CGPanama
Warlord
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2010
- Messages
- 179
Although mentioned in several of the individual posts, I thought this feature was worth a wider discussion on its strategic impact...
To me, one of the subtler but more intriguing changes that has come out of the gameplay videos was the change to how movement costs are used up. My understanding is that you can no longer enter a tile, unless you have enough available movement points to enter. So as Marbozir showed, a scout with 2 out of 3 movement points cannot move first to a grasslands (1 cost) then into hills (2 cost).
First, I think it is important to note that the scout's base movement was increased. This means that in many cases he will still be able to move twice per turn, but not if both tiles have a 2 cost movement. Other base units that I noticed included warrior and builder (2 movement points) and horseman (4). So now units like the warrior will only be able to enter the hills if they start the turn next to the hills. I think as a base, this requires better planning and strategy in the movement of units than the current system.
Now for some speculation... I can see how this can add more layers to the gameplay than the 1 point allows all movement. For example, what if certain units (i.e. trebuchet) can only have 1 movement point. Heck those things are pretty hard to push up into the hills. But then you attach a melee unit as support and suddenly they can push it up into the hills, at maybe the cost of any melee strength. They can then unattached and move on leaving the trebuchet atop a hill. Further you can have previously impassable areas like mountains that now require, say 5 movement points. Only later units might have that ability to enter since it requires the full points. Then there are particular movements that generate penalties, i.e. crossing a river, disembarking.
Also, this allows the promotions and roads to reduce movement costs to 1 under certain circumstances. For example a woodsman bonus reduces costs when entering a forest. Amphibious promotion can reduce the penalty for disembarking, etc.
Finally, I can see this enhancing the combat system. Perhaps requiring a full, or certain amount of movement points to attack, with a penalty if previously moved. You can't quick march your infantry to the front lines and expect it to be fresh for combat compared to a unit that has been fortified on a position since the previous turn.
In many ways, I believe this change evolves the current movement system in a way that allows more nuance to the cost/bonus structure than the existing system.
To me, one of the subtler but more intriguing changes that has come out of the gameplay videos was the change to how movement costs are used up. My understanding is that you can no longer enter a tile, unless you have enough available movement points to enter. So as Marbozir showed, a scout with 2 out of 3 movement points cannot move first to a grasslands (1 cost) then into hills (2 cost).
First, I think it is important to note that the scout's base movement was increased. This means that in many cases he will still be able to move twice per turn, but not if both tiles have a 2 cost movement. Other base units that I noticed included warrior and builder (2 movement points) and horseman (4). So now units like the warrior will only be able to enter the hills if they start the turn next to the hills. I think as a base, this requires better planning and strategy in the movement of units than the current system.
Now for some speculation... I can see how this can add more layers to the gameplay than the 1 point allows all movement. For example, what if certain units (i.e. trebuchet) can only have 1 movement point. Heck those things are pretty hard to push up into the hills. But then you attach a melee unit as support and suddenly they can push it up into the hills, at maybe the cost of any melee strength. They can then unattached and move on leaving the trebuchet atop a hill. Further you can have previously impassable areas like mountains that now require, say 5 movement points. Only later units might have that ability to enter since it requires the full points. Then there are particular movements that generate penalties, i.e. crossing a river, disembarking.
Also, this allows the promotions and roads to reduce movement costs to 1 under certain circumstances. For example a woodsman bonus reduces costs when entering a forest. Amphibious promotion can reduce the penalty for disembarking, etc.
Finally, I can see this enhancing the combat system. Perhaps requiring a full, or certain amount of movement points to attack, with a penalty if previously moved. You can't quick march your infantry to the front lines and expect it to be fresh for combat compared to a unit that has been fortified on a position since the previous turn.
In many ways, I believe this change evolves the current movement system in a way that allows more nuance to the cost/bonus structure than the existing system.
