Combat mechanics overhaul tied with the three eras

hoplite_fan

Chieftain
Joined
Jan 14, 2025
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38
Hello,


With the introduction of the three eras, it is now possible to introduce slightly different combat mechanics between the eras, something that was not really possible in past civ games . In this thread, there are my suggestions for combat mechanics' changes for all eras, for exploration era, and for modern era

The main difference, compared to other games of the series, is that ranged units, such as archers for example, cannot start combat on their own . However, they can couple with meele units to assist them in combat, when decoupled they can assist meele combats at least one tile away with ranged attacks, help tear down city defenses, and do many other things



Unit classes: Land meele, Land support, Land expendable support, Civilian, Naval Meele, Naval support, Naval embarked, Aircraft, Aircraft Support

1UPT: Every unit has 1UPT restrictions with units of the same class

Meele units: Work the same way as earlier civ entries

Support units: Combat units that cannot engage meele combat on their own, they can couple with meele units and assist them directly in combat . Some can assist meele units already in combat at least one tile away with "ranged attack", others can perform "siege attack" on city districts, or perform other activites around the map

Expendable support units: A subset class of support units, they cannot be built without being assigned an empty slot at one unit type, district or tile improvement capable of storing it, and they will be expanded after one turn of combat . They first appear at the second part of modern era

Civilian units: Work the same way as earlier civ entries

Aircraft units: Unlike in earlier civ games, you can set the flight path of aircraft units to diminish interception or to improve the area coverage of their actions.

Aircraft support units: The main difference between aircraft units and aircraft support units is whether or not they are instantly destroyed upon dogfight or interception



Combat mechanics:

- Coupling/Decoupling: Support units can be coupled to meele units to assist them in combat . Mobility is reduced one movement per turn after one combat, special moves avaliable through promotions cannot be performed, and if the unit is not decoupled inside friendly territory with 100 HP, it will be destroyed

- Consolidation: Can combine meele land or naval units into corps/fleet or army/armada . Consolidated units cannot couple with any support unit, any support previously coupled will be decoupled

- Meele attack: Work the same way as earlier civ entries

- Ranged attack: Work the same way as earlier civ entries, except it is restricted to units being engaged in meele combat

- Siege attack: The unit will perform a ranged attack on a city-center, district or military improvement to wear down its defenses

- Close air support: An aircraft fighter type flies to one tile and performs a ranged attack.

- Ground attack: An aircraft fighter type or aircraft bomber type flies to one tile, perform a siege attack and return to base

- Stand-off attack: An aircraft fighter type or aircraft bomber type flies to one tile, perform a ranged attack and return to base . Persistent surveillance on the target is required, see air combat and interception section



Through technologies or civics, land units have access to exclusive moves within the promotion tree . Each unit can only have one special move at a time, and the special move is not avaliable if the unit is coupled or consolidated . Below are the list of exclusive promotions:

- Charge: Starting with the swordsman, meele warrior unit types have the exclusive promotion "charge". Whereas they will mark one unit one turn, at the next turn they can move and attack on the next turn, and get attack bonus

- Sapping: Starting with the swordsman, meele warrior unit types have the exclusive promotion "sapping" . Whereas they will mark one defensive building, and spend the next two turns preparing for attack, the action will be interrupted if the unit gets attacked . If it doesn't get interrupted, they get a combat bonus and ignore fortifications upon attack

- Sea Landing: Starting with the swordsman, meele warrior unit types have the exclusive promotion "sea landing" . Whereas they have two moves when embarked, but one move after disembarking

- Breakthrough: Starting with the knight, heavy cavalry unit types have the exclusive promotion "breakthrough". Whereas they will mark one unit and attack at the same turn, if that unit is being attacked a second or third time and if that unit's HP is below 90, the knight's attack will deal more damage

- Patrol: Starting with the the knight, heavy cavalry unit types have the exclusive promotion "patrol", Whereas they will mark two adjacent tiles, if any enemy unit moves to that tile or to any tile adjacent to it, the knight will automatically move and impose ZoC over that unit

- Bulldoze: Starting with the tank, heavy cavalry unit types have the exclusive promotion "bulldoze" . Whereas they will move to one tile, and spend the next two turns dismantling both defensive fortifications and mines from that tile, the action will be interrupted if the unit gets attacked. Cannot do this on tiles which are being defended by enemy units

- Siege: Starting with Modern Armor, heavy cavalry unit types have the exclusive promotion "siege" . Whereas the siege attack option is avaliable for heavy cavalry unit types, provided there's an observation ballon or reconnaissance drone as coupled unit to them

- Tripwire: Starting at late ancient era, archery ranged unit types have the exclusive promotion "tripwire". Whereas they will mark one immediate adjacent tile and spend the next turn preparing for an ambush, the action will be interrupted by any unit moves before it is complete . If any enemy unit passes through, it will take minor damage, and have ZoC immediatly imposed . The tripwire is cancelled if the unit moves to any other adjacent tile to the archery ranged unit . Cannot be done on tiles at the opposite side of a river

- Suppressive fire: Starting with machine guns, archery ranged unit types have the exclusive promotion "suppressive fire". Whereas they will mark one unit and perform a minor ranged attack, that unit cannot switch to defense if it's not already on defense

- Coastal defense: Starting with cannons, siege support unit types have the exclusive promotion "coastal defense" . Whereas the artillery will mark three adjacent coastal tiles, and perform ranged attacks on hostile naval or embarked units .

- Counter-battery fire: Starting with field cannons, siege support units have the exclusive promotion "counter-battery fire" . Whereas the artillery will move only one tile per turn, if it gets attacked by an enemy artillery, at the next turn it can attack the enemy artillery and move one tile afterwards

- Indirect fire: Starting with field cannons, siege support units have the exclusive promotion "indirect fire" . Whereas the Artillery unit will mark one tile, and spend one turn, provides 100% more defense against ranged attacks coming from tiles adjacent to it

- Suppression: Starting with artillery, siege support unit types have the exclusive promotion "suppression", which grants them the options "suppression". Whereas the artillery will mark one one unit and perform a minor ranged attack, that unit will have ZoC imposed on every direction.



City combat mechanics:

For the most part, city combat mechanics work the same way as earlier civ entries . The biggest difference is that coastal defense will be much harder at ancient and exploration age, moreso if you settle on a flat straight coastline . Either settle your cities at a bay, next to a river's mouth, at a jagged coastline or a little more inland


- Insurgency: Avaliable at late exploration era, the city can setup an insurgency centered at one unoccupied hill or mountain tile at least three tiles away from the city center. The city can set-up at least one one ambush per tile and have at least one ambush set, at that tile or adjacent tiles . Ambushes cannot be set if there are four enemy meele units occupying the insurgency tiles . Ambushes cannot be triggered if there are at least two friendly meele units in the area

- Anti-insurgency: To suppress insurgency at any given tile, send out four meele units to occupy there and have it perform anti-insurgency operations for three turns. Insurgency will be suppressed for 10 turns

- Anti-anti-insurgency: To suppress anti-insurgency operations, simply send out one meele unit to attack any of the four meele units

- Ambush: An ambush is setup in one tile . Any enemy that passes through from two of the six directions will take minor damage, have its max HP reduced to 90/90, movement is limited to one per turn for one turn, and it cannot gain combat experience . The ambush cannot be set if that tile and two adjacent tiles are occupied

- Disarm: To disarm an ambush, simply walk at that tile from one of the other four directions

Naval warfare:

- Embarked units: Both coupled units and corps/fleet cannot embark, they require a transportation barge, avaliable at the second third of modern era, to move through coastline and open waters . Embarked units cannot attack upon disembark without a combat penalty, unless they have the sea warfare promotion

- Disembark: Embarked units cannot disembark and attack without a combat penalty, unless they have the amphibious promotion.

- Assist Disembark: Meele naval units can couple with one embarked unit, park at the coastline, and assist them on disembark, it will grant one movement speed after disembark. Deprecated at the starting of the modern era

- Landmines/Naval Mines: Avaliable at the second third of the modern era. Mechanics roughly similar to ambush, except with far more drawbacks, the land or ocean plot tile needs to be properly demined afterwards

- Naval tripwires: Avaliable at the second third of the modern era . They will inform if any enemy non-stealth naval unit passes through

- Submarine tripwires: Avaliable at the late third of the modern era . They will inform if any enemy naval unit passes through

 
My thread with ideas and suggestions on how to introduce air combat to sid meier's civilization:

 
My thread with ideas and suggestions on how to introduce submarines to sid meier's civilization:

 
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