With the state of Sri lanka’s current economy, a Sinhalese civ is an impossible sell for AOE2 team to microsoft.
The ratha change is a tough sell. Here is a post which proposed the same. If Melee ratha came out from stables and cav archer ratha came by default from ranges, then later be switched according to need. That in itself will mitigate the problems caused by “No knight or cav archer, Only Elephant archer” policy of Devs. Though it could balance the no knight policy, it would imply the devs were wrong with their initial design.
I woud rather if Dravidians were split into a DLC as Dravidians and Tamils. With Dravidians representing Telugus, Kannadigas, Kakathiyas with a gameplay/scenario based on Vijayanagara empire and Tamils representing current scenario based on Cholas. The new tamil civ bonuses will be based on how Tamil country under the three tamil dynasties the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas had been an ########### fortress to invasions from the north throughout the middle ages till 13th century.
Dravidians:
- 200 wood on age up
- All eco techs are researched instantly [except market]
- Barraacks technologies -50% cheaper
- Skirmishers and elephant archers fire +25 faster
- Siege costs -33% wood
Team Bonus: Fishermen and Fishing ships carry +10
Unique unit : Urumi and Tirisadai
Unique tech: [Replace ‘medical corps’ with “STRIKE CORPS” - Effect of Barracks technologies is doubled
[Replace woots Steel with ‘damboli’] - In addition to arrows, Castles and TCs fire a ‘Trebuchet’ like volley at same range of Trebuchets
Tamils: [Defensive and Naval civ]
- Age up needs 25% less food
- All unit production buildings are 20% cheaper [TC, castle and other military except docks]
- Unit production buildings including docks are built 50% faster
- Dock, Blacksmith and University upgrades for Galley line 50% cheaper.
- Units and buildings take -50% bonus damage from Siege weapons
Team bonus: Docks provide +5 pop space
Castle Unique unit: Monk type with conversion range of 11 and 100% faster conversion. Elite upgrade gives redemption, +2 range and 100% faster faith regaining. It does carry relics unlike missionary.
Siege Unique unit: Flame thrower at 10:33 min
Unique techs:
Castle age - Bhakthi movement - Monasteries are upgraded to temples which work 200% faster. They produce the same amount of stone as relic gold.
Imperial age - Poombuhar shipyards - Galley line and Elephant archers fire a second projectile that does half the damage
Weakness - NO Knight, No bombard cannon, No redemption in castle age, and no fervor. Basically, the regular monks are useless. However the special monk unit has amazing range. But no speed.
The age up bonus is thematical and suits the civ. Tamil like Chinese and Egyptian hieroglyphics was one among a handful of very few, very old, oral and written languages. Dravidian civ is based on Tamils. So an Age up bonus is thematically correct.
The building bonuses are also correct since there are huge temples and structures constructed by Tamils in their homeland and other places like Sri lanka as well as far off south east asia.
- Both civs get fully upgraded hussars without final armour in blacksmith.
- “Wootz Steel” is the regional attack available at blacksmith for both civs in imperial age