Promotions in Civ 5

[Perfxion]

How do you think that Promotions would in Civ 5.


My hope, promotions are used to upgrade units into specialist. To go for a visual style of Civ Revolution to make it easy to tell what units are promoted to what level.

For instance, use Infranty as the base unit. Gain interception and turns into a SAM unit. Gain ambush, and turns into anti-armor unit. Add mobility and turns into mechanized infantry. Woodsman, Arctic, Dessert, all get visual upgrades to show they are units for these locations.

Same for tanks/planes/melee/archers/ships.

 

[bonafide11]

That's actually a good idea (which is rare in these forums, in my opinion). SAM Infantry doesn't need to be a separate unit than infantry, it should just be infantry with an interception promotion, but it should also make the unit look different.

 

[Abremms]

i was thinking that since units are now represented by a large number of soldiers, promaotions could show up as specialists within the ranks. not necessarily converting the whole unit, but like a mobility upgrade could turn a couple of the infantrymen into a hummer, ambush upgrade would give one of them an anti-tank rocket ect.

 

[Loppan Torkel]

How would these promotions be gained? Would you be out of SAMs if you were a peaceful civ? It could be nice if you had the possibility to upgrade the units for money when the tech has been researched.

I didn't like the promotions in civ4 but with fewer and more important units it could be ok.

 

[Perfxion]

I would also think combat 1-6 be done away with. Whats the point in adding a percent to a base when the new wars will be about field position and tactics. Rather than needing useless combat III to get blitz. start specializing in a branch to get a better specialist. It makes more sense to need woodsman one, for a basic promotion. Woodsman two to see the visual change to see this is a jungle/forrest specialist. Woodsman three for added bonus.

Likewise if I have a medic unit healing others near by, I rather have a red cross medic patch on the uniform to make it easier since EVERY unit will be seen at once.

Plus it would make it easier for civ-doves to get specialist up certain paths without having to war so much. Plus if its just cities you are protecting, then build the SAM battery buildings to protect against planes.

 

[cybrxkhan]

I think having a smaller number of promotions would be good. I was kind of frustrated how it took me several promotions just to be able to 'teach' a unit how to use enemy roads or cross a river properly. Perhaps there could be a smaller amount of promotions, but maybe make them a bit harder to get. That way, units will be a lot more specialized.

 

[Greizer85]

Visual promotions, now these are a must with one unit/hex. All promotions and even their levels should be readily discernible from a single glance imo. Basically all the info pertaining to the unit; hp, fortification, etc (ofc the interface would still show the exact numbers).

As for the promotion trees, I too think the promotions should be distinct (SAM, Anti-Tank, Para etc), with a few general ones (like March and Commando). So you can't make an air-dropping anti-tank unit, but you can make either one with e.g. March promo.
Ofc there will need to be new promotions, too. Infiltration maybe: you can appear one hex beyond the enemy front lines. Make it cost a lot of xp and make the base unit fairly weak to balance it.

On the base units: there could be relatively few of these (so as not to clutter up the build list) and they could be fleshed out with promotions (that are unlocked with certain techs ofc).

Edit: the base promotions could be cash-buyable. Or not: if you don't invest in a military, then you won't have much of one. Makes sense to me... Although bazookas are not exactly rocket science to use.
Well ok sort of, but you get point. ...Of the example, not the explosive. The argument, not the armament. Ok, I'll stop now with the guns, the puns I mean. Both of them. Anyway, I'm sure they can find the right triggers for these promos at Fireaxis. ...There I go again. Oh well, it's better to fling words than stones I guess. I'd rather someone marked my words than marked me as a target. ...I have too much free time, guilty as charged sir. With explosives...

 

[Perfxion]

Good point on march, commando, amphibious, tactics, and leadership being universal. What do you think they will do about City Raiders/City Garrison? Those are almost useless from the new combat system. But offense/defensive promotions need to be had for a trench warfare system.

 

[Double A]

Maybe a tree? Like if you get defender instead of offensive, then you can choose between another Guerrilla warfare bonus or a city defense bonus.

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

Well if other elements of the combat system are anything to go on, then promotions might work similarly to how they worked in People's General (a far *superior* version of Panzer General IMHO). Their promotion system was definitely based on specialization, which is largely how I felt Civ4's promotion system worked!

Aussie.

 

[Tavdy79]

Visual promotions, now these are a must with one unit/hex. All promotions and even their levels should be readily discernible from a single glance imo. Basically all the info pertaining to the unit; hp, fortification, etc (ofc the interface would still show the exact numbers).

As for the promotion trees, I too think the promotions should be distinct (SAM, Anti-Tank, Para etc), with a few general ones (like March and Commando). So you can't make an air-dropping anti-tank unit, but you can make either one with e.g. March promo.
Ofc there will need to be new promotions, too. Infiltration maybe: you can appear one hex beyond the enemy front lines. Make it cost a lot of xp and make the base unit fairly weak to balance it.

On the base units: there could be relatively few of these (so as not to clutter up the build list) and they could be fleshed out with promotions (that are unlocked with certain techs ofc).

Edit: the base promotions could be cash-buyable. Or not: if you don't invest in a military, then you won't have much of one. Makes sense to me... Although bazookas are not exactly rocket science to use.

That sounds very similar to the way units were constructed on SMAC/SMAC:AC - and IMO that's great! There's no reason why Civ V couldn't have constructable units - i.e. "warrior" is the basic unit, and you can upgrade the weapon used, and you can invest in training that gives the unit a specialism. The graphics for the unit change depending upon the weapon & training it has, and you could have a limit of three "specialist" training upgrades.

E.g. basic warrior unit, equipped with an M40 sniper's rifle, and give it Infiltration & Accuracy training upgrades - voila! You have a sniper. "Accuracy" could allow it to target specific individuals within an enemy unit, allowing you to kill off specific advantages that unit has - e.g. you could kill the medic, but leave the unit otherwise untouched.

Likewise, a warrior unit with no special equipment but Infiltration & Advanced Combat training - an ideal spy or (if you give it a weapon) special forces agent. The Advanced Combat training could allow the unit to pick up & use equipment from any enemy it destroys, so it could get equipment upgrades as it goes along, however not having a weapon would allow it to remain invisible to enemy AI.

A warrior unit with the era's basic weapon plus Amphibious Assault & Advanced Combat training - you have a marine. The oldest modern marine corps date to the 16th and 17th centuries (Spain in 1537, Portugal in 1621, France in 1622, England in 1664) and the Ushkuiniks, a group of Vikings who date back a thousand years, were marines in practice if not in fact, so "Amphibious Assault" could be made available relatively early on in the game compared to .

 

[kivanc]

yeah that isa good idea. i also supported this and have a few posts on this. i really think, there are more than enough # of unit types. in my point of view, a marine should be just an infantry with "amphibious" promo. but if u give infantry a promo "amph" as non-free, then it would get 1 level less all the time.

but for this, another solution can come. 1 level of promotion might be given to the unit as free if u train it for more hammers. i mean a unit workshop model just like in SMAC. especially, a unit with free leadership promo would be very cool, of course it should need triple of the default hammers

 

[kivanc]

That sounds very similar to the way units were constructed on SMAC/SMAC:AC

well. you just said it before me for 1 minute