Knights and Longbowmen

[Ambassador]

I don't know if anybody has suggested this before and what counterarguments have been brought forward, but why don't we swap Knights with Longbowmen in terms of techs. Feudalism -> knights, Guilds -> Longbowmen.
What's perplexing me is how late the knights come into play, just before the Pikemen, which kinf of obsoletes them. To have them available sooner would be more in accordance with history (the knight being the mightiest unit until the late Middle Ages). Also, Feudalism and its companion Vassalage suits the Knight idea better than the Longbowman. Guilds, with its emphasis on the emerging merchant class is better represented by the increasing significance of peasant, non-aristocratic infantry.

Now concerning balancing questions vis-à-vis archers, axemen, spearmen ... maybe the knight could be tuned down a bit, to a unit strength of 9 instead of present 10. (or keep like it is).

What do you think?

 

[AnotherPacifist]

The problem is still nothing beats the knight in open field until pikes (engineering) and city defense with spearmen still loses sometimes with 50% walls. If you decrease knights to 8 strength (like elephants) that might work, also gives more incentive to upgrade to curassiers. Also, as in the battle of Crecy, give longbows (still 6 strength) a 50% against knights. Camel archers would probably still need strength 9.

 

[Ogrelord]

I think the Knights Templar, Teutonic Knights, and Knights Hospitalier goes well with Guilds, as they were all an Order. The various Order of the Knights were not only heavy armored and mounted warriors but also a financial powerhouses. After all, one can say they developed modern banking. Iirc, Banking comes right after Guilds in the Tech Tree.

 

[Zdarg]

I am happy with knights as is. They are good for conquering New World and for defending it from natives, that's all I care for.

 

[Malchar]

I think the Knights Templar, Teutonic Knights, and Knights Hospitalier goes well with Guilds, as they were all an Order. The various Order of the Knights were not only heavy armored and mounted warriors but also a financial powerhouses. After all, one can say they developed modern banking. Iirc, Banking comes right after Guilds in the Tech Tree.

One could make knights come early at strength 8 and then give them +2 strength when guilds is researched. Not sure if that is actually possible in-game. Otherwise, it could just be a different unit that replaces the original knights.