I really liked that!
By the way, what’s the German name for line infantry? I feel that a Prussian or Austrian civ without line infantry would be like a football game without a ball. It doesn’t have to be a single unit, it can even be the standard Musketeer but with a skin (white coat for Austrians, I think blue was the standard Prussian color) and a different name.
1 Like
This is also a function that requires consensus because it can be taught as a completely new unique mechanic, or as a cosmetic change to honor the countries and regions that make up the Holy Roman Empire (renaming politician to name of the HRE state and changing the politician’s portrait to the HRE state flag + mini map of the same HRE state).
Prussia - Potsdam Giants
Austria - Pandur
Or Landwehr as a replacement for the standard Musketeer for both of these options.
That would change the civ drastically by taking away a lot of their units. Instead of locking the units behind those states, they could just give you access to the royal guard upgrades for those units when you pick them.
The proposal is the best I’ve seen so far, to correct the problem of German civilization. I would not change anything from your proposal. The only thing I think is necessary would be to change the Czapkas. Either leave them only for the last ages, to match your uniforms, and the use of these units, or keep the name Czapka, but give them uniforms, and especially more suitable hats in their early 16th and 17th century versions, as the Czapkas’ hats are already from the 19th century from the beginning in the game, until now! Hussars from other civilizations also look from the Napoleonic era onwards, but have been available since the 1600s with their 1800s appearances and hats.
It would not take away these units. They would just become part of a unique content pool for Germans civ.
I would also see similar changes for the Ottomans civ too - which should also include more content given the tremendous opportunities caused by ethnic and cultural diversity in the Ottoman Empire (as in the Holy Roman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire).
1 Like
i must say i think this is one of the best ideas i have seen on the forums, it might need a little work but its a good way of making the faction more interesting without destroying what we currently have.
i really hope the devs look at this thread because not only is it interesting but i also feel like it is realistic within the constraint of the developers.
1 Like
Cheers, the balancing is a bit off indeed. I quickly made up 10 cards for each option but I can’t claim to have spend a lot of time on them. Free Guard upgrades might be too strong as well, perhaps reduce to free veteran upgrade or reduce the number of units getting the upgrade.
The challenge with the design is mostly about making both options as equally viable as possible while not blatantly surpassing the regular Germans.
With the new DLC incoming and with it new units from the German lands I figured I’d give this a little update just for fun.
Quick recap of the idea:
In age III in addition to the normal age up and continuing playing the Germans as normal, there would be a more expensive revolution type age up that allows the German player to continue on as either the Austrians or the Prussians.
This is not really a revolution though and would be depicted as a normal age IV age up with just a flag change, the option to go to age V and get Imperial upgrades would also still be there. You’d just be Austrians or Prussians instead of the regular Germans.
Choosing either of these however disables your normal selection of age IV cards and replaces them with 10 new cards tailored to these 2 new options. In exchange you no longer receive free Uhlans but still get the shipments slower as with the normal Germans. A deck constructed with this age up in mind would leave its age IV slots empty and would so have a larger than normal deck to play with.
Austria
Ships an Embassy Wagon and allies you with the House of Habsburg
Cards:
Heartlands (costs 2 shipments): Ships two Factory Wagons, when producing resources factories now trickle experience in addition to those resources.
Lipizzaner Cavalry: Uhlans get +15% attack and health.
Spanish Riding School: Cavalry get +10% speed.
Kulczycki Coffee House: Increases the Tavern’s coin trickle and increases the build limit by 2.
Austro-Hungarian Compromise : Ships 8 Magyar Hussar and allows them to be trained in the stables.
German Standing Army (gold cost): Ships a number of Landwehr (RG musketeers) and allows them to be trained in the Barracks. Enables socket bayonet.
Großdeutsche Lösung (Repeatable): Ships a selection of native units from the houses of Wittelsbach, Hannover and Wettin.
Tu Felix Austria Nube: Increases the build limits of native units.
Viribus Unitus: Increases the attack and health of native units by 15%.
Hungarian Division: Ships a number of Hungarian Grenadiers.
Prussia
Ships a number of Landwehr (RG musketeers) and allows them to be trained in the barracks. Enables socket bayonet.
Cards:
Blood and Iron (repeatable): Ships a factory wagon, build limit remains at 2.
Prussian Infantry drills: Landwehr get +15% attack and health
Diplomatic Revolution: Ships an embassy wagon and allies you with the house of Hannover.
Lange Kerls: (gold cost) Ships a number of Giant Grenadier mercenaries and allows their training in the Tavern.
Kleindeutsche Lösung: (repeatable) Ships a selection of native units from the houses of Wittelsbach and Wettin.
Krupp Eisenwaren: Increases the production and attack speed of heavy cannon.
Stechschritt : Heavy infantry gain increased movement speed.
Krümpersystem : Your houses can now train musketeers.
Second Miracle of the House of Brandenburg: Ships a large number of Russian Cossacks.
Dreyse Needlegun : Increases the health and rate of fire of skirmishers but slightly reduces their range.
5 Likes
Noting the Österreichern Flagge - Why Black over Gold, instead of Red/White/Red ? (or acknowledging the Austro-Magyar Compromise - Upper bar 1/2 Red 1/2 Green) ?
When the HRE was dissolved the Austrian empire used the black and gold flag. It seemed more fitting to use with the theme Im going for here.
Is this image about a scene from the movie ‘Predator’?
That’s right.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers’ arms.
2 Likes
The idea of great Germany and small Germany wasnt country specific there were supporters of both throughout the German Confederation.
Austria was left out due to multiple reasons among which the fact it was predominatly catholic, while Prussia and the North was Protestant. Austria, wasnt just German Austria, it contained a lot of other people groups, which a lot of Germans didnt want to include in a Great Germany. And Austria also had an emperor who ofcourse would never agree to become a subject to another emperor.
I dont really see the value of making Austria and Prussia a thing unless its within a revolution mechanic. The Germans are already represented, people argueing that both Prussia and Austria should be in the game are not understanding that first of all, both are already represented, second of all we dont need two German civs when we lack so many other civs in the world and third of all it barely adding actual gameplay value due to the amount of Euro civs already in the game and the amount of uniqueness you can give them.
Argueing that Austria and Prussia should also be in the game is also saying other Germans have no right to be represented and if you then say at these on top of the German civ then I am just going to say no, come on 3 German civs? Also its like argueing Scotland, Wales and Ireland should all be included in the game or Castille, Aragon, Navarra.
1 Like
BUT - We have US, England, (Canada - REVOLTION ??? REALLY ??? & RSA) , & Spain, Mexico, (Argentina, Gran Columbia, Peru, Venezuela) - So - YES , Austro-Hungary & Germany.
1 Like
My quick pitch for the Germans:
- Split “The Germans” into “Prussia” and “Austria”
- Prussia inherits most of the features from current Germany(unique units, home city, cards, AI Leader, etc.)
- Prussia is more focused on its military and heavy industry, Austria leans more towards gold generation and good mercenaries.
- Both play like the rest of European civs until Age IV. When they unlock the “Unification” menu, replacing Revolutions. Each unification option gives Prussia/Austria different bonuses and cosmetic changes:
1. Holy Roman Empire: (Available to both) Unlocks many different units and upgrades from the minor german stats, focused mostly on arrow and melee units and an agrarian economy.
2. German Republic: (Available to both) Based on a what if the 1848 revolution was successful? All settlers become revolutionaries, unlocks new technologies and cards that greatly improve the economy all-around.
3. Germanic Confederation: (Available to both) Similar to the HRE, but the Confederation offers instead a mix of german and foreign(british, dutch and french) units and technologies. It has a more ‘Jack-of-all-trades’ gameplay style.
4. German Empire: (Prussia only): Doubles down on Prussia’s militarism and powerful industry focus, also unlocks many units from minor german states.
5. Austria-Hungary Empire: (Austria only): Doubles down on Austria’s gold and mercenaries focus, also unlocks many units from central europe, the balkans region and northern Italy.
1 Like
With the addition of the royal houses I feel that the German problem can be solved more easily with cards for each house (Habsburg, Hannover, Oldenburg, Wettin, Wittelsbach) where you get battalions from each of them.
I also think it fits perfectly into the German theme of H.R.E. the replacement of some old politicians by new exclusive politicians, for example the Elector of Mainz that provides you with some Church-related improvement, or the Elector of Brandenburg that offers you the possibility to train a line infantry type unit (after all, the Germans are the most medieval civilization in the game, it wouldn’t hurt to give them modern options for fighting).
7 Likes
What would people think about an Alliance system rather than a Federal States one?
Instead of aging up and getting cards, you get minor civ alliances with different royal houses. Most of them are already from the German cultural sphere anyways. As with the African civs, your reward is royal house units, the additional ability to train one settlement’s worth of them from the embassy, and access to two of their technologies.
Possible alliance sets:
Base:
- House of Habsburg
- House of Wittelsbach
- House of Oldenburg
- House of Hanover
- House of Wettin
Age III - House of Vasa (to represent the intervention of Gustavus Adolphus in the TYW)
Age IV - House of Bourbon (to represent the Wars of Louis XIV to annex HRE lands and the later Diplomatic Revolution under Louis XV, Kaunitz, and Maria Theresa)
Age V - House of Hohenzollern (a German-unique House to represent the formation of a united Germany by Prussia)
4 Likes
Having “Germans” in aoe3 was a mistake in ensemble studios part they should have been Prussians and Austrians from the start.
Also longbowmen for british was just a nostalgia for aoe2.
8 Likes