[Feature] Additional Unique Units

[Leoreth]

I'm not sure to be honest, Sipahis were unique because of their deployment/production type rather than their military feats AFAIK. Sipahis were given temporary land (it was still the Sultan's officially) to upkeep themselves and had to arm themselves.
Something about their production or upkeep can be unique, like using food even without (vassalage? I forgot the civic), because Ottomans were a very centralized state and feudalism-like civics doesn't really suit them, except the Sipahi branch of the military.
If we want a military bonus then I'm not sure. Maybe some bonus against already wounded units? that could be a really interesting bonus imho.

I don't want to implement new, never before existing properties of units. But being produced with food sounds interesting.

I want to see this unit art. Could you upload a image or give a website link?

The art actually comes from the Warlords expansion, so you can find it as "China Ancient Cannon" (it's actually hand cannons) in Warlords/Assets/Art/Units. They are also used for the Vietnamese unique unit in History Rewritten.

Extra UUs are great news.

I haven't played in the dev versions, so I don't know if China is too weak on land now and really NEED a new land unit in the medieval era. But as far as I know from playing them in 1.15, they can already take care of themselves.
So here's what I think for China: Treasure Ships (Baochuan)! They could replace Caravels, or Galleons.
Possible effects - choose or combine:

• Additional strength against non-coastal ships, or additional strength in ocean tiles?
• (for caravels) No supply payments, earn +1 Gold if they are not in Chinese water, and +2 Gold if they are in foreign civ's water? This would encourage the player to use them to stay in touch with all other nations, if desired.
  
• Start with Navigation I, or Medic I, or both?
• Additional base strength?

Treasure Ships are obviously impressive and would make for a good unit (many mods use them), however unlike other mods where the game is more free flow and speculative, in DoC I want to use UUs that represent historical strengths of a civilisation and encourage it to follow a historical course. The time period of Chinese naval dominance was rather limited and outside of that naval power was not very important for China. So it would be more appropriate to have two land units.

For Russia, hm, if it is still intended that they are a weak backwater nation until they have grown their big strong empire, so they don't need earlier units (my opinion). What I can imagine is stuff in the late game, where they need to be competitive to the big powers. That means in my book, a significantly cheaper modern unit, be it infantry (Red Army?), tanks (T-34?) or artillery (Katyusha?). Especially the Soviet infantry is known for Zerg-rushing the Axis in WW II. Also, the large Russian empire could probably need some reliable unit that is cheaper to mass-produce and station in every city - not one that is necessarily stronger in some way.

The only earlier thing I considered is the Strelets.

 

[Leoreth]

Oh, also, if someone wants to contribute, I am still looking for a button for the American Pioneer.

 

[borhap88]

I definitely support Katyusha for Russia. It's the most iconic and successful weapon for USSR army and still used nowadays. According to wiki, "is extremely effective in saturation bombardment (carpet bombing)", a feature more linked to airstrike than artillery one, so it could receive something like a collateral damage bonus

 

[Leoreth]

It would definitely make things easier because it already is a Russian UU in HR.

 

[Enyavar]

In DoC I want to use UUs that represent historical strengths of a civilisation and encourage it to follow a historical course. The time period of Chinese naval dominance was rather limited and outside of that naval power was not very important for China. So it would be more appropriate to have two land units.

I hope I don't get on your nerves when I say: Treasure Ships could be a way to steer China towards a land-based economy. I mean, you can tell the Chinese AI that they don't need to focus on naval strength and ocean exploration. You can script them a naval weakness and let them focus on coastal ships.
But the human player can still try and build a Galleon that ferries Chinese settlers to California and Argentina in 1500 AD. Especially with the UHV-forced focus on "be the first to get Compass". Now, if the Treasure Ship is pretty expensive (twice a Galleon?), and has a movement point less than normal Galleons, China can't expand overseas just as quickly. The nominal bonus in strength or special abilities turns into a naval malus, then.

 

[Leoreth]

Sure but it would be a terrible unique unit if it was just plain worse at being its unit.

 

[ozqar]

Merijn's Swahili have a UU (dhow) that produces gold when stationed in foreign ports, which is a nice idea suitable for a treasure fleet unit. It's also neat in that it won't encourage territorial expansion - suiting the Chinese.

 

[Leoreth]

It's a power stacking effect.

 

[merijn_v1]

True, but it is limited. First of all, you require OB. And it is limited to 1 dhow per city.

 

[Leoreth]

The AI doesn't know how to use it etc. etc. As said previously, I would like to limit this to existing unit attributes.

 

[TPDW]

Just started a new game as the US on this branch, and no workers/pioneers spawned in when the cities in the core flipped to me and other units spawned. Not sure if that's intentional or an oversight.

 

[Leoreth]

Did you not found your capital?

 

[TPDW]

Just did a second test run. I did found my capital, after which a Python error appeared in the log. I hadn't noticed that last time because I was thinking the workers spawn on city flip, not on capital founding. Tested with other civs and workers spawn properly, so it's presumably just the spawn function not working with the Pioneers.

 

[Crimean Lord]

I definitely support Katyusha for Russia. It's the most iconic and successful weapon for USSR army and still used nowadays. According to wiki, "is extremely effective in saturation bombardment (carpet bombing)", a feature more linked to airstrike than artillery one, so it could receive something like a collateral damage bonus

There IS an idea to add Streltsy (replaced arquebusier)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streltsy
They played a great role in the period of RUSSIAN MILITARY EХPANSION (in ХVI and ХVII)

 

[Publicola]

Crimean Lord's odd formatting aside, I do like the idea of a Russian UU tailored for the period when Russia is doing most of its fighting and expansion. Soviet-era or later artillery unit would be nice, but less useful given how late it shows up.

 

[Leoreth]

As I said, Strelets units are still under consideration. The question is what their abilities would be.

Just did a second test run. I did found my capital, after which a Python error appeared in the log. I hadn't noticed that last time because I was thinking the workers spawn on city flip, not on capital founding. Tested with other civs and workers spawn properly, so it's presumably just the spawn function not working with the Pioneers.

Okay, I will look into it.

 

[Crimean Lord]

As I said, Strelets units are still under consideration. The question is what their abilities would be.


Okay, I will look into it.

Bonus against unhelthy Units (Russian winter will help use it) ?

 

[borhap88]

There IS an idea to add Streltsy (replaced arquebusier)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streltsy
They played a great role in the period of RUSSIAN MILITARY EХPANSION (in ХVI and ХVII)

OK!

I played with 2nd UU modmod and the Strelet was in there. I didn't feel that Russian expansion was so much challenging from military perspective. Lands that are supposed to be colonized are almost empty or occupied by outdated military units (Turks, Mongols, indies and barbs as well). Ottomans and Polish could represent a threat, but just for the southernmost and westernmost territories, which were historically occupied by Russians not before late XVIII century, when 1st UU cossacks are supposed to raging around.
On the other hand, Katyusha could help Russia to protect its power at its edge under Soviet Union, when maybe some more and updated powerful armies (Germans?) could threaten their borders.

 

[Crimean Lord]

OK!

I played with 2nd UU modmod and the Strelet was in there. I didn't feel that Russian expansion was so much challenging from military perspective. Lands that are supposed to be colonized are almost empty or occupied by outdated military units (Turks, Mongols, indies and barbs as well). Ottomans and Polish could represent a threat, but just for the southernmost and westernmost territories, which were historically occupied by Russians not before late XVIII century, when 1st UU cossacks are supposed to raging around.
On the other hand, Katyusha could help Russia to protect its power at its edge under Soviet Union, when maybe some more and updated powerful armies (Germans?) could threaten their borders.

You are right AGREE!
I just try to find non-sovet units for Russia
and as Leoreth just said: T-34 and/or so called 'Catusha' appeared in the late game and they are useless for Russian UHV

By the way it's possible to cut cossaks into two units (the same as Arabian Camel Riders) - early one will replace pistoleeters and late one will peplace draggons
+ also eхplorers are potential units which can be replaced by Cossack's eхpeditions (like Portugal already has)

 

[Leoreth]

why is everyone shouting