What's the point of Xin-xi and Luxidoor?

[Froosti]

Climbing seems like a fairly worthless tech to start with, and I don't see why you'd want give up a free tech and your first scout/workshop for 2 population... Is there something I'm missing here, or are these factions just kind of worse than the others?

[Zoythrus™]

Xin-Xi recently got a buff in a few ways, with climbing also getting a defensive bonus and ruins having a greater chance to spawn no mountains, so Xin-Xi gets exploration bonuses.

Luxidoor originally started with a Lvl3 capital and a wall, but that was considered extremely OP, and they were nerfed a few updates ago into what they are now. Maybe a little lackluster compared to before, but they've still got a niche and aren't too shabby.

[Froosti]

Originally posted by Zoythrus™:

Xin-Xi recently got a buff in a few ways, with climbing also getting a defensive bonus and ruins having a greater chance to spawn no mountains, so Xin-Xi gets exploration bonuses.

Luxidoor originally started with a Lvl3 capital and a wall, but that was considered extremely OP, and they were nerfed a few updates ago into what they are now. Maybe a little lackluster compared to before, but they've still got a niche and aren't too shabby.

What is that niche, exactly? I find that any faction with an economy tech can get a level 2 city on turn 1, and in the early game a scout seems far more valuable than 2 free population...

[Stormfox]

I have to agree, I do not get their point, either. I am even surprised by the fact that the extra walls were an issue back then, because really, it might have made them more annoying to finish off, but if you are fighting for your life in your capital, you are not doing well already anyways.

Right now they do not even seem to get the one-time benefit of the first capital levelup (i.e the workshop since explorers are extremely random and rarely useful at all). They are just much worse than anyone else.