Any New Promotions?

[Halcyan2]

Just wondering if there's been much speculation about whether there will be many (or any) new promotions for units.

The new HP system seems like it will improve the survivability of units. In addition, new intermediate upgrade types seems like units will get a lot more shelf life.

In the past, I've found that Archery units tend to be the most likely to max out with promotions (mainly due to the extra XP from Logistics and especially if I have Military Tradition). It can readily get to the point where I either have all the promotions I'm interested in, or that I may even have all the promotions that I can literally get so my only option is Instant Healing.

So considering that Archers now have several new options in their upgrade path, do you think there should be more promotions available?

 

[Depravo]

I might get shot down for suggesting this but maybe only the FIRST attack should add experience once you have Logistics.

You've hit on my #1 fear for the expansion - the loss of a whole unit (for the player) was already rarely an issue unless you were careless or had truly awful luck.

I lost something like 5 units over the course of my last game as Rome, and none at all after the medieval age - and I had Japan as a neighbour who could counter my legions with samurai in the first war we fought, which centred over a recently-founded outpost without road links that I was too stupid either to abandon or defend adequately. The resulting bloodbath saw me lose the city, a couple of veteran legions and a ballista, and I deserved worse.

Naturally the AI offensive, which had me seriously worried for a few turns, miscarried, and I easily held them and wiped them out when they hit my core area.

But for that, I think the only units I lost were a couple of warriors early on.

 

[Peng Qi]

I imagine that a lot of the alternative promotions that currently exist will look a lot more attractive now that selecting them will no longer leave your units vulnerable to being annihilated in a single turn.

 

[StrideColossus]

One of the recent reviews showed a couple of new promotion icons for a naval unit, some sort of grappling hook (can't find the thread now sorry). I'm assuming there will more for the new melee naval mechanic.

 

[Peng Qi]

One of the recent reviews showed a couple of new promotion icons for a naval unit, some sort of grappling hook (can't find the thread now sorry). I'm assuming there will more for the new melee naval mechanic.

I presume those are for melee naval units, one promotion being for attacking boats and one for raiding land units.

 

[nokmirt]

I bet there will be other cool new promotions, it only makes sense..

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

Two new promotions are listed in Arioch's Well of Soul page for God and Kings.

 

[wobuffet]

We've just seen two for the new melee naval units (which obviously needed new promotions, as a new kind of unit).

 

[nokmirt]

We've just seen two for the new melee naval units (which obviously needed new promotions, as a new kind of unit).

Great, but what are they?

 

[AriochIV]

Great, but what are they?

One is Boarding Party I: +15% combat strength in melee against naval units.

The other is a skull and crossbones icon with unknown effect.

 

[cakes]

One is Boarding Party I: +15% combat strength in melee against naval units.

The other is a skull and crossbones icon with unknown effect.

skull and crossbones would lead me to believe it would make blockades more effective but i have no idea how they would implement that or if it would be worthwhile. i assume combat strength vs cities would be the same promotion as we've seen in vanilla

 

[wobuffet]

I assume it's +15% combat strength in melee vs melee naval and land units.

edit: never mind, misread the description. Probably better pillaging and/or +strength against land units

 

[AriochIV]

Melee naval units supposedly have an ability to pillage coastal cities for gold (instead of capturing them), so I would guess that the skull and crossbones promotion may have something to do with that.

 

[Pazyryk]

One is Boarding Party I: +15% combat strength in melee against naval units.

The other is a skull and crossbones icon with unknown effect.

Obvious question: was the skull and crossbones promotion seen on a privateer? It might be the promotion that allows capture of other naval units.

 

[nokmirt]

Obvious question: was the skull and crossbones promotion seen on a privateer? It might be the promotion that allows capture of other naval units.

Don't great minds think alike? I was thinking that very same thought.

Thanks for the info Arioch.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

That screenshot was from a Trireme, IIRC.

 

[nokmirt]

That screenshot was from a Trireme, IIRC.

Interesting, because the skull and crossbones was used in ancient times. In a book I have it says that some pirates in ancient times did fly the symbol. Let me look at it again to verify that.

Here is an article I find looking around a bit, it is rather informative. http://www.scribd.com/doc/72943/Skull-and-Crossbones

 

[Montov]

Melee naval units supposedly have an ability to pillage coastal cities for gold (instead of capturing them), so I would guess that the skull and crossbones promotion may have something to do with that.

Pillaging cities is the unique ability of the Sea Beggar right?

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I wonder how pillaging would work. Is it an option for when you enter an enemy city with a melee ship along with Raze, Puppet, and Annex? Does it simply pay gold for each naval melee attack against a city? Does it destroy the buildings but leave the city in original ownership? It sounds fun. If it's only for the Sea Beggar, it would really increase the allure of the Dutch.

 

[AriochIV]

The screen capture in question was indeed from a Trireme.

Pillaging cities is the unique ability of the Sea Beggar right?

I don't think so; it seems to be a feature of melee naval units in general. The quote from Dennis Shirk was: "...there's more strategic decisions about who you put up in the front line and whether or not, um, you're gonna actually try to use your naval melee units, which can attack, CAN attack units just on, y'know, like a grassland tile on the shore... but- like a ranged unit can, but- the great things that they can do for you is that they actually can go and attack the coastal cities, and either pillage them for gold or actually capture them."

I wonder how pillaging would work. Is it an option for when you enter an enemy city with a melee ship along with Raze, Puppet, and Annex?

It could be something like that, or a separate action that can be executed when next to a city (like the current Pillage action). Unfortunately, the PAX video in which we see a Destroyer attack a city doesn't show evidence of either one.