Hex map, no stacking, city now take damage, given how they are moving toward ROTK format... there is alot of stuff CIV5 could look at and learn from ROTK.
for example in the game the pikeman can push unit back 'alexander style' hence opening a gap in the enemy line. higher experience unit might even be able to "confuse" the enemy to attacking it's own unit, some gain damage bonus if enemy is surrounded by other ally unit by using "pincher move"; these unique traits would make melee less borring. of course, not all are suitable of implementation due to the nature of the game, but they do bring alot of gameplay ideas.
but what is best about the game is combat doesn't kill straight away, 2 unit can fight each other for a few turns before one side losses too many soldiers and the unit breaks. this allow weaker unit to have a chance in taking down a powerful but isolated juggernaut and makes getting cut off more dangerous. but what is great is the unit last long enough to form a line of defence. this also gave player more reason to flank and go around the enemy then to be caught in a long shoot out.
the CIV4 system of taking down powerful foe is to use artillery to soften them up, but that is borring because people end up building tons of artillery that are unrealistic.
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other than ROTK, the other thing that could make battle interesting is the game weiqi(aka Go). the objective of weiqi is to surround the enemy, a group that is surrounded is surrender and lost, this would make calvary flanking a lot deadlier and force player to retreat if their line risk collapsing.
for example in the game the pikeman can push unit back 'alexander style' hence opening a gap in the enemy line. higher experience unit might even be able to "confuse" the enemy to attacking it's own unit, some gain damage bonus if enemy is surrounded by other ally unit by using "pincher move"; these unique traits would make melee less borring. of course, not all are suitable of implementation due to the nature of the game, but they do bring alot of gameplay ideas.
but what is best about the game is combat doesn't kill straight away, 2 unit can fight each other for a few turns before one side losses too many soldiers and the unit breaks. this allow weaker unit to have a chance in taking down a powerful but isolated juggernaut and makes getting cut off more dangerous. but what is great is the unit last long enough to form a line of defence. this also gave player more reason to flank and go around the enemy then to be caught in a long shoot out.
the CIV4 system of taking down powerful foe is to use artillery to soften them up, but that is borring because people end up building tons of artillery that are unrealistic.
---
other than ROTK, the other thing that could make battle interesting is the game weiqi(aka Go). the objective of weiqi is to surround the enemy, a group that is surrounded is surrender and lost, this would make calvary flanking a lot deadlier and force player to retreat if their line risk collapsing.
