Ilafnwod,
this is the document I had on my computer. Maybe I would have never created the thread, but you give the opportunity.
Incidentally, I consider of the major importance that all contributors here make reasonable efforts in writing a decent English, otherwise it makes this site unpleasant as unreadable. Better not contributing than empoverishing a thread.
The Germans
The Germans seem, on paper, an over-advantaged nation. Is it so?
1. Granary, Lumber mill and Smelter are 50% cheaper, available since Ancient Age.
2. Cities gather +5 food/timber/metal.
3. Building completion bonus is increased by 50%. This mean that, when you finish a farm, you get 30 food, not 20. When you finish a 6 woodcutters camp, you get 45 timber, not 30. When you finish a market, you get 45 wealth, not 30.
4. Submarines and fireships are built 33% faster, 25% cheaper.
5. Air units created 33% faster. Each new airbase comes with 2 free fighters.
UNIQUE UNITS:
a. From Ancient to Enlightenment: Heavy Infantry.
“Slow, tougher, faster to build”.
b. A unique Modern Infantry, rapid firing, slightly tougher, faster.
c. A unique Machine Gun, the MashinenGewehr 42.
d. Two unique tanks, including the “slow, devastating” Leopard and a well armored tank, slow.
I suppose here that the game is a classic starting at Ancient Age.
The Germans are a good teaching for how to deal with figures:
- You start a 5 woocutters camp: German bonus is 12 timber
- You start 3 farms: German bonus is 30 food.
Well, that is not the equivalent to a single ruin.
The Lumber mill:
- it increases the city output for timber by 20%.
- it costs 60 food and 50 timber. There is no bonus at completion.
- it allows Carpentry (but with Science2) and Construction (SCI2 and Classical).
If I build it early, I will gain +10 timber, or equivalent one woodcutter. But the cost in food is two citizens= two woodcutters. And the cost in timber is the equivalent to my 5 woodcutters for 30 seconds
If, instead, I build a second woodcutting camp elsewhere, say a 8wc (cost: 70 food+30 food for the citizen), I gain 60 timber at completion, the equivalent to 3 woodcutters for 1 minute. And the building citizen keeps working there: 6 citizens plus the city, I am at +75 timber.
The early building of a lumber mill is not interesting.
The Granary:
- it increases the city output for food by 20%.
- its costs 60 timber and 40 wealth. There is no bonus at completion.
- it allows Agriculture (but with Science2) and Heral Lore (SCI2 and Classical).
If I buy it early, say I have 3 farms, I will gain +6 food.
If instead I build another farm, it will cost me some 50 timber, I will gain +10 food and 30 food at completion (that I can devote to my second woodcutting camp, for example).
The early building of a granary is not interesting.
The smelter:
- you need Classical to access metal.
The city:
- Gives you a bonus of +5 food/timber. With second city, it is so +10/+10. Well, not bad, it saves two citizens or some 60 food.
The special units
- if ever you have played their Heavy Infantry: they move so slowly that they are killed before they reach the enemy lines.
I intended to use my Germans as a boost nation, as they are often described. It happened that, for 8 games in a row, I was unusually unlucky not to find any rare in 2 minutes, and ruins were often few. Whatever my bonuses, they had vanished. I looked much better than when Lakota (+54/+60/+0 at 2 minutes when my Germans were +55/+75/+0 at 1.15), but Lakota citizens had fetched 2 more ruins and found two close rares at this time.
On one latest game, at 3.00, I was +70/+90/+0, two cities, had found no rare and was below any unskilled Lakota. The German bonuses (22 wood, 30 food) had been a casualty for long.
So, one only solution remains: usual start plus Lakota patrolling.
0.19: SCI1, 2 farms, start WC1 (for 5wc) and WC2 (4)
0.39: R1 50f, 8 citizens +35/+65/+0, new citizens start patrolling.
0.42: COM1.
1.15: R2 50f
1.30: farm4
1.37: R3 50f
1.39: farm5
2.08: CIV1
2.15: papyrus
2.15: market
2.30: City2
2.44: merchant1
3.02: temple, farm6
3.15: +80/+100/+10
3.18: R4 50t, MIL1, caravan1
3.36: R5 50t
3.46 : barracks (+100/+100/+10)
4.05 : tower
4.10 : R6 50t. COM2
4.21: archer. Farm7 would be 72 timber=granary instead (+110/+110/+26).
5.05: granary completed. R7 50t (+120/110/+26)
I do not see where being German advantaged me anyhow at 5.00. Maybe as I started COM2 when others start Classical.
I got as bonuses 70 food, 22 timber, 10 wealth, what is overall less than the Dutch starting grants.