Normally I play portugal, but I decided I wanted to actually be able to play a bit more competitively and started playing france. I now have a distinct problem. I don't want to go back to portugal(even though the bonus is more in line with the way i would like to play) because the french economy is so much superior. The french have settlers that take 16% longer to build but gather 25% faster. For every 25 coureurs made a normal civ gets 29 villagers, but in the time those 29 gather 100 food the 25 coureurs gather 107.76 food. That's like giving your opponent a 7.5% handicap and when you factor in the villager shipments and 7 starting coureurs its even more for the early game. Add the best selection of military units in the game coupled with practical unraidability and you have a civ that is blatantly OP.
So please, convince me to stop playing these guys, otherwise I'm going to be in real trouble when they get their well deserved nerf.
EDIT:
I understand the tone is a bit silly, however, that does not change the numbers.
[This message has been edited by Doggiedoodle (edited 12-09-2005 @ 01:01 AM).]