… What if the Caribs could build canoes on the shores of the ocean without the need for docks? Just like AOE-4 military units build battering rams and siege towers (Great feature of AOE-4).
Imagine you create carib blowgunner and go to the river / sea / lake shore. They can simply build canoes without the need to build a dock.
I guess I just don’t see the need to give every unit a special ability. Sometimes it’s ok to keep things simple imo.
No, only the Caribs. Very according to his style.
Great suggestions!
I just hope Caribbeans are the ones with poison damage: they have a weird archer!
D.E. has changed the game a lot: even base units that should have had only different stats (for the
most part) have unique abilities.
Natives, who are the ones who are pricey, limited, restricted, rare and random have become the weak and ordinary ones: a full inversion of papers imo.
And as I had said it doesn’t need to be an ability: just a “remarkable characteristic” as Cree and Udasi have. But I do respect your opinion! 
You must have been having a heart attack with these DLCs then XD ! J/k ! 
Well, it’s one thing to add new units and techs with gimmicks. It’s another to change existing ones.
Hopefully, as can be seen from my earlier posts, people understand I’m in favor of rebalancing natives to bring them into the competitive fold. I think it’s just my preferred methods, my vision, is by degrees rather than from the ground up. Decrease the cost, increase the build limit, maybe add a tech here or there, look carefully at each case in turn, and slowly but surely they will take shape.
That said, I maintain general ignorance of native techs and units are holding back their potential as much as anything else.
One of the bigger issues with the legacy Native units is that they’re extremely lackluster and tend to be weaker variants of the “main” archetype they stem from - Klamath and Cherokee, for example, are extremely weak skirmisher units. It’d be fine to keep the wood cost on all the Natives if they were capable of scaling proportionally well with that wood cost.
They underperform drastically, and they’re dull and boring. There’s no reason to micro your economy for another handful of weak skirmishers on Carolina. Natives need to bring something bam for the cost of controlling them, and it needs to be more than just flat stat increases.
IMO something each Native needs is a core “thing” they focus on, such as the Seminole focusing on siege tech and archers. An unusual combination, but imagine them giving techs such as being able to siege from the full distance of your archer’s range - Imagine how strong they would be with Britain, Hauds, Japanese, and Lakota. Things like that are what the Natives should focus on doing.
HURON
HURON (Wyandot): Huron Tribe | Age of Empires Series Wiki | Fandom
They’re are somewhere among the worst natives in the game.
Mostly because of their inferior unit + the fact that 2/3 of their techs are based on that very same unit (and even with them, they don’t get better!). Their fishing tech is equivalent to European’s 1st fishing tech but cheaper.
Overall it’s a really bad unit + average techs at best. Mantlets and Rams need a revamp!
NEW TECHS
Lore: The Wendat were not a tribe, but a confederacy of four or more tribes who had mutually intelligible languages: Bear, Rock, Barking Dogs, and White Thorns (also known as Canoes). The people called their confederacy Wendat or People of the Peninsula. The name “Huron” was given by the French.
NativeAmerican NetRoots- Huron;
The Canadian Encyclopedia- Huron
Lore: “The Huron lived in villages spanning from one to ten acres (40,000 m2), most of which were fortified in defense against enemy attack.”
“(…)each of the (Huron) sites had been surrounded by a defensive wooden palisade as was typical of Iroquoian cultures. The large Mantle Site had more than 70 multi-family longhouse.”
lookandlearn.com- Fortified Huron village;
Cwjefferys.ca - Palisaded_huron_iroquois_village
Lore: “(…)Trade and military alliance seem to have gone hand in hand. The Algonkin of the Ottawa valley and the Susquehannock on the Susquehanna River were both enemies of the Five Nations. Trade links with these people were strong and concerted military action against the Iroquois was occasionally attempted.”
Wyandotte-nation.org
European_contact_and_Wyandot_dispersal (Wikipedia)
CURRENT TECHS:
Huron Sun Ceremony (225w, 225c): Huron Mantlet train limit +200%
REWORK
New Effect (375xp cost): Ships 300f, 300w, 300c. Can be used a second time for 750xp.
Why: I thought of mimicking the “all crates shipments” of Haud, but the cost would make no sense. I used the cost of XP needed for a 3rd shipment (397xp) for most civilizations considering it’s a Age3 shipment for Haudenosaunee.
Huron Trade Dominance (400w, 400c): Ships 1 Huron Mantlet for every 2 minutes the game has passed, up to 30 minutes
REWORK
Bonus Effect: Also increases Huron Mantlet train limit by 50% (weaker version of Huron Sun Ceremony’s 200%).
Why: Huron Mantlet’s train limit needs to be increased by just 50% for max effect. Considering this tech is hell of expensive and the other is too, I decided to merge them.
Just to add, I really like the Lenape native in the new historical battle.
Unit: a skirmisher-like unit with warcry ability (stunning) and native villagers (6 maximum)
Tech: increase native unit limit, decrease warcry cooldown, increase gather rate from farms
That’s the right amount of uniqueness tonmake a good native unit.
It can be made available on custom maps.
Tbh I really hope they keep those gimmicks and special abilities to native/merc units not regular units for new civs.
This is pretty much the reason.
Natives should be considered as part of the map they are in.
African natives are step in the right direction within the stablished systems. For example: Berbers salt mines are good option in their respective maps where mines are not abundant.
Imho, the best implementation of natives for the game should be as settlements the players can interact and obtain different advantages or utility.
Native settlements could provide:
This turns settlements into points of intrest within the map and opens more ways to incorporate natives into the gameplay.
NOOTKA
NOOTKA: Nootka | Age of Empires Series Wiki | Fandom
NEW TECHS
Lore: Carbon dating shows that the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples hunted whales over 4000 years ago for both blubber and meat. While whaling provided the Nuu-chah-nulth nations with an important source of food and blubber - which could be rendered into oil - it also played an important role in social life as well.
Whaling- wikipedia
Lore: While the Nuu-chah-nulth nations did rely on whaling as an important food and oil resource, the territories they lived had many other food sources including the bounty of food to be found in both the ocean and on the land.
Nootka- wikipedia
Lore: Nootka nations extensively used the wood and bark of red and yellow cedar trees as both a building material and to produce many different objects (totem poles, canoes, baskets…). The Nootka cypress goes by many names (Yellow cypress, Alaska cypress, Nootka cedar) but the physical properties of the wood make it an attractive material for both general construction and boat building.
Callitropsis nootkatensis- History
Baldwin Park Philly - Yellow Cypress
Lore: Filler tech to increase Nootka’s power.
Brooklyn Museum- Whale boneclub
CURRENT TECHS
Nootka Potlatch (300f, 300c): Nootka Clubmen cost -10% and train time -50%
REWORK: Nootka Clubmen cost -10%" replaced by “Nootka gain 10% ranged armor”. It also heals Nootka Warchief by 50% of his HP or respawns him to your military shipment point at full HP.
Why: This technology ain’t bad but the cost is ridiculously high for such a simple effect, considering Cree has one similar for a third of the price. I have also added a tiny but useful perk for Warchief.
Loyal Nootka War Chief (200w, 200c): Spawns a Nootka War Chief and enables Nootka Settlements, Native Embassies and Heroes to retrain him.
REWORK:
1) He now boosts Nootka warriors. +10% hp/damage bonus like a Mansabdar is good start
2) More survivability somehow: this guy needs dies too easily.
3) Turn him into a Hero: a few minor natives of Africa have their own war chiefs. His retraining can still be done by one way or another.
Why: Previous discussion was nearly unanimous about buffing this guy, specially about the Mansabdar effect.
Nootka Bark Clothing (125w, 125C): Villagers get +50% hit points
No changes needed in my opinion.
Hey @Ippert A small doubt stuck with me while I was reviewing my drafts on the remaining natives:
Nootka Whaling would be great, and would work well with the many water maps that lack whales that Nootka are on. It should just be a regular whale though, not something you can get food from.
Nootka Harpoons is way too complicated. Just make it increase fish yield slightly and gather rate for both fish and whales.
Nootka Potlatch shouldn’t be changed. Potlatch is a big part of their culture.
I agree that the chief should be a hero, but if that happens he shouldn’t be able to be retrained from the explorer. Maybe just maybe it like the African heros that respawn at your shipment point.
Yep, right after posting it, I thought: “Hey Dan, why don’t you just make a “fishing spot” just like the Whale? Why do you make things so complicated?” 
The tech is still there. I’d rather keep the original effect too but I couldn’t think of something useful for Cypress Handcrafting that has not been made so far, so my move was to swap it. Yes, I’d rather keep the same. Help me with it! Any ideas? Done! Updated!
I thought of calling their Berserkgang effect as Furor Celtica Nootka
Where’s the berserker thing coming from? Potlatch is a feasting and gift giving ceremony. It could just be one of those techs where you get a crate of resources for every 2 minutes of time elapsed.
I can see it as a ceremony that praises the Nootka people and culture, hence the said prowess in fights (because they lacked a military technology). Obviously it was just a way to fit a military tech to Potlatch to save “building train time” effect for Nootka Cypress
But I appreciate your feedback. I have just improved the techs with your suggestions ! but Nootka Cypress is still empty
edit: Everything updated but Harpoon because The Huron already has a “better fish gather rate” improvement!
I like the idea of Klamath Work Ethos but I think the cost-benefit ratio is too poor for it really to be worth it in and of itself. You could reduce the cost of the tech, but I think doubling the effect from 5% to 10% makes more sense.
Yes, I just proposed a silly buff because the current effect sucked. I thought the same of the 10% buff but I don’t remember why I didn’t do it. 
Anyway: I wish I could edit some old proposals. I have some ideas for Sufi, Seminole and Klamath but I can’t edit them anymore =z 
I’m pretty happy with my older suggestions. I think they hold up well and are actionable by the devs, subject to balance testing ofc. Small but meaningful changes are best imo.
CREE
CREE: Cree | Age of Empires Series Wiki | Fandom
NEW TECHS
Lore: The buffalo pound was a hunting device constructed by native peoples of the North American plains for the purpose of entrapping and slaughtering American bison. The common Cree name “Poundmaker”, refers to someone who makes buffalo pounds.
Buffalo pound -Wikipedia
Cree Tracking and Scout (180f, 180c): The Cree will continuously scout the area and move to inform you of harm.
New Effect: Cree Tracker automatically gains +1 range/LOS every age past Commerce Age. Cree Tracker cannot be snared while moving.
Why: This basically gives back Cree tracker’s original range/LOS taken back during USA’s rework, so they can be used past Commerce Age to fight off light infantry.
Cree Network Trading (200f, 200w, 200c): Establishing trades with the Cree turns your colony more engaging with your Home City and other cultures.
New Effect: Gives special resources for every 3 minutes that has passed,up to 30min, based on the civilization you are using. African= influence; Asian= export; All others=XP.
Why: I always wanted to see a technology that gives special resources but I’m not setting values because XP, export and influence graduate differently from each other. It’s just like techs that give wood, food and coin based on time.
Lore: Fur trade had an gigantic impact on the Cree nation culture and relationship with europeans and natives. .
Digital Library - Fur Trade
Waskaganish.ca - fur trade
CURRENT TECHS
Cree Kinship (125, 125c): Native warrior and Cree Coureur des Bois train time -45%
REWORK: Also increases their train limit by +10%.
Why: The current effect is kind of blend but not bad specially if you compare to improvements such as Nootka Potlatch. Even so, it’s still a uninteresting tech.
Cree Tanning (100f, 100c): Infantry and, cavalry hit points +10%
REWORK: Cost increased to 200f, 200c
Why: After the USA rework this technology became WAAAY too good.
I’m going to put some ideas here for Euro map “natives” which I’ve been pondering for awhile.
The general idea would be to depict city-states as well as small nations and ethnicities. As it stands, the developers have stuck to a principle where a civilization cannot be both a minor and a major, but we can still work with a lot of the smaller countries and peoples in between the big powers. This particular set is Central Europe.
Tyroleans
Where: Central Europe, Alpine maps
Architecture:
Units: Schützen/Schuetzen - A light infantry unit with a bonus against artillery
Partisans - Similar to Mexican Insurgentes
Techs:
Alpine Hiking Clubs - You enroll your infantry units into hiking clubs to get some much-needed fitness, increasing their stamina and thereby unit speed by 15%
Tyrolean Guest Houses - TPs, TCs, and Taverns/Saloons/Monasteries slow heal idle units
Heimat - Spawns a hero unit which boosts the stats of native warriors, can plant an inspiring flag
Bavarians
Where: Central Europe, Alpine maps
Architecture:
Units: Chevaulegers - A light cavalry unit similar to an Uhlan
Techs:
Counter-Reformation: Priests move and heal more quickly
Bavarian Illuminati: A powerful and mysterious society spawns four spies for you, increases HP and attack of all spies
Oktoberfest!/Bavarian Royal Wedding: It is time for the beloved autumn celebration, get one beer keg (150 food/150 coin) for every five minutes of game time, up to 20 minutes
Beer Purity Law: Careful selection of the choicest ingredients increases mill and estate gather rates by 10%
Alpine Salt Mining: Get a prospector wagon which can transform into a salt deposit
Hansa:
Location: Northern European, especially water maps
Architecture:
Unit: Victual Brother - Rodelero/Corsair-type unit
Techs:
Hanseatic Trade Network: Boosts TP payouts by 15%
North Sea Shipbuilders: Increases ship HP by 10%
Hanseatic Contacts: Modest discount on mercenary and bandit units
Swiss
Location: Central Europe, Alpine maps
Architecture:
Unit: Swiss Guard (Stats and role similar to a boosted-up Halberdier or Doppelsoldner)
Techs:
Swiss Mercenaries: Swiss Pikemen become trainable from the tavern, all melee infantry attack boosted by 15%.
Fortified Cantons: TCs gain a strong cannon attack and do not require garrisoning
Alpine Herding: Livestock fatten faster and get five semi-fattened cattle
Later I’ll work on ideas for Southern, Eastern, and Northern Europe.
