Theme Switching

[windhound]

then prehaps turn off sending loyalty?
('using' loyalty is kinda funny though)

runes.. eh.
we cant really use them in the new game because they're magic of sorts
duty.. 'morale' could work, as it would get lower as you worked your troops and higher as they had more free time (not running using it)

leaders work in their own special way

elites? used to run special missions.. seals of sorts..
spies gather info. but wouldnt exactly move you north/south/east/west or gather grain or 'loot' the countryside..

[neobaron]

The phalanx was the troop standard from ~700BC till the Roman Legions arrived... and mind you the Phalanx was only the standard line of battle for Greek/Macedonian/Seleucid/Ptolemaic Egypt... after Alexander.

Gotta remember that we're dealing with more than just greece here...

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Spies/Diplomats... hrm gooooood

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I also like troop types per race, but thats confusing and whatnot, though im sure I could draw up a draft in no time if it was possible.

[Urran Voh]

'Tis not too confusing to have certain troops per race, and it actually makes sense. The Egyptians used Slingers instead of Archers (mostly) since wood was not to be found in the desert.

[The Beatles]

Oh I see, like "Graft dollars"? Makes sense in that case, although utterly ahistorical.

[Ruddertail]

Troop Names:

Neo pretty much pinned it. Footsoldiers makes more sense then millita.

Attacks: Can stay the same. Frontal might be renammed to "Charge" if we go with a cavy type thing, but otherwise, keep em...

Missions:

Umm, not really sure.

Hawks --> Spies, runes --> Inteligence Resources. Everything from money to contacts to locations of secret tunnels, etc. All quantifyable, as you could transfer contacts names, and tell them they're now working for so and so, give so and so the use of tunnels, etc.

Building names: Stay

Eras: Should become areas. Windy's Coast/Plains/Mountains are good general terms, or we could use Neo's:

North Africa
Europe
Asia/Asia Minor

[Urran Voh]

<div style="width=80%" align="center">Troop names</div>
Mice = Militia, Swordsmen
Squirrels = Slingers (more offensive than defensive)
Hares = Calvary (pretty much equal off/def points)
Otters = Galleons (the defensive troop)
Hawks = Spies

<div style="width=80%" align="center">Resources</div>
Cash = Same/Gold
Food = Same
Runes = No idea on this one

<div style="width=80%" align="center">Locations</div>
Southsward = Coast
Mossflower = Plains
Northlands = Mountains

<div style="width=80%" align="center">Buildings</div>
Markets = Gold Mines (if Gold is used instead of Cash)
Tents = Houses
Camps = Same
Barracks = Same
Huts = Thought of a name earlier, but forgot it now...
Orchards = Are we going toward a more grain or meat food product?
Guards = Same/Watch Towers

Will think of Mission names later.

[Gen. Volkov]

Exactly Beatles. And we're already pretty ahistorical, so it doesn't really matter.


Hmm. Bout the phalanxes neo, you are correct, except the greeks were using them long before Alexander. But, "footsoldiers" wouldn't really work IMO either. Perhaps skirmishers?

Archers/slingers would be good for squirrels. Better def. actually Urran. Archers are ranged, used to protect the troops as they close with the enemy.

Cavalry are the offensive firepower, used to break the ground pounder's lines and harry him once broken.

Galleons... No. Did not exist until MUCH later. Triremes/biremes are the mainstay of the navies of the era.

I think Rudder might be on to something with the "Intelligence resources" idea.

* Murder -> Incite deserters
* Raise Defences -> Border Patrols
* Poison -> Poison Crops
* Destroy Runes -> Steal graft/destroy intelligence resources
* Hawk Battle -> Assassinations? Counterintelligence ops?
* Move North -> Move to Europe/Med
* Move South-> Move to Med/North Africa

[Urran Voh]

But the Archers themselves had little protection. And unless they are used to man Guards whether or not they were used to protect others is irrelevent.

[Gen. Volkov]

Sure they did, the archers would be behind the line of soldiers. Well protected. And they big shields that gave them pretty good cover. The Persian model for example, worked like this. The Archers had big shields that they planted in ground and they crouched or sat behind them and fired arrows into the advanding enemy and over at the enemies archers. Then when the enemy soldiers got close, they would retreat through the lines to the back and continue firing over the heads of their own soldiers. Pretty standard battle tactics. What, you think Peter Jackson invented that stuff for LOTR? He just modified it a bit.

[Urran Voh]

You calling me ignorant?

[Gen. Volkov]

Hex no. I know you aren't. I just maybe thought you weren't as knowledgeable as say, me or neo.

[Urran Voh]

Not as learned as you two, no. But then if I were, I'd be a major in History already.

[Alcaline the Badger]

Don't be kidding me windy, Leaders/Loyalyt never /ever/ made sense. How can you have leaders that are completely useless in battle, that stay in droves of 100-175 in huts, and how in the world can you quantify and gather "loyalty"?

Yes, Spies is better. Is anyone in favor of calling them Diplomats, a la Civ? I personally think Spies is better, but who knows.

Trireme is best known, I think we'd best go with that for a naval troop.

Spearmen: didn't they have Pikemen, or were those later? And shouldn't we call Footsolders Infantry? Also, no Horsemen?

Mind you, I have no idea about most of these troops, so consider all I said just throwing out suggestions.

Nah, The Diplomats is a rap group who sells crack. So calling Leaders, Diplomats would be odd. hehe

[Devari]

Eheh... Volkov, scroll down on the spreadsheet in the future. Persian is at +8 and Macedon is at +14!

[The Beatles]

No need to get personal, Urran, I don't think he was calling you ignorant. Let's just debate what to do here. And the same goes for you Alcy, be flippant somewhere else. (Yeah look who's talking.)

Yeah, it's a well-established fact that archers were a strong point of ancient warfare. Of course, many people didn't recognize this, so it was really England in the Middle Ages that demonstrated their true effectiveness with their longbowmen.

So my recommendation -- obviously based on all the input you guys gave -- for troops so far is:
* Militiamen
* Archers
* Horsemen
* Triremes
* Spies

Rudder, intelligence resources is a great idea. Too much of a mouthful though, so I propose we call them scrolls.

BTW, Volkov, I'm trying to be as historical as is realistically possible what with having to make the game actually balanced. So please help with that rather than giving up on the history altogether.

One question: did all these civilizations tame horses back then? I don't much recall, but for example I think the Greeks didn't. Otherwise why would you a messenger /run/ from Marathon to Athens? So we may need to drop Cavalry in favor of something else, say Spearmen.

[edit] In keeping with scrolls, if we go for that one, then Destroy Runes might become Burn Scrolls.

And again, what shall we call warbands?