What units would you add?

[Optimizer]

Could you please take the terrorist discussion in another thread?

Back to unit ideas:
Spy Satellite - a stealth air unit that can recon any square on the world map (in parallel to the ICBM) but nothing else.

[Wolfpack]

new (revised) naval units

1. Ironclad (limited to coastal areas)
2. Armored Cruiser (Pre-WWI dreadnought type)
3. Torpedo Boats (includes WWI DD's and later smaller types-limited to coastal / seas)
4. Destroyer (WWII type general purpose type- can see subs)
5. Cruiser (WWII type )
6. Battleship (WWII type)
7. Carrier (WWII - limited to piston type aircraft )
8. Missile Destoyer (60's type tech, can see subs)
9. Missile Cruiser (60's type)
10.Aegis Cruiser (extended radar, can see subs, carries Missiles)
11.Aegis Destoyer (ext. radar, sees subs)
12.Attack Carrier (may carry jet aircraft)

I'll think some more about the stats that each may have.

[Travathian]

Army Corp of Engineers:
Build roads/railroad, fortress and clear jungle/forest. Cannot be reassimilated into a city. Moves as an Explorer, and has a defense of maybe 3 or 4.

Buildable sometime during the industrial age.

[Sandman]

I'd have two different classes of unit.

One is 'bread and butter' type units such as infantry type units, fast attack units, planes, ships and bombardment units.

The other class consists of slightly odder units which had less impact historically. Things like elephants, zeppelins, stealth aircraft, ridiculously big artillery guns, catapult galleys, stuff like that. These cost twice as much to maintain, and are not that useful. Just for a player who wants a bit of fun.

[Optimizer]

An A-bomber - available with Adv. Flight, requires Uranium and Oil. Like a tactical nuke but more expensive. Can be intercepted.

[dannyevilcat]

I'd really like to add in a Commando unit... lesser combat strength (simulating small, specially trained task forces as opposed to divisions of infantry) but operates like Privateer. How cool would it be to conduct secret ops inside enemy territory?!

You could sever the enemy's links to vital resources before the beginning to the invasion.

Would this work for a land unit?

[Kestrel]

I had a crack at redesigning my Civ2 - ToT "Original Plus" Modpack which adds in a couple of dozen extra units and was intending to create something similar for Civ III.

But based on changed family circumstances, lack of time and also the fact that I haven't bought Civ III yet because I don't have a PC fast enough to run it (yet), I don't think it is going to happen any time soon.

My idea was to have a smoother transition of unit upgrades from ancient to modern, not the big staccato leaps that seem to be a feature of Civ III (and were also a feature of Civ II). I also wanted to try to have at least 2 different unique units for each Civ - but I didn't quite complete that (though I really like the suggestion of the "Ghurkas" as an elite unit for the Indians)

It also means that with respect to big equipment purchases that are not necessarily upgradeable that you are forced to make uncomfortable decisions - "Should I buy that squadron of Fighters now or wait until my Technology improves a little bit".

The increased number of units won't please eveybody, but I love complexity - the more the better for my tastes.

To use it you might also want to modify some of the Tech precursors - There is another file there that outlines what I thought might be sensible. I didn't in the end add in any extra techs as it seems to be too hard to do that with Civ III at the moment - more of a challenge to fit the new units into the existing spaces anyway.

My plan was to in most cases use the existing graphics / animations where possible for the new intermediate units. (It's pretty hard to tell if an infantryman has a "single shot" rifle or a "repeating" rifle until you get real close to them, Some would say Too Close ! ) I also sort of like the idea of not knowing initially exactly what enemy units you are up against, for me it adds a little bit more to the realism.

If I had more time / energy I would also add in the extra strategic resources "Tin" or "Copper" like Harlan and the English Cossack have suggested, as a precursor to Spearmen / Hoplite and to some of the more modern units (Requiring copper wire etc.).

Anyway - here it is - use the ideas as you will - and many thanks to "Nero Would" for providing the original format excel spreadsheet.

Oh - and if anyone does want to use these new units etc. - I also have some Civilopedia entries prepared for many of them - send me an e-mail or reply here.

[mfauzi]

Just have some ideas. Not sure if they're possible. Feel free to criticize

Divers
These are navy divers who go around sinking ships. They have a possible chances of sinking ships. If you're wondering what they are, remember that the French Secret Service once sent divers to sink a Greenpeace ship which was protesting against nuclear testing. They're probably just naval units but with a navy diver as the unit icon. Probably can make them stealth or even nationless (like the privateers). And they probably should belong in coastal and maybe sea tiles only (I don't think it's a good idea to have them swimming around the ocean And if possible, have to make it needing to get into a city or a boat after a few turns.

Torpedo planes
Hmm.. Anybody watched Pearl Habor? Yeah, that's what the Japanese did.. but then again, it's just planes with high enough attack points to sink ships. They're not fighters though

Battlecruiser
WW2 ships ranging somewhere between cruisers and battleships

Sea Mines
This should be interesting. Stealth and deployed in coastal, sea (or maybe oceans? Can mine stay in oceans?) tiles. They have zero attack but a very high defence. If possible, zero movement, and they have to be deployed by boats (either a special boat or just transports). Otherwise just 1 movement. I don't really know if it's possible, but it would be great if it is. Too bad you can't make enemy units "accidentally" attack a mine to make the illusion that ships hit them and sink. I think this would be great use to blockade a city with a habor

Sea Mining Deploy / Remove Ship
This can deploy sea mines and remove enemy sea mines. I guess "removing" sea mines is actually attacking them. Problem is, if its attack is that high, it can probably sink other ships too.. I don't know..

Torpedos
Yeah, these torpedos actually exist on their own. I know you all would say that they're launched from ships but what if torpedoes are used like cruise missiles? To attack enemy ships that are attacking your cities. In fact, there's this article I've read about weapons for the future; an ultra fast torpedo that can travel really far and attack targets near coast. Used only one, and probably stealth too.

Stealth Ships (Stealth Cruisers and destroyers??)
These are being experimented. How come Firaxis never introduced any stealth ships into the game?

Russian Bomber as UU
Just got an idea for a UU. Instead of the current UU (what was it anyway? I forgot), these bombers are for WW2. I've just read about this a WW2 russian bomber simulator in a previous issue of Computer Gaming World. But it's a rather weak idea.. I don't know.. I think the name is Storvmovik or something

Well those are my idea.. I have some positive and negative criticism on others' ideas. It's just my opinion. Hope you're not offended.

+Lord Cannager
b52 bomber
Isn't the first bomber (not the stealth one) the same as this one? I'm not too sure though

c-130 hercules
this would be interesting, to lift units to the war front. It's especially useful if the war is on a continent where none of your cities exist so that you can't use normal airlifting (thru the airport). Best if it has a very long range. But then again, the flight system in Civ3 wouldn't allow it, and I'm not sure if there's a way around it.

medic
this would be interesting. But let's not make it obsolete by Battlefield medicine. Instead, make it instant heal with battlefield medicine. Problem is, I'm not sure if we can do healing at all in Civ 3

+Trachmyr
Self-Propelled Artillary
Yeah.. this reminds me of those vehicles Iraq used in the gulf war. They shoot missiles and they move around like tanks.

Motorized Infantry
Hmm.. isn't this like the Mech. Infantry?

+[LordLMP]
Air Carriers
This would be really cool. If it's not for the hindenburg disaster, air ships would probably have gone more advanced. Did anybody play crimson skies? They had this and it's really cool.

Mercenary
These are probably the land equivalents of privateers right? Attack without them knowing who did it.

Helicopter
They have it in civ 3, but it's really weakened and I have no idea how to use them.

+Kristjan
Partisans
How come they removed this? They should still automatically come out when any of your cities are captured by the enemy (thru military and not culture of course) like in civ 2

+fezick31
SONAR buoy
This would be great if it is possible to put them into the game but they would be really vulnerable to enemy attack though.

Light and heavy dirigables
How come they never experiment these things in the game? Just because of the hindenburg crash, doesn't mean it never existed. Isn't this game supposed to be a what if? What if the hindenburg didn't crash and they found ways to fly it safely? In fact, if it didn't happen, these things will still be heavily used, I believe. Even maybe a commercial version which are as luxurious as those cruise liners. And I've read somewhere that they're experimenting ways to make them safe again and some companies are planning to use them to life heavy cargo.

AWACS
These are great. Have recon like the fighters in the game, except that it's recon range is much much more and it will reveal more areas of the map.

SEAL team
Why not have them paradrop either into land or sea. Sea as in the divers that I've suggested earlier. That would be cool.

+Travathian
Army Corp of Engineers
I think somebody tried modding this. But the AI wouldn't use their worker functions

+Wolfpack
Torpedo Boats
Yeah, they should really have high attack but much lower defence. They can't bombard though.

Attack Carrier
It's too bad that didn't make the fighters stationed in the carrier able to scramble and defend the carrier from bombers.

+ajbera
terrorists
I like the idea, however, they should be available to all. After all, this is supposed to be a random game and have a "What if" situation. Should say "What if Americans used terrorist?" or "What if Babylonians used terrorist?" or "What if the Chinese used terrorists?" instead of "Should be available only to middle east civs". But make it usable only against an enemy in a war (and not like a privateer) unless you build a small wonder which allows you to build special terrorist without nations. How about that?

Well just my 2 cents worth

[korn469]

ok i added in partisans to my mod a while back and here is what i have found out so far

at first i made their stats 1.1.2 bombard 8 with 1 rate of fire, hidden nationality and treat all terrain as roads

i set them to offensive units, and they did not utilize their bombard ability at all...when setting them to artillary, the AI didn't like to build them, and it only liked to use them on defense and wouldn't attack with them...so the AI optimally uses partisans when they are offensive units

so when i updated them i increased their stats some to 3 on offense and defense and made them as fast as modern armor with hidden nationality...this means that they can strike and retreat from all but the fastest units (in my mod modern armor and mech infantry)

the AI will use them to capture workers, capture undefended, lightly defended cities and will be a pain with them

[fezick31]

Originally posted by mfauzi
+fezick31
SONAR buoy
This would be great if it is possible to put them into the game but they would be really vulnerable to enemy attack though.

They were very vulnerable, but they were designed as a non attack (therefor didn't make people mad in rep & dem) unit. I designed the unit so that if you built a ton of them (they were cheap), you could build a SONAR screen on your coastline

Light and heavy dirigables
How come they never experiment these things in the game? Just because of the hindenburg crash, doesn't mean it never existed. Isn't this game supposed to be a what if? What if the hindenburg didn't crash and they found ways to fly it safely? In fact, if it didn't happen, these things will still be heavily used, I believe. Even maybe a commercial version which are as luxurious as those cruise liners. And I've read somewhere that they're experimenting ways to make them safe again and some companies are planning to use them to life heavy cargo.

My thinking exactly. The navy used them in WWII to escort transport ships (as they could see subs underwater). The large airships were devistating as well. In world war I, london was blasted with them. As long as they were filled with Helium, they were great. The hindenburg exploded because the germans used to hydrogen instead (No one would sell them helium)

AWACS
These are great. Have recon like the fighters in the game, except that it's recon range is much much more and it will reveal more areas of the map.

I'd also like to see some sort of intercept chance on these. Shooting down an AWACS can really hurt an air offensive. In civ 2, you had to fly fighter escorts on these (a trick, since they could stay aloft for 4 turns), or the comp woul knock 'em out the sky.

SEAL team
Why not have them paradrop either into land or sea. Sea as in the divers that I've suggested earlier. That would be cool.

If you can figure out how to get them to paradrop into the ocean,let me know. I don't know how Civ3 handles it, but Civ 2 would never let me do it. My first attempt was to make them air units, sort of like a paradopable helicopter, but that didn't work. Instead, i made them alpine, and gave them large movement points.

One more unit, building off the spysatelite idea. How about a future unit...an attack satelite. It could bombard any square on the planet. Talk about deterent force!

[Qaelaus]

Grand Fleet

Perhaps elite naval units could have the chance of creating an "Admiral of the Fleet" which could be used to create a "Grand Fleet/Navy" or rush-build wonders in coastal cities, in the same way as a victorious elite land unit?

Is this possible to mod?

"Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves... !"

[Optimizer]

Mines as subs?

What happens in Civ 3 if a ship moves on an enemy sub?

If it accidentally attacks the sub, sea mines could easily be made as a sub with stats like 0/10/1 or something.

If the sub is revealed, like in Civ 2, the mine unit could still be made by having a Zone of Control. It will then need an attack rate, which will make it able to attack like an ordinary sub. This could be solved by paradropping mines, but only if they can be dropped into the ocean. Land mines could be done this way.

I would prefer mines to be dangerous also to your own ships.

[mfauzi]

Hmm.. I'm not sure. I've yet to move into a sub in Civ 3. And a good thing they're going to patch the "accidentally attacking a friendly sub when you move into it without any warning" problem in the coming patch.

But wouldn't the mine not self-destruct if it attacks like in units with ZOC? I don't know.

And I'm hoping you can paradrop into the sea. Somebody can probably test this by seeing if you can put the paradrop flag on a ship and see if it really works

[Bane Star]

These are from my civ2 list:
P.s. These are all medievel/fantasy units that are not in civ3 allready
Cavemen, peasent, druid, cleric
halberdiers, shortswordsman
soldier, light infantry, heavy infantry
crossbowman, Knights templar
Ballisti, catapult, trebuchet, juggernaut
Giant eagle, warlock, griffon, hawk
Canoe, sailboat, merchantman(trade ship)
assasin, spy, diplomat, tradecaravan
magician, skeletons,
just to name a few....

[Optimizer]

Landmines should not be a problem. Zero movement, but a high attack rate, a ZoC, paradrop ability and the sub flag. Will that work?