UnitTweaks [WIP]

[CrazyAce]

This mod example is a template that will tweak various game units, such as the amount of spaces a unit can move, changes range a unit can bombard and incudes bombard ability for gunpowder units.

:EDIT:
Mod is now public property:

I’ve spent too much time on this mod to have it turn out crappy like this.

I’m giving this mod to the public as a template to do with it what they want. I did a lot of work to get most of the units into one xml file, have at it.

Extract Unit Tweaks (v 1) to: \\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5\MODS

&/OR

Extract UnitTweak to: \\Documents\Firaxis ModBuddy - This is the mod project file and should you upload this file, change the modinfo hash ID.
.

 

[12agnar0k]

Not that I agree with most of the changes in there, though the reasoning behind them are justified to balance late game melee units becoming ranged. (Balance ish anyway).

However chaning earlier units movement range from 2 to 1 is a bad idea. It just won't work with 1UpT, how are you supposed to move through a neutral unit if you don't have the movement points, this means any non-mounted early unit will be blocked by not just enemys but neutrals and friendly units, (although the later atleast has the switch around fix).

You can quickly fix this by, adding +1 move, +1 range (to all units with range), +1 sight radius to all units. However some more balancing may be needed to make the better movement or better range units keep a relative ratio to the earlier units that they currently hold. I.e
Warrior Move 1 is 3 times less than Lancer Move 3.
Give both +1 Move.
Warrior Move 2 is 2 times less than Lancer Move 4.

But that can be addressed later, the 2 unit move minimum should be re-introduced as it was wrong to "Tweak" it back down to 1 movement of past mechanics.

 

[CrazyAce]

Ah yes I do see your point. So you wouldn’t agree that crowded boundaries will become useful in the early age of the game. You make a good argument, but I had to take into account the embarkment features. I didn’t quite think of mountain choke points…

Just an update I had to take the file off as I used wrong Syntax to edit/create the file... It’s easy enough to do, just very tedious and time consuming to fix.

 

[Tutkarz]

Early unit changes to me are just wrong. How i am supposed to use ranged units now? They are so weak, they will be attacked first and die unable to hide behind my melee lines, and they no longer can move and shoot. Its not acceptable to me at all. Current rules are making trouble sometimes with correct placing units since alot of terrain is mountains/hills/wood so not elite units have alot of problems shooting and with your changes its simply unplayable.
But i like the idea of adding 1 range to later gunpowder units (and keeping 2 for older ones since they cant fight in close range). And 2 move range should stay also.

Edit: as i was thinking more about unit changes i would add ranged ability to modern gunpowder units (range 2, instead of reducing ancient units). And well maybe they should shoot over obstacles by default even, since modern infantry has mortars and rocket launchers. Maybe it will create more dynamic battlefield later in the game.

I dont know if it is modable but maybe add somthing like efficiency to shooting, like when archer is shooting 2 hexes its strength is dyvided by 2. Closer range they get better accuracy.

 

[CrazyAce]

I am taking into account the range issue with earlier units, but at least to me it doesn’t make sense that an archer can shoot over a mountain. I’m just hoping that a proper unit stack mod can create the desired effect that I’m aiming for.

Keep em coming. The more discussions the better.

 

[Tutkarz]

To fix this you should make map 2-3 times bigger and generate mountains that take up alot more hexes. And since its not likely i prefer archers shooting thru mountains than make them useless at all.

 

[Quetz]

Give both +1 Move.
Warrior Move 2 is 2 times less than Lancer Move 4.

But that can be addressed later, the 2 unit move minimum should be re-introduced as it was wrong to "Tweak" it back down to 1 movement of past mechanics.

Strongly agree with this. I'd like to try this mod but I won't with this change in it as actually being able to move my units around is one of my favorite changes from Civ 4 to Civ 5. Also, I definately agree with early archers having only 1 range; however, also only having 1 movement sort of makes them useless.

 

[CrazyAce]

Ok, I think I've come to an agreement not to touch the move values of early to mid-units. But I am going to change early to mid and gunpowder units range to 1. When a stack mod comes out it would benefit to have only 1 range for these types of units. I was thinking of adding the 1 range for all arrow and rock throwing based units.

I’ll have to devise a separate (if not someone makes it before I do) a city mod that adds the same properties. Such as a city cannot shoot early based defenses (arrows, rocks) more than 1 range and disable the ability to shoot air targets with these primitive defenses… I never understood that.

 

[Pragmatic]

When a stack mod comes out

The "Legion" mod that's been available since release-day is a stacking mod, IIRC.

 

[CrazyAce]

True, except it doesn't add what I'm looking for. Maybe I should have explained it in that units go well with each other, but not with everyone. I don't want to stack spearman and tanks...I would however like to see infantry and tanks as an only stack, or warriors and Archers as an only stack.

And does the AI know how to utilize stacking strategy? When I tried that mod I didn’t see them stack anything.

 

[ashmizen]

At first I was like, I like the missle crusier changes (though 6 range is a bit TOO good, seeing as a single hex increase from 3-4 would already almost double the amount of squares you could hit), but I have to disagree with destroyer changes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroyer

Destroyers show up the tech level at around WWII, so imagine these are WWII destroyers. In that case, destroyers in this era were armed with anti-submarine charges, anti-aircraft guns, and light anti-ship weapons. LIGHT anti-ship weapons. They were pretty much incapable of shore bombardment.

Your Destroyers are monsters, with 6 range, 35 combat, they will be able to sit in the english channel and bombard Paris! They will tear apart entire Infantry regiments. I assure you, a WWII era destroyer could do none of those things. Battleships were armed with artillery that could do shore bombardment, Destroyers were there for anti-submarine and anti-aircraft duties.

Ok, now that I've finished reading you entire changelist, I'm not sure what to think of most them. For the sake of realism, I'm not sure if the game would still be PLAYABLE.

Some of these changes are simply not balenced. You reduce the cost of musketmen while increasing their combat power, AND give them a range attack? I understand that Musketmen are underpowered in vanilla, but the decrease to 80 cost and giving them a 1 range range attack should sufficent. Their combat should stay at 16.

Some of these changes don't make any sense, or at least are not well explained. Crossbows, Chu-ku-nu, and longbows were all changed in different ways, and longbow change of range from 2->1 doesn't make sense since they currently have 3 range.

 

[ashmizen]

"I am taking into account the range issue with earlier units, but at least to me it doesn’t make sense that an archer can shoot over a mountain."

Archers in Civ 5 CANNOT shoot over a hill, much less a mountain. They do not have indirect fire.

With your increased ranges in the later eras and lower movements, I can see some huge imbalences. I mean, rocket artillery costs 20% more, but can now hit 300% more squares, and do 100% more damage. In other words, before Rocket Artillery needed some troops between it and tanks. Now, a single Rocket Artillery will just eat up Modern Armor after Modern Armor, as they don't close the distance (2 turns assuming open terran, up to 6 turns in bad terran) fast enough. I don't see the point in ever building Modern Armor or Mechanized Infantry with your mod (except 1 to take cities), just mass only Rocket Artillery, and roll forward for the win.

 

[CrazyAce]

Doesn't the destroyer have missiles? This is what I'm going for, Missiles travel far, ballistics has more punch, but are inaccurate (granted I have to go with the game mechanics) and thus wouldn’t travel farther than 4 squares.

 

[Saarud]

Have you got this to work yet? I have tried to change unit stats myself and it just seems impossible. I have change many other aspect of the game without any trouble but units seems to be a nono. And so far I have seen NO mod that updates unit stats.

So if you got it to work I'd love to see your code for it.

Anyway... Good Luck. You do have some interesting ideas!

 

[CrazyAce]

Well thanx, unfortunately no I haven&#8217;t been able to get any unit working. I believe the <Update> tag doesn't work for Units, or... We are missing an LUA script function that will allow a unit to update.

I have seen in this topic http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=385612 a LUA function that states: UnitActionChanged, I have no idea how to LUA script and I&#8217;m just about ready to start learning if this is the only way I can edit an existing unit.

 

[Saarud]

Actually I got it to work. Here's a sample.

<GameData>

	<Units>
		<Update>
			<Where Type="UNIT_TRIREME"/>
			<Set Range="1"/>
		</Update>
		<Update>
			<Where Type="UNIT_MUSKETMAN"/>
			<Set Range="1" RangedCombat="8"/>
		</Update>
		<Update>
			<Where Type="UNIT_MECH"/>
			<Set Range="1" RangedCombat="40" Cost="1100"/>
		</Update>
        </Units>
</Gamedata>

 

[Zetetic Apparat]

I have seen in this topic http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=385612 a LUA function that states: UnitActionChanged, I have no idea how to LUA script and I’m just about ready to start learning if this is the only way I can edit an existing unit.

That's an event for callbacks when...
A unit's current action changes in game. It's not what you're looking for.

 

[Inverted]

I understand and even support some of your ideas, mostly making firearm units actually ranged, but I must also agree with the people above that youre overdoing it a bit. I think you based your numbers only on realism but you completely forgot gameplay. 1 movement is bad, but you already realized that.
6 range is simply insane, thats more than the average distance between cities. Besides I think the only unit in the game that really simulates guided ballistic missiles is the missile cruiser and nuclear submarine, but then you should also keep in mind that those weapons are more accurate than powerful. Missile artillery for example in my reading would be the traditional unguided (or barely) missile barrage. Its purpose is to cover an area relatively close with lots of "cheap" firepower, much like shell artillery. Guided long range missiles are expensive business.
Also your power changes are... strange. With that power most of the modern units will be able to one-shot pretty much anything within 6 hexes. This would degrade late game to a who can shoot first contest between artillery forces. And of course scouting as you forgot to add sight so it seems completely hopeless to attack someone in his own territory where he can see you and shoot at you while you have no clue where its coming from. Not that your units would survive to wonder about it.

 

[CrazyAce]

I completely forgot about sight range.

On an update. I figured out how to get the mod updates working... I wish now that I didn't delete the file I first uploaded, it would have saved me a lot of time.

 

[Rashiminos]

At a range of 1, warriors beat archers, ALWAYS.
Swordsman combat 9 -> Horses are superior and more abundant, and COST LESS!
Now that catapults can't deploy and fire in the same turn, they're easy pickings at combat 2.
Holy hell, uber pikemen.

Etc, etc.

Unless you intended to break, and then hope to restructure, entire eras of combat in the game, I can't see the purpose these "tweaks" would serve.