[freeciv-data] Units

[Thanasis Kinias <tkinias@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Some thoughts on units:

In terms of material technology, there is no significant difference from
Phalanx to Pikemen (ignoring the bronze/iron thing for the moment).  The
difference is in combat effectiveness (i.e., ``soft factors'').

The best way to handle the differences here is to have three "training
classes" of units.  The first would be Untrained, and would include
Warriors.  The second would be Regular, and would include Phalanx and
most of the other units.  The third would be Elite, and would include
Legion and several new units.

For the Elite units I would suggest Grenadiers (Elite Musketeers) and
Zouaves (Elite Riflemen).  (In the Napoleonic period, most infantry
battalions had an "elite" company which was called grenadiers; Zouaves
were an elite infantry type under the French Second Empire and were
imitated by both sides in the American Civil War).

Marines, Alpine Troops, and Paratroopers are specialized Elite versions
of modern Infantry -- we need a new unit, however, for the `normal'
type.  I would call it Infantry, as we call modern cavalry simply
Cavalry.  (This differs from Riflemen in that Riflemen have rifled
muskets, whereas Infantry have repeating rifles and machine guns).

So you have:

Swords & spears:  Phalanx    & Legion
Flintlocks:       Musketeers & Grenadiers
Rifled muskets:   Riflemen   & Zouaves
Modern arms:      Infantry   & ( Marines | Alpine Troops | Paras )

In my alternate combat system, the difference would be a 1.5 multiplier
to combat effectiveness.

This is separate from Veteran status, BTW, so the difference between a
green Phalanx and a Veteran Legion is 2.25.  This is a spread which
seems roughly consistent with historical combat.

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

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