Contest: Design a Unit!

General Unit for all civs...

Not an original by any means, but would be a lot of fun.

Merchant Caravan

Available at Cartography? (Fairly early)

Cost?

Civ Max 3 at any one time.

The caravan is slow moving (1), has a strength of 1, cannot be upgraded, and upon visiting a foreign civ's city (that you have open borders with) turns into a treasure unit. Turning into a treasure unit also gains the host city say 5, 10, 15, or 20 culture points depending on distance travelled by the caravan.

The treasure unit cannot move on it's own and must be escorted.

The treasure generated gives 50, 100, 150, or 200 gold depending on distance travelled.

The merchant caravan can be slain, and the treasure unit can be stolen.
 
Bright day
Not all that thought through but what the heck

Kite men
Kurioartes and/or Sheaim
Recon or melee
Strength: ?
Starts with Guerilla I, Woodsman I, Great Kite, ?commando?
May not gain City Attack promotions.
Comes from: ?Way of the Ancients?

Great Kite: essentially unit can paradrop.

Use: not a frontliner this one. His job is to wreak havoc on eńemy in its home stopping the their advance dead in its tracks. For this it uses rather questionable tactics of pillaging and holding Bridges Hopefully Just Far Enough. All of that while beset from all sides and striving to survive.
 
Siren - Recon/Naval unit
Cost - High: 120/180 hammers?
1 str - 2 move
Can only travel on sea, coast and cities (not ocean)
Can explore opponents territory
Amphibious
-100% city attack
+150% vs Recon
Can charm/posess, only 1 unit at a time. Similar to summon skeleton, except stealing the unit from opponent or barbs. Only useable in neutral or friendly territory. (No declaring and charming the lone defender to capture the city with the newly charmed victim).
Can Spy on research only (charmed the local governor while he was down by the water taking a walk, he told her all about the paths his sages were embarked upon studying in his efforts to impress and bed the sultry siren).
Gains xp per turn at an average rate - Promo options: Navigation & Mobility (potential for 7 move? Maybe too much?), Sentry I & II, Combat I > 5, March, All water sphere spells. (doesn't start with spell casting other than charm, however so you'll need to use promotions to pickup the water sphere spells)

Requires Water Node - Fishing



This unit addresses a few different aspects. Essentially only civs that start with a water node in their capital will be able to put these to good early use. Through their charm/posses ability they give scouting and defensive options, however they must be at war to use this ability against the targets faction. Grants the ability to spy on various civs to determine whether or not you have the chance on being the first to discover certain techs...namely philosophy and religion techs, etc. These units should not be of any use whatsoever in a city attack thus their -100% city attack. If it's at all possible I would rather they not be able to even enter enemy cities, same as how ships can't enter enemy cities unless at peace. They can be used as an effective counter to lizardmen (+150% vs recon units) if properly promoted and used to keep the fog of war clear over sea filled areas, to prevent those 2-3 lizardmen that always ignore your heavily defended front line positions and get into your civs heart to pillage via coast. They also offer additional naval options which is always cool! For their power maybe they need to also require a harbor.
 
A very simple unit type.

Bandit

Bandit instead of guarding has a ambush skill. The ambush skill works like gaurding but it turns the unit invisible and casues anyone trying to enter the space to attack them. but they get offensive bonuses while in ambush and the other loses any defensive and attack bonuses while ambushed.

im thinking this could become available with survival.

not sure what offensive bonus should be given to ambush +15% strength with an extra +10% while in forest and jungles.
 
Grigori Medic - Grigori UU

Unit type: Disciple

Cost: Should cost @ same as other civs disciple units

Strength: 3

Movement: 1

Requires: Herbalist (if tier 1), Barracks (if tier 2)

Promotions: Medic II & III, woodsman/guerilla I, City Garrison I & II, Flanking I & II, March, Mobility I, II & III, Magic Resistance

Starts With: Medic I, Cure Disease

Special: Defensive unit, cannot attack.

Design Philosophy: Grigori get the shaft when it comes to curing disease, since they are agnostic and cannot build disciple units. This would provide a non-religous unit that would allow them to mitigate disease without overpowering the civ. I wanted the Grigori Medic to be a tier 2 unit, arriving on the scene about the time other civs are getting their disciples, but the building that seems to suit them best is Herbalist, which if used as the only prereq would make them available in tier one. Using both Herbalist and Barracks as prereqs would delay them a bit.

Flavor Text: The Kingdom of Grigori began to thrive, as men from all corners of Erebus, tired of being used as pawns by the Gods, saught a way to determine their own destiny. Whether carried by this wave of immigration, or inflicted upon them by the Gods as divine retribution, the Grigori began to suffer from diseases for which they knew no cure. Cassiel had the power to cure these ailments, and could even confer that power to others, however, he was also shrewd enough to realize that this would put him in the position of acting as a God himself, and all that he had been fighting for would be lost. Instead, Cassiel summoned the best herbalists and natural healers in the Kingdom, and formed the Ordine Medicos. Members of the Ordine Medicos travel throughout Erebus, seeking natural remedies to the ailments that inflict the Grigori, and are widely known for their ability to cure disease without divine intervention. Although quite often found travelling with Grigori military units, the Ordine Medicos take a vow of non-agression, and will only fight to defend themselves, and those in their care.
 
Luminale

Should probable be an Ashen Veil Unit or a uu of the Sidar or just a regular adept unit

Unit Type: Adept

Strength 6
Movement: 2

Starts with Death 1 Chaos 1.
Special: Whenever a unit dies around him, he gains 1/2 of that unit's strength as xp.

Backround Story: Ain Qieutes was a scholar, who out of curiosity, found a book on Necromancy. As he read through the pages he became more intrigued with the Dark Profession. He certainly didnt want to be a necromacer, but the people fascinated him. But as he read more and more books about them, he started to want the Dark Arts. Slowly, he turned. His appearance changed. He became dark and pale. A Dark Aura followed him. Finally he decided to try one spell. It was the summoning of a Wraith. Unfortunetly, he read the 7th rune on the 4th line wrong, and a disastrous creature was produced. A half wraith, half man. Half of Ain's mind was one of a wraith, one of death, while the other half was the darkened scholar. Now he thought that he was a weak soul, and would die. Instead he became one of the most fearsome warriors anyone had ever seen. His wraith side gave him incredible fighting ability but unlike a wraith he had a mind, allowing him to use tactics and magical ability to win. soon he taught others and finally formed The Order of the Luminale, with more that 50 members. Eventually he killed himself, killing the summoned shade half as well. But the Luminale's still exist as fearsome killers.

Appearance: This unit should have the left side of him a regular unit or mage,a nd the right side a wraith. His use is to go around and be next to units that are killed, so that he can easily gain experience and become much much stronger.
 
War Strategist

Cost: 150 Hammer (Not sure, depends on the balance of the game)
Strength: 2
Movement: 3

Start with: Flanking III, Commando

Required: Barracks + Archery + Capital City

Special Ability:
When ONE in stack with other units, other units get:
a) +1 extra first strike
b) +10% defence on all tiles
When TWO in stack with other units, other units get:
a) all the above
b) +20% withdrawal rate
When THREE in stack with other units, other units get:
a) all the above
b) +20% strength
c) +1 extra first strike
d) +30% defence on all tiles
When FOUR OR MORE in stack with other units, other units get:
a) none of the above
b) -20% strength
c) -40% defence

Too many chefs spoil the soup!
 
FFH still seems to be a bit lacking fantasy flavour in the nautical departement. And because this is dark fantasy I present you:

Ghost Ship
Strength: 4
Movement: 4
Carry: 1
Preq. tech: Sailing
Available to: Barbarians, Ashen Veil.

Special: When defeating a ship there is a 20% chance that this will produce a new Ghost ship under barbarian control. Can only carry undead units.

I also thought about giving it a Fog promotion. The Fog promotion would make it undetectable to any unit unless it was in a square adjacent to the Ghost ship. But that would make it a bit too overpowered. As it is, this unit would make a nice extra hazard for ships as well as a good choice for Ashen Veil civs but still have some drawbacks.
 
Available with: Monarchy, Poisons
:strength: 5, :move: 2, recon, :hammers: 300 (or the same as an assasin).
Gains +50% str when defending against a recon unit.
If a recon unit attacks a stack with a unit with the hero promotion in it the King's Guard will be the first defender.

I don't want them to start with see invis, but they should be able to get it as a promotion.

Just a mid-game unit, to protect against those assasins.
 
Fair sorcerer and Dark Charlatan for the Balseraphs

The existing types of magic and sorcerers are too organized for the Balseraphs in my view. They need a more fairlike less organized and less academic sorcerer: the fair sorcerer![party]

The fair sorcerer is not a single unit as it should replace the traditional sorcerer upgrades. The fair sorcerers start quite friendly but get darker and darker after the upgrades... As you will see the fair sorcerers aren't able to use all spheres. Therefore they have to invest xp in more "worldly" promotions. That is intentionally. As they aren't couch potatos they are much better off with worldly affairs.

Fair sorcerer[party][party]

The fair sorcerer starts with Hunting and a city requires a carnival to build a fair sorcerer.
Not as educated as other adepts the fair sorcerer is limited in the use of spheres: He can use only Mind. But he should be able to use some new spheres/abilities: Illusion and Clairvoyant. To these later. He is limited to Channeling 1. He can invest xp in the promotion Subdue Animal.

Dark Charlatan[party]:satan:

The upgrade of a fair sorcerer to a dark charlatan should follow the same xp-requirements as from adept to summoner or mage. The required technology is Drama and not Sorcery. The Dark Charlatan can further upgrade Mind, Illusion, Clairvoyant and additionally gets access to upgrading Entropy spells. He has Channeling 1-2, Divine 1, Summoning 1.

Dark Charlatan Princes:satan::satan:

The dark charlatan princes are the arch mages under the charlatans. There is a maximum of three per faction (which would be three worldwide). The dark charlatan princes can further upgrade spells from Mind, Entropy, Illusion and Clairvoyant. Dark charlatans can be upgraded to princes with the technology Strength of Will. The dark charlatan prince has Channeling 1-3, Divine 1-2. Summoning 1-2.

Illusion sphere or simple promotions

level 1: Double - Casts two illusionary doubles of the spell caster for one turn.
level 2: Harmlessness - the spell caster turns in a harmless unit (like gypsy wagon) for one turn (or even longer). In this form he can't use spells (but keeps the promotions). He can be transformed back every turn. As the harmless shape the fair sorcerer can explore rival territory.
level 3: Great Firework - Disables all living units in the neighboring squares from attacking for the next turn.

Summoning 1: Circus of Nightmares - Casts an illusionary Circus of Nightmares (could be quite colorful) with strength 6, movement 2 for one turn. The Circus of Nightmares is one unit consisting of a tiger, a bear, a taskmaster (all colorful).
Illusions are not demonic, not undead, but summoned. They resist diseases and can pass through impassable terrain. They can only attack living units (undeads, demons, golems don't see illusions). Illusions ignore city defenses.

Clairvoyant sphere or simple promotions

level 1: Horoscope - Sentry +2
level 2: Tarot Cards - Sentry +3, can see stealth
level 3: Crystal Sphere -Examine foreign city.
 
Dark Hunter/Arcane Hunter /Fell Hunter/Something similar

Atk 5, or 6, move 2, cost aroound the same as a ranger
availible with feral bond (same as Balon Duin Halfmoon)

requires silver as a resource
*Since marble isn't being used, I propose you make the marble graphic mithril and add silver back in, or make a new graphic for one or the other. Silver has traditionally had magical connections. Otherwise, maybe they require reagents?

Starts with Beast Slayer promotion, which excludes getting Subdue animal promotion and grants +40% vs animals. A.K. 2 availible for another +40%.

Would be upgradeable to beastmaster

Essentially a counter for werewolves, which have been totally game winning for me. They should own ravenous, have better than even odds against similar level blooded weres, and have a long shot if unupgraded against greater. But they aren't great against other tier 3 units. Maybe a bonus against vampires too, but not as much, maybe 25% innate.
 
Upgraded from Berserker only
Civ Dwarves only
Strength 12 or less maybe 8
Move 1 or special(launch)
national unit5
5 allowed(at a time)
cost 240 hammers and upgrade unit (both)
Causes Collateral Damage to all units within stack
starts with enraged, stoneskin and immune to first strikes
Requires: Berserker and Catapult,Cannon or Dwarven Catapult AND CORN

When berserkers get older and have difficulting entering rage often they join the Barrageiteers. Whom teach them about the benefits of free fall inside a large spiked barrel filled with popcorn LAUNCHED from a barrage weapon ie..a catapult, Dwarven Catapult or a Cannon. The freefall helps to ignite rage and upon landing they burst forth and kill. Could be used to discount first strikes,city defenses and archers of all kinds. Getting these Old timers a chance to die in battle. After the initial damage(if it hits) a free round of attack doing callateral damage to all units within the stack and then a frenzied berserker with the adds and penalties as normal except as noted. The rage should require a launch and hit for damage. A miss still gives the 50%chance of death with no glory. If a hit is scored the stoneskin and immune to first strikes and overcomming city defences is indicidive of the cause. However after a combat in case the Dwarven Barrageiteer survives he must still (after another 50%death chance)make it back to a lauching device to renew an attack with rage.
IF THE PROMOTED BERSERKER HAS PROMOTIONS PLEASE TRANSFER WITH CHANGES LISTED

ORIGINS
I use this idea all the time in my RPG's.

The idea originated from a high school experiment some 17 years ago where we were required to find a way to drop an egg form a 4 story buildings roof(our high school) without breaking the egg. Mine worked and 1 other kid's. I filled a soup can with popcorn lightly and put the egg in the middle and topped it with more popcorn until full but not pressed and tapped the lid back on. The drop was a toss and it worked like a charm. What's good for an egg could work for a dwarf.
 
Okay, the submission deadline is past and these are our entries:

Puck11b - Skirmisher
Kevsm - Local Militia
Alter Ego - Shaman
Abman - Giant Spider
TheCowSaysMoooo - Word of the Wyrm
Zherag Khan - Hollowcloak
Xanhck999 - Rebellion
Ollief - Pious Partisan
Jimilz - Doppleganger
Frozen Vomit - Trebuchet
Psychorg - Soul Eather
Black Whole - Dreamer
Zurai - Cold Wraith
Sissonpyh - Orc Warboss
DarthCycle - General
Starship - Merchant Caravan
Gladi - Kite Men
Phoulishmen - Siren
ChaoticWanderer - Bandit
Kerrang - Grigori Medic
Civansam - Luminale
Carebear101 - War Strategist
Janusi - Ghost Ship
CurtisC - Kings Guard
Khadic Okharim - Fair Sorcerer
Nikis-Knight - Dark Hunter
H.GregradeFrenzy - Dwarven Barrageiteer

Give us (the design team) 24 hours to pick our favorites and I'll put a public poll up tomorrow with our favorite canidates and you guys can start voting on the final winner. When I put the final poll up I will copy whatever data you have in your submission in, so you have 24 hours to clean up or clarify anything in your entry.
 
ok, deadline is past, but one more unit, not for contest, only as an idea.

as far as i remember, in all versions of Civ, there was no opportunity to support city in areas with poor-food terrain. Its not realistic, what if, to add a way for food supply to your mod?

Unit: food caravan
Costs: ???
Build by food (may be only by food, if it is possible)
No Strength, can be captured.
Can do "supply" (add ??? food to the target city storage, caravan is destroyed)

USE: build in food-rich city, in a way as workers/settles do, соnsuming excess food, then moved to target city and do "supply", adding fixed ammount of food to city storage if it isn't full or grows up city if food storage is full.

* allow to speed up city grows by costs of stoping it in another
* allow to have not size 1 city in arctic/desert zones (resource cities)
* allow to prevent death of citisens from starvation in case of temporal food lack, as a result of farm pillaging or civic change or other
* allow to create specialized production centers, or GP farm (culture centres) wich do not feed themselfs, but supplyed by other cities (its a country, not a just a group of selfish cities, isn't it? :))
* allow to cultivate culture in border cities affecting by foreign culture bomb to get back some of lost land

i do not think this feature will be overpowred, becouse of resourses/GP/production you get from this "donated" city, will be compensated by loosing production in donor city, more than, it can be ballanced by caravan cost/supply numbers (30/20 for example).

the only question is how to teach AI to use it? :(

PS. sorry for my english...
 
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