06-12-2003 09:36									#1
	AU Mod Assault Troops Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

I want to follow up to a suggestion I made on the Cav. thread about assualt troops. Please feel free to move this to the correct location or suggest I just continue the discussion in the Cav Thread.

Background.
In the ancient age if you want to take an enemy city. If you have iron you build swordsman. If you have horses, horseman. But what do you build if you have both horse or iron?... It depends either a swordsman/catapult army or a bunch of horseman are a reasonable choices and present an interesting strategic decision for the player.. (or AI)

The same thing is true in the Middle ages. You can build a pure Knight army fast assault or a combo of Medieval infantry/Longbow with Pikeman and Trebuchet slow assault army.
I am always impressed at how well the AI does escorting their longbows/Med Infantry with Pikeman.

However once Cavalry make an appearance the slow assault option dissapears. Cavalry are just so superior to infantry (possibly even with an 8 attack) that humans simply build Cav. but the AI still pumps out lots of rifleman/infantry.

My solution is to provide a line of assault troops with Att>Def and movement one for the AI to use until tanks make an appearance.
This has the added advantage of being historically accurate because until modern times the vast majority of all armies walked.

I am assuming a few things.
Cav strength is reduced to 5 (possibly increased to 6 with nationalism)
Musket cost is 50
Most importantly the AI can use offensive assault troops much like it does Medieval infantry.

Proposal

Sapper 6-3-1 cost 60
Resource Saltpeter
Preq. Metallurgy
AI flag Offensive

Combat Engineers 9-5-1 Cost 80 or 90
Resource Oil? (Explosives)
Preq. Refining or Steel if Oil isn't needed resource
AI flag Offensive
Upgrade path
Warrior-Swordsman-Medieval-Sapper-Combat Eng-Marine.

Discussion
The Sappers were revolutionary war assault troops used to blow holes in fortifications.
With a 6 attack it has a bit less <50% chance of taking out a Musketman in a city, but cost 10 more shields.

The combat engineers are similar to German Pioneer units/Russian Guards etc. They also have a 50% chance of a taking out a rifleman in a city. More importantly they have a much better chance of taking out infantry in cities than a Cav does.
Combat engineers also present and interesting strategic choice since you are researching them on offensive path rather than on the defensive/building approach of Replacable parts.

Note both the Sapper and Combat Engineers needed to be protected by defensive units, otherwise they are vulnerable to spoiling attacks by Rifleman/Infantry and most importantly Cav.

	06-12-2003 17:11									#2
	Put an end to popups!

Strollen,
as much as i like your ideas, i highly doubt that they come in question for the AU mod. it's already a fight if to change "virtually nothing" and "very little" ... you're recommending to add new units, etc.

	07-12-2003 01:44									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Sabre

You are probably right. I am going to try a game or two with the mods just to see how it plays. But I agree it is a significant change.

	08-12-2003 07:18									#4
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Good luck and let us know how it goes.