Culturally linked starting locations

[LarryLard]

Most of the specific-civ strategies I read here talk about things like 'you will have A and B nearby so you can do blah blah but be ready for blah blah'. But me, I never have culturally linked starting locations on. To me it just doesn't make sense unless you are playing on an Earth map (and I never do that, because it gives me an unfair advantage, but that's a whole different topic ).

Am I missing out by keeping this option off? Do culturally-linked civs have better initial attitudes or anything like that?

[CerberusIV]

It means that you will usually, but not entirely, start near civs in the same cultural group who will have a very slightly better attitude to your civ than civs in different cultural groups.

I find it makes more difference with the less aggressive civs. The Germans, Zulus and Persians will still not be nice to you.

It adds a bit of historical flavour more than anything. You also have some idea of who will be near you. If you play with random AI civs then you will usually get most of the other civs in the same cultural group as your own in the game.

It can give certain civs an easier ride. I find if I play as American/Aztec/Iroqois then those three civs start on a decent continent and it is relatively easy to overpower the other two civs. The Middle Eastern group is probably the hardest overall.

Basically use the option if you like it, it is not a big difference.

[Finarfin]

Wasn't the option to NOT use Culture Links disabled in a patch, so that you no longer have that option?

[Arrian]

You can toggle it on or off in the setup screen.

There is a slight attitude boost for being in the same cultural grouping. So, ironically enough, if you are France, the Germans are slightly more inclined to like you (more like hate you a tad less) than they are to like the Americans.

But the attitude adjustment is minor, and doesn't have much of an effect.

I usually play with linking off. I think the toughest grouping is the Rome/Greece/Carthage/Egypt one. ACK!

-Arrian

[vmxa1]

I would say it makes very little difference. The advantage off having it off is that you get a some what unique setting. No real impact, except that otherwise you could get to know a few civs very well.
One impact is that I had not seen a few civs for a long time. At least you could use linked and pick a civ that lets you increase the chance of seeing a given race.

[rush]

I was planning a Builders game with the Babylons months ago, to see if having Relgious & Scientific traits can be useful in the later stages of the game. I forgot to disable the cultural link. For consecutive games, I got nasty surprises as Persians, Zulus and Egypt waged war against me in almost every game.

After that, I disabled the culturally linked position. Not that I disliked War, but I just hate fighting with the same Civ in every game.

Playing fresh opponents sort of add interest/element of surprise to every new game.

[Catt]

I play with it on, but more because it is a "default" rule than any philosophical decision.

In addition to the slightly better attitude, the cultural groupings often (not always) mean that neighbors get access to their UU at around the same time -- the middle eastern civs generally all have ancient age UUs, the far eastern have middle age UUs, the north american civs have ancient (the Americans don't really have a UU ), and the european civs have a later middle age UUs (with the Germans having an industrial age unit). The cultural linking may then, to some small degree, make the start a bit more balanced -- a GA-fired immortal storm can be defended by a GA-fired hoplite storm, etc. I remember a game without culturally-linked starts in which I quickly found myself at war with three neighbors, all enjoying an early Golden Age, while I sweated and scrapped with a GA a far off vision.

Catt

[Theseus]

I play with it off, for more variety. I've taken to playing non-ancient UU civs, for better balance (on emperor).

Considering Catt's comments re contemperaneous UUs, I'd say the civ-specific strategies are probably sound for non-culturally linked civs.