Well I play using the community balance patch that makes a fuckton of changes to the game so idk if you’d still like Brazil there.
Right now I’m playing Japan and getting absolutely roflstomped by a runaway Netherlands. He was the last Civ I discovered and he controls the only continent on the map. Dude has more wonders than everyone combined, makes over 700 gold per turn after I sanctioned him (I have like 200 and that with me selling technologies to other civs), and his army is so large that he rolled the Greeks in like 15 turns.
Naturally he DoW’ed me literally the turn after eliminating Greece (I deserved it lol). We have been at war for over 100 in game years and it’s basically a stalemate, except now other civs are finally starting to dogpile him and his empire is unhappy (think the sanctions helped with this). I also was able to revive Greece as my vassal, which will help get my resolutions passed at the world congress.
Me and Carthage are double teaming him in the Greek area and now I have to make sure she doesn’t get too many of his cities.
Brazil is a culture/tourism Civ. I’ve never used them because I suck at that win conditions but he wins culture victory almost every time if left unchecked so they’re at least pretty good.
Japan is strange and it’s probably because they’ve been changed a lot. Their leader is Oda Nobunga. They’re a warmonger Civ that generates great people from fighting and some extra faith from defensive buildings. Basically a war Civ with small bonuses in other areas to help them not fall behind? Unique units are good though (Samurai and Dojo), and when combined they become a powerhouse in Medieval era.
Edit: They would be a lot better on a map with more land. I rolled a terrible map and I can’t really take advantage of their strengths.
Is this single player (I assume it’s the NoQuitters mod too)? Sounds pretty intense for a SP game.
All my games with friends have ended about 4 hours in with all my friends realizing that I’m two eras ahead of them, so they’re generally bringing pointy sticks to a gunfight by the time they decide to team up on me. I’m fairly happy that Civ is a game that’s fun even when you’re not winning (provided nobody’s setting your cap on fire ofc), otherwise they’d never play me again.
Also, what did they change for Bismarck in the NoQuitters-mod? The recruit-a-barb-ability is all I remember in the official game, and that’s fairly meh when you have Civs like Babylon and Mayans existing.