special units

[nt1]

Hi all!

I wondered what your opinion is about this idea :

I'd like to see a special unit per religion : this unit would be available to be constructed depending on your state religion.

For example, if your state religion is Islam, then you could be able to construct Moudjahidines...if you're your state religion is Catholicism, then you could get Crusaders, etc...

This would definitely make me think twice before I choose what religion I want as my state religion...

This is just a thought though, I'm not expert so if one of you guys want to bounce and dig this a bit more, you're welcome!

Cheers

[Spacky]

The idea is an interesting one and reminds me of the Fanatics from Civ 2. I think this could be good if the difference was support for this kind of unit was drawn not from costs etc but from the city's culture it is built in. Therefore only extremely religious city's could generate and support specialist religious units.

-islam = moudjahidines
-Catholicism = crusader knight (strong in attack)
-Christianity = crusader knight (medium attack and defence)
-Buddhists = Buddhist monks (fighting unit, medium attack but fast moving)

[Axxaer]

Originally posted by Spacky
-islam = moudjahidines
-Catholicism = crusader knight (strong in attack)
-Christianity = crusader knight (medium attack and defence)
-Buddhists = Buddhist monks (fighting unit, medium attack but fast moving)

Since when was Catholicism separate from Christianity? (In the game of course)

[The keeper]

Must have a monistary AND cathedral building to complete them.

Only the most religious of cities are going to have both of these buildings. State religion doesn't matter. Crusaders are going to go crusading whether the state supports them or not. Fanitics dont always listen to reason.


I really like this idea.

[johnmcd]

Yep, me too.

Even if all the units were identical in stats (so as not to offend etc) they could have their own names and graphics. You may need one per age so that obselecence didn't become a huge issue with them.

I'd quite like a different special unit for each era anyway. Some with the emphasis on attack, some defence, some development whatever.

[nt1]

Thing is that Cathedral / Academy / Mandir / Pagode / Mosque / Synagogue / Stupa become only available with the research of Music...therefore a bit later in the game!

These units should be designed to be buildable earlier imo.

So to require Temple + Monastery = OK

I'd keep State religion as a requirement to avoid one civ being able to use different religious special units at the same time.

You'll tell me that you can still build a few moujahidines for example, then switch to Catholicism and get a few crusaders...however the penalties you'd get in terms of religion switching impact on your economy should refrain you from doing so

[Stickyman]

Great Idea!

[Adagio]

I like this idea

[johnmcd]

Maybe the city should require every religious building available to you?

[Nikolai]

I like this idea. But perhaps the building of the unit should be limited to civic choices making you a theocracy or something, like not representation/suffrage, free religion/pasifism and perhaps emancipation?

[nt1]

OK reason behind this idea is that some religions like Islam or Catholicism for example are not of much use really because they arrive late in the game, at a time when you already have at least one religion spread throughout your empire, making it pretty useless to spread another one and switch to it...

One the other hand, the gain of a powerful new unit could make it worth to take such a bother!

Ok now where it gets trickier is to decide what are requirements...

Technology-wise :
* the tech(s) that create the religion
* plus the tech(s) that allow you to build the standard unit which the special religious unit is equivalent to

for example : Catholicism => Crusaders : Guilds + Horseback Riding + Theology

Ressource-wise : if any ressource is required to build the standard unit, then same should apply to the religious special unit. In our example, Crusaders require both horse and iron

other requirements :
* Religion of the desired religious special unit should be your state religion
* Can only be built in cities with temple + monastery of the said religion

[nt1]

@ Nikolai

Yes you're right although it should not become too difficult to obtain such a unit in terms of number of conditions...

So maybe it should only depend on your religious civic?
I'd say that you can build those units whatever the religious civic except for free religion...which would by the way make it necessary for these units to become available early in the game, as I (among others) tend to switch to free religion as soon as I get it...

[Tattila the Hun]

Humph, there still isn't Catholicism in Civ4.

[nt1]

my bad - christianism

[Last Conformist]

I don't think we need any more land units (except something 'tween 'pults and cannon), nor any more bonuses for religions.