[Freeciv-Dev] Re: [Fwd: more complex unit and battle system]

[Tony Stuckey <stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Aug 28, 2000 at 10:16:19AM +0200, peter jurcovic wrote:
> > is probably interesting to part of the civ-community, but i think it should
> > be implemented as a modpack, because civ is not only about combat and this
> > would shift the balance away from building a proper civilization, towards
> > combat tactics.
> 
> "This would shift the balance away from building a proper civilization towards
> combat tactics." I just absolutely cannot agree with this point. You can have
> complex rules in combat, but the war would be (and in real world always is)
> won/lost *just* according to your *economy*.

        So why have complex rules?
        Civilization has always adhered to the KISS principle.  (Keep It
Simple, Stupid).  It works.

> My suggestion in adding more unit types can be compared to difference between
> civ1 and civ2. As far as I can remember, in civ1 you have only one artillery
> unit, only one infantry unit, etc. Civ2 added alpine troups, marines,
> partisans, paratroopers. I suggest to add at least "light tank", "heavy tank"
> and "Challenger (or contemporary) class tank".
> 
> I agree that more units belong to modpacks.

        Too much choice is bad.  It leads to defocused game play, huge
initial time investments learning the system, and small and lame
distinctions which are meaningless in the real-world and abstract
reasonings.
        We don't need Terrorists -- Diplomats and Spies can Poison cities.
        What units would honestly add something to the game?  Why do we
need three types of Tank?  What would they do that Armor and Mechanized
Infantry don't?

        For specific scenarios, like the World War II scenario, some of
this might be useful.  But in the general case, I don't believe that it
is.  And if the scenario relies so heavily on these distinctions, the data
designer should already have justifications for them.
-- 
Anthony J. Stuckey                              stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"And they said work hard, and die suddenly, because it's fun."
        -Robyn Hitchcock.