I will post here balance changes that i feel personally need to be revised. First my balance ideas are from a military point of view mainly, i am not so good with economic numbers, i leave that to specialists. I will also try to argument why those changes should be made. Also it doesn’t have to be exactly my way but maybe some ideas will come up out of them to the devs. Also my suggestions will be both globally as well individually civs based. And i don’t play at the moment because my job is to much time costly but i do watch streamers A LOT and i mean A LOT (mainly T90Official, MembTV, TheViper and Hera) and i get frustrated with a lot of things, because i see the same things to some civs all the time and it is getting boring and annoying, so yes this will be from a viewer point of view frustrations, please no hate, but i want to see some civs that are not played or played the same way all the time.
P.S. Civ = civilisations
Overall global balance changes suggestions:
*reduce gold cost of Hand Cannoneers from 50 to 40; Almost never seen and also will help specific civs that are under performing right now to give them a boost;P.S. you will see a lot of suggestions this unit to be removed or not from some civ, this is based on and if their gold cost is reduced.
*Steppe Lancers/Elite Steppe Lancers HP increased from 60 to 70 respective 80 to 100. There are a few civs that have bonuses towards this unit and when it got nerfed it also nerfed those civs directly
All elephants civs should get Heresy, in return elephants units should be converted slightly faster like 10-15% by default, this way we will see elephants more often and in return they also can be killed faster using monks! High risk <–> high reward scenario confirmed.
Heresy gold cost reduced by default to around 600-800 gold;
Britons
Scorpions +1 range in imperial age; Why? Well i feel like this is a range vs damage in Britons vs Chinese match ups, also Chinese get siege rams while britons don’t. And on top of that all you see is arbalests, trebs and longbows. Khmer bonus get changed.
Berbers
New Hand Cannoneers removed or not? -if their gold cost is reduced, makes camel archers unplayable in most scenarios;, but also they need to have a response against infantry if stone is getting a problem in mining it
Champions removed; if hand cannoneers are to be kept.
Bulgarians
I personally believe this civ is lacking personality. So my suggestions are specific towards that.
Get champion;
Cavalier unit removed; I know there will be some backlash towards this suggestion, but come on, all players go for LC units all the time it is getting boring and predictable. Also not to make their early Imp broken with champions already research, maybe make the tech researchable or even better, at half price. And top of that players have options to either go all in in castle with knights or go for fast imperial.
Burgundians
New Hand Cannoneers
Gold cost 25% refunded for every knight unit lost; I believe their economic bonuses lack a little.
Champions removed;
Burmese
One of the civs i feel frustrated with a specific situation that all pro players tend to do.
Cavalier unit removed; Why this suggestion, when pro players need a strong front line unit, 99% of the time they go for cavaliers instead of battle elephants and me as a viewer i hate that, especially when it says it is an elephant and monk civ. I am sure viewers want to see elephants more often, not only knight line units. Also based on my global suggestion for elephants civs this bonus should come into play nicely for the Burmese
Heresy available;
Byzantines
Probably one of the most hyped civs people want to see and yet they do have an identity but they do lack death ball. Teutons are kinda the same style but they do have death ball composition. Apart from that as we all saw in the match ACCM vs Daniel the lack of Byzantines speciality. They are good at many things but lack speciality and their defensive bonuses most of the time lack impact. For some reason i’ve always seen and liked this civ to be a defensive trash/gunpowder type, since i was a teenager and now i am 31
Gunpowder units get 5-10% bonus movement speed; (Hand Cannoneers, Bombard Cannon, Cannon Galleons). As we all can see most of Mediterranean civs are gunpowder type, so why not Byzantines as well. Plus this is one of the civ that will benefit from Hand Cannoneers gold reduction. Also you will have another water civ with bonuses to their Fire Ships and Cannon Galleons. I hate to see only vikings, Italians and Portuguese
Give 5% to the skirmishers, 10% to spearmen line, 15% to their LC and 12% to Camels, HP bonus. You can give it gradually based on ages, like 5% in feudal for skirmishers, 10% to spearmen line in castle and 15% to their LC and 12% to Camels in Imperial.
Cavalier/Paladin removed and maybe Champions too? They do get Hand Cannoneers now and also based on my next change suggestion they should use Cataphracts too.
Reduce gold cost to Cataphracts from 75 to 65-70. It is one of the most less seen units in the game and that from a viewer point of view it sucks to say the least.
Get Bombard Towers; If they get changed into a gunpowder civ might as well give them this and should balance the remove of cavaliers/paladins/champions.
Cumans
Another civ that is lacking personality from my point of view. With the increase of HP to the Steppe Lancers and their bonus to this unit you should make this civ steppe lancers oriented. Also Steppe Lancers are one of the units that you see very rarely or not at all
+ New Passive bonus: reduce food and gold cost to Steppe Lancers by 10%-12%; to result into a cost around 60F 40G
Remove Paladin/cavalry units? Their new cost reduction with high armour and HP steppe lancer should balance the lack of paladins/cavaliers.
Ethiopians
Shotel Warriors should get +1 range or melee armour and Elite Shotel Warrior the other melee or range armour by default (in a total +1/+1); I have only seen 1-2 times this unit in the last year in stream games. It is a dead unit, so make it playable.
Cavalier removed. This is to balance the shotel bonuses and to force people to come up with strategies around shotel warriors.
Franks
Throwing Axemen increase melee armour by default from +1 to +2 Another not so used unit
Hand Cannoneers removed; to counter balance throwing axemen and to make a decent balanced match vs Burgundians, also throwing axemen come into play. Burgundians should counter Franks with hand cannoneers their throwing axemen, while franks counters Burgundians with paladins.
Champions removed;
Goths
Hand Cannoneers removed or not? They have Huskarls to deal with trash and range units, halberdiers with cavalry and champions as a anti infantry, but then again a champion are not quite an infantry speciality, hand cannoneers combo won’t hurt, but might be to powerful, also the new Malay idea you will read, they might need hand cannoneers vs malay needs to be tested!
Bombard Cannon or Trebuchet removed. If Hand Cannoneers are to be kept, something needs to be removed from their offensive power spike.
Incas
Slingers +1 damage from 4 to 5 or +1 range armour by default; We need to see them used more often.
Kamayuk get +5% movement speed; To many times eagle warriors are used even against cavalry civs.
Andean Sling also removes Scorpions minimum range.
Indians
Elephant Archers +1 range by default from 4 to 5 also fires 8%-12% faster. This is a meme unit, even TheViper has problems in finding a use for it
Heresy available or not at the monastery?. Remember global change to elephants. this might be to powerful for a range elephant civilisation, need tested!
New Hand Cannoneers;
Champions removed;
Arson removed;
Remove stone mine shafting. To delay the new elephant archers death ball
Italians
With the new Byzantines; also Portuguese and even Vikings having options for water map invasions, i feel like Italians should be used more often for water map invasions or/and also for hybrid or even land maps. They will get boost with the new Hand Cannoneers gold reduction for hybrid and even land matches also their Condottiero will be used more often because hand cannoneers will be viable. Condottiero also should get a bonus defence vs gunpowder units apart from attack bonus. To balance matches vs gunpowder units, might be to powerful. (mini huskarls vs gunpowder units) Need to be tested!
Condottiero receive bonus armour vs gunpowder units;
New Hand Cannoneers;
Japanese
New Hand Cannoneers Might make combo with champions or samurai to powerful.
Remove arbalest? To counter balance if hand cannoneers are not removed, also to many civs with arbalest unit;
Khmer
Remove knight line. *Again same situation as Burmese with people going for cavaliers not elephants.
Get heresy; global change to elephants.
Remove Hand Cannoneers. It is a must be, to powerful and might cancel the use of scorpions or even might have deadly combos with ballista elephants or scorpions.
Scorpions bonus get changed from +1 range to 10%-15% shooting faster or +1/+2 armour.
Koreans
New Hand Cannoneers;
Bombard Cannons cost food instead of wood. A civ that is way to heavy wood cost oriented.
-or-
Military units bonus applies to siege units as well.
Lithuanians
Lithuanians always struggle against heavy infantry civilisations, also they are cavalry civ so their infantry should be weak.
Champions removed;
Hand Cannoneers removed or not
Get Siege Onager;
Bombard Cannons removed or not.
Bombard Cannons vs Siege Onager need to tested for balancing the Lithuanians vs infantry civs match up, especially vs Malay!
Malay
Under performing a lot also don’t stand up to their swarming idea.
Forced Levy also gives 10% movement speed to their militia line and maybe 5% to their battle elephants; (on top of squires and husbandry).
Thalassocracy also creates karambit warriors at the town center (production time is not affected by any technologies or bonuses), 6s default time production. To speed up the karambit warrior death ball production.
Heresy get removed; To slow down their swarming power by converting their battle elephants. Also with the new Hand Cannoneers been usable a lot of civs can stand up to their swarming power
Malians
Another civ that is good at multiple things but lack speciality. Also lack personal identity.
Farimba now give +3 attack to cavalry and +1 or +2 to Gbeto. First Gbetos should win most of the time vs throwing axemen, second Malians need to have a response to Malay swarming power or any other infantry civ.
Hand Cannoneers available. In case they don’t get access in matches to stone for castles they need to have a response against infantry civs with hand cannoneers,
also arbalests against malay won’t cut it.
Arbalests removed? Making room for hand Cannoneers plays.
Mayans
To give each top archer civs unique siege powers. Britons get scorpions with +1 range and warwolf trebuchets, Chinese get scorpions with +4 damage and Siege Ram, Khmer get Heavy Scorpions with either faster fire rate or +1 armour and Siege Onager. Mayans should also have their unique siege power apart from their siege ram.
El Dorado gives also 10 HP to Scorpions.
Mongols
Another civ with bonuses towards Steppe Lancers. With global change to Steppe Lancers HP mongols’ Steppe Lancers become viable as long as they don’t have another power mounted unit, but that can be fixed.
Cavalier removed.
Arbalest removed. Players should work around CA with steppe lancers/LC and Siege Rams, apart from mangudai-siege onager plays.They are to much one sided civ and if you counter their stone resourses it is game over for them.
Persians
Another civ that is good at many things but it is hard to reach the death ball.
Hand Cannoneers removed or not;
Heavy Scorpions removed;
Siege ram removed; All two (maybe three) removed units is to make space for war elephants.
Get Siege Onager;
Get Heresy. Again, another elephant civ that will be affected by global change to elephant converts.
Receive Bracers; To make their Kamandaran tech usable again, buy time and save gold and food to reach elite war elephants.
Halberdiers removed. To make them a cavalry focus power a little.
Heavy Cavalry Archers or Parisian Tactics removed; Don’t need to have them again heavy cavalry archer civ oriented
Portuguese
New Hand Cannoneers;
Siege Engineers affects Organ Guns They do need something to make them viable on land maps, hybrid maps or water maps landing.
Sarances
Hand Cannoneers removed or not?
Sicilians
Apart from the fact that they are lacking diversity, also they lack economic bonuses. And it is all about their Serjeants. The idea is to still keep the Serjeant meme civ oriented but also offer some diversity.The idea is to combo the Serjeants in different scenarios with other units. Against cavalry you combo Serjeants with halberdiers, against infantry you combo with scorpions and champions, against archers with siege ram and skirmishers
Militia line get +2 damage against Archers. Making Serjents a gold front line unit to tank damage in all scenarios, while other special units deal the damage.
Gold cost reduction to all their Siege units and siege technologies.
Spanish
Another civ that will benefit from new Hand Cannoneers, but we can make them viable on water.
Demolition ships area of damage is increased by 25%-33%.
Reduce gold cost to Conquistadors from 70 to 60-65;
Monks removed;
Missionaries can pick up relics. Missionaries while carring relics, their movement speed is equal to Monks with Fervor researched.
Fervor removed;
Tatars
Another Steppe Lancers civ so need to be oriented towards that, than cavaliers.
Cavaliers removed;
Keshik generates 1 or 2 gold for each hit against another land units, 2 or 3 gold per hit against water and siege units. The unit does need to have a good weight in the civ’s composition.
New Hand Cannoneers;
Teutons
Hand Cannoneers removed or not; They have a lot of anti infantry units.
Turks
One of the most if no the most under performing civilisation. So let’s see what we can do. And maybe make it water civ viable.
New Hand Cannoneers;
Janissaries get +6-10 damage against mounted units. Now they have hand cannoneers vs infantry and janissaries vs cavalry
Demolition Ships x2 damage against all water units. Kills transport ships in 1 hit; Sicilians transport ships should get countered by something.
Vietnamese
Another elephant civilisation, not so much oriented but still elephants should be chosen over cavaliers.
Cavaliers removed;
Petards can be garrisoned inside siege towers;
Chatras also gives +1 Melee armour/1 pierce armour to petards. Is the only unit that no bonuses are given. Also the only archer civ that has no special siege power.
Trebuchets removed. Siege towers with petards can shots castle easily, also forcing players to wall their castle in front and sides, keeping only the backside unwalled, forcing players to think twice about where to place castles, also petards should be ungarrisoned in front of the wall if the castle is walled.
As you can see my idea of bonuses is to make all dead units more viable as well to make all civs to have a unique identity and on top of that to make more water civs.