ANyone else understand observation balloon? how does it work?

[Dearmad]

So I have it hovering above my field artillery... but they are still only range 2. What am I missing?

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

I don't KNOW, but am guessing that the observation balloon increases sighting range and probably attack strength.

 

[aguliondew]

Did you link the support unit and artillery?

 

[ExemplarVoss]

So I have it hovering above my field artillery... but they are still only range 2. What am I missing?

Field cannon is a ranged unit. Observation balloon doesn't help- it gives a bonus to siege units
(though the civilopedia entry says bombard units, so maybe just bombards?)

But note there are field cannons, and artillery units (which upgrade from bombard). Field artillery isn't actually a thing (in the game). Although... as an aside, the weapons they're calling field cannons are 19th century guns that were generally referred to as artillery... so, yeah. Nomenclature in this game is a mess.

There are quite a few things like this. The game is really strict about Promotion Classes and most things actually refer to this (and/or the era).
This particularly comes into play with light and heavy cavalry units. They aren't melee units. They're light/heavy cav promotion class. So the production cards are really specific.
Scythia's horse archers actually do this the opposite way: they're ranged units and not cavalry units of any kind.

The game isn't exactly straightforward in telling the player about all this, and uses words (like melee unit) in a nonstandard way- most people will assume it means any unit that attacks in melee range (with the sword icon), and it doesn't. It means the promotion class.

 

[Dearmad]

Oh ok. I'll try it with my bombard. and other true artillery. thanks a lot man.