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What would be the people's general thoughts on having something like a unit workshop from SMAC? For those unfamiliar with the concept, and to make it more clear, here's the idea.
You don't have units like Marines or Paratroopers or Tanks. Instead, you have a Unit Workshop (UW) where you create your units. Technology gives you tools, not the units. So, when you discover a tech that gives you automatic infantry rifles, you can design a new unit in the UW. You open up the UW, generally, and see the following fields:
1. Base type. This indicates whether the unit you're designing is Infantry, Mounted (Horse), Armored (Tank), Hover (Hover Infantry), Aircraft (Jet), Helicopter, etc...
2. The weapon. This depends on the base type, but you can choose from a lot of weapons, depending on tech. For instance, for an Infantry unit in the early 20th century tech level, you'd be able to choose between semi-automatic guns, the WW-1 style rifles, pistols and maybe carabeens (sp?).
3. The armor. Your units can be ecquiped with medieval style plate armoring or the futuristic energy armor types... yuor choice.
4. Special abilities. Suppose there could be room for 2 or maybe 3 of these. They include the already present abilities in CtP, such as enslavement, franchise, file injunctions, etc., but would also include things such as Parardop, Amphibious Landing, free movement over mountains, ability to move in shallow (a la Fusion Tanks), for air units things like extra fuel tanks (can spend more time in air), or a see submarine ability for sea units. Transports would also be sea units with the "Transport" ability... Carriers with a "Transport Air" ability, etc.
Of course, the betterthings you add, the more expensive this unit becomes. You can create a tank that can move in shallow water, as well as Bombard, etc., but you'll wind up with something very expensive. Or, you can create units with the best armor out there but only pistols for weapons to have a reasonably cheap defensive unit...
Generally, implementing the UW, using the above ideas as merely an indication of what it could look like, would give the player more flexibility and add depth to the game. A problem, of course, would be to get the AI to design various unit types.
You don't have units like Marines or Paratroopers or Tanks. Instead, you have a Unit Workshop (UW) where you create your units. Technology gives you tools, not the units. So, when you discover a tech that gives you automatic infantry rifles, you can design a new unit in the UW. You open up the UW, generally, and see the following fields:
1. Base type. This indicates whether the unit you're designing is Infantry, Mounted (Horse), Armored (Tank), Hover (Hover Infantry), Aircraft (Jet), Helicopter, etc...
2. The weapon. This depends on the base type, but you can choose from a lot of weapons, depending on tech. For instance, for an Infantry unit in the early 20th century tech level, you'd be able to choose between semi-automatic guns, the WW-1 style rifles, pistols and maybe carabeens (sp?).
3. The armor. Your units can be ecquiped with medieval style plate armoring or the futuristic energy armor types... yuor choice.
4. Special abilities. Suppose there could be room for 2 or maybe 3 of these. They include the already present abilities in CtP, such as enslavement, franchise, file injunctions, etc., but would also include things such as Parardop, Amphibious Landing, free movement over mountains, ability to move in shallow (a la Fusion Tanks), for air units things like extra fuel tanks (can spend more time in air), or a see submarine ability for sea units. Transports would also be sea units with the "Transport" ability... Carriers with a "Transport Air" ability, etc.
Of course, the betterthings you add, the more expensive this unit becomes. You can create a tank that can move in shallow water, as well as Bombard, etc., but you'll wind up with something very expensive. Or, you can create units with the best armor out there but only pistols for weapons to have a reasonably cheap defensive unit...
Generally, implementing the UW, using the above ideas as merely an indication of what it could look like, would give the player more flexibility and add depth to the game. A problem, of course, would be to get the AI to design various unit types.
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