Maybe it is just my playstyle, but my past 2 games I have gone freedom and gotten volunteer army, both times my strongest unit has been in the 20 strength area ( 28 for my winged hussars right now). With volunteer army you get 6 strength 42 units that have a 20% bonus in foreign lands. If I wanted to, I could easily use those units to conquer one of my neighbors.
It would be a great tenet for those very passive early games that turn aggressive late. The only thing that's odd about it is the units are Foreign Legion, which get bonuses in enemy lands. If I am on a conquering plan, I already have plenty of units, but if I'm not I just need something to keep the peace at home. So it can be conditionally very powerful, but it won't often decide games, just because it comes so late and is in the Freedom ideology.
I think, that if you didnt use them, then they were not overpowered. The ability to conquer a city is nothing new. The question is if making it easier is realy changing something, effectively. You couls just have build some extra units instead, gained the abilty to take the citys and used the SP for something else. Maybe that would have been just as usefull or even better? Those units will be old soon, a lasting ideology bonus might be better in the long run..?
Play 10 games with each civ on each map type, map size and difficulty level. Five of wich you use that one and 5 you use another one. Then compare the results.
Exactly. I'm not sure why the devs chose this instead of a unit that has a friendly-lands defense bonus. IIRC, Freedom is the one Ideology that isn't suited for Domination, so why give units that encourage you to CONQUER, not defend? Plus, the units are melee units, which aren't well suited for conquering, anyways.
I'm not saying Volunteer Army is weak, but if you're choosing it to go on a conquering spree you probably would've been better off with Autocracy.
I am not going on a conquering spree for the record, both my games have been relatively peaceful. I like going for all of the achievements I can so games have just turned out this way so far. It just seemed funny to me that I build very little units all game, enact this policy and suddenly " the world's villains should fear my military power"
is that the freedom trait that gives you 6 foreign legion and covers the cost? OP. Considering it would take probably 5 turns each to build those, that's the equivalent of getting a free wonder for what is otherwise a (correct me if i'm wrong) second tier trait.
In fact, I had chose the trait to save money, assuming it was the same as the previous one that gave no maintenance on a number of existing units, and it did nothing because I felt bad about disbanding such powerful units, and still didn't make any money off it LOL.
Exactly. I'm not sure why the devs chose this instead of a unit that has a friendly-lands defense bonus. IIRC, Freedom is the one Ideology that isn't suited for Domination, so why give units that encourage you to CONQUER, not defend? Plus, the units are melee units, which aren't well suited for conquering, anyways.
I'm not saying Volunteer Army is weak, but if you're choosing it to go on a conquering spree you probably would've been better off with Autocracy.
is that the freedom trait that gives you 6 foreign legion and covers the cost? OP. Considering it would take probably 5 turns each to build those, that's the equivalent of getting a free wonder for what is otherwise a (correct me if i'm wrong) second tier trait.
Don't forget that the relative strength of the Foreign Legion units depends on how early you manage to bag that tenet. They're very strong if you get them early, but only so-so if you are a laggard to ideologies.
Don't forget that the relative strength of the Foreign Legion units depends on how early you manage to bag that tenet. They're very strong if you get them early, but only so-so if you are a laggard to ideologies.
It would be a great tenet for those very passive early games that turn aggressive late. The only thing that's odd about it is the units are Foreign Legion, which get bonuses in enemy lands. If I am on a conquering plan, I already have plenty of units, but if I'm not I just need something to keep the peace at home. So it can be conditionally very powerful, but it won't often decide games, just because it comes so late and is in the Freedom ideology.
That's how I've been using it. Right around the time my militarily weak empire begins to look like a tasty morsel, I get that tenet, and keep the wolves at bay, so I can focus on passive pursuits.
Someone was saying there were equal overpoweredness traits. There are. In autocracy for example, you can get double strategic resources at level 2, lightning warfare which is nuts combined with Shoshone, mobilization to buy units at 33% less. Etc. They all have powerful bonuses.
They're good if you can grab them early, especially as Brazil because they upgrade straight into Pracinhas. However in most cases I think arsenal of democracy is a better choice just because you get the production bonus on the military side of things but also a major diplomatic tool for grabbing city states.
Volunteer army also removes upkeep for 6 units. I used it to get the units, and only started fighting with them once I upgraded them. I was playing really peaceful, but they are good units to have and upgrade for when you have to fight that war based on differing ideologies.
Volunteer army also removes upkeep for 6 units. I used it to get the units, and only started fighting with them once I upgraded them. I was playing really peaceful, but they are good units to have and upgrade for when you have to fight that war based on differing ideologies.
The funny part is that Freedom is not supposed to be geared to support a Domination Victory, yet the FL is perfect for that role, especially when you get it super early like the OP.
It would be a great tenet for those very passive early games that turn aggressive late. The only thing that's odd about it is the units are Foreign Legion, which get bonuses in enemy lands. If I am on a conquering plan, I already have plenty of units, but if I'm not I just need something to keep the peace at home. So it can be conditionally very powerful, but it won't often decide games, just because it comes so late and is in the Freedom ideology.
My first BNW game I went Freedom and took this tenet. I started upgrading them immediately into Infantry just before Japan and I went to war. It is definitely nice, plus they all appear around your capital so it could be an a last resort defence too.
It makes perfect sense that they're in the freedom ideology. The freedom ideology is geared toward everything except domination, but more often than not, it's very useful to go to war when pursuing other VCs. For instance, I played a 3 city culture game with France, but Egypt had too high culture and my influence started to drop. So I popped volunteer army and took over 3 of his 5 cities (with some help from my CSs and my small standing army), razing them as I go. Getting rid of all the culture they were producing. Simultaneously, using my domination in the world congress, I successfully placed a trade embargo on them to cripple them from fighting back.
IMHO, winning in BNW is a combination, or a balance if you will, of multiple paths. You can't easily go all culture, or all science and expect to win. You have to be offensive, both politically AND militarily.
EDIT: Also, HI! I've been lurking for the better part of 2 years.
I still think there should've been achievements for doing the "wrong" victory with each Ideology.
Eastern Bloc Party - Win a Diplomatic victory with Order.
Freedom Is The Only Way, Yeah! - Win a Domination victory with Freedom
It Appears We Have Missed The Enemy Base - Win a Science victory with Autocracy.
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