Tekamthi
Emperor
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2016
- Messages
- 1,683
a while ago there was a thread about recon promotions... from what I recall we started to focus on zeppelin before we were correctly diverted back to the promo issue. It was proposed that zeppelin deserved its own conversation... thoughts?
I really like this unit -- but it feels a strange fit in the existing recon line. Its the only ranged unit in an otherwise melee family. Its often just "forgotten" by my builders, before I can get around to building any -- the paratrooper tech is very often a high priority in many games, both due to era and the military value of this and other nearby techs (I can't remember now exactly what these are, flight/AA etc?) I am often either on the brink of clinching a win or clawing back into first through this stage of most games -- military tends to outweigh most other concerns in these cirumstances, at least in my playstyle.
I specifically like the hybrid role it can play in coasts, so much so that I've often extended this feature to all oceans in my own modded-play. It seems to me that there's almost enough historical basis for a naval-recon upgrade line, ending in zeppelin, a more advanced airship (the US made prominent use of these for several decades post-WWII in a supporting role.. some could move at ~130km/h they say), and then maybe a naval helicopter? There's an entire unitcombat_helicopter sitting unused, under the hood in VP right now. There's also a navalrecon AI that is used in VP, but usually as a secondary AI on other naval units. VP recently killed the workboat scouting role, and rightly so, but this leaves a small gap maybe. There's enough custom artwork made by now to fill these roles as well, assuming the authors don't take issue with them being used here. This idea is probably a mod-mod solution though, at this point.
Any other ideas of how this unit can fit in a little better?
I really like this unit -- but it feels a strange fit in the existing recon line. Its the only ranged unit in an otherwise melee family. Its often just "forgotten" by my builders, before I can get around to building any -- the paratrooper tech is very often a high priority in many games, both due to era and the military value of this and other nearby techs (I can't remember now exactly what these are, flight/AA etc?) I am often either on the brink of clinching a win or clawing back into first through this stage of most games -- military tends to outweigh most other concerns in these cirumstances, at least in my playstyle.
I specifically like the hybrid role it can play in coasts, so much so that I've often extended this feature to all oceans in my own modded-play. It seems to me that there's almost enough historical basis for a naval-recon upgrade line, ending in zeppelin, a more advanced airship (the US made prominent use of these for several decades post-WWII in a supporting role.. some could move at ~130km/h they say), and then maybe a naval helicopter? There's an entire unitcombat_helicopter sitting unused, under the hood in VP right now. There's also a navalrecon AI that is used in VP, but usually as a secondary AI on other naval units. VP recently killed the workboat scouting role, and rightly so, but this leaves a small gap maybe. There's enough custom artwork made by now to fill these roles as well, assuming the authors don't take issue with them being used here. This idea is probably a mod-mod solution though, at this point.
Any other ideas of how this unit can fit in a little better?
Last edited: