Who's your favourite Civ?

[Tancred]

This is another one of those questions that's probably been posted many times, but i don't know where it is...so...

Who's your favourite Civ, and why?

I would have to say that i'm partial to the Sumerians these days as i like that early Golden Age boost, and i think having a Scientific society is pretty much essential in the higher levels.

T.

 

[geowhiz1]

I dont really have a favorite civ, but I have some that I play more than others. These would be the Byzantines, Germany, England, Rome, and China.

This thread has been around as long as the game has, so I dont think you were the first to duplicate it.

Sumerians are annoying.

 

[Tomoyo]

Early GA = Despotic GA = Wasted GA = Bad

Crutch = Weakness --> Try something else = use Random civ = Good

 

[jguy100]

i like your formulas tomoyo

 

[Spelling Police]

Personally, I play as the Germans a lot -- fairly late GA, fairly powerful UU, and decent traits. I also like Rome, Byzantium, China, and Japan. Don't ask me why.

 

[Longasc]

I like the Celts. Their UU and trait combo make them easy to play and strong.
Everything "agricultural" is inherently powerful

I also like Arabia. Expansionist usually gives them a headstart, they waste no time by changing govs due to Religious and the Ansar Warrior is a powerful U.

The Iroquois are a superb choice, perhaps the best of the three: Commercial is really powerful on higher difficulties, Agricultural is always, and the Mounted Warrior is CHEAP and POWERFUL plus SPEEDY!

France has a bad UU, but good traits. The Mayans are supposed to have the best trait set by many, and their UU is good, too. Industrial and lots of workers plus high growth is nasty! England can be a monetary powerhouse...


Well, I value the following traits LOW:
Scientific
Militaristic

except Babylon, I will not take Civs with these traits, except Persia. No Ottomans for me, I go to war earlier usually. The WORST Trait Combo has Germany - their UU is also by far too late.


My subjective Ranking:

1. Iroquois
2. Mayans
3. Celts
4. Arabia
5. France
6. Persia (Immortals)
7. Babylon (discount wonder)
8. Greece
9. Netherlands
10. America
11. Greece
12. Incans
13. England
14. China
15. Japan (Samurai and good combo imo)
16. Byzantines
17. Scandinavia
18. India

...
Last: Germany.

Some are missing, but it incredibly difficult to come up with a better listing... the differences are not TOO BIG. Civ is quite balanced and a lot depends on your starting position and map / world form / size.

Hm, now I would say, China should rank higher... it is really difficult...

 

[spammikone]

Haven't completed even single game yet in Conquests, but looking at the traits i think that Scandinavia and Carthago suit best for me. That seafaring with +1 movement to your ships is damn good bonus.

In normal Civ3 and PtW, China was best civ looking at traits - militaristic and industrious. Other side America has best unit. I always go war at modern ages, so modern UU's are best. Though i never have played as americans. And i just don't value UU's much.

So often in my games i turn traits off (because best traits happens to be in boring civ's which i don't like to play).
And thats why best civ is Germany! It is always real enjoyable to attack with facist Germany starting World War...

So the best civs are:

1. Germany
2. Arabia
3. China
4. Ottomans
5. Egypt
6. India
7. Russia

8-27. Rest, except:

28. Korea
29. Scandinavia
30. Aztecs
31. Celts


Best traits:

1. Scandinavia
2. Carthago
3. China
...
31. Not sure. Maybe Russia or Iroquois.

 

[rbis4rbb]

Sorry, but Indians don't belong in the top 10 of any (civ related) list. They are extremely mediocore. The above list is kind of flawed.

 

[troytheface]

i suggest expansionist civs as u get a scout and hence more playability. I would use hittites, mongols or zulu -for fun of play. They are not particularly great civs but they have scouts and uu's that have movement/defense that can add a bit of zest to the game. (keshik's "defense " is terrrain/movement based- )
Although not expansionist , Spain with its crazy Conquistidor can be fun to play as well. Use this UU to conquer tech backward civs and one can emulate history.

 

[Longasc]

LOL, spammikone just votes the opposite of me. I wonder why he thinks the Celts are so bad.

Spammikone, you should try some Agricultural Civs before ranking them last. I also fail to see any system your evaluation is based on (?).

Or was this simply irony? You talk good about Scandinavia, in traits e.g., and rank them nearly last. Are the Berserkers really soo bad?

 

[modern_soldier]

I agree with troytheface if you have expansionists you have advantage especially if your luck enough to get tribal huts near by. Really I can't see a disadvatage in that.

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

My five favourite:

1)Vikings - Berserk. Enough said
2)Ottomans - The Civ juggernaut. Powerful traits and an awesome UU
3)Arabia - Good traits, and a very nice UU
4)Korea - H'wacha are just fun
5)Mayans - A very powerful civ. Powerful traits and a great UU. However, the early GA is a downside

 

[Spelling Police]

Celts are actually pretty good, especially in the ancient age. Agricultural is fairly useful, the Celtic UU is excellent early on, and Expansionist can be useful for boosting your initial treasury.

 

[spammikone]

Spammikone, you should try some Agricultural Civs before ranking them last. I also fail to see any system your evaluation is based on (?).

Well, i value agricultural as 4th best. Seafaring, militaristic and industrios are above that. Like i said, i don't usually play with civ-specified traits, so evaluation is just based on wich civ "get to the right mood". Celts are just BORING. Germany is interesting.
I often play world/europe maps, and is nice to play with those middle of desert living oil-rich arabs.
Egypt has nice colour.
I got the real "super power" feeling when playing China or India.
etc etc. i just use imagination.

Scandinavia maybe have best traits, but otherwise it is just another boring civ.

Also, i tend to choose all civs instead using random when starting new game. I don't like when in the same game are Sumeria, Russia, Celts and Japan. I usually choice civs that are from same era. So playing as Germany, i choose Russia, France, Spain, America, England, and other similiar civs.

 

[LLXerxes]

Persia Ottomans Carthage and Maya,
Vikings and Chinesse are high up there too

 

[Mark1031]

It depends what level you play at. I've seen only 3 Sid SG wins on normal size maps, all were with Iros which has by far the best traits/UU at this level. Scientific and expansion are useless at this level as you will still get nothing from the 1 or 2 huts you pop and will be behind in science the whole game so the free tech is not worth much. Also it is much better to buy/steal techs at this level so you will not be building sci buildings anyway. In general Agri/comm are the best traits. Seafaring is also rather nice on Archi maps. Now playing Viks on Sid and will win. Zerks are quite useful. groucho

 

[Tomoyo]

Sorry, but Indians don't belong in the top 10 of any (civ related) list. They are extremely mediocore. The above list is kind of flawed.

Their War Elephant is one of the best UUs in the game! A vet defends almost as well as a vet samurai (3.75) and it basically attacks at 5. Add in the fact that it doesn't need resources...

Commercial is a very undervalued trait because most players don't see the effect of it very clearly. Religious is just useless, but whatever.

 

[Longasc]

Hehe, I just like the Religious trait.

I like to compare it to the Scientific Trait:
Both offer a discount on culture buildings. But I value a cheap early temple higher than a library or an university.

A new tech at the start of each era is nice, but it is usually only two times it is worthwhile: Middle Ages and Industrial Age. You also get a 5% instead of a 3% chance for a SGL:

The ability to change govs with only a 1 turn anarchy period beats this IMO paired with the half-price temples.

As I already said, I perhaps undervalue the miliaristic trait, but militaristic and scientific are my personal last choice.

 

[Dark Russell]

I dont find the logic in trying to rate one civ better than another because everything hinges on what type of map you are playing and what type of start location you have. I never try to play a civ that "statistically" would be superior, rather, I just choose one based on how fun I think it would be to play a game with them. That being said, I like the Zulu, Rome, France and sometimes Sumeria and China...although Sumeria is very easy to win with regardless of what map you are on. JMO.

 

[geowhiz1]

Reasons I like these 5 Civs:
Byzantines: characteristics (SCI, SEA)
Germans: my step dad is German; PANZERS
England: MEN-O-WAR rule the seas
Rome: characteristics (MIL, COM)
China: Mao