Please note that changes are based on EP7.1:
General
– Artillery Foundry cost reduced to 250w (from 300w); bounties adjusted to 50xp ('build', from 60xp) and 100xp ('kill', from 120xp) — This buff to the viability of training the relevant units has various implications of limited significance for inter-civilization balance; most notably, perhaps, for Ottomans.
– “Mass Cavalry” improvement cost increased to 750c (from 600c) [revert] — This is a simple revert of an insignificant and unwarranted compensatory change.
– Trading Post minor native alliance trickle increased from 0.7xp per second to 0.8xp per second — This buff improves the general viability of civilizations on 0TP-maps, as well as the general viability of minor natives.
– Advanced Trading Post hitpoints decreased to 3250 (from 3750) — Considering that Trading Posts will continue to be buildable regardless of enemy starting Town Center(s) – as well as the buffs to minor native TPs, Portuguese and Spanish – making Advanced Trading Posts easier to eliminate should do both balance and game-play good.
– Honcho The Pet Grizzly treasure-guardian and hero multipliers decreased from 3 and 1 to 1.2 and 0.5, respectively — This nerf will drastically improve the balance of the treasure, without disproportionately limiting its viability – and without adverse impact on the "3 Grizzlies" shipment.
– Incan Huaminca build-limit decreased from 13 to 10 — By mitigating the significant risk of the minor native alliance trickle buff, this nerf helps faciliate that buff. Please note that current Incan build-limits are especially excessive, too.
– “Seminole Bowyer” improvement decreased from +25% archer attack to +20% archer attack — This nerf improves the general civilization viability on affected maps, and limits the extent of balance issues related to the improvement.
Treasures — These changes are adjusting a couple of unbalanced treasures.
– +40% hero hitpoints (guarded by 3 Wolves) decreased to +20% hitpoints (guarded by 2 Wolves)
– +20% hero hitpoints (guarded by 2 Polar Bears) increased to +30% hero hitpoints [only spawns in team games, since EP7]
Aztecs
– “The Shaman” council increased by 1 War Hut for Colonial, Industrial and Imperial Ages — As a buff to the civilization, this change makes for a good exception to include an age-up viability change with EP8; improving build diversity and the viability of Colonial council options. Please note that Fortress Age "The Shaman" has already been increased by 1 Nobles Hut, on EP, and that with this change, Colonial Age will be 2 War Huts, Fortress 2 Nobles Huts, Industrial 2 Nobles Huts and 1 War Hut, and Imperial 2 Nobles Huts and 1 War Hut – in addition to the effect on these buildings' attack and hitpoints, which is +10% for Colonial, Fortress and Industrial Ages, and +20% for Imperial Age.
– Puma Spearman "siege trooper" unit-tag removed — In my opinion, this change is one of the riskier ones slated for the update. It will cause the unit to take decreased damage from Irregulars, Minutemen and Warriors, and increased damage from defensive buildings (other than Town Centers, which are unaffected). Thankfully, then, it should have virtually no synergy with the above "The Shaman" buff.
British
– Manor House "kill" bounty increased from 54xp to 81xp — This is a non-intrusive and slight general nerf to the civilization, that helps balance the mechanic of "Manor-mapping" by incentivizing the defence and sieging of Manor Houses.
– Rocket projectile velocity increased to 45 (from 30) — Currently, at half the value of every other artillery piece, the Rocket both underperforms, and suffers extreme variance (its performance varies wildly from one battle to another), due to its poor accuracy. This buff will offset these issues, to an extent, while maintaining the identity of the unit as a cheaper and less reliable artillery piece.
Chinese
– Disciple train-time increased from 7s to 11s [revert] — This change undoes a previous, now possibly unwarranted buff.
– “TEAM Improved Warships” shipment decreased to +15% (from +20%) attack & hitpoints [revert] — This change undoes a previous, now possibly unwarranted buff.
Dutch
– "4 Hussars" shipment increased to 5 Hussars — This slight buff to the civilization should help keep the civilization competitive in the context of this update, while being significantly less significant to team games.
Germans
– "Long-range Infantry Hitpoints" shipment increased to +60% Crossbowman and +20% Skirmisher hitpoints (both from +15%) — This buff will help late-game scaling, which seems desirable to team game balance, while making the shipment more unique.
Indians
– Zamburak ranged resistance increased to 30% (from 20%); Mansabdar adjusted accordingly [revert] — This change undoes a previous, now possibly unwarranted nerf.
– Mahout Lancer “heavy infantry” multiplier increased to 1 (from 0.5); “infantry” multiplier decreased to 1.5 (from 2); Mansabdar adjusted accordingly — This slight and tweakable revamp of the unit will help differentiate it from the Sowar, giving the two more different roles, by increasing Mahout Lancer damage output against heavy infantry (hand infantry and musketeer-type units) by 50%, while decreasing it against non-heavy infantry (archer and rifle units) by 25%.
Japanese
– “Chonindo” shipment no longer affects hunting or livestock gather-rates — This change is designed to help team-game balance, simultaneously making the shipment more distinctive of the civilization's identity.
Portuguese
– Spyglass cooldown decreased from 120s to 90s — This buff rewards active and attentive players (especially in the earlier stages of the game), makes the civilization more fun to play, and is less impactful for team games.
– Cassador cost reduced to 70f, 35c (from 80f, 35c); bounties adjusted to 11xp (from 12xp) — This buff to training the unit should slightly help Portuguese, overall – especially in 1vs1 games.
Sioux
– “Earth Bounty” shipment increased from 0.65w and 0.65c per second to 1.2w and 1.2c per second; moved to Colonial Age — This change affords players additional, economic options, within the civilization's pre-eminent design.
– Teepee attack and hitpoints auras decreased from +10% to +8% each; gather-rate aura increased from +5% to +8% — Overall, Teepees seem less problematic than on previous iterations. These changes will help balance the civilization by increasing its strength – while making it less unbreakable – throughout the game.
– “Aggressive Policy” shipment gather-rate aura effect increased from +5% to +16%; no longer increases Teepee aura ranges; renamed “Aggressive Expansion Policy” — This change will allow for better and less problematic scaling in the late-game.
– Tashunke Prowler cost increased to 150f, 75c (from 125f, 75c); bounties adjusted to 23xp (from 20xp); hitpoints increased from 170 to 220 [replacement] — Please note that while this replacement is a relative buff to the unit, overall, Tashunke Prowler hitpoints increases by half the amount (5%) that attack does (10%), per unit in radius 20.
Spanish
– Per-shipment experience points required decreased to 70% (from 75%) — This buff will ensure Spanish world domination; nevermore shall the sun set on Piroshiki.
– Rodelero attack decreased to 10 (from 11) [revert] — Mitigates risk through reverting an arguably undesirable change (the unit seems plenty viable), with the addition of the above, more significant general buff.
– "Caballeros" shipment changed from +1 Lancer infantry multiplier and +2 Lancer range to +1 Lancer infantry multiplier and -10% Lancer cost – I'm adding this change to the shipment to address reasonable concerns with the late-game performance of Lancers.
