AOE3 Forums

Since the Indians default to wood cost for villagers, groves are a means to obtain this wood on wood-poor maps. Another means of obtaining villagers is to just use the card that converts their cost to food. I agree that Infinite wood crates are probably better in the late game. However, it would be interesting if all of the members of a team could harvest from groves, as you could then "plant" a couple in, say your Iroquois ally's camp.

Metis:

I agree that Infinite wood crates are probably better in the late game. However, it would be interesting if all of the members of a team could harvest from groves, as you could then "plant" a couple in, say your Iroquois ally's camp.

That is a good idea for an Iroquois to have 5K wood from and Indian ally for the chopping in their base on a map like Deccan, Great Plains, or otherwise. The problem is, the Indian card is finite, you can only send both cards (the 1x Mango Grove Rickshaw, and 2x MG Rickshaw) once. It would be different if India had an unlimited MG card, unfortunately they do not. Therefore it is sort of a waste of a card in both TR and SUP. Alternatively, you could build a Castle near an Iroquois ally and let them take the plethora of wood crates you will be earning late in the game.

And by the way.. How the hell does a large grove of trees pop out of a little cart?? And why can't India start out with a MG Rickshaw like Japan and their Cherry Orchards?

Frankie_117:

 And why can't India start out with a MG Rickshaw like Japan and their Cherry Orchards?

I'm pretty sure this is because all maps have at least some wood for India to chop but many maps have only hunts and no berries for Japan to eat.

Metis:

Frankie_117:

 And why can't India start out with a MG Rickshaw like Japan and their Cherry Orchards?

I'm pretty sure this is because all maps have at least some wood for India to chop but many maps have only hunts and no berries for Japan to eat.

I thought of that right after I posted.

I just experimented with the Mango Groves with India. I cheated (so shoot me) to try something with them. The MGs contain 5000 wood, however, when I used a single villager to chop on it, I ended up with 7500. No wonder it seems like it takes so long to chop down the trees on Andes with India, they gather more from a tree before it loses value. It takes 50% longer for an Indian villager to chop down a tree than with other civs. Do any other civs have this bonus? Or is this common knowledge and I am just late to the punch?

mango groves are an asset on maps with little wood,

 also it helps against raids, so wood is 1 minute walk away from your tc? youd rather get mango grove and gather from there 1 second away from tc.

its an early game card.

-Teutonic

[Proud]Teutonic:

mango groves are an asset on maps with little wood,

 also it helps against raids, so wood is 1 minute walk away from your tc? youd rather get mango grove and gather from there 1 second away from tc.

its an early game card.

 

-Teutonic

I agree, Mango groves are early game strat. Wood heavy initially for indians with villies, food fields, cow xp shrines etc means wood is priority (before food). Using the 2x mango groves and throwing villies onto it right outside your TC means that when you come to transfer onto food fields, you can build them no probs with the amount of wood collected plus they are not having to return from half the map away to get there.

I use it and find it beneficial.

Akshat:

is the rate of wood from mango groves is faster then normal trees?

European settlers cost 100 food, which is 120 settler seconds (hunting=50 food/min). An Indian settler costs 100 wood, which is 200 settler seconds (trees=30 wood/min). That would be a huge handicap: Indians could not even supply constant settler production in the TC. Therefore mango grove is faster to make Indians competitive.