Improving the Explorer

[Leif Roar]

While reading the latest "most useless unit" thread, I got thinking about how the much maligned Explorer could be improved while still keeping it as an explorer and not a military unit. Here's what I came up with:

Suggestion 1: Let it start with Sentry rather than Guerilla I and Woodsman I. This will make it useful as a spotter unit (although will also serve to cement its role as M.A.S.H Field Hospital.)

Suggestion 2: Let it start with Guerilla I and Woodsman I as now and allow it to attack barbarians (but not units from other civilizations.) This will allow it to pop guarded goody huts and to gather experience. Finally, give them an upgrade path towards some kind of Special Forces unit. Say, by way of Skirmishers (Available at rifling, gunpowder unit, strength 12, 25% base withdrawal chance, can't attack cities,) Guerilla (Strength 18, 2 moves, 25% base withdrawal, can pillage and move in the same turn, can not attack city) and finally Special Forces (Strength 30, 2 moves, 25% base withdrawal, starts with ambush and commando, can not attack cities.) All stats are for illustration purposes only. No resemblance to actual workable game stats, bugged or patched, intended.

Suggestion 3: If you're running Theocracy, explorers can be used as slightly inferior missionaries (say, with 80% of a missionary's probability for introducing a religion, or at 120% the cost in spy points.) Likewise, if you're running Police State, they can Sabotage Improvement and Sabotage Building as a slightly inferior spy. If you're running Mercantilism they can Steal Treasury; If you're running Free Speech they can Spread Culture. Use as a missionary consumes the unit, use as a spy will either destroy it or return it to the capital.

 

[kazapp]

Isn't there another thread that starts out almost exactly like yours?

Anyway...

Suggestion 4: Let a stationary Explorer generate culture at the same rate as a newly-founded city of yours would. Only that zero culture means a 1x1 "city" cross, 30 culture means a five square cross, and only at 300 culture do you get the usual 3x3 city cross (the maximum).

If you move the explorer, or it is killed, the culture goes away permanently. However, an enemy civ would still have to DOW you to be able to enter your borders in order to kill you.

I dislike Suggestion 1 because of the reason you give - I have no problems with adding a new unit like that called "Medic" (with appropriate graphics), but I believe the Explorer should be actively discouraged from being used in that role. So remove the ability for Explorers to get Medic promotions when you implement the chosen suggestion!

Suggestion 2: A bit too complex. And it's too weak to attack barbs anyway. It is its exploratory (and thus land grabbing) aspects that needs boostin'!

Suggestion 3: Not too shabby, but I'm not sure the changes are worth the fuss. Basically, it makes it harder to easily answer the simple question "for what use is the Explorer?"

 

[Smeee]

The only thing you could usefully do with an explorer is upgrade them to a spy.

 

[gunter]

Mine sooner or later despiting promotions always downgrade to " food " unit.

 

[LDG]

Here's one thread that already took a whack at possible improvements to the Explorer:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=243995

discussion starts with (my) post #2 and continues for a couple pages in with other suggested changes.

Krikkitone, in another thread starting around post #13, suggests an alternative but similar upgrade possibility:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=244935

hope this helps.

 

[Osama Bin Davis]

The only thing you could usefully do with an explorer is upgrade them to a spy.

The only thing that would make them useful is making larger maps.

 

[DrJambo]

The explorer's a dud unit. Firaxis would be better off using the space for something more useful. With the inclusion of the spy, the explorer's role is even more redundant...

 

[seasnake]

I have explorers promote to Airships. I also have Airships with longer ranging, limited bombing and no more airstrike. Airships also now promote to Bombers, as there is a new biplane that promotes to fighter.
Explorers are now pretty ok, allows the scout unit to upgrade all the way to Stealth Bomber.
Of course, if you want, you can keep the medic I promo, not upgrade the explorer and use it as a doctor. I just like being able to upgrade it.

 

[St. Augustine]

i think the real dirt here is that most players want a unit with the ability to extend or create a sphere of influence outside of their cultural borders.
i think the best way or maybe intriguing way to do this is to keep the explorer as is however, give them the ability to "build" a settlement, colony, 7-11, whatever type of thing that begins to exert culture - that would be sweet.
much like the colony of ages past this would allow the explorer to "explore" yet be expended if a great local were to be found due to the exploration.
at the same time those pesky caravels would be better than a missionary transport during it's peak.
historically this would be accurate as well - explorers always establish an outpost or get stopmed by the natives of course.

 

[Kevin J]

I modded explorers in my game - gave them sentry AND allowed them to attack, although not to pillage.

It hasn't disrupted the game, but it has made it useful, although still in a limited way.

 

[weasel77066]

i think the real dirt here is that most players want a unit with the ability to extend or create a sphere of influence outside of their cultural borders.
i think the best way or maybe intriguing way to do this is to keep the explorer as is however, give them the ability to "build" a settlement, colony, 7-11, whatever type of thing that begins to exert culture - that would be sweet.
much like the colony of ages past this would allow the explorer to "explore" yet be expended if a great local were to be found due to the exploration.
at the same time those pesky caravels would be better than a missionary transport during it's peak.
historically this would be accurate as well - explorers always establish an outpost or get stopmed by the natives of course.

Yea I like this idea. Its been talked about quite a bit. Perhaps to "spend" the explorer in the place you want, then it builds an outpost (or whatever)... Something physical that is permanently there , unless captured. It creates 1 culture a turn and is undefended by itself. You must have troops there to defend it now.

That would be like staking out, or claiming territory. Disputes in claims would lead to war. Perhaps the modder could include a variation that includes the ability to sell the claim.

Beats the hell out of me. Explorers have little use now. Surely something can be done to improve.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

I haven't been loud enough about this issue, I see.

Okay. Listen up, everyone.

THE EXPLORER IS GREAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST MEDIC IN THE GAME. IT MOVES FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH ANY ARMY, FORESTS AND HILLS DON'T SLOW IT DOWN, AND IT'S TOO WEAK TO BE CALLED UPON TO DEFEND A STACK AND GET KILLED.

THESE "EXPLORERS SUCK" THREADS ARE ********.

MORE ******** THAN ALL THE HRE, POLAND, HITLER, AND OTTOMAN/TURKS THREADS PUT TOGETHER.

YES, THAT ********.

EXPLORERS DO NOT NEED A BUFF. MEDICS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND BEING AWESOME AT THAT JOB IS, ALONE, ENOUGH TO MAKE A UNIT GREAT.

 

[Angst]

^^Ehh...

On topic: He could ignore enemy borders?

 

[troytheface]

Mr shout man up there sure likes his medic idea. Only problem is one would think a unit titled "explorer" would be used to find new land or civilizations ect. as oppossed to administering to the sick.

I would suggest explorers should be allowed to explore ice tiles and if your lucky you find a northwest passage or resources. Perhaps if they had a race for the poles, like the Holy Mountain quest, it would add some interest.

Or how about the first explorerer to find a civ on another continent gets an automatic trade benefit.

As it stands now tho, it is, and was- as in Civ3 -a notoriously useless unit. Except for Civ3's conquistidor which was a great graphic and a fun unit to use. (and i am sure someone has suggested that they should upgrade to a guerilla unit, that can use enemy roads- a bit weaker than infantry)

Or here's a fiendish idea...they upgrade to "Astronaut (west) or Cosmonaut (east)
and you have to have one to launch the space ship.

 

[Powerslave]

I sort of like the idea of an Explorer that can ignore enemy borders. The Spanish conquistadors and explorers certainly didn't care much for open border agreements. On the other hand, you can simply declare war and achieve the same thing.

Maybe they could be given +100% defense against barbarians. That would actually give them an excellent chance of surviving barbarian longbowmen and macemen in Terra games, while not changing them substantially. I'd also consider giving them the ability to attack, so that they could kill barbarians guarding a goody hut. I understand this is a popular mod.

As far as more revolutionary changes go, I like the idea of making them upgrade to airships or astronauts. I've always thought the idea of launching a space shuttle without Flight was rather funny. Exactly how do they take off? In this case, maybe an astronaut could be introduced with Advanced Flight. I guess this doesn't really do much except introduce another useless unit, though.

I think the main problem is that any unit can explore. What makes an Explorer any better?

 

[Leif Roar]

THE EXPLORER IS GREAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST MEDIC IN THE GAME.

Yes, we know -- but that's a very narrow role that can be performed almost as well by regular military units, and it's non-thematic for a unit named "Explorer."

The main problem is that by the time explorers normally enters the game, there's not a whole lot left for them to explore (plus, again, that regular, earlier military units can performed the same role almost as well.) Come to think of it, they don't so much need improvements as something to do; something related to exploration.

What if mid- and late-game resources (say, anything that requires Calendar or later techs to use) were only revealed if they're inside your cultural borders or if they're spotted by an explorer? Mind, it could be a pain to remember where you'd explored.

 

[MrCynical]

@Big Text Guy: Snag is that just about any other unit can do the medic job just as well (outdated mounted units most obviously). The terrain bonuses aren't relevant for the simple reason that an effective SoD is only going to be moving one tile per turn in enemy territory anyway. It also, as others have pointed out, makes absolutely no sense to have a unit called "explorer" whose sole useful function is to be a medic