Great Lighthouse, in terms of ability, as well as cheap harbors. It helps get you Contact quicker, and thus you can become a tech trader.

 

[tofe99]

One short addendum to AdHHH's post:
Thus if you are the only civ with seafaring trait, you can easily control the tech race through the whole ancient and mid medieval ages. If you want, you can slow it down, if not, make it even faster. Depending on which victory condition you would like to achieve.

 

[lbhhh]

I also like the trait especially when combined with commercial(England) Those coastal cities produce a lot of commerce! Not to mention the man-o-wars...

 

[HellboundHeathcliff]

My favorite map type is huge/archepelago/60% therefore i consider seafaring one of the best things they added to C3C. You start with 3 mp exploration ships (which the AI doesn't use) and if you get the lighthouse you have 5mp galleys!

I am presently playing the Byzantines. A great majority of the cities are coastal. After navigation, my map was worth 60 gpt to several civs (the others didn't have the cash flow).

 

[dgfred]

you guys. Good points made by all. Seafaring can
be a powerful tool.

 

[Longasc]

It has not to do much with seafaring, but speed up Dromons really beat the **** out of enemy fleets - 2 of them make a great killing machine, can assist your troops with bombardement.

Their are useful a long time - the only thing I regret is that I rarely have early conflicts on archipelago maps!


I agree on the trading bonus on Archipelago maps - I was for a long time the middleman and knew civilizations all over the world, where other civs sometimes only knew me and their neighbour!

Seafaring ships move faster and can cross large oceans safely if you add the lighthouse, 1-2 more hexes can be a lifesaver in dangerous waters, and they sink less often.

But I think I am too much of a builder, I really like production boni and discounts on buildings.

I love the Byzantines however - did not play the Dutch right now, but an early and really superior naval unit with transport ability is simply awesome!!!

 

[dmanakho]

at what level you guys played with seafaring civs?
I didn't have much luck with then at Monarch... can't say i like the trait...
i have much better successes with any other trait but this,
I tried both english and dutch.

 

[alexman]

Thus if you are the only civ with seafaring trait, you can easily control the tech race through the whole ancient and mid medieval ages.

You don't have to be the only civ, since even the seafaring AI never puts its ships at risk to cross the ocean.

So you take advantage of the reduced sinking chance and the higher movement to have exclusive contact with all civilizations until Navigation/Magnetism on most maps. It's kinda like getting the Great Library!

 

[HalfBadger]

I haven't tried out Seafaring much, but it can be good is some situation, but find it doesn't suit my play style much, but I really want to try out the Dutch, who knows I could be 'converted'. Other than a huge map Archipelago, I find it low-tier.

 

[starrider]

Seafaring is my favorite trait. Cheap harbors, offshore platforms, and commercial docks make the coast a happy place to be. 5 movement galleys (with the lighthouse) means you can definately explore the map fast.

About the only thing I have to add is the added benefit of starting near the coast. This means you can use your capital to build the collossus (but NOT as the English!!!), great lighthouse, and magellan's in what is most likely your most productive city.

 

[tofe99]

at what level you guys played with seafaring civs?

Well, I played with it only on emperor. Anyways, I think to use the seafaring trait does not depend on difficulty level.

 

[Wolfwood]

This means you can use your capital to build the collossus (but NOT as the English!!!)

One who finds himself confused by this, asks: Why not?

 

[Turner]

The Colossus will trigger a GA for the English. If you're in despotism, then you're going to waste quite a bit of you GA either in despotism, or getting out of it.

 

[Wolfwood]

The Colossus will trigger a GA for the English. If you're in despotism, then you're going to waste quite a bit of you GA either in despotism, or getting out of it.

Ah, thank you! That explains it. I made this mistake in my present game on Regent, but, luckily, it doesn't seem to have hindered my domination (as of yet). I have yet to master the concept of GA in my games...

 

[microbe]

Seafearing is the best trait in archipelago or continent maps. It's especially powerful with delayed contact and map trading in C3C. Combined with my favorite scientific it makes Byzantines the No.1 choice.

 

[starrider]

Another reason why seafaring is the trait that keeps on giving: submarines.

A standard sub gets 3 moves. A standard sub with seafaring gets 4... 5 moves with Magellan

A nuclear sub gets 4 moves....seafaring nuke sub gets 5...and with Magellan... 6!! This is the magic number because that is the movement rate for transports for non-seafaring civs. This means escorts will also only travel at 6.

6 moves means your nuclear subs survive, and have a better chance at getting to protected waters (escort ships or a friendly port) and you can pick off the enemy transports one by one before they reach your shores.

 

[Wolfwood]

Seafearing is the best trait in archipelago or continent maps. It's especially powerful with delayed contact and map trading in C3C. Combined with my favorite scientific it makes Byzantines the No.1 choice.

My favourite is the English, because their other trait is Commercialism and Commercialism equals less corruption in my big empire that spans over many islands on the huge archipelago maps that I play on!