When I decided to implement an upgrade to the Crossbow, I did quite a bit of research into the various equivalents of the late renaissance period.
Machine gun's original inception had them hitting at ranges just under cannon shot, and pretty much used as an alternative light(er) artillery. My original idea was to have them attacking twice a turn, but that was a little unbalanced with how upgrades carry promotions forward in this game, though I like the concept.
I thought about having early//industrial/modern machine gun units, but realistically, by modern every squad comes equipped with a machine gun, so that plus the lack of room for multiple machine gun units I decided to upgrade along the lines of the light artillery concept.
Grenediers were much shorter range than a machine gun equivalent unit and they eventually came to be mounted. While I would like the sound of a Grenadier for the position, it wouldn't quite fit historically.
Cannon damage needs lowered further?
Cavalry have always been mounted, why would they be melee?
Dragoons could be a light cavalry unit, which I wouldn't mind introducing on on the side if I can fit it in sometime. They are really not much more than precursors to cavalry though, and cavalry units generally kept the dragoon moniker after they became cavalry.
The mounted pikeman concept of dragoons sounds fun, but I don't think there is room for it between the knight and cavalry.
Some of these concepts such as grenadier and dragoon would make perfect dead end techs where you get a stronger unit in an era if you want to go through the trouble to get it. So they would be little dead end techs with a special unit, which of course would still upgrade once it came time.
One of my favorite parts of CtP was playing the game with an End Era set. These dead end techs with special units would enhance this even further since at the end of medieval for instance you might get a dragoon and even grenadier which would be great since you wouldn't be progressing into renaissance. On the other hand, if the game does progress into renaissance, then the amount of time you get with those special units is very short and they feel kind of wasted. So games that are focused on ending in a specific era are where these types of units will shine the most, though you could still go for them in the full game.
Anyway, I appreciate the ideas. If you really feel those units should be changed, I can always be convinced.
I will most likely be adding in the Grenadier and Dragoon eventually, and at some point I may also change up the light artillery unit line.
