[freeciv-data] Tech and Ancient Units

[Thanasis Kinias <tkinias@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Starting with the ancient land units, we have:

Warriors (1/1/1) $10
Phalanx  (1/2/1) $20, req. Bronze Working
Horsemen (2/1/2) $20, req. Horseback Riding
Archers  (3/2/1) $30, req. Warrior Code

Right from the beginning, I don't see what the connection is between the
phalanx and bronze working.  What makes a phalanx different from
warriors is not bronze tips to spears, but the level of organization.
For a phalanx to work, a supply of free men with military training is
necessary.  That suggests an association with some level of government,
either republic or monarchy (or both).  I would suggest the republic.

The point at which the phalanx becomes a legion is the point at which it
becomes a professional army, as opposed to a body of citizen-warriors.
Again, it has nothing to do with ironworking.

Horsemen requiring Horseback Riding is a no-brainer.  From what I know
of ancient warfare, however, that comes _after_ charioteers, not before.

And Warrior Code doesn't seem to have any connection to archery.  I
would suggest that Archery ought to permit Archers.  Warrior Code seems
to be a dead-end anyway.

At the next `tier':

Chariot  (3/1/2) $30, req. The Wheel
Legion   (4/2/1) $40, req. Iron Working
Catapult (6/1/1) $40, req. Mathematics

The appearance of the Chariot and Horsemen ought to be reversed, as I
mentioned.  The Horsemen ought to have the same firepower as Warriors,
but with greater mobility.  The historical cost relationship, BTW, seems
to be that horse cav costs about 3-4 times what footmen cost to upkeep.

The Legion, as mentioned above, is nothing more than a highly-trained,
professional phalanx with improved tactical and strategic mobility.  The
tech prerequisite should be Professional Army or something like that.
In Freeciv terms, it ought to be nothing more than a Phalanx with better
stats.

Catapults I have to agree with, generally.  The combat model prevents
artillery (ancient or modern) from being employed properly, but that's a
different issue.

So. . .  a first set of ideas on the ancient units.  Comments?


-- 
Thanasis Kinias
Web Developer, Information Technology
Graduate Student, Department of History
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.

Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul