So this post straight-forwardly has to do with the fact that Cruisers have an attack range of 2. My main point is: this is unnecessary.
Frigates are pretty awesome at taking coastal cities by swooping in in large numbers and swooping out after they take their shot. Because they can move after attacking, with proper positioning a coastal city with only 1 shore tile is basically just as vulnerable as a city with 4 shore tiles. Enemy cities fall quickly regardless of which promotion tree is taken; moreover in Sea battles themselves, it's not obvious that the AI knows how to capitalize on or handle a meat shield of melee ships protecting a horde of ranged ones. And that's just Frigate commentary.
Come Cruisers, the elements multiply seemingly exponentially in Cruisers' favour to make them own even more badly.
1. An additional range ensures that in Sea battles, Cruisers can always stay behind the meat shield no matter what. The power behind the "boarded" perk simply fades away because of this.
2. An indiscriminate slaughter of in-land units that otherwise would make coastal invasion potentially unfeasible, but moreover, makes bringing land units along almost completely unnecessary. (I'll bring one Gatling Gun to out in the city, and the Cruisers can handle basically everything else - if using Frigates, you *need* land support to hold it.)
3. Setting aside the fact that city damage doesn't inflict nearly enough harm on Cruisers to matter either individually or on a fleet scale, Cruisers have enough movement (*especially* with Sea movement bonuses of various kinds, that a human player can easily exploit) to move in, shoot, and avoid even an *Arsenal* in it's entirety, taking no damage at all and engaging the city with impunity.
The only mitigating factor to any of this is a Mine Field - but it comes late relative to when Cruisers arrive on the scene, and I haven't noticed an AI build one yet anyways. Even so, the worst this would even cause against a Cruiser fleet would be to ensure that Cruisers stay in range of the city to receive the city's sub-par damage, which isn't a meaningful improvement.
I do realize that this is the era of the Artillery, but the AI scarcely knows how to populate the coast with these, not that I think it would change much anyways, as you'd need a perfect combination of a Mine Field and lots of Artillery to be able to down Cruisers in any meaningful number, bearing in mind that the Cruisers are always going to have the first shot.
Suffice it to say: I want to straight-forwardly suggest that Cruisers be reduced to 1 Range (with no possibility of a Range promotion). It is beyond unnecessary and they are plenty good without the promotion.
Come Battleships, when long-ranged Artillery, Arsenals, and Mine Fields are common, I'd suggest that the Ranged promotion be something that is available (from both sides of the promotion tree), but still no starting range of 2. That way the standard will be there, but it both needs to be earned and comes with a 20% penalty - and it would still be plenty strong.
Missile Cruisers can also start with the standard range of 1, but get the Range promotion as a starter.
Frigates are pretty awesome at taking coastal cities by swooping in in large numbers and swooping out after they take their shot. Because they can move after attacking, with proper positioning a coastal city with only 1 shore tile is basically just as vulnerable as a city with 4 shore tiles. Enemy cities fall quickly regardless of which promotion tree is taken; moreover in Sea battles themselves, it's not obvious that the AI knows how to capitalize on or handle a meat shield of melee ships protecting a horde of ranged ones. And that's just Frigate commentary.
Come Cruisers, the elements multiply seemingly exponentially in Cruisers' favour to make them own even more badly.
1. An additional range ensures that in Sea battles, Cruisers can always stay behind the meat shield no matter what. The power behind the "boarded" perk simply fades away because of this.
2. An indiscriminate slaughter of in-land units that otherwise would make coastal invasion potentially unfeasible, but moreover, makes bringing land units along almost completely unnecessary. (I'll bring one Gatling Gun to out in the city, and the Cruisers can handle basically everything else - if using Frigates, you *need* land support to hold it.)
3. Setting aside the fact that city damage doesn't inflict nearly enough harm on Cruisers to matter either individually or on a fleet scale, Cruisers have enough movement (*especially* with Sea movement bonuses of various kinds, that a human player can easily exploit) to move in, shoot, and avoid even an *Arsenal* in it's entirety, taking no damage at all and engaging the city with impunity.
The only mitigating factor to any of this is a Mine Field - but it comes late relative to when Cruisers arrive on the scene, and I haven't noticed an AI build one yet anyways. Even so, the worst this would even cause against a Cruiser fleet would be to ensure that Cruisers stay in range of the city to receive the city's sub-par damage, which isn't a meaningful improvement.
I do realize that this is the era of the Artillery, but the AI scarcely knows how to populate the coast with these, not that I think it would change much anyways, as you'd need a perfect combination of a Mine Field and lots of Artillery to be able to down Cruisers in any meaningful number, bearing in mind that the Cruisers are always going to have the first shot.
Suffice it to say: I want to straight-forwardly suggest that Cruisers be reduced to 1 Range (with no possibility of a Range promotion). It is beyond unnecessary and they are plenty good without the promotion.
Come Battleships, when long-ranged Artillery, Arsenals, and Mine Fields are common, I'd suggest that the Ranged promotion be something that is available (from both sides of the promotion tree), but still no starting range of 2. That way the standard will be there, but it both needs to be earned and comes with a 20% penalty - and it would still be plenty strong.
Missile Cruisers can also start with the standard range of 1, but get the Range promotion as a starter.