Do You Think BtS Will Play Differently? If So, How?

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Originally posted by Dis
is mercantilism changing at all? does anyone actually use this civic?

I use it a fair bit. That bonus specialist can be very useful, especially when combined with one or more of Representation, Caste System, Angkor Wat, Parthenon, Sistine Chapel, Pacifism, and the Philosophical trait. You can get a free priest producing 2 hammers, 1 gold, 2 culture, 3 beakers and and 3-6 GPPs, for example. Great for popping borders in new cities especially.

I'm sure I'm missing out on some good coin by not having foreign trade routes, but "out of sight, out of mind", I guess.

[ben04]

Originally posted by Dis
is mercantilism changing at all? does anyone actually use this civic?

It can be a very powerful civic in latter starts. Combined with Pacifism you can pump out GP at a crazy rate. As the economy hasn't yet been established that one specialist also outperforms the advantages of free trade or state property. Once you advance however in the game and GPs start to get expensive changing to state property or free trade is a good move.

[eris]

So far, I have not heard anything that will change core play as much as Vassals did to Warlords. (But then again, none of us seem prepared for how Vassals would change the game, not even Firaxis did so completely at first.) Many things have been tweaked and a few levels of complexity and decisions have been added with Corporations and the Espionage enhancements, but that may be more flavor than food. (Is that a real cliche?)

The change for Cavalry will affect me the most. I really like Cavalry if I am going for some sort of miltary victory. It usually comes just as my Empire has built up enough to really produce units. That is just me, though. I do not think it will have the same effect on upper level players.