Reworking Shared European Cards/Features to Add Flavour; and Reworking/Amalgamating Cards/Revolution Reworking

Age of Empires III: DE III - Discussion
1

This is a pretty broad post and I’m really just floating ideas because Devs for need to European Reworking.

We have seen various new flavour features introduced - jingles played when certain cards are sent, increased diversity for European explorers and Battleships, minor unique features for otherwise shared cards, culinary references, an expanded mercenary roster (and greater access through politicians, Church cards, and shipments in general).

I think minor changes of this sort are a good way to add more personality to existing (and new) civs with minimal impact on balance and minimal requirement for new work on assets.

Not every civ needs a unique version of every feature, of course, but I think more cultural and historical references makes the game more engaging and fun.

Prime candidates, I think, are:
— Forts
Sweden’s ‘Kalmar Castle’ experience aura, Russia’s Rekrut construction feature from ‘Pjotr’s Toy Soldiers’ (especially combined with ‘Sevastpol’ - I think they should move the construction feature to that card), the various boosts that Malta gets are all examples of variation for European civs (and then there are the features for US and Mexico, and revolutions).

I think modifications to attack (fire? organ gun? multipliers against certain unit types?), or economic benefits (minor resource trickle when units present nearby? some kind of boost if close to trading post or native site?) could be interesting to play with.

— Factories
Mexico (and the California Revolution) get a special improvement. I don’t see why European civs shouldn’t also get something. Maybe a bonus for one specific resource setting, a small ranged attack, the ability for Explorers to rebuild lost Factories, or a change to the unit production (to produce other artillery?) could be interesting.

— the Theatres card
The Germans already get ‘Witch Hammer’, but every other European has generic ‘Theatres’ which grant Ronin (especially boring for Portuguese given they get Ronin from cards and the politician too).

Every European civ should get a different mercenary or (improved) outlaw unlocked - preferably one that they don’t already gain the ability to train (through their unique church card or the mercenary contractor politician, or otherwise).
I think references to performing arts, folkloric outlaws or culture-specific leisure establishments would be the most obvious - there could even be snippets of relevant music if appropriate.
The Dutch ‘Buckriders’ could be rolled into one card with this, for a start. I’d also like to see a Portuguese version that gives them trainable Cannoneers.
The British could get a reference to Shakespeare (Much Ado - Elmetto; Antony and Cleopatra - Mameluke; Hamlet - some Danish unit which might be on the horizon; there are plenty of options) - or they might get reliable/improved Pirates and have the card play a sea shanty.
The Russians could have ‘Mariinsky Ballet’ and Italians ‘La Fenice’; play some Mussorgsky for the former and Verdi for the latter. Maybe the Russians can get reliable access to Cossack Daredevils and Italians to an outlaw version of the Plague Doctor treasure guardian (though I grant there’s no particular tie between those and the card names).
I’d also really like to see reliable access to outlaw versions of the Colonial Gunslinger/Looter/Officer/Swashbuckler/Oppressor guardians (though maybe that would be more fun for the South African revolution or a full-fledged Belgian revolution - which we might get if there’s ever a second African expansion).

— Advanced Building cards, various unique economic cards, TEAM cards
We have Trading Posts, for example, that get special relevant cards like ‘Greenwich Time’, ‘House of Braganza’, ‘House of Osman’, as well as ‘Silk Road’ and ‘Merchant Republics’. I think some of these cards should be combined with ‘Advanced Trading Posts’ (maybe with its usual effects moderated somewhat). Italians also get a special version of 'Advanced ######## ## ######### ######### ##### get ‘House of Nassau’ (which should absorb/replace ‘Advanced Market’), and there are various others that provide discounts on tech, unit or building costs (‘Louvre’, ‘Mosk Construction’, ‘Reichsritter’, ‘Spanish Road’, ‘Cold Water Port’, ‘Great Lakes’, ‘Patriarchy’, etc.). Then there’s also cards like ‘Coastal Defences’ which should just be part of ‘Advanced Dock’

I think often the shared ‘Advanced [Building]’ cards, civ-specific discount-providing TEAM cards and less common unique bonuses go underused. So why not roll some of them together to make them more powerful and more appealing?

Similar to the above - there are a few civs that get special versions of shared cards, or unique economic cards. The French get two special trickles, the Maltese get ‘Sicilian Supply’, There are also special resource cards like ‘Guardia di Finanza’ and ‘Trip to Jerusalem’. I think more economic cards that are stronger for specific civs or provide some extra, unique, but not too powerful bonus would help to differentiate play styles and improve the experience/texture of play.

— Infantry/Cavalry/Engineering/Navigation School
On the above point - the French, Turks and Russians currently get variations on these cards giving them some bonus units, an incentive to use their own roster, or a bigger bonus for infantry. I think more variations on this would be good.

— the Grenade Launchers card
‘British Grenadiers’ and French Young/Middle/Old Guard techs provide something like this; I think I have previously suggested the Spanish version could be used to separate access to the Soldado/Hacienda. I think any card that modifies features of a unit, rather than just its stats, deserves some differentiation between civs.

— the Town Militia card
Turks get a special version, and with it being included in so many revolutionary decks, it seems like it could be fleshed out somewhat. I’d like to see Boer Kommandos for South Africa and this could be a way to do it (what if it temporarily converted all your Settlers into Militiamen for 15s?).

— the Pioneers card
Similar points as for Town Militia. I think Italy, as well as Japan and the Incans, get a special version of this, but it would be nice to see more diversity for Europeans.
—- the Revolution card
I believe that more new revolutionary countries in European civilization will have more unique cards and units to resist the uprising of monarchy and authoritarianism,I am glad to see the diversity of the unique revolutions of European civilization

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I never use cards that “just give” a free warriors or resources, because they are meaningless, it would be better if there were various small bonuses example “+5% something”

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4

It is pretty weird that mexico of all factions get a buffed factory card, surely one would imagine it would be Germans, French, British or Americans that would have such cards.

That being said Factories are very powerful, a factory is more or less equal to a 20% eco boost card to all resources once you have 100 villagers. Straight up giving stronger factories might be too much, an idea could be something like having factory upgrades be free or pre-researched, so say you play as Britain and send a factory that cost 300 extra wood, food and coin and in return you have all factory production upgrades be free.

Rebuilding factories MIGHT be too strong, ### ##### ###### #### with an increase to factories cost to balance it. Kinda opens up the question of other buildings like Wonders for the Asian civs (but hey maybe that could be a fun card for them as well?).

That is a good point, maybe give Portugal a Chinese or Indian Mercenary from the Theatre card since they operated in both those places (and to a far bigger extend than they ever did in Japan).

It is true that most “advanced building” cards like advanced mill is pretty bad. on the other hand something like advanced arsenal is one of the best cards in the entire game.

Personally i think its fine there are “noob cards” in the game that aren’t viable in MP, sure they could roll the advanced mill and estate card into one and it probably would help but that already kinda exist in the form of “land grab”.

EHHH, these are typically considered the meta cards, boring to be sure but certainly not in need of buffs.

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Ya que estas proponiendo cambios para revoluciones, propongo lo siguiente.

Perú.

Current deck

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Changes

(New) Andean insurgents: send 30 insurgents equipped with muskets and allow them to be trained from the houses and Kancha Houses. (This card replaces the 33 Insurgentes card)

(Mod) Cuzco: Ships 10 Infrastructure Wagons, 2 Silver Prospector Wagons; villagers and Infrastructure Wagons can build Kancha Houses instead of Houses.

(New) Inca uprising: Ships 1 Tupac Amaru, 50 andean insurgents, and 5 Light Cannon; costs 1,500 coin. (This card replaces the Manco Inca card)

(Mod) Alpaca Wool: Villagers and andean insurgents get +50% hit points and +30% resistance; units affected by villager upgrades get +15% hit points and +10% resistance.

(Mod) Peruvian Guard: Ships 10 Peruvian Guards; upgrades Revolutionaries to Peruvian Guards with +6 Line of Sight and gets a charged grenade launcher ability on their grenade attack with +2 range; their siege attack gains 5 additional range; allows research Incendiary Grenades at the Arsenal. (The charged attack works the same as the Mexican card from Refurbished Firearms)

(New) Allies Quechua: Ships 1 Stronghold Travois and Stronghold build limit +1; It allows you to train Quechua warriors in the Stronghold and native embassies; enables, Quechua Metalworking, Quechua Diet and Quechua Mountaineering in the Stronghold and native embassies. (This card replaces the American Allies card)

(Mod) Lima: Ships 1 Cathedral Wagon; Cathedral build limit 5; Cathedral generates +100% XP and gives a trickle of 1.5 food, can train Missionaries and research Holy Mass.

(Mod) Cattle Drivers: Ships 10 semi-fattened Llamas, 1 Comanchero, and 1 Homestead Wagon; Llamas train limit +10 (This card replaces the Cattle Drivers and 6 Fattened Llamas cards)

(Mod) Junín Hussars: Hand cavalry and hand shock infantry get +5% speed and -30% train time; upgrades Hussars to Junín Hussars with x5 against infantry. (The unit should have a unique appearance)

(Add) Blood Brothers: Upgrades native warriors to Elite/Disciplined and Champion/Honored (if not already)

I would leave the rest of the cards the same, both because I don’t know what else to add and because they seem convenient for certain situations.

Argentina.

Current deck

image

Changes

(New) Patricians: send 20 patricians (guerrillas) and allow them to be trained from the barracks, fortresses and Galleons; costs 1,000 food. (This card replaces the Criollos card. This unit should have a unique look)

(Add) Cavalry Combat: Cavalry get +15% hit points and attack.

(Add) TEAM Cavalry Attack: Heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +10% attack; Argentina-only heavy cavalry, light cavalry, and shock infantry get +15% attack instead. (The effect does not accumulate with the German version or with the Italian version)

(Add) Refrigeration: Villagers gather food 20% faster.

(New) Italian immigrants: send 4 villagers and +1 for each technology already researched; Maximum 50. (This card replaces the Citizenship card)

(Mod) Outlaw Band; Ships 20 random outlaws; costs 1,000 coin.

(New) Italian French Contract: Allows you to train Elmetti, Li’l Bombards, Royal Horseman, Mounted Rifleman and Napoleon Gun in Tavern and Lombard; Royal Horseman and Mounted Rifleman - 1 population; cost 3000 gold

(Add) Mercenary Loyalty: Mercenary and native warrior shipments cost -25%; Industrial Age infinite mercenary and native warrior shipments cost -10% instead.

(New) La primera junta/Revolución de mayo: The first meeting: enables the capitol and allows the improvements to be investigated, Cadets and Brigadier General; The explorer becomes a revolutionary general.

Personal Opinion: South American Revolutions should be usable from the first age and represent a complete change in the gameplay of the chosen civilization. They should have their own mechanics and have access to units and buildings that other civilizations don’t normally have, for example the Soldados and Haciendas should be common between these revolutions. In addition to the above, all these revolutions should be able to have imperial units and economies. (In short, being something completely different, but with several similarities)

These are my proposals for the revolutions in Peru and Argentina, I don’t think it will come true, but I would love to see these changes in the game. :slightly_smiling_face:

7

I wish the factories and wonders could be rebuilt in some way.

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The main issue with them is that they are very strong buildings and losing them has to change the course of the battle, otherwise turtling would be (even more) unstoppable

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