What do you think 0 A.D. lacks?

[Deicide4u]

I struggled with trying to understand why this game felt weird when compared to other similar titles. For a while now I thought that this weirdness comes from the Citizen Soldier system, but it's not it.

The weird part is that your units don't progress. Yes, many of them have ranks and get cooler looks as they go up in rank. But, it's the same unit in the end. A Hastati is always just a Hastati (unless you upgrade him to a Centurion, a rare example of unit progression).

In "Age of" games, you get unit line upgrades. 

Militia upgrades to Man-at-Arms, which upgrades to Long Swordsman, etc.

Scout Cavalry upgrades to Light Cavalry, which upgrades to Hussars. You get the picture. 

There isn't that familiar upgrade icon below the unit. We do have unit classes, and this helps to differentiate civilizations. But, for me at least, the unit upgrade system is what the game (intentionally) lacks. 

Edited Thursday at 20:18 by Deicide4u

[Classic-Burger]

21 minutes ago, Deicide4u said:

The weird part is that your units don't progress. Yes, many of them have ranks and get cooler looks as they go up in rank. But, it's the same unit in the end. A Hastati is always just a Hastati (unless you upgrade him to a Centurion, a rare example of unit progression).

It's normal, many RTS don't have progression. Sometimes people don't feel the technological improvements.

 

22 minutes ago, Deicide4u said:

In "Age of" games, you get unit line upgrades. 

Age of Empires 2 isn't a good example. In AoE, there are eras, while in 0AD, there aren't any; you don't go from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.

22 minutes ago, Deicide4u said:

. 

Militia upgrades to Man-at-Arms, which upgrades to Long Swordsman, etc.

That's fine for ages, in 0AD there are no ages, the equipment of a centurion is not much improved compared to that of a princeps.

I recommend you see it more like Total War series logic.

26 minutes ago, Deicide4u said:

Scout Cavalry upgrades to Light Cavalry, which upgrades to Hussars. You get the picture. 

Again, this isn't about turning 0AD into Age of Empires, Delenda Est did a better job with scouts. 

Putting centurions instead of a princeps makes no sense.

It's like evolving from a corporal to a lieutenant. 

In Age of Empires, it goes from upgrading a 18th century militia to a 21st century marine.That's the logic of AoE. If you want real changes, it's better to differentiate the equipment.

[Classic-Burger]

In AoE you have.

Short sword.

Broad Sword.

Long Sword 

Legion/Legionary

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

I'd honestly like to introduce the promotion upgrades as seen in DE. Probably double the base XP needed to promote, then introduce techs that promote them all to the next rank for a cost. That way you don't lose auto-leveling, but you can have the techs that introduce progression. Perhaps standardize it thusly:

 

All C-S classes get the Advanced Rank promotion tech, but each civ only gets the Elite Rank promotion tech for one C-S that's their signature C-S unit. Hoplites, for example, for Athens and Sparta, Archers for Persia, Swordsmen for Republican Rome, etc. 

[Classic-Burger]

1 hour ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

I'd honestly like to introduce the promotion upgrades as seen in DE. Probably double the base XP needed to promote, then introduce techs that promote them all to the next rank for a cost. That way you don't lose auto-leveling, but you can have the techs that introduce progression. Perhaps standardize it thusly:

 

All C-S classes get the Advanced Rank promotion tech, but each civ only gets the Elite Rank promotion tech for one C-S that's their signature C-S unit. Hoplites, for example, for Athens and Sparta, Archers for Persia, Swordsmen for Republican Rome, etc. 

It would be good to vote. To community mod or a Gitea ticket.

Edited 2 hours ago by Classic-Burger

[Classic-Burger]

1 hour ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

:

 

All C-S classes get the Advanced Rank promotion tech, but each civ only gets the Elite Rank promotion tech for one C-S that's their signature C-S unit. Hoplites, for example, for Athens and Sparta, Archers for Persia, Swordsmen for Republican Rome, etc. 

I like to always have trash soldier.(SC level).

In fact I would separate it into 3 versions.

Tier1 SC level.

Tier2 Semi champion

Tier 3 Champion.

Similar to total war.

You can always use the lower ranges to fill.

It would be nice to unlock champions in general.

Edited 2 hours ago by Classic-Burger

[Classic-Burger]

Another thing that is wrong is the forge/arsenal upgrades.

Everyone receives the same shield according to that logic, there are no shields for infantry, cavalry, or archers.

[Classic-Burger]

50 minutes ago, Classic-Burger said:

I like to always have trash soldier.(SC level).

In fact I would separate it into 3 versions.

Tier1 SC level.

Tier2 Semi champion

Tier 3 Champion.

Similar to total war.

You can always use the lower ranges to fill.

It would be nice to unlock champions in general.

This progress is noticeable in battles.

A militia cannot defeat the champion unit of Rome.

Same axeman and Legion.

Spam trash units vs the best units.

 

 

[Deicide4u]

2 hours ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

I'd honestly like to introduce the promotion upgrades as seen in DE.

You mean, re-introduce? They were available briefly in Alpha 16, but every civilization had them for specific unit classes only. 

It's a good idea. 

[Classic-Burger]

6 minutes ago, Deicide4u said:

You mean, re-introduce? They were available briefly in Alpha 16, but every civilization had them for specific unit classes only.

Yes, it existed between a15-a16.