[Speculation]New Units?

[Alexander Boney]

Yes, yes, I know there will be caravans, trade ships, UU's etc., but might there be a larger selection of base units? Considering the fact that G&K added a whole Great War series, do you think there might be more base units added? If you could what would you add? Here are some of my ideas:
Explorer:
Upgrade from Scout, maybe unlocked late-medieval to Renaissance, higherplus some scouting bonuses?
Grenadier:
More power against forts and citadels(Maybe even starts with Siege), but lower?

 

[Camikaze]

What use would an explorer unit actually be? How would it justify its maintenance costs?

As for new classes of units, like the GW units in G&K, I doubt there's going to be the same number added, because there's not that many gaps left to fill!

 

[Uberfrog]

I think there's merit in a tougher Renaissance-era Scout unit, for exploring (particularly Continents, Terra maps) after Astronomy.

Something which can move easily over terrain like a Scout, without being too squishy, and not necessarily needing a horse resource like a cavalry unit would.

It'd also give you something to do with those Scout units that don't luck out and get an Archer upgrade from a ruin.

 

[The QC]

Yes, a Scout upgrade would be nice. I miss scouts when they're gone.

Also, maybe something between lancers and anti-tank guns.

 

[Haig]

Maybe scout could upgrade into
Explorer:
Terrain movement bonus
Can enter rival territory
Combat bonus versus barbarians

And explorer could update into Ranger in Moder Era,
which would be more of a combat unit with good movement, as in that era
whole of the map is usually explored.

Ive been thinking about Grenadier too, but actually a full assault line of units that would get a bonus when attacking and a negative bonus when defending, the assault line could be:
Axeman (ancient), Maceman (medieval), Grenadier (Renaissance), Stormtroopers (Modern)

 

[Civking5]

I agree with this, a scout upgrades for later eras can be useful, especially for some maps like terra and tilted axes.

 

[nokmirt]

I hope they add a cruiser unit for protecting, attacking trade routes (this is what they were built for), and escorting carriers. Destroyers would still be there for attacking cities and dealing with subs, acting as escorts and coastal defense pickets. Battleships are slower so they would be better for protecting embarked units, softening up landing areas with bombardment, and gunnery support. Of course they still would dominate anything ship to ship.

 

[KnelRivendare]

Fighter/Bomber units with recon and destroy tile improvements missions is what we need


the idea of the Cruiser , would really like to have them, though i dont think they would add it as it is to similiar (fast and relative strong ship) with the Destroyer.

 

[mitsho]

You are starting the wrong way in my mind. A explorer (upgraded scout) is not needed in civ as long as there's nothing to scout anymore. The Caravel is the scout unit of the Renaissance, for everything land-based, why wouldn't I chose a Horsemen/Knight?* If you give it too many bonuses, why wouldn't I make a army of explorers to conquer my neighbour/defend against him?

*movement through rough terrain is not really a problem since mobile units can more often go around those. It's one factor, sure, but it's imho not enough for a new unit.

But the main point is that as civ5 is currently set up, there's no need to go explore the other continent, it doesn't have new luxuries nor strategic ressources I can't get any other way. Adding a new city doesn't normally give me something new I couldn't get by just adding the equivalent numbers of cities in my home town. No, they are even better there since multipliers add up. This is a result of the Global Happiness system.

I have some hope that the new trade system can alleviate this problem, but it at least needs a rework of the map creator (it's not that hard to focus some ressources in some areas or make the bonus ressources worth collecting).

So before this is fixed, I don't see the need for an explorer. And even after it, there's the problem of differentiating it from mobile units? (upkeep costs?) Each new unit should have passed the question whether it really offers something new to the gameplay. It's the same with Drones mentioned in another thread, don't the normal air units achieve just the same gameplay result? Or how would the proposed assault line be different from the Swordman and Spearman?

Where I see the need for new units is where the units jump units line (pikes, lancers, etc. ...). That includes practically all naval units. The naval unit system could use some rework, that's true.

 

[AriochIV]

If the Terra map worked better, there would be more a of use for an Explorer unit in the Renaissance. Bonuses against Barbarians would help make them more viable but not overpowered against other players. Archaeology may require a second phase of exploration in the Industrial era to find Antiquity Sites. If the Archaeologist itself functions as a scouting unit, the Explorer might make sense as a bridge between the Scout and the Archaeologist.

 

[hbar]

Not everyone minmaxes Diety - some of us play the game because we like history and reimagining the arc of human development. Game mechanics aside, exploration is a major part of human endeavors, and the renaissance era was in part defined by the great explorers of Imperial Europe. I've always thought the lack of an explorer was quite strange, and I'd be happy to see it added.

I think it's most likely they'll add units alongside whatever new technologies they're adding. Considering they are focusing on the mid-late to late game, I think that's the most likely place for new units. Specifically, it feels like they're trying to emulate the cold war dynamics with competing ideologies. I wouldn't be surprised to see Vietnam-era units and (dare I hope?) an increased role for espionage.

 

[AriochIV]

Specifically, it feels like they're trying to emulate the cold war dynamics with competing ideologies. I wouldn't be surprised to see Vietnam-era units and (dare I hope?) an increased role for espionage.

I think non-Stealthy jet bombers would be a nice addition, but the current Marine and Paratrooper units adequately represent Vietnam-era infantry. The addition of yet another late game infantry unit would, I feel, worsen what is already a logjam of late infantry types.

 

[otaman1]

I think the Red Coats should be a UU to England. America has the Minutemen so why can't England have the Red Coat? It should replace the musketman like almost every other unique gunpowder unit.

 

[nokmirt]

I think non-Stealthy jet bombers would be a nice addition, but the current Marine and Paratrooper units adequately represent Vietnam-era infantry. The addition of yet another late game infantry unit would, I feel, worsen what is already a logjam of late infantry types.

These two are WWII units. I feel at least Cold War infantry is needed. If not special forces.

I think the Red Coats should be a UU to England. America has the Minutemen so why can't England have the Red Coat? It should replace the musketman like almost every other unique gunpowder unit.

I certainly agree with this. Also, SotLs and frigates should be available to everyone. The frigate should be the non-ranged unit of the two. Galleas upgrade to SotL then to BB, and frigate ups to ironclad then destroyer.

Then the tech tree should be cruiser/BB. So the SotL should upgrade to either BB or cruiser, but the cruiser should be specialized differently in some way. The destroyer should up to Aegis destroyer or frigate. Cruiser would up to missile cruiser. To me this would make the naval tech tree far more interesting. As long as it is done correctly and there is a real reason for each new unit. This should be the case easily enough with new sea trade routes being added. Sea going firepower and protection should become far more important.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I wonder if Caravans and Cargo Ships are the only trade units. It's been said that caravans have a limited range. I think they would get replaced later with longer-ranged units like semi-trucks or freight trains or something. And would Cargo Ships get replaced by Bulk Transports? Are there aerial trade routes?

EDIT: And it would be so amusing to have little freight trains cruising back and forth on the map. That would be delightful.

 

[nokmirt]

I wonder if Caravans and Cargo Ships are the only trade units. It's been said that caravans have a limited range. I think they would get replaced later with longer-ranged units like semi-trucks or freight trains or something. And would Cargo Ships get replaced by Bulk Transports? Are there aerial trade routes?

It should start with some early merchant/trading vessel. After I would say a cog ship would be in there some place, probably from medieval through the renaissance. Then merchant ships starting in the industrial era and after maybe cargo ships, starting in the atomic era. Something similar on land.

Also, I hope that they have cannonballs now during the Renaissance when cities bombard. It always annoyed me that they didn't add that in. Rather lazy in fact.

 

[Biologist]

Something like an AEGIS cruiser that provides extra line-of-sight (the way caravels do in Renaissance) would be nice. Depending on how trade routes work, having such a unit in the later eras could be very useful for protecting trade.

 

[otaman1]

Is a Camel Train the same thing as a caravan?

 

[True_Candyman]

More boats please There needs to be a medieval melee boat, and something between the frigate and destroyer (battleship? - i forget which is which)

 

[ahawk]

My thoughts:

1) Iron took a big hit in G&K. Maybe we could get an earlier Iron unit (presumably along with Iron being unlocked earlier). Or, alternatively, we could see a more-powerful early-game siege unit added that requires iron.

2) The scout is currently a dead-end. As another poster or two said, it wouldn't hurt to get an Explorer unit back (a la cIV).

3) Again, as someone else said, a non-stealthy jet-age bomber wouldn't be a problem.

4) Naval units in general. The late game features an acceptable number of naval units. But the early-game is lacking. Severely. I'd love to see the same breadth of options for early-game naval units that we have for land-units, as in having an early-game standard naval unit that has ranged attacks rather than melee (Dromons would need re-working, then, perhaps). Moreover, there should be siege naval units. After all, G&K added melee naval units. Why not siege naval units? Only in the late-game are there naval units capable of really being useful in besieging a city from the sea. These are just some ideas, and I don't really expect this to come true for naval units, but I think the naval area of the game, especially early-on, is quite thread-bare.