Civ Balance and Identity

With a new patch just around the corner i've been thinking about some civs and units that could do with a little bit of love, and some that are maybe a bit too strong. I think the balance of the game is better than it ever has been, with more civs than ever being viable on open maps, closed maps and hybrid maps in both 1v1s and Team Games. However, when playing a few civs i feel like they are just a couple of small changes away from being a unique, complete and viable civ. I will try to refrain from giving too many raw statistical changes, and instead try to see how a civ can be nudged in the right direction to make them more viable and enjoyable to play.

Burmese: This is a civ with a really really great eco bonus, one of the strongest monastery bonuses, some of the strongest infantry in the game at almost all ages, and (in my opinion) one of the best Unique Units in the game. Arambai might not be able to shred buildings like they used to, but once you reach that critical mass, they feel like mounted mangonels against archer-type units, and are able to hit and run against any melee units on the field. The problems that Burmese have are too many awkward transitions in game, and a lack of imp upgrades for meta Team Game play (no paladin, camel, arbalest etc). The only way for this civ to be viable in Team Games on Arabia-like maps is for a complete shift in the meta, (which i find unlikely lol), or a way for them to get to thier ideal unit composition a little easier. They're a civ with so many strong bonuses that just don't coordinate very well, any one of which can win you a game, but feel like they need just 1 more change to become a truly great civ. If i had to throw out a change for them myself i was thinking about giving them possibly free cavalry armor, or perhaps even arablest or thimb ring. This is not an easy civ to get right, and any of these changes could actually make this civ way too good and versatile, but right now i feel like there is just 1 piece missing.

Berbers: Buff genitours. Give them extra attack and maybe bonus vs spears or fire rate? No reason for this unit to be so niche, let them shine :)

Goths: Goths are a civ that have always struggled to be balanced well. Instant loom was a good change, and works quite effectivly as a good eco bonus, but this civ lacks versatility and in my opinion needs atleast one other avenue to be able to tech into and stay with for imp. I was thinking either thumb ring for their CA, or final cav armor tech to allow them to not be forced into infantry in order to not get out-teched. Alternatively they could embrace hoarde mode and get some kind of discount on their stable units or range units somehow, but many civs already do this in either building, and there is definately room for this to be atleast a little OP. Maybe hunt providing a bit more food to syngerise with the hunt bonus they have already? Idk, definately a hard civ to get right, and need a bit of tweaking still.

Incas: Incas have some really great units that can counter everything, eagles that are pretty much huskarls, slingers which are maybe the most brutal counter to infantry in the game, and the Kamayuk is one of the most unique units which does well against pretty much anything in melee, apart from a few very hard UU counters. Losing their villager rush effectivly meant Incas got it d*** cut off, and it hasnt exactly grown back. They have the second lower pick rate (after Burmese) in both Team Games and 1v1s, and suddenly lack identity having lost thier trademark strategy. The bonus itself now is pretty ineffectual and even when you do see Incas, it never comes into play at all. I was sad to see it go, but definately understand why it was removed, it just now needs to be replaced with something new. I would propose either bringing it back in a weaker form (vills only benefit from 1 upgrade armor or attack), or add something to this civ entirely. Something like giving them a unique farm might be cool, 2x2 instead of 3x3 with less wood cost but also less food provided? Maybe this idea is a little too crazy but it might atleast make some use out of their terrible team bonus. Either that or free infantry armor? This would allow some nice aggressive play with Man at Arms first and then a very smooth transition into eagles later in game. This civ has so many unique units and techs, its just a shame we see them so little.

Koreans: Bottom 3 for pick rates and win rates. This is a civ that has been stripped of its identity and forced into being an archer civ, which cant compete with the best. The stone mining bonus only really comes into effect when trying to go for war wagons, by this time they have usually fallen quite far behind other civs with much more powerful bonuses. A really unique civ with some great units and bonuses which just dont work well together in practise. Also buff the turtle ships, they are so far off of the longboat and caravel, they dont beat anything on water, just addrange and maybe reduce creation time? there is no reason these things shouldnt be a menace on the water.

Magyars: This is a great civ with a heavenly post imp army, i just think they could maybe do with some kind of CA bonus in castle age (that doesnt make thier imp CA better) just to make the transition a little easier for a civ with no eco bonuses, maybe reduced production time?

Malians: A really versatile civ with great economy, and the Gbeto are lowkey one of the most insane damage dealing units in the game. This civ misses both bracer and blast furnace, and althouth making up for that in other areas like the unique tech farimba and the peirce armor on infantry, i cant help but feel like thier arbalest could do with some love. Maybe this makes them too strong in 1v1 but i think giving the arbalest +1attack and maybe even +1 range from their castle age unique tech (the one that adds arrows to TCs yeah i forgot about it too) might be a good way to give them fully functioning arbalests without giving them bracer.

Persians: Persians are great on closed, hybrid and even full on water maps, but i think need just a little buff on open maps. Maybe giving them the +5% TC workrate in dark age again would be fine, but i feel like they are pushed too far into cav and have no other good options - range is bad (other than trashbows), barracks is bad, monastery is bad, and the War eles are rarely viable. Maybe they need a less restictive tech tree in practise and the War eles could do with maybe a slight reduction in cost, they're the most powerful unit in the game for sure and i wouldnt mind seeing a little more of them.

Poles: Good design of a new civ, i feel just lacks something in the late game. Maybe reducing the effect of the castle age unique tech slightly (maybe even removing food cost instead of reducing gold?), and giving them something like halbadiers or even parthian tactics to help out the post imp composition, the CA have less pierce armor than Burmese lol. This civ feels a little too reliant on the castle age tech and has no other really powerful options outside of its UU.

Portugese: More viable than they have ever been on arabia (and similar maps), and great on closed maps and water. I think just a couple of changes to make them better on 1v1 arabia, they still have the lowest win rate of any civ. I think ramping up the tech researching bonus could do them alot of good, maybe even as high as 40-50%? They have great units and the organ gun is borderline uncounterable in castle age if you can mass them. This civ definately has an identity, just needs to be made more viable on open maps in 1v1.

Slavs: One of the least picked civs in the game now, i suggest adding the 5% farming bonus they lost in DE back on to make them more viable again. Maybe this makes them too strong in closed maps like blackforest and arena? Great civ with great bonuses, units and identity, just a shame we dont see them so much.

Spanish: Maybe one of the trickiest civs to figure out. They need some real help on 1v1 arabia (and sister maps). Either some kind of feudal bonus or a long-term eco bonus would really allow this civ to thrive a bit more where it used to. This is another civ that feels forced too much into cavalry if the UU isnt a viable option. Making conquistadors too easy to get to might make this civ too strong and obnoxious, this should be a verstaile civ that can tech into other options due to the blacksmith bonus, but has no great options outside of its stable and UU, and no great economy as a foundation. Also the missionary should be buffed +2 range i think, its a unique unit which has no real reason to be so bad, they might actually be strong and i dont think would be insanely OP (cant carry relics, heals 0.5x speed etc) it would be nice for them to be somewhat viable instead of just some crazy meme unit.

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These are the civs that need the most love in my opinion, although i feel like there are lots of very niche team bonuses and unique techs that lots of civs could do with having passivly themselves and having new techs and team bonuses added to make them more viable (think Tigui or Incas team bonus etc). Also many of these civs could do with having longswords in castle age as a more viable option, and maybe if they become more viable these civs will be as well, maybe the upcoming patch will see the barracks become more useful in the mid game which would fix alot of the problems these civs have. Also Team Game archer + cav meta can be quite brutal for civs that lack bracer, arb or paladin upgrades, and we see very little of civs that cant keep up in late game. The only way to fix this is to make more strategies viable in Team Games, instead of the formulaic archer in to crossbow and scout into knight etc. Units like battle elephants could also do with a little upgrade, they were nerfed slightly a while ago and are very rare to see in team games and even more so in 1v1s. The balance feels so good right now but just a couple of changes can make every civ feel great and powerful.