Exploreres come to late?

[smbakeresq]

Is it just me or do explorers come to late in this version of civ also? It seems by the time I get to them, I already can see most of my continent, and then you can map trade for the other continents.

[Boppo]

Play a Terra map. You might find a use for them then. Although I am usually exporing with conquering armies in the New World. I guess you can put one on a Caravel which would allow you to get them to the continent before troops are allowed on a boat that can cross the ocean.

[smbakeresq]

Do you think maybe they should come with sailing but then have strength lowered? Or would rob civs starting with scout one of their advantages?

[rewster1]

Personally I think having them come with compass is more realistic. You don't go exploring if you can't figure out which direction is home, at least not on the ocean. Perhaps instead they should have combat raised. It can only defend, so why not make it str 6, or even 8? They wear the same armor (judging by the pictures) as conquistadors, so they should be pretty tough, I'd imagine. Of course, that would turn a unit meant for recon into basically an early, fast defensive unit (an early musketeer?) So that would probably not fit well. Perhaps they should be allowed to cross closed borders ("hey, I was just looking around is all!") instead.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by rewster1
Perhaps they should be allowed to cross closed borders ("hey, I was just
looking around is all!") instead.

That would be good. Missionaries should also be able to cross closed borders, unless the other side is running theocracy.

[Blake]

Explorers are actually pretty tough units. They are unclassified as military units (ie not melee or archery or anything) so thus nothing has a bonus against them. Add Guerilla II and Woodsman II and they aren't easily budged from hills/forests. They impede Axemen especially effectively.
Pretty cheap, highly mobile, can be used to block roads and stuff.

If they counted as military units for garrison purposes I'd probably make them a fairly high priority. As it is they only really have military applications in the field.

[Martin the Dane]

Hmm, I see I'm not the only one that have felt that explorers are not much use as explorers, but are ok as an early border patrol. And I do support the idea of letting explorers and missionairies cross closed borders. Maybe add a minor risk of upsetting the "invaded" civ.

[playshogi]

Explorers ought to be like caravels and able to explore opponents land without an open borders agreement. That would make them worth building.

[Urban Ranger]

What I usually do is to give explorer units medic I and send them out with my attack stacks.

[alco75]

IMO they're worth building on any map which might have undiscovered land (i.e. islands cut off by ocean) until Astronomy. Put one in a Caravel and explore. I actually got Astronomy from a goodie hut popped by an Explorer, once.

[drank]

The problem I've found with Explorers on a Terra map is that by the time you get one to the new world, the barbarians have long since fortified an archer or warrior on top of all the goodie huts. Since the Explorer cannot attack, he can't pop the hut, even though he'd beat the barb unit in combat. So on Terra maps, I generally find it more useful to get a Knight out exploring/popping in the New World.

Have others had different experiences?

[alva]

Originally posted by playshogi
Explorers ought to be like caravels and able to explore opponents land without an open borders agreement. That would make them worth building.

But then what would be the point of closed borders?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by alva
But then what would be the point of closed borders?

No trade.