Has anybody created a mod allowing all UU's

[Solomwi]

By which I mean allowing each civ to build every UU. I'm doing one now, just to experiment and see if having, for instance, a choice between Hoplite and Impi will lead to more strategic diversity. If anybody has tried this, I would appreciate any words of caution over aspects that I may overlook in the editor, ancillary ideas, etc.

[Antrine]

I have done somewhat close to what you are asking. In my mod all units are available to all. It does present challenges. Particularly in the pre-Industrial ages as the bulk of the units are there.

So to avoid duplication and redundancy I carefully contrast, build cost with unit strengths. Making different paths up the tech tree balanced. For reference, I have packed 42 techs into the first age, elongating it to the point of being the bulk of game. (I favor Ancient World flavor) With several paths up the tech tree, you can more easily spread the units’ appearance ratio.

As I review the situation, I note that there are some handy advantages in the Game Editor for modders and I am sure I have not yet exhausted them. Here being:

Layer units, by tying some to 'resource' available, this is already utilized but can be expanded, such as with iron etc.

Have unit 'only' available via some improvement such with Zeus and Ancient Cavalry. I expanded this extensively to six or more units.

Have units only appear via enslavement as a random occurrence during battle. This feature is just plain beautiful, big time! I have six or eight units appear this way, it is great for more exciting game play as it adds a lot of dimension.

Some units come early via some improvements timed to one per ten turns and then later available via a tech, however then costs a lot to build via the city to build.

Not all upgrade for purpose of being a dead-end with caveat, such as cheap to build available with an early tech etc.

Others have no maintenance; however cost the whole empire unhappiness when you build the improvement that spits them out.

No matter have no two units identical in characteristics.

Expanded these categories; cheaper Armies with a unit load of one and no radar, units that can load and transport, single units that have radar as their main claim, units that are 'hidden nationality' so that undeclared war is feasible. Vary movement, costs and hit points more extensively all along the way.

Always make sure the AI is using most of them easily. This simply takes a lot of testing!

I think I have fifty units in this mod, all in one very long age. It takes some 200 turns plus to go through the Age and that moving fast. Only five of the forty-two techs are tradable, and there is total four free advances possible when building two specific Small Wonders and of course, if you get to Philosophy first making it possible to either buy or get free ten techs total. The tech clock is seven minimum and 15 maximum.

This is to make better sure each 'unit' no matter how many, have their day in the sun so to speak. I hate leaving units behind as I move up the tech tree that either not built or widely used.

Other needful considerations, is having a least one cheap offensive unit and one cheap defensive unit available at all times to all CIVS no matter where they happen to be tech wise. Same goes too when powerful units come on board, if one gets a hotdog offensive unit, it should also be easily possible for other CIVS to access a hotdog defensive unit reasonably close, time/tech wise. This brings in tying units to city building and empire building, it is good to keep all strategies viable; whether being defensive yet pushy economically with ‘hidden nationality’ units or a fair minded builder all the way to an out and out war-mongering nefarious rabble rouser who scrabbles to keep the empires’ happiness held together.

This kind of balance take a lot of fine-tuning and game playing, anyways this is some of my take on it.

Happy gaming

[Solomwi]

Wow, now that sounds like a fun mod. I'm not getting quite that ambitious with this one, since I don't want it to stray too far from stock. One major goal with it is to bring more of the late industrial/early modern type molding of an army forward, particularly to the ancient age, which I find lacking in such. The only real decision in the build queue, besides "offense, defense or bombard?" is whether to build a quick hitting horseman force, powerful but slow sword force, or how to mix them. The possibilities open up, though, when you can decide between Impi, Numidians, Hoplites, Legions, Immortals and Gallic Swords. The same wonderful dilemma arises when you discover chivalry, and have all the knight UU's available. It peters out in the industrial age, since there are only a couple of UU's left, but at that point, the stock options start to materialize.

One thing I'm wondering more about the more I think about it is upgrade path. For instance, can I make each spearman UU upgradeable to Swiss Merc, or do I need to upgrade one to the other and so on, as the stock version does?

[Antrine]

Well the spearman, if not upgraded can be pretty pathetic as the game rolls on. I'd stick to something close to stock.

Thanks, it is fun and the lot of work, that just kind of sneaks up on you.

[Solomwi]

Sorry, I wasn't clear on that. The goal is for them all to upgrade to Swiss Mercs (IIRC, the only Pikeman UU). What I'm not sure on is exactly how to implement that, i.e., if I should expect any bugs if I just change all of them to SM upgrade, or if I need to structure the upgrade paths differently to get the same result, e.g., Impi-->Hoplite-->Numidian-->Swiss, similar to how the stock version has it.

[Antrine]

Actually, your way sounds simpler, and for the AI simple and direct is generally better. Complicated routes to something is more the human will take advantage of. Just watch the tech tree, when units come on line and with the upgrade that acts as a obsolence trigger to all that preceded it.

[theage]

Check this out

http://civ3players.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=Scenarios&action=display&num=1080062428

Enables every civ to be able to build every UU, but each UU requires a certain resource or lux (or combination of)