Mobility changes

[joseasoler]

When using a military strategy, moving units through land is always tedious and slow because unit speed does not scale much with technologies and promotions. The difference between melee and archery units when compared with recon and mounted units is really huge. Siege units, meant to be slow, can currently move at the same speed than melee and archery units do. Golems, also meant to be slow, currently are always locked at only 1 move but it has been suggested to make them faster (see issue #3).

What would IMO make sense is to include a new Mobility promotion (Mobility III) which would be unlocked with a medium-to-late game technology (such as maybe Stirrups). Mobility I would be unlocked earlier (suggestions are welcome) and Mobility II would unlock at Horseback Riding. This proposal would also require to define three different speed tiers for units. Each one of these tiers would have access to different mobility promotions. They are detailed below.

Fast tier: Mounted and Recon units. They can access Mobility I, II and III.

Normal tier: Melee, archery, disciple and arcane units. They can access Mobility I and II.

Slow tier: Siege units and Golems. Siege units can access Mobility I. Golems would be able to access Mobility I with a new unique Luchuirp building (with simpler requisites than the current proposal).

This proposal has the advantage of making war more fluid while keeping the mobility advantage of Mounted and Recon units, and also giving units meant to be slow a chance to improve their speed without making them as fast as normal units can be.

[Tasunke Witka]

It is my sincere belief that the proposed system would cause much chaos to the balance of the game. However I like where you are coming from. I have formulated an idea that I think could bring our ideas on mobility together :)

As follows:

add -1 movement cost to Flanking3, a cavalry only promotion

add -1 movement cost to Sentry2,a Recon/Archery only promotion

boost Sentry-line by making Sentry1 require one of either Combat 1 or Mobility 1. Make it a choice.

A way to give an additional barrier to Sentry 2 would be to make it require not only Sentry 1, but also either Mobility 2 or Combat 2. You could go Mob1, S1, Mob2, S2, or C1, S1, C2, S2.

In this way you get your 'Mobility 3' for your Cavalry and Recon (and occasional archer). This inadvertent buff to Archery would allow for further choice between the Longbow and the Champion ... a decision that has long been ignored due to the perceived superiority of the Champion unit.

Mobility 1 is still at Horseback riding ... and we will nerf Mobility 2 by making it only available after Stirrups is researched.

Mob1 will no longer be made available to Seige weapons. Mob2 will be available for Recon and Cavalry units only.

In comes 'Logistics' promotion. A promotion previously awarded to Great General led units in BTS. Could have a different art. This promotion will not work like its BTS version of +30% withdrawal, but INSTEAD it will be giving +1 movement.

The beauty of Logistics is that it will only be made available to Units that cannot buy Mobility 2. It will also be made available to units that cannot buy Mobility 1! So Logistics will be your 'Mob2' for melee, archery, arcane, disciple, etc ... and it will be your 'Mob1' for your Siege and Golem units.

The trick of Logistics is that it will not be made available until the ENGINEERING tech. Still making Engineering a popular tech for those that wish to move more traditional armies (but largely useless for practitioners of the Lightning War). Certainly Engineering is a step on the way to Machinery ... but users of Cavalry and Recon won't see much need for it, unless they are a pure Recon user and do not wish to tech Stirrups for the promotion alone.

I believe that this combined method will make for more interesting strategies and will continue to uphold the balance of the game.

[Tasunke Witka]

If 'logistics' must come before Engineering, then it is my sincere belief that unlocking the promotion at Mathematics would be the next best thing.

[joseasoler]

Since it seems that this proposal is more complicated than I thought, I'm going to drop this proposal from inclusion in 0.4.0. Soon I will review all the changes mentioned in the forum thread.

[joseasoler]

It's too complicated to get the balance of this one right, and it would distance EMM gameplay from other mods (specially Erebus in the Balance) up to the point that balance decisions may not be compatible anymore.