Variable Unit MAINTAINANCE

[Voli]

An element that has always annoyed me in Civ3 is that all units have an upkeep cost of 1.
I suggest this radically changed; ADVANCED and SOPHISTICATED units shall have greater upkeep cost. Before listing my proposals, let's first have a look at the real world, and compare it with Civ. The USAF is the only organization to have stealth aircrafts, and has only 10-15 bombers and about 100 fighters. To the contrary, a civ may build St.Bombers as if they were warriors! That's silly, don't you find?
So, I propose the following:

All units of Ancient and Medieval Times shall have an upkeep cost of 1, while after the industrial revolution upkeep cost shall vary.

Why do I make this suggestion? Because I'm a realist nurd, and because I don't like excessive simplicity.

After the Industrial Age and in Modern Times, maintainance cost should be formed just about like this (selective proposals):

[UNIT]:[UPKEEP COST (in gold pieces)]

Worker:1
Riflemen:1
Ironclad:2
Infantry:2
Destroyer:2
Transport:2
Artillery:2
Bomber:2
Sub(Diesel):2
Tank:2
Paratroopers:2
Marines:2
Radar Artillery:3
Fighter:3
Cr.Missile:3
AEGIS Cr.:3
Mech.Inf.:3
Chinook:3 (helicopters in the modern world are very expensive)
Jet Fighter:4
Battleship:4
Sub(Nuclear):4
Modern Armor:4
St.fighter:4
Taktical Nuke:6
St.Bomber:8
ICBM:12
*SPECIAL UNITS of Ind.&Mod. times: half the cost of the units they substitute (e.g. F-15s will cost 2)


In order to balance the unit cost, I suggest more ways of raising revenues were implemented. The extend to which they will be raised, however, shall not be such that will be able to cover the expenses of having 30 ICBMs and 40 St.Bombers, etc. (like it currently happens). By contrast, revenues shall be such that will arise the need for the player to make a wise selection of troops.
Personally, I have already suggested in another thread, to bring back HIGHWAYS city improvement, in which case revenues for each city are effectively increased by 50%.

Oh, and for you guys that may not like the idea, I suggest this maintainance policy was made optional.

 

[Bluemofia]

Interesting. Only problem is that large scale wars become harder to fight, as the economy gets drained faster with more units you build. Also, when free support comes in, does it support the most expensive first? Or the Least? Or by order of being built?

 

[ybbor]

i think you can already do this the editor

 

[Bluemofia]

i think you can already do this the editor

No, you can choose weather they require it or not, and how much the unit support costs, but not variable unit maintance.

 

[MrMahk]

wow, looks like you put a lot of thought into this
yeah i think its a good idea

especially since for civ4 they are trying to reduce the large amounts of people you have at once

 

[alms66]

I hope it's in by default.

 

[mastertyguy]

Interesting. Only problem is that large scale wars become harder to fight, as the economy gets drained faster with more units you build. Also, when free support comes in, does it support the most expensive first? Or the Least? Or by order of being built?

Exactly why I love it. Warmongering is now more expansive. Yes! For free support, I think it could be ammount of money / city, which would probably be higher.

 

[searcheagle]

Interesting. Only problem is that large scale wars become harder to fight, as the economy gets drained faster with more units you build.

I am support of the idea of variable support for units. With large support costs, the total number of units will drop, making it easier to the modern age units.

Also, when free support comes in, does it support the most expensive first? Or the Least? Or by order of being built?

I don't like the idea of free support. I'd like to see the first x units have cheaper costs (like 75% of the normal support). After the zone known as "free support" in Civ 3 ends, the units are supported at cost (100% of support costs). After that point ends, the units would actually cost more for a large military, with the maximum being something like 125%. A system like this would shrink the size of military and allow smaller civs relatively larger armies.

If a system like that is not incorporated and free support remains in place and variable support is incorporate it could be done with the use of a unit support treasury. Every city would contribute a certain amount of gold based on their government type (aka Civ 3). All the unit cost would be subtracted out and the deficit would be taken out of the regular treasury. Like this:

Total number of cities: 25 Cities
Support/city: 2 gold
= 50 gold for support

Total support gold: 50
Units at 1 support cost (Total Cost): 10 (10)
Units at 2 support cost (Total Cost): 13 (26)
Units at 3 Support Cost (Total Cost): 6 (18)
Total Support Costs: 54
-Total available gold: 50
Deficit: -4

The -4 deficit would come from the surplus treasury.