What units need upgrades?

[HazieDaVampire]

i see, anyways, i think Longbowmen should be defensive. The only time they'd actualy get to attack would be in a chivalry style battle!

[player1]

Originally posted by Trip
2) Units flagged as offensive will always attack, and units flagged as defensive will always defend. Try not to mix these up much. For example, upgrading Longbowmen (an offensive unit) to Riflemen (a defensive unit) will mean that the upgraded AI Riflemen will go on suicidal charges, when it should be Cavalry/Tanks in that position.

So, what is better:
Suicide Longbomen in modern age or suicide Riflemen?

I guess Rilfemen.
Still, to compensate, with MODed attack of 5.


P.S.
Even in original rules, Rilfemen have offense AI flag.
Soren explained that it was done in order to lower number of longbowmen in mored age.

[Willem]

Originally posted by Trip
Keep in mind a couple things guys.

1) Many of the units not upgrading were done so for play balance. The shift towards technology following Cavalry is used to make sure that players have to re-tool their military in order to keep it up-to-date. Making Cavalry upgradeable to Tanks, Marines, whatever will make the game unbalanced in that respect, and encourage the "power in 1000 BC, superpower in 1000 AD" problem.

Granted, but I for one don't want to see my build list cluttered up with obsolete units I have absolutely no use for. And I also want to make sure that the AI doesn't end up building a Longbowmen in the Industrial era.

And I don't see much of a difference whether I'm disbanding a unit for some extra shields, or having to pay out gold to upgrade them. In fact, considering how much it costs to upgrade a Longbowmen to a Rifleman, I'm probably losing out by paying for it, as opposed to disbanding. It certainly takes a big chunk out of my treasury!

2) Units flagged as offensive will always attack, and units flagged as defensive will always defend. Try not to mix these up much. For example, upgrading Longbowmen (an offensive unit) to Riflemen (a defensive unit) will mean that the upgraded AI Riflemen will go on suicidal charges, when it should be Cavalry/Tanks in that position.

That's not how it works. If I upgrade a Longbowmen to a Rifleman, it's going to use the flags of the Rifleman, not blend the two. You don't end up with some hybrid. All the previous flags are replaced by those of the new unit, and the AI will use them the way they're set up in the editor.

[HazieDaVampire]

i've made all the old ships upgrade to destroyers! That was with realism and gameplay in mind!

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by Willem
That's not how it works. If I upgrade a Longbowmen to a Rifleman, it's going to use the flags of the Rifleman, not blend the two. You don't end up with some hybrid. All the previous flags are replaced by those of the new unit, and the AI will use them the way they're set up in the editor.

That's not what Soren said...

[HazieDaVampire]

thats mad then!

[Willem]

Originally posted by Trip

That's not what Soren said...

Well allowing Longbowmen to upgrade to Riflemen was one of the first things I changed, along with Swordsman, many months ago. And I don't recall ever seeing an AI Rifleman in an offensive role. So obviously those choices pose no problems, regardless of what Soren says.

[player1]

In fact, it doesn't matter since Riflemen from 1.21f has also offense AI flag enabeld too.

And you know why it was enabled?
To prevent AI from build Longbowmen too much.

And I don't see problem with making them upgradeable.
It least they could be usefull.

[Optimizer]

I still wonder - will units work properly if they have got both the defensive and the offensive flags?

[Willem]

According to someone from Firaxis, Mike I believe, yes they will. Apparently if the AI has a choice, it will choose one or the other and stick with it. So if it chooses defensive, the unit won't just suddenly switch to offensive. At least that's the way I've been reading it.