Game Balance: Diplomatic Units

GM Stormcrow wrote: BASIC THIEF Upkeep increase to 2 Gold Per hour Build requirement will increase to 1 Horse and a training manual (1 Book) Reduction in Carrying Capacity to 20 Units of Basic Resource and 2 Units of Advanced Resource ADVANCED THIEVES Upkeep increase to 4 Gold Per hour Unit Build requirements will now include a saddle and 2 training manuals (2 Books) Carrying Capacity will remain the same (50 units) for basic resources, and reduce to 5 Units of Advanced Resources

what resources are considered basic and which are considered advanced?

found the answer in the diplomacy help thread :P  duh



Edited by fluffy - 27 Mar 2010 at 20:31

Item 1 of the Changes to Diplomatic Units has gone through, with one exception.

Saboteur units currently cost no Gold Upkeep whatsoever, until they are turned back "on" and can be used for missions.

We're testing the diplomatic combat algorithm changes at the moment, but don't want to rush this - and want to make sure it provides what we expect it to provide in a wide variety of scenarios.

So, it is unlikely that Saboteurs will be back online today - and to this end we do not believe that paying the increased upkeep is fair or necessary until they become productive units once again.

Once saboteur missions are renabled then the upkeep will start again.

I think "training manuals" is a poor choice of label.  Everyone needs training.  How about "notebooks" or "report books?"  Scouts and spies need to take careful notes on everything they observe, and the latter must also memorize those details to better blend with their new environment.

And thieves have to...cook the books?  Perform tax evasion?

KillerPoodle wrote: Also - given that it's reasonably easy to judge from trajectory where a scout is coming from and that by sending one military unit in attack mode I can get a full report on the makeup of an army, what's the point of scouts (aside from cannon fodder against runes)?

There are up coming changes that should make them more hidden on the map; and sending an army in is clearly a hositle action

It's a small matter to simply not level up a commander...or to put all upgrade points into defy death.  Bottom line is that there are various scenarios where tiny military assaults can thwart even the strongest of efforts into keeping one's activity or status a mystery.

Most other games will not show the enemy's unit counts in when no one comes home and/or when the attacker's forces are a tiny fraction of the defender's.  Now that encampments can be scouted, there's no need to allow city defenses/privacy to be overcome in this vaguely "exploity" way.