Super IGN preview

[Will9]

Now that Ceaser is imperialistic he can make settlers quicker which means you can get to making Praetorians sooner.

[monkspider]

Argh, the trait pairings.

[Martinus]

I think Augustus should have been Imperialistic, and Ceasar Charismatic, but that's just me.

[Alexander I]

Originally posted by monkspider
Argh, the trait pairings.

Originally posted by Martinus
I think Augustus should have been Imperialistic, and Ceasar Charismatic, but that's just me.

I agree.

Here's an updated version of my civ traits chart including who the old traits used to belong to (and who they now do) and sugestions for the usage of the rest of the traits.

I mean, Saladin is now Gandhi? Gandhi is now Ramses the Great?!!

[monkspider]

I agree!
What's up with making Mao Expansive/Protective. Protective I could see, but expansive?? He didn't expand China's borders at all. And beyond that, Philosophical was the perfect trait for him.

Julius Caesar is imperialist but not Napoleon or Alexander?!
George Washington is charismatic but not Caesar, the most charismatic leader in the game??! Washington was famously shy and quiet.

For shame Firaxis, for shame.

[monkspider]

Double post

[Will9]

Originally posted by Martinus
I think Augustus should have been Imperialistic, and Ceasar Charismatic, but that's just me.

I agree too.

[Solver]

I'd like to note that probably any trait combinations would raise similar doubts . Give Caesar Aggressive/Charismatic, there'll be doubts about why he's not Imperalistic or Expansionist.

[monkspider]

Charismatic was the perfect trait for Caesar. Expansive was an okay choice and imperialist a bad one.
So the arguement that imperialist/organized was just as good as any doesn't hold water.

[monkspider]

Beyond some really horrible choices for trait pairings, the unique buildings look like they will add an interesting dynamic to the game. Japan's UB does look very weak as some have said.
Russia's is a monster! +2 free scientists? A great library in every city!
Mongolia's seems to confirm that there will be a new stable for mounted units.
Most UBs look pretty intriguing.

[Common Sensei]

Washington's trait pair is now less fire-and-forget than his old one, but with the happiness (one extra, and potentially another with Monument) and health bonuses it has, looks like a fantastic pop-rushing combo. Some earlier info also had the Mall replacing Supermarket, but it's a lot more useful for America if it replaces Grocer.

I used to play Saladin, Mao and Elizabeth for GPP-based games, but now it'll be Ghandi, Frederick and Elizabeth, especially since they all start with Mining (closer to Bronze Working, which I usually go for first).

Napoleon seems a lot more suited to conquest than before.

[Louis XXIV]

Originally posted by monkspider
Charismatic was the perfect trait for Caesar. Expansive was an okay choice and imperialist a bad one.
So the arguement that imperialist/organized was just as good as any doesn't hold water.

If Caesar was Charismatic, I wouldn't play as anyone else. I would just use my fast promoting Praetorians to be stronger than before.

Originally posted by monkspider
Russia's is a monster! +2 free scientists? A great library in every city!

At CFC they are saying that it replaces Labs (there are a lot of errors in the article, so we can't be certain of everything).

[Alexander I]

My preferences:

Julius C. - Cha/Exp (currently Washington)
Augustus C. - Imp/Org (Julius Caesar)
Mao - Phi/Pro (Unused)
Napoleon - Cha/Imp (Cyrus)
Cyrus - Cre/Imp (Catherine)

Anyway...

[samspock]

Looks like they nerfed Quecha rush a bit. Huayna C. lost his aggressive trait and with it the Combat I for the Quecha.

It will be interesting though trying a Quecha rush while building wonders faster.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Saurus
The expansion seems very promising indeed.

However, The biggest problem I have had so far with CIV 4 is the game engine that already give attacking player too big of an advantage.

*No SOC
*unlimited stack size (and only shows the 20 first units of the stack to the defender thus making it even more diffitult to counter against)
*no penalty damage caused to oversized stacks
(witch is the worst problem IMO - you can have 100 units in a stack and a catapult will still only manages damage 5 of them! - now THAT requires skill.
Obviously the cata should not be able to kill them all but the units beeing too thightly packed should more or less ALL take damage)
* no attrition damage to attackers.
*attacker can bombard defenders, defenders can NOT
bombard attackers. (another very serious issue!)

I had big hopes the expansion would balance issues a bit but the Trebuchet only gives more of an edge to the attackers - and this during the late middle age when the attackers in any case are extreamly overpovered as there is really no weapons against oversized stacks during that period. Sad, sad, sad!

Well, there is always the protectice trait, of course, but that does not really fix the problem.

This isn't correct - if anything a slight tweak to reduce defensive bonuses would improve balance.

Defenders can't bombard because attackers don't get any defensive bonus over and above that given by terrain. Attackers don't get atttrition dmg, but their units heal slower, which is a huge factor. Defenders are much more mobile. Catapults are a balanced counter to stacks, and artificial limits on stack size are not sensible in any case.

In the context of Civ there has never been a Civ game that favours the defender as much as Civ4.