DotW: food „Kill" bounties?

[pecelot]

Discussion of the Week #4:

What if native civilisations — Iroquois, Aztecs and Sioux — received food instead of XP bounties after killing other units, including buildings?

This could naturally be adjusted, ideally halved by 2 from the current numbers (i.e. 5 food for killing a 10-XP musketeer). Nonetheless, would you go for it if you were a game dev? Implemented in early stages, it could be made a unique civ characteristic, improving weak economies of the American nations. On the other hand, their shipments would be slowed in progression, as fighting is one of the main ways of gaining this particular resource — especially as the Aztecs!

Do you think it's a good idea? Does the reward compensate the nerf? Would this change make TWC nations overpowered? What other tweaks of such a kind would you support? Discuss!

[CelticCrusader]

Another similar thing is already in place in Wars of Liberty, instead of receiving food for killing units, Mexico receive food each time one of their settlers dies. I am not sure as to your idea would play out though, because the lack of xp may work against the native civs, especially on non-tp maps. Maybe it would change the meta and a fire pit in age 1 essential for all native civs.

[jj0823]

I would be concerned with what it implies. If you're getting food from killing other human beings, you're basically a cannibal.

[pecelot]

Indeed — what does history tells us about Aztecs, though? Isn't their story somewhat similar?

Another similar thing is already in place in Wars of Liberty, instead of receiving food for killing units, Mexico receive food each time one of their settlers dies. I am not sure as to your idea would play out though, because the lack of xp may work against the native civs, especially on non-tp maps. Maybe it would change the meta and a fire pit in age 1 essential for all native civs.

You would still have the fire pit + TPs on certain maps, though I think you wouldn't need to rely on shipments anymore if you had such a profitable food income!

[jj0823]

Well, you're not wrong about the Aztecs, but I think the Iroquois and Sioux would turn in their graves to hear they were savage cannibals. It would make more sense to get gold for killing enemy units, because some native tribes in the Americas would be rewarded by European nations for scalping rival settlements.

[pecelot]

The idea is general with a possibility of being applied to all nations with all resources!

[kami_ryu]

It's stuff like this that should be in Age of Empires IV. But we don't have Age of Empires IV.

[pecelot]

We can think of awesome ideas, though! Who knows what may happen in the future — I bet no one ever foresaw Sioux getting their eco boosted by teepees!

[deleted_user0]

Aztecs werent cannibals, they sacrificed their prisoners to the gods, but they didnt eat them. Would be interesting but not for all twc civs imo. Would probs be most interesting for sioux i guess. Xp is probably too valuable a resource though.

[P i k i l i c]

Tupi were cannibals though. I don't suggest anything

[JakeyBoyTH]

Aztecs werent cannibals, they sacrificed their prisoners to the gods, but they didnt eat them. Would be interesting but not for all twc civs imo. Would probs be most interesting for sioux i guess. Xp is probably too valuable a resource though.

They were cannibals.They ate people.

In the interest of being on-topic I think that perhaps Aztec could get food, Sioux could get wood and Iroquois could get coin. I think handing Iro wood would make them OP again.

[deleted_user0]

Sioux doesnt need wood. It would be pretty useless. Same for iro coin, atleast in colo.

There is very little evidence and support for aztec cannibalism, and what accounts remain indicate at most incidental cannibalism, if they werent exaggerated

[JakeyBoyTH]

Sioux doesnt need wood. It would be pretty useless. Same for iro coin, atleast in colo.

There is very little evidence and support for aztec cannibalism, and what accounts remain indicate at most incidental cannibalism, if they werent exaggerated

It's pretty common knowledge that they ate people. The trouble with giving Iro and Sioux food trickles is that they would benefit quite a bit, probably Sioux more. Given that Sioux can raid pretty easily with Bow Riders it's easy money. Iro are heavily food dependent and have a decent rush they could benefit pretty nicely. Both of these however are dependent on the food that you get from it. I do think that food would just accelerate these civs a bit much, or maybe alter the meta quite a bit.

[jj0823]

I'm pretty sure @deleted_user is right... the Aztecs were pretty civilized in terms of natives. They did sacrifice prisoners pretty brutally on the altar, but that was a very occasional ritual.

[Darwin_]

I think it could be cool if Otto or some other civ got coin for sieging buildings (looting: something the ottoman empire did quite a bit of).

[pecelot]

Yes!

That suggestion for Aztecs was rather symbolic, as the game doesn't and cannot directly reflect nations' realities

[kami_ryu]

I'm pretty sure @deleted_user is right... the Aztecs were pretty civilized in terms of natives. They did sacrifice prisoners pretty brutally on the altar, but that was a very occasional ritual.

You know one of the big reasons that the Spanish defeated the Aztec like they did was not because of gunpowder, or even steel/tactics. The Spanish liberated the tribes which were under Aztec rule as slaves, sacrifices, etc. They used those tribes which wanted to rebel against the Aztecs to help them.