Bibor
Doomsday Machine
Umm, maybe just some random thoughts but IMHO this would be a solution to some of the SoD and naval problems.
Make units dependant on stacks.
(Units in civ3 represent "hordes", not a single unit. However, some units are closer to single units than others. Example: battleship is probably one or two battleships, while infantry is a whole brigade (thousand or even more men)).
Units should be able to attack/defend only in stacks (armies), while a "logistics" unit would be introduced.
Logistics units would have no attack, maybe some defence, different movement and abilities, and have a health bar (small, large etc.) that would reduce by 1 per round. I.e. A logistics unit with health 8 could support its army for 8 turns, then it would vanish.
Logistics units would have a "support capacity". This would mean how many units it can support. OR They could divide their Hit Points by the number of units.
Logistics units could be moved without an army (loaded onto ships, trucks, planes) and would not lose HP at all (until joined with an army).
Armies would be automaticly created when a player clicks on a logistics unit.
Stealth attack units could thus target the logistics unit and ruin the assaulting army.
Logistics unit would be separate for ages/technologies (and make a good UU unit type) and would have a movement speed which would dictate the other units' movement in army. Units with greater movement than the logistics *could* attack even if the army cannot actually move anymore. The *greater move* units would not actually move, they would "bounce back" when finished with the attack.
Example: Army consists of 1 logistics unit (move 1), 2 spearmen (move 1) and 3 mounted warriors (move 2). Army can move 1 tile, but the 3 mounted warriors can still attack units on adjacent tiles, each once. They remain in the army after the attack.
Logistics unit would be similar in some aspects to the treasure units or Princess. Later in ages they could be paradropped (air support like at the battle of Stalingrad), shipped, moved by land (trucks) etc.
Without a logistics unit, every unit in army would loose 1 hp per turn no matter where it is (friendly or hostile), and could not heal at all. After all, no civilian has a "spare tank turret" when a combat engineer enters town and asks for one.
Some units, like guerilla, or ancient/medieval eastern cavalry hordes would require no support. Their "support" would be dependant on pillaging or resting which would be equal to civ3 pressing the space ("we go hunt some food now, chief").
Fleets - naval armies
Similar to the land armies, naval armies (fleets) would have logistics. Modern (non-sail) would require more, and ships/subs with nuclear powerplant can go without for a long time.
Ships on air power (sail) would require almost no support (at least when not damaged). Ships running on coal (steam) or oil would require most support.
Note that naval armies can repair damage (they are built that way, even submarines are) but cannot bring so much food, water and energy sources.
Again, subs and other stealth units could target naval logistics ships (tankers, support ships etc.)
***
Logistics units (both naval and land-based) could be purchased from fiendly or neutral civs by simply "attacking" an army/fleet with a logistics unit.
Example:
Lets say two human players (A and B) are in game. Player A has a fleet not far from the player B's coastal city. A asks for help (they've been for months on sea). The B player creates a logistics ship and "attacks" the A player's fleet.
***
Aircraft should be also "stacked" to "air fleets". Some ultra-heavy bombers could fly all over from US to Europe and come back, others would be short ranged. Either way, their "rebasing" would require an arifield, even in cities (especially in cities. Where are you going to land? On Sunset blvd?)
Again, different logistics units would be required for fleets. As fleets are based on airfield/city, and bombers don't actually move from the city, air logistics units would stay at the specific location (and thus can be attacked). No gasoline, no bombs - no bombing!
The exception to this rule would be the "air logistics" like modern Tanker Aircraft which can supply from air directly. Air fleets with this kind of support would be able to "detach" from airbases and be in the skies for a limited, but yet not-single-turn time.
***
Nuclear weapons
Nuclear weapons (of mass destruction) would require a Nuclear Silos Complex, definitely not in cities, but as tile improvement. A "doomsday machine" (from "Dr. Strangelove" hehe) small wonder should also be available. In case of nuclear attack, nukes would launch by themselves at targets decided in advance (at leaders's decision, of course).
Nuclear attacks should have devastating effects, of which only the initial would be the destruction of the city. Soon, a whole part of Earth should be polluted (nuclear winter and beyond) and the game should end, score dependant winner. After all, it's not important who launched the first nuke, since now we are all screwed. Nukes should be used only as threat (as in SMAC - "My words are backed with Nuclear Weapons!").
Make units dependant on stacks.
(Units in civ3 represent "hordes", not a single unit. However, some units are closer to single units than others. Example: battleship is probably one or two battleships, while infantry is a whole brigade (thousand or even more men)).
Units should be able to attack/defend only in stacks (armies), while a "logistics" unit would be introduced.
Logistics units would have no attack, maybe some defence, different movement and abilities, and have a health bar (small, large etc.) that would reduce by 1 per round. I.e. A logistics unit with health 8 could support its army for 8 turns, then it would vanish.
Logistics units would have a "support capacity". This would mean how many units it can support. OR They could divide their Hit Points by the number of units.
Logistics units could be moved without an army (loaded onto ships, trucks, planes) and would not lose HP at all (until joined with an army).
Armies would be automaticly created when a player clicks on a logistics unit.
Stealth attack units could thus target the logistics unit and ruin the assaulting army.
Logistics unit would be separate for ages/technologies (and make a good UU unit type) and would have a movement speed which would dictate the other units' movement in army. Units with greater movement than the logistics *could* attack even if the army cannot actually move anymore. The *greater move* units would not actually move, they would "bounce back" when finished with the attack.
Example: Army consists of 1 logistics unit (move 1), 2 spearmen (move 1) and 3 mounted warriors (move 2). Army can move 1 tile, but the 3 mounted warriors can still attack units on adjacent tiles, each once. They remain in the army after the attack.
Logistics unit would be similar in some aspects to the treasure units or Princess. Later in ages they could be paradropped (air support like at the battle of Stalingrad), shipped, moved by land (trucks) etc.
Without a logistics unit, every unit in army would loose 1 hp per turn no matter where it is (friendly or hostile), and could not heal at all. After all, no civilian has a "spare tank turret" when a combat engineer enters town and asks for one.
Some units, like guerilla, or ancient/medieval eastern cavalry hordes would require no support. Their "support" would be dependant on pillaging or resting which would be equal to civ3 pressing the space ("we go hunt some food now, chief").
Fleets - naval armies
Similar to the land armies, naval armies (fleets) would have logistics. Modern (non-sail) would require more, and ships/subs with nuclear powerplant can go without for a long time.
Ships on air power (sail) would require almost no support (at least when not damaged). Ships running on coal (steam) or oil would require most support.
Note that naval armies can repair damage (they are built that way, even submarines are) but cannot bring so much food, water and energy sources.
Again, subs and other stealth units could target naval logistics ships (tankers, support ships etc.)
***
Logistics units (both naval and land-based) could be purchased from fiendly or neutral civs by simply "attacking" an army/fleet with a logistics unit.
Example:
Lets say two human players (A and B) are in game. Player A has a fleet not far from the player B's coastal city. A asks for help (they've been for months on sea). The B player creates a logistics ship and "attacks" the A player's fleet.
***
Aircraft should be also "stacked" to "air fleets". Some ultra-heavy bombers could fly all over from US to Europe and come back, others would be short ranged. Either way, their "rebasing" would require an arifield, even in cities (especially in cities. Where are you going to land? On Sunset blvd?)
Again, different logistics units would be required for fleets. As fleets are based on airfield/city, and bombers don't actually move from the city, air logistics units would stay at the specific location (and thus can be attacked). No gasoline, no bombs - no bombing!
The exception to this rule would be the "air logistics" like modern Tanker Aircraft which can supply from air directly. Air fleets with this kind of support would be able to "detach" from airbases and be in the skies for a limited, but yet not-single-turn time.
***
Nuclear weapons
Nuclear weapons (of mass destruction) would require a Nuclear Silos Complex, definitely not in cities, but as tile improvement. A "doomsday machine" (from "Dr. Strangelove" hehe) small wonder should also be available. In case of nuclear attack, nukes would launch by themselves at targets decided in advance (at leaders's decision, of course).
Nuclear attacks should have devastating effects, of which only the initial would be the destruction of the city. Soon, a whole part of Earth should be polluted (nuclear winter and beyond) and the game should end, score dependant winner. After all, it's not important who launched the first nuke, since now we are all screwed. Nukes should be used only as threat (as in SMAC - "My words are backed with Nuclear Weapons!").
