I personally don’t think Dravidians will stay bottom 5. 33% wood discount on siege is huge. They are one of the strongest civ in Feudal and Early Castle. Back when DOI came out, we had a site that showed W/R over game time. And Dravidians used to be 2nd highest in below 20 minutes games after Ethiopians, if I recall correctly, despite being 3rd weakest over all. Now with early castle age sige push backed by infantry and xbow/skirmisher/EA, they will win more games in early games.
Since Koreans, Vietnamese remained as they are, they will stay bottom 5. Bengalis and Bohemians buff are not enough. So they will also stay where they are. For the 5th spot that will be vacant by Dravidians, I think Italians is more likely than Sicilians.
Two Handed Swordsmen in castle age isn’t that amazing or interesting as people would think because the upgrade literally only gives your units +3 attack. It makes no change to hp or armor. So burmese longswords with +2 attack basically already have generic two handed swordsmen in castle age with 1 less attack.
The thing is, even if you don’t use THS during Castle Age, you could research it after clicking up to Imperial. That would save you time on reaching Champions.
that is well into the imperial age. What’s more it even says “developed from the longswords”, a longsword is a form of two-handed sword (even though age of empires would have you believe otherwise). The Scottish Claymore was also in use at the turn of the 15th century (1400), far before the Zweihänder
As already pointed out, THS in Castle Age is just Burmese LS with +1 attack. And Burmese don’t need to pay for that either. So what bonus should be paired with Castle Age THS? I have 3 unique ideas -
Militia line cost -50% gold.
Militia line cost -50% food starting from Feudal Age. Supplies and hence Gambeson are not available.
Sicilians and koreans yes i agree but dravidians and bengalis not so much i believe. Dravidians just got a big buff and got the new tech, and they already are top tier on water maps for example so it’s not like they are horribile everywhere, while bengalis were already better and now they have a new civ bonus so a net buff for them, and they already are top tier on closed maps like arena, and pros do pick both those civs in tournaments
Bengalis imho are fine, they are not a Arabia powerhouse but they more than make up for that in closed maps, while dravidians are a bit wonky to play without knights but it’s also true that most player simply are not used to new playstiles. Pros rate dravidians higher than other civs for examples
These bonuses overlap with dravidians and celts
10 % Speed and squires available should really be what celts have on another note instead of fixed 15% imho
Maybe the bonus could simply be that MAA, LS, and THS upgrades are available one Age earlier and then another bonus to make those affordable, like cavalier bonus for burgundians, but not a copy from dravidians 50% discount
dravidians already have 50% discount on upgrades and techs
maybe militia upgrades asyde from champion are available 1 age earlier, and militia upgrades cost no gold, or no food, but then they miss some upgrades, like gambeson and/or supplies or some blacksmith upgrade, much like burgundians lose bloodlines for castle age cavalier
Read again. I never suggested any discount on techs and upgrades.
I thought the same. Costing no food will be too OP imo. And costing no gold can be extended to all Barrack techs as long as they don’t get some important tech. Missing supplies will be too much. Maybe last blacksmith armor or gambeson or squires.
umh my bad, i thought it was referred to upgrades. i’m not a native english so i misunderstood.
still, cheaper militia has also overlaps with goths, and cheap gold militia overlaps with portuguese, and fcheap food overlaps with incas now, which is equally not good
which is way i would prefere something like “no X(food or gold) for techs and upgrades”, food would require loss of squires and gambeson probably and would not be too strong imho. you would have a strong MAA rush saving 100 food but that’s about it if you lose supplies you will have cheaper upgrades from that moment forward but also expensive militia in itself which sort of makes up for the gain
no gold on upgrades and techs would be more “in line” and probably would not require major losses but maybe 1 tech like squires, or gambeson, and/or maybe even lacking halberdier upgrade
a civ like this would have a strong infantry core with a unique mechanic, but militia upgrades would still be very expensivne costing food to be researched in the age earlier so the civ should have a decent food eco bonus, like foragers drop 20/25% more food (copying new malian bonus) or something to make that affordable, and then UTs to boost infantry and eventually make up for halberdiers if that is not present from barracks