A civ bonus should be that they get 100% more food.
Also gunpowder units are able to attack their own universities.
In fact, all their units can attack each other, since America is so divided right now and everyone just seems to hate each other over there.
If you really wanna capture the American identity you have to do something that represents “manifest destiny”.
IDK what that’d look like.
I would’ve picked this, but I didn’t want to overlap with my Americans concept for a modern-day AoE game too much. In that concept, Second Amendment basically does the same thing as Supremacy.
Interesting idea, but like you said, that’s quite similar to the Bohemians. I feel that a quickly-trained HC is something that doesn’t exist yet.
That’s a little vague and potentially broken, don’t you think?
Someone else made that kind of joke earlier. It’s not as funny as you people seem to think it is.
That’s an interesting idea, but it’s more of an 1800s-onward thing. This civ concept is specifically representing America from the founding of Jamestown to 1776, the start of the country, as outlined in the post. Manifest destiny doesn’t fit that. I had to limit it somehow, since they’re out of the timeline anyway, or the sky’s the limit, and then we have a broken civ on our hands.
@TommoChocolate, this concept is obviously meant to be a joke, but I’m still curious what your thoughts on it are.
In the mod “the next chapter” of AoE 2 HD (maybe you can try it in 2 DE), set in the colonial era, the Americans (the 13 colonies) have these bonuses:
The 13 Colonies
Bonuses:
Reduced price and training time of all gunpowder units by 35%, but lowering HP for 10% (The minuteman)
Houses have tiny ranged gunpowder attack
Farmers and Plantation workers work 25% faster
UU:
Colonial Militia - Cheap and fast produced weak infantry with minor bonus vs native units and ships
UB
Plantation - Farm that produces gold
UT
"Smugglers (trade units have +4 armor/+4 pierce armour)
Landgrab - Mills, farms and houses are built 100% faster, are cheaper and receive massive HP bonus (Attack bonus for house too)
TB
Technologies research 15% faster
I would actually like something like the Blockhouse for an actual civ, not a bad idea a better defense that costs the same as a tower on stone but with a considerable added wood cost
I like that you took a joke concept but then approached it completely seriously. I don’t know much about the history, but here are some gameplay thoughts.
Before Castle Age, the wood bonus is effectively their only bonus, so it all depends on how powerful that is. It’s the kind of bonus whose numbers could easily be tweaked, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it used by an actual civ in the future.
They might feel a bit bland before Castle Age – although no more so than, say, Berbers, who also only have one relevant bonus before Castle Age. Once you get to Castle Age, I like that the Blockhouse pushes you towards their unique unit. I think that’s important for a civ theme that doesn’t really fit the standard tech tree.
Most of the bonuses are only relevant in the late game. I think they would be more interesting to play on Arena and Black Forest than Arabia, since it would be easier to get the the later bonuses. On Arena they’d probably have a good fast Castle into Blockhouses build order, or a strong farming boom with all the extra wood.
I figured that that was the only way to honor the occasion and challenge myself. I didn’t want to just make a concept where anything goes, because that’s not only not interesting, it’s not really fun or challenging for me.
I was thinking of giving them a wood collection rate penalty to compensate, so it’s not too strong. Nothing too major, just like 5%.
They can potentially go for an archer rush with that top-tier wood bonus. Scouts are also not out of the question, since you can fully upgrade them later.
Yeah, I was basically trying to make an extreme version of the Turks and Bohemians (that doesn’t overlap with either of them), where you end up spending very little time in ages that aren’t the Imperial Age, since that’s when gunpowder is available, aside from the UU. The civ strengths are all focused around gunpowder, so it’s important to go fast Imperial and research Chemistry as quickly as possible (that’s why that team bonus exists). While advancing to Imperial, non-Elite Minutemen can be used as a slightly-weaker alternative to HCs to get a head start on the gunpowder deathball, and the Blockhouse being able to train them helps with their numbers.
Yeah, like I said, they’d be quite similar to the Turks and Bohemians, who both thrive on closed maps.
Something you may have overlooked is that the Americans have access to the Hussar and Halberdier. The former references cavalrymen wielding sabers, even in the age of gun, and the latter represents men with bayonets charging against cavalry. Good trash really sets them apart from the Turks, and gives them less of a weakness when gold runs out.
I’m now just idly thinking about a North American civilization that can’t field horses until the Castle age, but when it does it’s really strong with them. Like how some of the North American peoples changed their society around because horses spread through the continent faster then the Europeans did.
I like a good challenge, so let’s see:
That’s fine, nothing too crazy or original about it, but a solid bonus.
My only complain is that it doesn’t work well with the next bonuses and unit composition.
Blockhouse could be a unique barracks building, that train infantry units and allows villagers to be garrisoned to be protected. Like a TC, it have a short range attack only when garrisoned, and it cost only wood.
The fortress then would be a renamed castle, that could improve the blockhouses with unique techs.
I would instead combine the 2 units into one, which completely replace the HC.
The civ could like have have the blockhouse that trains 2HS, halbs and musketeers (the latter available into the fortress too) in age 2, a weaker version of an HC, with short range and high innacuracy, but that improve with upgrades through the ages.
To compensate that, they would have very weak archers and heavy cav, with only hussars being viable.
I would instead keep the -2 range, but have it 50% more blast area, with friendly fire. More strong and more fun to use.
As the minutemen are the go to anti-infantry solution, and that apart from the BBC they’ll have weak siege, they HC should like have a +10 damage against buildings.
Not much to say here… it’s weak in my opinion, but I don’t have better ideas…
Maybe a water bonus, like docks are built instantly.
Star forts were more of an Italian and european thing, instead I would have a UT that give the blockhouses a weak attack even if not garrisoned.
A discount would be better, especially on food, as it’s the biggest problem for HC.
This is what I was referring to when saying that a wood bonus doesn’t fit the rest of the civ…
What do you mean? The wood bonus allows the Americans to make more BBCs and Blockhouses than they normally would, both of which being essential to their identity. It also allows them to go for an archer rush in Feudal Age, meaning they aren’t totally useless pre-gunpowder.
This suggestion completely ruins not only my wood bonus, but also the gunpowder identity. I’m trying to encourage the player to make swordsmen as little as possible, because they’re anachronistic. Your suggestion completely ruins that.
HCs are THE gunpowder foot unit. Minutemen would have completely different roles, being emergency troops that are also good at raiding, but don’t hold up well in sustained fighting. That’s where the Musketeer comes in, which can be trained from the Archery Range, so it’s easier to mass.
I actually like this suggestion. It does sound more fun (and historically accurate). Also puts BBCs on the same level as Houfnices right off the bat, which is quite strong.
As I explained, HCs/Musketeers are intended to be the main fighting force, while Minutemen are emergency troops designed for hit-and-run. This matches their use historically.
What do you mean, weak? Chemistry researches in half the time, at 50 instead of 100 seconds! That’s a pretty strong bonus in itself, but it applies to the whole team, which makes it even better.
This doesn’t fit the identity at all. And the Americans didn’t really get a navy until after independence.
Nuh-uh, there are dozens of star forts in America too. You know the building below the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty? That’s a star fort.
Considering they already do that, there’s no point. Blockhouses historically were used primarily as defensive structures, so my use for them is accurate.
Not a bad idea. I’ll consider it.
You said that while proceeding to ruin two of the best uses for the bonus, Blockhouses and BBCs.
Another thing you’re overlooking is that a wood bonus is also a food bonus, as you can afford to get more farms up. Because the Americans have so much spare wood, they can easily have more farmers than any other civ at any stage of the game. This actually helps greatly with HC and Minuteman production, as well as Hussars and Halberdiers.
Yes, but those civs adopted the horse in the 18th century so they wouldn’t look very good chronologically speaking in AoE 2 (unless they make a colonial dlc for AoE 2 as RoR)…
Originally AoE 3 was going to have star forts until they went with the forts ones they have now…
That’s why they wouldn’t look very good in AoE 2…it’s like what happens to you with the Spanish rodeleros in AoE 3 that being melee, ranged units devastate them…
The musketeers line could be like this (like the mod I put above and similar to how it is in AoE 3 if it were similar to AoE 2 in unit improvement)…
That’s why this is a joke concept. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense as a serious concept, but I still tried my best to make it work.
Yes, no problem… it’s just that I wanted to adapt it in AoE 2 and it’s hard for me…
I’m toying with the idea of making the Gatling Gun the Castle UU, despite being outside my self-imposed timeline, as a nod to AoE3. The Minuteman would then become exclusive to the Blockhouse, giving players even more of an incentive to build it.
It would be like the organ gun of the Portuguese…
Will be a better version of the cho ko nu.
Threads about Americans and jokes about school shootings are like Rosenkrants and Gilderstern from Hamlet. You will always find them together.
Not necessarily. We can always joke about their healthcare system or educational system
