So I've decided to get back in modding, starting first with the special units (because balancing buildings becomes brazenly boring). To be able to do it balanced however, I'll need to create a matrix. And thus, this serves as a sort of draft as to how I'll be shaping the cultural/generic special troops.
The system is basically based on the previously developed retinue system, which in turn was based on Shaytana's assignments of cultural troops types and stat effects. Once this system is complete, all retinues would now be exclusively composed of the special troops, whose stats are influenced by two factors: their base troop and their characteristics.
Basically, the base is composed of the dominant troop type from the previous retinue balance. The stats themselves aren't exactly going to be directly copied from the base unit stats exactly (since I just might rebalance them again), but instead will affected by the conceptual archetypes of the said unit as well as their additional characteristics.
The archetypal balance of roles are as follows:
archer = strong skirmish, weak melee, moderate pursue
light infantry = moderate skirmish, moderate melee, moderate pursue
heavy infantry = weak skirmish, strong melee (offence priority), weak pursue
pikemen = weak skirmish, strong melee (defence priority), weak pursue
light cavalry = moderate skirmish, weak melee (defence priority), strong pursue
heavy cavalry = weak skirmish, strong melee, moderate pursue
As I'll be rebalancing all units, I can't say exact numbers right now, but the above should give a general idea of how exactly I envision each unit's role in the battlefield (and consequently how I'll be designing tactics)
That said, I've mentioned that special troops would be affected by characteristics. These characteristics are unique to each troop, and are so attributed to give a net balance of 4 +'s for generics and 7 +'s for culturals. By default, 1 of that is consumed for morale by generics and 2 for culturals. Note that I said a "net balance", so it's certainly possible to have more +'s as long as they are counterbalanced by -'s somewhere else.
Take the rhodoki crossbowmen special troops as an example.
Their base is an archer unit, for obvvious reasons. As crossbowmen with pavise, they can use their shields for cover, giving them skirmish defence++. As the crossbows are easier to aim, they also get a skimish offence+ as well as a melee offence + due to the stronger penetrating power of a crossbow, not to mention they also have had time to train in the melee since crossbow training is less rigorous than bowmanship, hence also a melee defence +. However, the burden of their equipment makes them slower to flee, hence a pursuit defence -, not to mention the slower reload rate gives a pursue offence - as well. As special generic troops, they also get a morale bonus as well by default. This gives a balance of 4 +'s (6+'s & 2-'s), hence a "balance".
I'll have to figure out the numbers in the future with further testing, nor have I finished the list of base/characteristics yet, but for now consider this a sort of dev diary/preview of things to come.
The system is basically based on the previously developed retinue system, which in turn was based on Shaytana's assignments of cultural troops types and stat effects. Once this system is complete, all retinues would now be exclusively composed of the special troops, whose stats are influenced by two factors: their base troop and their characteristics.
Basically, the base is composed of the dominant troop type from the previous retinue balance. The stats themselves aren't exactly going to be directly copied from the base unit stats exactly (since I just might rebalance them again), but instead will affected by the conceptual archetypes of the said unit as well as their additional characteristics.
The archetypal balance of roles are as follows:
archer = strong skirmish, weak melee, moderate pursue
light infantry = moderate skirmish, moderate melee, moderate pursue
heavy infantry = weak skirmish, strong melee (offence priority), weak pursue
pikemen = weak skirmish, strong melee (defence priority), weak pursue
light cavalry = moderate skirmish, weak melee (defence priority), strong pursue
heavy cavalry = weak skirmish, strong melee, moderate pursue
As I'll be rebalancing all units, I can't say exact numbers right now, but the above should give a general idea of how exactly I envision each unit's role in the battlefield (and consequently how I'll be designing tactics)
That said, I've mentioned that special troops would be affected by characteristics. These characteristics are unique to each troop, and are so attributed to give a net balance of 4 +'s for generics and 7 +'s for culturals. By default, 1 of that is consumed for morale by generics and 2 for culturals. Note that I said a "net balance", so it's certainly possible to have more +'s as long as they are counterbalanced by -'s somewhere else.
Take the rhodoki crossbowmen special troops as an example.
Their base is an archer unit, for obvvious reasons. As crossbowmen with pavise, they can use their shields for cover, giving them skirmish defence++. As the crossbows are easier to aim, they also get a skimish offence+ as well as a melee offence + due to the stronger penetrating power of a crossbow, not to mention they also have had time to train in the melee since crossbow training is less rigorous than bowmanship, hence also a melee defence +. However, the burden of their equipment makes them slower to flee, hence a pursuit defence -, not to mention the slower reload rate gives a pursue offence - as well. As special generic troops, they also get a morale bonus as well by default. This gives a balance of 4 +'s (6+'s & 2-'s), hence a "balance".
I'll have to figure out the numbers in the future with further testing, nor have I finished the list of base/characteristics yet, but for now consider this a sort of dev diary/preview of things to come.
), I've actually codified them and added them to the SVN (though actual implementation is sketchy due to some technical issues - namely they show up as horse archers, camels, and elephants because of the way they are implemented).
