I don't know if this has been said before, but looking at the screenshots from the CivDefense scenario, i think there is a new ranged attack mechanism for ranged units:

http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/beyondthesword/scenarios/civdefense2xxx.jpg

Notice how it says "ranged attack mode" with the Longbowman selected...

Nice catch!
I wonder if it is just for this scenario; if it is part of the epic game it has been a well kept secret.

Hmmm...I also notice that the diagonal shading is the same as that in a screenshot at IGN of a zeppelin that is in Air Strike mode, although the area shaded is a strange shape perhaps indicating that line of sight has something to do with determining the shaded area, at least in this case.

I saw this in the pic with the Zeppelin too. I think it is an new feature in the epic game :)

IMO it's for CivDefense only. Long-range attack of some "towers" is essential in games like this (http://www.handdrawngames.com/DesktopTD/).

Perhaps this explains why siege weapons have been nerfed...

that's definitely not in the epic game.

i think all we can expect in the epic game was said in the "forbidden" thread a few days ago.

I think the diagonal shading is just to make cultural territory/borders easier to see.

It would be nice if there was a new ranged attack mechanism, hopefully it's a secret kept for release and not scenario specific, though I'm not holding my breath.

Quick side question:

I think it is an new feature in the epic game

When you say 'epic' here, do you mean standard game play, or an epic-length game? I've noticed that the descriptions of update refer to the 'epic' game, and have been hoping that's just a generic term for standard game play, not an indication that some updates will only apply on epic-length games.

Probably obvious, but just making sure I'm understanding correctly.

Anyway, the ranged attack seems pretty cool!

What was the 'forbidden' thread?

I think the diagonal shading is just to make cultural territory/borders easier to see.
Unfortunately for that theory, the diagonal shading does not coincide with the cultural borders in the screenshot. The cultural borders of the city are just visible (in green to match the cities flag) below the shading.
The shading does coincide with what you could expect line of sight from the highlighted unit to produce, i.e. one tile into forest, three tiles to the mountain, two tiles across the plains/grasslands.

epic game = standard game

Thanks Tsukasa!

This sounds pretty cool and I'm sure it's not a scenario only thing.

I knew Firaxis still had a couple of tricks up their sleeve.

Perhaps its expanded on in this scenario, but i can't see them coding an entirely new mechanism that has been demanded many times for the epic game, and then deciding not to include it...

Quick side question:

When you say 'epic' here, do you mean standard game play, or an epic-length game? I've noticed that the descriptions of update refer to the 'epic' game, and have been hoping that's just a generic term for standard game play, not an indication that some updates will only apply on epic-length games.

Probably obvious, but just making sure I'm understanding correctly...

I understand the confusion. I have been trying to use "core" game, "main" game, and "standard" game in lieu of using "epic". I just forgot there, sorry :blush:

It seems to me that if siege weapons can now do a ranged attack that would be the reason that they can't actually kill anything, only reduce it to a certain strength percentage.

I don't really understand... what exactly would "ranged attack mode" mean? I mean, just from that bit of text everybody seems to get what it does, (and apparently a lot of people wanted whatever it is??) so I'm guessing this must be a term used elsewhere...

Basically it returns siege warfare to what it was like in Civ3, with siege weapons bombarding from a distance and no more suicide cats.

But why would archery units be given a distance mode? Wouldn't that be overpowered?

Aren't tiles like 10 miles across anyway? I pity the fool who can fire arrows that far.

But why would archery units be given a distance mode? Wouldn't that be overpowered?

If ranged attack does make it's way back into the main game, then I would expect it to only be available to siege weapons, and late game ships. Archery units might only be able to use this in the Civ Defence scenario. I hope that would be the case anyway.

The description of the Afterworld scenario is that it is "tactical" This would require ranged fire. Thus, we know that it is in at least one scenario.
There is a screen shot (of a Zepplin) that has a similar diagonal highlight -- so maybe in normal game as well.

Just a thought but maybe a ranged attack for archery units means they can only attack units in the squares next to them but they don't have to move into the square if they win combat. Could be useful in some circumstances.

I'm sure artillery will have a longer range.

It seems to me that if siege weapons can now do a ranged attack that would be the reason that they can't actually kill anything, only reduce it to a certain strength percentage.

That is what it seems to me. Which is great, because the AI will now understand that it really is losing the war because you haven't had to hurl a dozen suicide-siegers at their cities before conquering them.

I don't understand what everyone means by "Ranged Attack." Do you mean attacking units from a distance instead of having to be on the tile next to them? If so, I doubt Firaxis is implementing that in the epic game.

i'm quite sure that the range attack is not in the "normal" game.
we will see in a few weeks ;)

After comparing it to this screen http://media.pc.ign.com/media/896/896712/img_4643234.html
I am of the opinion that Ranged Attack Mode, if it is in the epic game, is what Ranged Bombardment was in Civ 3.

If ranged bombardment a la Civ 3 were to be in the epic game, then I think we would have heard something about it by now.
Since Dale (who created the Dale combat mod with ranged bombardment) was in the BTS team, I wouldn't be surprised to see ranged bombardment in some of the mods, especially his mod about WWII.

:agree:

He has said it's in the WWII scenario, but when I pressed him about it (scenario material is not indicative of the epic game) he said nothing. Hence, I believe it's not in. :(

The AI has to be able to use ranged bombardment or it's a massive advantage for the human.

With Blake and Dale working in cohoots it's not beyond the realms of possiblity.
Perhaps Civ 5

Ranged attack on a world map? Wouldn't that mean superstrong archers launching god-bolts over hundreds of miles of mountainous terrain to hit targest beyond the horizion?

Seems.. a bit odd.

http://www.civfanatics.com/gallery/files/1/938800_20070622_screen039.jpg

This screenshot shows the same lines although I think it is a way to show the area that Mobile SAM protects.

^ I actually mistook that for a cultural border when I first saw it. Very interesting.

Aren't the lines just the new form of the old range for aircraft?

Ha... probably. They probably just renamed "Air Strike Mode" to "Ranged Attack Mode" for the scenario.

It is more than just a rename though.
The Air Strike code doesn't have to deal with line of sight and that archer in the scenario screenshot is definitely being limited in its target options by line of sight.

Maybe Ranged Attack Mode gives it a ZOC, so that any unit moving into range can be shot at.

I'm still not sure what the flanking attack means, but I sure hope that it allows horse arches to bypass the strongest defender to attack the catapults (which makes sense). This would take away one objection to ranged attack, that it was zero-risk attacking.

Anyway, as said before, it's really not very likely that they would keep a change as big as this a secret.

If ranged attack does make it's way back into the main game, then I would expect it to only be available to siege weapons, and late game ships. Archery units might only be able to use this in the Civ Defence scenario. I hope that would be the case anyway.

It would make sense. Staying out of range of arrows was a major concern of siege warfare back in the day. Archers behind city walls could rain down arrows on their enemy without putting themselves at a great deal of risk. This was probably especially true prior to the advent of trebuchets, as catapults didn't have very good range.

So a ranged attack that could damage but not kill an enemy unit would be an interesting feature, though probably would only work if it were a promotion, like maybe with CG II or III. Otherwise it would take way too long to take a city.

Perhaps it is somekind of defensive stance. In the case of the archer it may be able to fire off a "first strike shot" vs the unit it is facing i.e. the markings on the map, while the mobile sam has longer range and a 360 degree field of fire, thus a larger area on the map...

You guys are dreamin'. I'll spare you the dissappointment now and tell you that archers aren't going to have ranged attack mode in the epic game. I say this because 1) firaxis wouldn't have attempted to keep this big of feature secret for this long and 2) firaxis wouldn't have been able to keep it secret this long even if they wanted (it wasn't in the forbidden post).

"Ha... probably. They probably just renamed "Air Strike Mode" to "Ranged Attack Mode" for the scenario."

This guy is right.

Ranged attack on a world map? Wouldn't that mean superstrong archers launching god-bolts over hundreds of miles of mountainous terrain to hit targest beyond the horizion?

Seems.. a bit odd.

They're not really launching it hundreds of miles... just out of reach of melee weapons. The defenders are standing right on the edge of one tile and the archers are right on the edge of the other firing across the line.. it's like when you go to Four Corners and stand in four states at the same time.

;)