Make units more customizable/upgradeable.

[Raneman]

With stacks of doom gone, we're gonna need some way to make this unit we made out of iron or whatever SPECIAL. So, why not equip the unit with abilities, possibly taken from what materials you have access to.

 

[Jarlaxe Baenre]

You mean, like, using your uranium to make the soldier radioactive?

 

[mariogreymist]

I think technology could be a better answer than resources. Just create a couple of purely dead-end military techs for each era which give bonuses to particular units. A "Tower Shield" research (reqs archery/bw) for the ancient period allows units to get cover for any melee unit built in a town with a barracks, for example while "plate armor" (reqs MC) could be similar for shock during the classical period. Making these complete dead ends would also decrease the disadvantage of isolation. (an isolated civ wouldn't need these promos)

 

[Camikaze]

With limited iron based units available due to the one unit per resource rule, they're going to be balanced by being more powerful, you would suspect, anyway. So there really shouldn't be a need to make them particularly 'special' through customisation or upgrades (what I assume would be like promotions).

 

[civ_king]

I think technology could be a better answer than resources. Just create a couple of purely dead-end military techs for each era which give bonuses to particular units. A "Tower Shield" research (reqs archery/bw) for the ancient period allows units to get cover for any melee unit built in a town with a barracks, for example while "plate armor" (reqs MC) could be similar for shock during the classical period. Making these complete dead ends would also decrease the disadvantage of isolation. (an isolated civ wouldn't need these promos)

Plate Armor is awesome, what would be the disadvantage?