Poor lost Knights and Pikemen! (underused units)

[Smakemupagus]

I know there's a whole thread for feedback the tech tree, but I'm a little intimidated by the in-depth and intelligent analysis going on over there! So I'll start a simple thread for my simple feedback

Edit: Haha, I rambled on for like three paragraphs, but this is pretty much the whole point.

* Switch tech requirement of Knights with War Chariots.
* Switch tech requirement of Pikes with Maces.

long version:

Spoiler :

First issue, knights come quite late, and they have no particularly good specials to make them fill any niche. Most confusingly they are on a dead end tech, and come AFTER a unit which is superior in every way. (By contrast camel archers also come after war chariots, but at least have no resource requirement and higher withdrawal.) Despite being pretty ho-hum, they're a limited national unit.

Pikemen, just come too late to counter any midgame cavalry. But also, it's strange that they come after the (generally more desirable) macemen, on a tech that's not deadend but kind of a placeholder.

Suggestions in no particular order:

1a) Make Knights the ones on the main path (just straight up switch them with War Chariots.)
1b) Remove national unit limit on Knights, or increase the allowance.

If both 1a and 1b, maybe adjust their strength down just a little, now that they're mid game.

2a) Keep Knights where they are, but improve them. Death knights are cool. Give some other civs' knights similar magic abilities.
2b) Give the default knight *something*. Suggestion, +% vs. melee. Aren't knights shock troops? Knight-Pike would be a wash, and Knight-Mace would be a win.

----

Okay, Pikes.

1) Switch position of pikes and macemen, giving both more reason to build some pikes, and more incentive to research Whatever That Tech Is that reveals mithril.

Hmm, actually that's it. Except also, I think it's kind of strange that there are no "Spearmen" on similar tier to axes. Say str 4, no abilities, no resources, 50 hammers, upgrades to pike.

Does anyone feel there are there any other underused units floating out there? Cannons?

cheers!
-smak

 

[Maniac]

The Rise of Mania mod hopes to address these concerns. In case you'd be interested in trying it out, I'd love to hear your feedback.

 

[Smakemupagus]

The Rise of Mania mod hopes to address these concerns. In case you'd be interested in trying it out, I'd love to hear your feedback.

Oh! Look at that! Sounds great, I'll give it a try next game.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

Maybe we could do something unique with knights and such. Like formations, similar to ship crews.
Or even just removing/combining one expensive tech from the cav line might work.

 

[loki1232]

I was thinking that knights could choose between the light/heavy promotions whenever they were in cities. (or at least cities with stables)

 

[Gamestation]

What is it about the knight that prevents the design team from doing something like increasing the knight's base strength to 14 and then increase the war elephant's base strength to 16?