Interesting Stuff on Units

[albiedamned]

I was going through unitrules.xml trying to learn more about the units. Units are designated to have certain weapon types (they can have more than one), and they can also have certain "Specials" and "Flags". The possible weapon types include Melee, Archery, Gun, Siege/Artillery, Explosive, Bombard, Armor Piercing, and Anti-Air. Here are some of my observations:

• The weapon type "Explosive" seems to mean splash damage. Gunpowder and beyond siege units all have it, as well as Flamethrowers, all Bombers and some Fighters, all Missles, and some ships.
• Weapon types "Bombard" and "Siege/Artillery" both seem to mean strong against buildings - not sure why they have both. All siege units have this, as well as Flamethrowers, all Bombers and Fighter Bombers, all missles, and all Battleships.
• The weapon type "Armor Piercing" means good against units marked as armored, which includes all Armored Cars, all Tanks, Advanced Battleships (but not regular Battleships), and Aircraft Carriers. Armor Piercing units are the Anti-Tank infantry line, Helicopters, all Cruisers, and all Submarines.
• The weapon type "Anti-Air" is self-explanatory, but the units which have it are somewhat surprising. Obviously the Anti-Aircraft vehicle line has it, as well as all Fighters and Fighter Bombers, but also Destroyers, all Cruisers, and Aircraft Carriers.
• All Heavy Infantry, from Hoplite through Anti-Tank Missle, are marked "pike" which I assume means advantage against cavalry. Of course the later Heavy Infantry also have Armor Piercing.
• Only certain units are marked as "fire while moving", including all Cavalry Archers, all Armored Cars, all Anti-Aircraft vehicles, and the whole Light Ship/Destroyer/Cruiser line. Notably missing are Tanks, Heavy Ships, and Submarines.
• The whole cloaked units and detection units mini-game is explained. All Submarines and Spies are cloaked all the time, while the Explorer/Commando/Special Forces line as well as Partisans (final upgrade for Militia) are cloaked while not moving. The whole Explorer/Commando/Special Forces line can detect cloaked units, as well as Helicopters, the whole Light Ship/Destroyer/Cruiser line, and Submarines. Spies curiously do not have the detect ability.
• Attack Submarines are marked as holds air, like Aircraft Carriers. Not sure if this actually can be used or not - I've never built one.

[Inverse Icarus]

yea, interesting stuff indeed. the game promotes combined arms quite well.

for a simplifed idea, you can click on an enemy unit, and it says "counter with"

[albiedamned]

Yes, that certainly is the simplified way to get all this info! But I require every last detail. I also require more sleep than I've been getting.

[olaf]

It does promote the creation of combined arms forces but your units themselves are oblivious to combined arms tactics, despite the text they present when you mouse over them. I love it when my heavy calvary makes a beeline for my foe's heavy infantry while my own heavy infantry plods after some nearby dragoons.

This adds a huge micromanagement overhead to battles and gives a decided advantage to the players with the best hand eye coordination. Not a surprise since almost all other base building RTS games are the same way, but a disappointment nonetheless.

It would have been refreshing to have military units that were aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and acted upon them autonomously when you werent around to babysit.

olaf

[bhg_paul]

Originally posted by olaf

It would have been refreshing to have military units that were aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and acted upon them autonomously when you werent around to babysit.

olaf

Consider yourself refreshed.

Actually they do this. Set up the following situation using normal gamplay, scenario editor, or (fastest way) using cheat keys to drop units onto the map. Drop down a red hop, a red slinger, and a red archer in a vertical line and set them to hold ground. Now add a blue archer to the mix. Make sure he's within range of all of the units (easy with the cheat keys - just drop him right in the mix). Blue archer will shoot at the red hop every time because that's his best target.

If a unit has several targets, he'll try to shoot his "best" target. Note that if a unit has already engaged a target he'll continue with that same target until finished. Note that he only looks for best targets when acquiring a new target. He won't switch targets until the first target is dead or out of range.