I've completed a Hansa->Germany game, started in 1.6.0 and mostly done in 1.6.1 and want to discuss what people think about (income) balance in 1.6
I wasn't really active in Europe's affairs so AI was left to itself.
Here's a screenshot of income in 1700
Spain is making 130 ducats and Russia with France make 110 each! I expected them to make at least twice that.
So I inspect each country and find out that they do not build anything in their provinces.
If they do, they always go for Production buildings.
Now, the colonies were poor in pre-1.6 but with a nerf to production income, they are pretty much useless unless you establish them early and they get to build ultimate buildings. I entered colonization late so I found a few CNs and when I started feeding them, I realized that AI is incapable to deal with nationalism revolt risk. It's not a problem for me to put an army in the new world but even after they cored the land, it's not productive for decades and revolts go one after another.
So I think that CNs and colonization are now a waste of idea group.
Fast forward 100 years, 1800.
(France inherited Portugal and North Africa + it's CNs)
Still the AI is barely hanging on to what they have and prefer to expand rather than build buildings which makes them less competitive and interesting to play.
I checked the Ottomans and Russia and in every province they have either Temple and Earth Rampant, or Constable and Earth Rampant or all three. Ottomans didn't even build high-level buildings in Anatolia. They are not viable and can barely afford their force limit. The AI should build alot more rather than expand.
The Trade
Most of additions to trade I like, some I don't.
I like to have 15 merchants so I can steer/collect pretty much everywhere specially in synergy with Light ships/Trade company naval force limit.
Special Trade buildings do not provide Trade Value, just Trade Power. I don't see a purpose in building them as Light ships are way more efficient.
I'm generally in favor of a nerf to production but it also nerfs the trade value due to low goods produced.
This is a screen of Western European trade node in 1800!
IIRC, the average trade in the node was 130-170 ducats and now it's 11. Again, the CNs give a tiny amount of trade for reasons above.
And here's a screen of my trade income.
The values of most nodes are way lower than in 1.5 with Bengal being an exception but it built there alot.
MY thoughts are that it's an excellent expansion that just needs a few tweaks: buff trade by making it less dependent on goods produced so CNs are not a waste of pixels, make AI prioritize on building buildings rather than mindlessly blob and that will be the best version of the game to date.
I wasn't really active in Europe's affairs so AI was left to itself.
Here's a screenshot of income in 1700
Spain is making 130 ducats and Russia with France make 110 each! I expected them to make at least twice that.
So I inspect each country and find out that they do not build anything in their provinces.
If they do, they always go for Production buildings.
Now, the colonies were poor in pre-1.6 but with a nerf to production income, they are pretty much useless unless you establish them early and they get to build ultimate buildings. I entered colonization late so I found a few CNs and when I started feeding them, I realized that AI is incapable to deal with nationalism revolt risk. It's not a problem for me to put an army in the new world but even after they cored the land, it's not productive for decades and revolts go one after another.
So I think that CNs and colonization are now a waste of idea group.
Fast forward 100 years, 1800.
(France inherited Portugal and North Africa + it's CNs)
Still the AI is barely hanging on to what they have and prefer to expand rather than build buildings which makes them less competitive and interesting to play.
I checked the Ottomans and Russia and in every province they have either Temple and Earth Rampant, or Constable and Earth Rampant or all three. Ottomans didn't even build high-level buildings in Anatolia. They are not viable and can barely afford their force limit. The AI should build alot more rather than expand.
The Trade
Most of additions to trade I like, some I don't.
I like to have 15 merchants so I can steer/collect pretty much everywhere specially in synergy with Light ships/Trade company naval force limit.
Special Trade buildings do not provide Trade Value, just Trade Power. I don't see a purpose in building them as Light ships are way more efficient.
I'm generally in favor of a nerf to production but it also nerfs the trade value due to low goods produced.
This is a screen of Western European trade node in 1800!
IIRC, the average trade in the node was 130-170 ducats and now it's 11. Again, the CNs give a tiny amount of trade for reasons above.
And here's a screen of my trade income.
The values of most nodes are way lower than in 1.5 with Bengal being an exception but it built there alot.
MY thoughts are that it's an excellent expansion that just needs a few tweaks: buff trade by making it less dependent on goods produced so CNs are not a waste of pixels, make AI prioritize on building buildings rather than mindlessly blob and that will be the best version of the game to date.
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