Rangers

[Mesix]

I like how the hawk is loaded into a recon unit like an aircraft. This makes exploring a lot easier.

While running around with my ranger unit exploring, I came up with an idea to make the ranger more useful. What if other types of animals could be added to the ranger to improve him in different ways? Bears, tigers, and wolves could be added to the ranger unit either like being loaded into a transport or by sacrificing the animal unit to upgrade a ranger in the same square. Each animal could give the ranger a bonus of some sort. Perhaps there could be a limit to the number of animals that can be attached and this limit could go up as the ranger's level goes up.

I also think that it seems strange to have rangers defending cities. Perhaps prevent the ranger from getting the city garision/city raider upgrades. The ranger could also have a penalty to defense when in a city!

I think that it would be cool to make the ranger more valuable if he is in the wilderness. Maybe give the ranger an additional upgrade (level 3 or 4) hills/forest that further improves attack/defense/movement in rough terrain. Any improvements to the ranger in wilderness terrain could be offset by the penalties to city tiles.

 

[Sureshot]

ya, ive gotten into the habit of changing them to move hunters to tracking and give all recon units -75% city strength

 

[marioflag]

Just one thing but recon units like ranger or hunter are not meant to be melee units, so the promotions against melee doesn't apply against them right?
Anyway i agree recon units should have lower strenght and some bonus in movement or range of visibility so they shouldn't be used as spearhead of an attack as always happen in my first games on this mod.Hunters and Rangers should have less strenght but more movement and perhaps more bonus inside forests an jungles

 

[Endovior]

Just one thing but recon units like ranger or hunter are not meant to be melee units, so the promotions against melee doesn't apply against them right?

Yeah... I suggested an anti-recon promotion to counter this.

 

[Sureshot]

the anti-recon should be city warfare.. sadly all they get is a -25% city attack modifier, which does nothing since theyre available sooner than other units in their tier, and act like uncounterable cavalry and super city defenders all in one (as well as their 'main' function of reconnaisance and wilderness superiority).

 

[marioflag]

Yep ranger are a bit overpowered.It would be better if their strength would be nerfed to 4-5 and they get penalties to city attack and city defense of 50% but they lget a bonus of 100% in forest and jungle defense and a bonus in attack of 50% in forest and jungle.Considering also that they can transport a hawk, can move inside impassable terrain they would be an interesting guerrilla unit without being underpowered like for example jaguars.
Same words should be applied to hunters.They should have strenght nerfed but should be good units for reconnaisance and attack units inside forests or jungles.As they are now these 2 units are powerful melee units while they should be more like explorers or light infantry

 

[bdmarti]

mario, that's what I suggested as well.

Nerf the ranger down a bit, including a bigger city penalty, and give him Woodsman and Guerrilla. he'll be plenty useful without being a front line troop.