Modern Unit Upgrades Brainstorm/Discussion

[Cole98]

I have found that Civ 4 has always had an odd unit progression in the late stages of the game. It has gaps that are understandable with a one unit per era (1UPE) approach but it appears to also rely to heavily on the names of military formations when forming the logic of the upgrades as opposed to the roles they filled. That carries over into RFC and DOC, understandably so given the 1UPE design.

For example:

Rifleman -> Infantry -> Mechanized Infantry

Based on the names of the units it makes sense, however mechanized infantry seems to take the place of mobile infantry in the progression. I'm using "mobile infantry" to describe infantry that are transported by APC or car but dismount when in combat. Going by the unit art, in Civ 3 and 4 the Bradley IFV while in 5 the LAV III/25, it should really be the modern upgrade of the mounted unit progression. Of course this would displace the Gunship. Additionally the Tank and MBT can be linked to the cavalry tree - many cavalry services were reorganized into armoured branches.

I might make this a module modmod but I am interested to see what the general thoughts are.

 

[Leoreth]

I think you forgot to explicitly state what the main point of your argument is. I think I can infer it but let's start this properly.

 

[Cole98]

Apologies, the idea is that industrial and global era units upgrade to units that filled their place within the organization and doctrines of military services. I get ahead of myself sometimes.

 

[Cole98]

I've been trying to work out how to shift around units and tech.
My first idea is a slight rework.
Paratroopers can upgrade with satellites and aerodynamics to a modern variant (Airborne if we want to avoid the 'Modern (unit)' scheme)

Move Marines forward to telecommunications, for their global era predecessor Expedetionary Forces would be unlocked with logistics.
Following this global/digital split infantry can go Trench to Mobile infantry.

The art for this is already defined in VD.
However if this is too quick of an upgrade period these upgrades can be simulated visually by adding a fourth unit era art define.

 

[trevor]

Is this necessary though?

Before I get to that point, let's talk about what the gunpowder units represent in historical developments:
Arquebusier: match-lit, ranged support in the age of shot & pike
Musketeer: flintlock, primary field unit that fights in formation
Grenadier: grenades, assault support troops for breaching fortified positions (includes pioneers & sappers)
Rifleman: percussion-cap, fire & maneuver aided by railroads
Infantry: (internal) clip fed bolt-action or semi-auto, combined arms with armor & artillery
Marine: assault rifles, specialized amphibious training
Paratrooper: assault rifles, specialized airborne training
Mech Infantry: assault rifles, can fight dismounted or in IFV/APCs

With Infantry at 20 (only 4 less compared to Marine & Para) I picture them as representing WW1 era troops all the way through to assault rifle armed troops in the 1950s (in terms of tactics & battlefield role). Mech Infantry on the other hand represent the major shift in tactics when those same troops were made mobile (& can fight in that vehicle). In gameplay terms, I see that most civs, prior to unlocking Mech Infantry, upgrade Infantry to Marine. Likewise it's rare in the games I play all the way to the end for there to be any Infantry units around to be upgraded to Mech. If anything, it's the spare Machine Gun units hanging around that'll get upgraded which makes sense if you think of them as branching off into something of a 'light infantry' line with Marine/Para & a 'heavy infantry' line with Mech Inf & Mobile SAM.

Given that, maybe there's a place for a final upgrade catch-all kind of unit for all non-oil infantry units that starts with 'Amphibious' & can paradrop that comes very late in the tech tree ("Light Infantry," strength 28, Satellites?) but again, is it necessary? What do you get from this that one doesn't already get from building a Marine?

 

[Cole98]

Honestly not really but it's a thought. As I said a fourth era art define can simulate this and would honestly be better since balancing isn't required BUT that requires a DLL change.