Barbarians and animals.

[Lightwave]

I think settlers and workers should have a defense strength 1 with no bonuses. Then they at least have a small chance of surviving an animal attack. Come on, even a lowly worker could pick up a rock and throw it at a wolf, which might or might not work.

I like that idea. I mean, how much "training" does a Warrior really need to pick up a club and beat on something with it.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

lol. Apparently, if that warrior was staying in a barracks, he's a lot more proficient with that club than you may think They must teach the overhead swing in the rax

 

[SwordofStriker]

Hmm, no XP would cause people to complain. Wrecks everybody's "medic scout" plans.

Wodan

You're right.

Still, if they are absolutely no threat to military units, then said units shouldn't gain xp from them IMO.

 

[Rusty Edge]

Yeah... and the real problem with Animals is that if they are not killing your scouts they are serving as your early-game barracks. The thing that really bothers me about them is that they are so "exploitable" by early rushers in MP. What do I mean by that? Instead of building barracks early if I intend to axe-rush, I just keep building axemen and have them go kill a couple animals when they pop out. Then you've got 3-4 CRII axemen before you even fight your first war... it's pretty easy to kill CGII archers with CRII axemen in the early game...

I'll trust your experience and judgement when it comes to high level and MP play.


For me scouting is an enjoyable part of the early game. I like popping the huts, dodging the bears, and taking cover across a river in the woods before a predator attack. If I can get max out the experience against animals, and pop a hut or two with experience, then I can try to get the medic scout safely back to a city. It's exciting. I get a lot out of the gameplay.

From a historical/realism perspective I think it's right that you gain experience against animals. Famous warriors Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett, Crazy Horse all honed their skills as hunters before they became warriors. Then there was Sgt. Alvin York...

Yes, it's unrealistic for an entire war party to be killed and eaten by bears, but their supplies/ baggage train is another matter. Since bears are omnivorous, a batallion of them might very well strip the countryside of everything edible, too. Maybe the wolves chew up people's shoes at night while they are asleep, and they get frostbite on the march, then gangrene. Or maybe they're rabid and drink from the same pools as the war party. Lions have traces of dried blood and rotting meat under their claws, a scratch from them can be toxic. Any of them could carry fleas or ticks infected with a plague. The point is that wild animals can introduce death indirectly, too, so it's not unbelievable that the war party could be destroyed by wild animals in the days before antibiotics.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

^^^I like what he said. For game balance issues and the purposes of scouts as listed in prior posts, I believe animals are fine as they are.