Mandatory unit retirement or upgrade

[Polisurgist]

It's a matter of different mentalities. Some people prefer that a game be played like it was essentially Chess: Abstract pieces on an abstract board. While others prefer a game to be closer to a RPG, to a fair extent mirroring "Reality". Is one group Right while the other group is Wrong? Or are they simply Different? (As in, "Different strokes for different folks.")

I don't think the difference between realism and abstraction has a lot to do with this at all. You cited something you do, which is already a bad idea, and then said you'd like it better if the game forced you to do something else.

 

[CaptainPatch]

You cited something you do, which is already a bad idea, and then said you'd like it better if the game forced you to do something else.

Is there an "in my opinion" in there somewhere, or are you speaking in absolutes? As in, "It's a Bad Idea. Period. End of story."

I don't see "How much would it screw up game balance if players were required to upgrade or disband units that were two eras behind the current era?" as my saying that this would absolutely be a Good Idea. Rather, I was thinking, this might be a Good Idea, but I wanted to see what others might have to say on the subject.

As a game, leaving the mechanism stand as it is literally doesn't change anything. It is as it was. It's no more unrealistic or unreasonable than saying bishops move diagonally in a game of Chess. But as a game that is at least somewhat modeled on Historical Reality, the idea would move the mechanism a tad toward that Historical Reality. Would it unbalance the game? I don't think so as ALL of the players would be working under the restrictions of the altered mechanic. What it would do is that it would occasionally reduce the players' Military Power, either by requiring an expenditure of funds to do upgrades, or by being required to disband an obsolete unit. Understandably, players do NOT like to have their Military Power reduced. But then again, do they like having to do a large number of other upgrades, just to stay competitive with the other players?

 

[isau]

If it's unrealistic couldn't you just disband the unit yourself? It's already an abstraction that they stick around. Anyway it's not that unusual for a few civs to lag way behind the others and have antiquated units.

 

[kojax]

I think you're taking the concept of an archer or crossbow too literally.

GUERILLA fighters in Afghanistan might use ak-47 rifles, but they essentially fight with the tactics of an older age. Maybe a modern "crossbowman" would be holding the fuse on a IED instaed of the triggefr on a xbow?


Anyway that's how I envision older armies in the game. Just ramshakl, ill equipped moden armies with out dated training.

 

[Dralix]

as a game that is at least somewhat modeled on Historical Reality

In my opinion ... saying Civ is modeled on historical reality is a bit of a stretch. Dating back to Civ I, from the moment a game starts, there is very little resemblance to historical reality. It's a game that borrows ideas and concepts from real life. At best, I'd call it historical alternate reality.

Would it unbalance the game?

Rather than asking if it would unbalance the game, I choose to ask if it would improve the game. To that I say, "No. Period. End of story." I don't want an expiration date on my units.

 

[CaptainPatch]

I don't want an expiration date on my units.

Which I acknowledged by saying, " Understandably, players do NOT like to have their Military Power reduced."

Are there NO other elements in the game as it is now that you feel this passionately about? Things that are there, that you wish weren't included?

 

[Peng Qi]

I think you're taking the concept of an archer or crossbow too literally.

GUERILLA fighters in Afghanistan might use ak-47 rifles, but they essentially fight with the tactics of an older age. Maybe a modern "crossbowman" would be holding the fuse on a IED instaed of the triggefr on a xbow?


Anyway that's how I envision older armies in the game. Just ramshakl, ill equipped moden armies with out dated training.

Yep, that's how I always imagined it too. I always thought it would be fun if the Barbarian Galley unit would have its art replaced with a Pontoon Boat pirate once the atomic era kicks in.

 

[Dralix]

Are there NO other elements in the game as it is now that you feel this passionately about? Things that are there, that you wish weren't included?

There are a few things in the game I wish were not. But nothing that I'm as passionate about as you seem to be on the realism aspect.