The Custom Unit Directory

[sir_schwick]

This is both a discussion and troubleshooting thread. The troubleshooting part is first:

Most games I use similar sets of designs. I have turned off auto-design but it is annoying to have to go through and make minor attribute upgrades to masses of my designs every time appropriate technology comes out. Is there any way to edit the auto-design feature(I'm guessing through out-of-game editing) so it comes up with the designs I like? On that note, any way to edit the unit design lists of AI factions? There are two reasons for this: first is that poor AI designs give me a major advantage in situations where I should not have any. Usually I crush the AI in wars, even when we have similar technology and production capabilities. They use much more expensive and less efficient design philosophies. Second is that I am starting to name my units in more general terms, so it would be nice if I look at my intelligence report and see the enemy as 20 Light Tanks, 10 Marines, 5 Chaos Bombers, and 4 Light Interceptors rather than very long and uncoordinated titles. Also makes the AAR process easier.


The Second part is a discussion over what units people use and what they call them. I am just curious to see who has cooler names and ideas than I do.


Fission Era:
IA means If Avaliable

Scout Patrol (1/1/1, Inf)
Recon Rover (1/1/2, Rov)
Military Police (1/1/1, Inf, Pol)
Battlefield Intelligence (1/1/2, Rov, Radar)

Defensive Rover Family
Motorized Infantry (1/2-3/2, Rov, AAA or ECM - IA)
Mechanized Infantry (1/4-6/2, Rov, AAA or ECM - IA)
Armored Infantry (1/3-6/2, Rov, High Morale, AAA or ECM - IA)
Militia (1/2-6/2, Rov, Trance - IA)

Offensive Rover Family: I only put High Morale on the most advanced offensive rovers available.
SP LASER (2/1/2, Rov)
Assault Gun (4/1/2, Rov)
Assault Platform (5/1/2, Rov)
Missile Tank (6/1/2, Rov)
PRISM Tank (8/1/2, Rov)
LASER Tank (10/1/2, Rov)

Self Propelled Artillery: As a role playing piece, I limit my artillery selection to weapons that could conceivably be used for indirect fire support.
SP Artillery (4/1/2, Rov, Art)
MLRS (6/1/2, Rov, Art)

Infantry: I always obsolete High Morale infantry types that have outdated equipment. Since they are infantry, I also assume they use a combination of all weapons available to them.
Expedition Troopers (2/1/1, Inf)
Urban Warriors (4-6/1/1, Inf)
Urban Commandos (4-6/1/1, Inf, High Morale)
Storm Troopers (8-10/1/1, Inf)
Shock Troopers (8-10/1/1, Inf, High Morale)
Marines (2-10/1/1, Inf, Amph)
Marine Commandos (2-10/1/1, Inf, Amph, High Morale)

Artillery Brigades:
Artillery Brigade (4/1/1, Inf, Art)
Rocket Brigade (6/1/1, Inf, Art)

 

[vyeh]

Check out the AC Creation forum at apolyton.net. There has been work in modifying the predesigned units in the alphax.txt file to help the AI's. In some cases, the player is asked not to use the units predesigned for the AI's.

 

[Psyonif]

I don't usually give my units fancy names... which is odd as I almost always build the same ones each game, and never use the name the computer gives. Though this usually just sees me edit something like "Trance Photon Destroyer Transpor" to "Photon Ferry".

I think the only instance I ever mused up my own name was for a game where all the AIs had invested massively in air power (moreso than usual); I built "LAS Tacyhon Tank" (LAS being my acronym for land-air-sea) because "AAA Amphibious Tachyon Speeder" didn't fit in the name tag.

 

[sir_schwick]

To save time I've started naming them into broader categories that get updated. Its usually based on the ratio of numbers and abilities. As newer parts come out I create updated versions and obsolete the old models. I can upgrade them later b/c of the editor. Also, to give an idea of the age of the equipment, and to add atmosphere, I give the units an era designation. Usually I start with Unity, so for example you would have Unity Infantry, and Unity SPA. Then the next era might be PF(Planetfall), so it would be PF Infantry, etc. After that I might use technologies that seem to indicate a new era, or maybe the outset of a major war. It adds flavor and makes it easier to figure out how modern your military is.

If a upper case is a big number(relative to technology), and lowercase small.

Armour - A/d/M
Motorized/Mechanized Infantry - a/D/M [Defensive Abilities if Mechanized]
Tanks - A/D/M
SPA - A/d/M (Bombard)
Mindworm Hunter - a/d/M (Empath)
AAV - A/d/M (Amphibious)

Garrison - a/D/1 [Defensive Abilities]
Infantry - A/D/1
Artillery - A/d/1 (Bombard)
Marines - A/d/1 [Amphibious]

Gunship - A/d/4
Corvette - A/D/4 [Radar, other utility]
Destroyer - A/D/4 [Defensive]
Frigate - A/d/6
Cruiser - A/D/6 [Radar, other utility]
Battleship - A/D/6 [Defensive]
Isle Hunter - a/d/M (Empath)
Transport - a/D/M (Transport)
Carrier - a/D/M (Transport, Carrier)

Fighter - A/D/Needle (Air Superiority)
Bomber - A/d/Needle

Helicopter - A/d/Copter

Cruise Missle - A/d/Missile
Early Tactical Nuclear Missile - Planetbuster with Fission Reactor
Semi-Modern Nuclear Missile - Planetbuster with Fusion Reactor
Modern Nuclear Missile - Planetbuster with Quantum Reactor
Advanced Nuclear Missile - Planetbuster with Singularity Reactor

[Unit with Drop Pods have Airborne added to the name]
Also eras tend to change less frequently then every new weapon or armour. To distinguish units of different stats in those eras I often use the adjectives, "light", "early", "heavy", "elite" along with a set with no adjective.