With the release of Conquests to the veteran Civ 3 player the Dutch offer a unique trait combo- agricultural and seafaring. Although hardly alone in this regard both of these traits were new when conquests was released. Over the last year or so the agricultural trait has become to be widely regarded as one of the most powerful traits in the game. It gives you an extra food resource in your cities' center tile if your city is beside a river or once you change to a non despotic form of government. In addition it gives you half priced aqueducts, hydro plants and solar plants. You can also irrigate desert tiles and they will produce 2 food and 1 shield for your cities. And finally you get to start with pottery for the all important granary to help with settler factories. Although you can usually trade for pottery sometimes the AI civs closest to you don't have it. Its all about speed- expand fast and you will have an easier game.
