Promotion Templates?

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Not sure if this is possible, mostly because I haven't really looked to see what's in the Python and what's elsewhere, but...

Would it be possible to script promotions as templates? So, say, instead of producing an infantry, you can produce a medic which is just infantry with the proper upgrades applied to it? I don't mean that they recieve those upgrades automatically, but when they have the experience for upgrades they automatically get what is defined in the template (whether they get the experience from battle or from wonders/buildings/civics.)

[lazeboy]

This is an awesome idea. I would love to produce Medics, Assault (city-takers), etc. instead of trying to juggle it all in my head. Which is clearly too small for the task.

[Saldrin]

You can create units just with the XML.

Since unit skins are not "doable" at the moment, just take an infantry squad, change the unit tags to medic, give it a few medic promotions, and knock down the power a few notches so it can't kill effectively.

You can also limit the promotion availability of the unit, just look at aircraft to see, so it can't get any other combat related promotions.

Only thing I don't know about it telling the AI how to use the unit. I see the stratigy tags but I haven't played that much with it. All the units I've put in have been for me, or already have existing templates for the AI to use.

[Fosse]

I don't think Koyaanisqatsi is actually asking for new units though, so you won't have to teach teh AI how to use it at all.

If I understand right he just wants a little interface addition that lets you tell the game you want the Infantry you're building right now to get these promotions when he would otherwise earn them.

So if you ask for a Combat III, Medic II Swordsman in a city with a barracks, then the turn it's built he will automatically be upgraded to Combat I with the 2 exp he has. After he wins a battle or two he is automatically promoted to Medic I, then Combat II, etc.

I like the idea as a way to plan a whole army out, though I don't think I'd use it much myself. I like the reward of pushing my promotion buttons after battles.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Originally posted by Fosse
If I understand right he just wants a little interface addition that lets you tell the game you want the Infantry you're building right now to get these promotions when he would otherwise earn them.

So if you ask for a Combat III, Medic II Swordsman in a city with a barracks, then the turn it's built he will automatically be upgraded to Combat I with the 2 exp he has. After he wins a battle or two he is automatically promoted to Medic I, then Combat II, etc.

Yes, exactly. I don't want to mod the unit so that it just gets the promotions upon being built or so that it only has a certain upgrades available. What I would like is to be able to define a template independently of any unit and then be able to apply that template to any random unit capable of recieving the upgrades it specifies. It really is an interface thing, not a unit mod...you can have the same end result now by clicking the appropriate buttons at the appropriate times, but it would be nice if units could be auto-promoted along a certain path when they have the experience.