Is the instant heal "promotion" overpowered?

[Brawndo]

From the several warmonger-focused games I've played, I think it is. This promotion favors the attacker, because you can "save" it for key moments when your units are at 1-3 HP, instead of pulling back to heal and slow down the offensive. Too many times I just popped the promotion on my turn and finished off a damaged enemy unit that just dealt -7 to me the previous turn in closely contested combat.

IMO this promotion should be removed altogether in favor of healing a smaller percentage of total HP upon any other promotion, like in Civ 4. Alternatives to getting rid of it completely are:

1.) limiting its use to friendly or neutral territory (to simulate supply routes - it's harder to reinforce in enemy territory)
2.) reduce the HP healed when near enemy units (this was used in Panzer General - units would only reinforce to 8/10 instead of 10/10 when enemy units were next to them)

 

[Buccaneer]

Yes, I believe it makes attacking even more one-sided. As long as you don't run into anything that much more powerful (doubtful with this combat AI), you can fully heal every two turns and be invincible.

 

[gunter]

Nope IMO because it happens only when a promotion occurs and you loose the chance of getting a real promotion.

I have anyway never seen an AI unit getting instantly healed

 

[Brawndo]

Nope IMO because it happens only when a promotion occurs and you loose the chance of getting a real promotion.

I have anyway never seen an AI unit getting instantly healed

It happens quite frequently if you actually let the AI take the offensive - I didn't see it much when I was in their territory though. Trust me, it's pretty annoying when you've bombarded a Rifleman down to 1HP on your turn, then they insta-heal and demolish your city.

 

[gunter]

It happens quite frequently if you actually let the AI take the offensive - I didn't see it much when I was in their territory though. Trust me, it's pretty annoying when you've bombarded a Rifleman down to 1HP on your turn, then they insta-heal and demolish your city.

I can trust you

I tend anyway to prevent the AI from attacking first ( on Prince )

 

[crontab]

I've used strategic insta-heals to take over many cities, usually before my cumbersome artillery arrives. And not with a huge army... just with a spearman and a knight. I dunno, maybe cities deserve to fall if they're relying only on themselves for defense.

Plus I don't feel like I'm losing anything by taking the insta-heal over the 20% in rough terrain or whatever. (At least, not until the second promotion.)

 

[Thormodr]

It is pretty powerful and I've used it to great effect many times.

It almost makes it too easy in my opinion. Especially with double experience.

After 2 rounds of smashing on a city and being hit back a little you are usually good to get promoted again. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Tylerryan79]

It is, but it isnt at the same time. Your missing out on a promotion, and making ur unit more specialized. However the game can be so easy that with the honor tree you dont really need any promotions, and instant heal can give you that final push to victory. I use mainly if I plan on a conquest, meaning the game will be shorter too, and I wont really need promotions. I dont use it if I plan on playing a longer game and I want better units. Even when thats the case I still use it to save a unit if I must.

 

[Becephalus]

I don't think it has a place in the game. It is too easy to exploit and detracts from the normal promotions.

At the very least you shouldn't be able to save promotions and should have to use them immediately. Ditto Policies...

The more power the players have the harder it is going to be to make a competent AI.

 

[Buccaneer]

I think it has a place in the game but only as a higher level promotion, like Medic IV.

 

[Oddible]

I almost never use it. In late game when you're up against a bunch of promoted units and you've insta healed all yours you'll get wiped out quick. The AI often uses it on naval units.

 

[Brawndo]

It is pretty powerful and I've used it to great effect many times.

It almost makes it too easy in my opinion. Especially with double experience.

After 2 rounds of smashing on a city and being hit back a little you are usually good to get promoted again. Rinse and repeat.

Yup. I find it hard for a city to 1v1 most units past the medieval ages (not that they should be unprotected, mind you)

 

[sarah_aus]

its good and its bad. i'll purposely push my wounded units into battle because i know that i will get a heal promotion and get one more tun at full power to target my enemy.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

It might be interesting if cities could get experience... and get this promotion only.

 

[Esckey]

It would be perfect if it healed 5HP and not a full 10Hp

5 puts you back into the fight but still not 100%(chances are that is)

 

[ridge]

From the several warmonger-focused games I've played, I think it is. This promotion favors the attacker, because you can "save" it for key moments when your units are at 1-3 HP, instead of pulling back to heal and slow down the offensive. Too many times I just popped the promotion on my turn and finished off a damaged enemy unit that just dealt -7 to me the previous turn in closely contested combat.

IMO this promotion should be removed altogether in favor of healing a smaller percentage of total HP upon any other promotion, like in Civ 4. Alternatives to getting rid of it completely are:

1.) limiting its use to friendly or neutral territory (to simulate supply routes - it's harder to reinforce in enemy territory)
2.) reduce the HP healed when near enemy units (this was used in Panzer General - units would only reinforce to 8/10 instead of 10/10 when enemy units were next to them)

Yes. The expansion will have crafting and we can make healing potions too.

 

[effexop]

You miss a promotion, but you keep one unit alive. And in this game one unit is not little.

Getting back to full health is just too much. Just leave a wounded guy in one hill. The city will bombard ot. It will take little damage, and heal a hp. You get XP to eventually heal yourself. And then you can just maul everything.

 

[SewerStarFish]

I think it's nice. You know the unit will pay later if you use it instead of a promotion; but it gives you the option to salvage the unit. You bring up its use for a warmonger but it's also a godsend for the peacemonger (can you monger peace?). Outnumbered and out promoted it can save a city.

In and I would get so frustrated at the beat down some of my uber promoted units would face. It got to the point I wouldn't attach a general to a unit because I'd get so pissed that a unit that was nearing an upper end promotion died on one of those 95% attacks -- it was a fun killer.

I say keep the instant heal.

 

[Earthling]

Most of the promotions are pretty poorly balanced/designed. This isn't particularly worse - a partial fix would be requiring that you promote a unit whenver you get a promotion, but that doesn't solve everything- rethinking the whole system is necessary.

One encouraging idea is bringing in some sort of peaceful "training" that lets a unit gain xp over time while garrisoned. As they've purposefully made only one garrison unit per city with other rules of the unit/combat system, it fits in better than ever before (this was in previous civ mods and pretty fun but the transition to the main game could be rough, however that part really helps). So then initial promos from buildings, the ability to build a building to train units perhaps, and reducing the metagame of xp and promos on the battlefield so much would really help. (as it stands a huge amount of experience is always gained, everywhere, just from fights out during war - that balance could be changed)

 

[Hrundi]

On paper it seems balanced because you're losing out in the long run. In reality it lets you make an even bigger fool of the AI.