Heroes and Other Easter Eggs

Hey Firaxis!

Don't forget the Easter Eggs! They're the spice of the game!

One idea I was wondering about was the use of heroes. These would be advanced vet units that you get a random chance at acquiring.

Requirements:

1) Your units have to be hard core vets before the random chance is available.

2) You can only build one hero per avalable hero type once it becomes available.

3) More than one hero type is available during the game for build

For instance, each Civ gets 3 or 4 types of hero units, but there is no guarantee that you get them. For example, you get armor, infantry, fighter, and phalanx units that have the ability to become heros. You would only be able to build 1 hero armor, 1 hero fighter, 1 hero phalanx, and 1 hero infantry. You could build all 4 of these units, but you can't build 6 hero fighters, 12 hero phalanxes, etc. 1 is the limit!

Hero units carry a special advantage, such as an extra attack strength or extra defense strength. Or, even BETTER, (but more work for the programmers) would be to give them some kind of special ability no other unit has.
They also get a special icon. (So you can show it off, and other players wonder what the hell it is when the game is first out).

Examples:

1. The French could get a "Joan of Arc" hero Knights unit, it would carry an extra attack factor with any unit it's stacked with, and increases happiness in any city in which it is garrisoned.

2. Germans get a special "Rommel" hero armor unit that allows for a stronger attacks and a "Blitzkrieg" ability that allows them to attack more often than normal armor.

3. US gets a "Big Red One" Infantry Special hero unit gets extra hit points, and extra movement points.

I could go on and on...

[Earthling7]

...as long as you don't go into "Vikings get a special kind of a dragon:

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Greetings,
Earthling7
ICQ: 929768

[Patriqvium]

It could work if you would sometimes be given a chance to "create" a hero; in other words, you could not create heroes anytime you want.

I agree Patriqvium. And that's what would make them so attractive. Just a random element to the game. These should be the most special units in the game.

Anyone remember all the special items you can pick up in Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

I don't know if you should be able to create hero units.. Perhaps they should just pop up on the map with some kind of message..

Like "A young maid Joan has inspired the rabble and wants to serve the country against her enemies" or something..

Then the hero could come with an army.. like 5 legions or something..

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-Shiva
Email: shiva@mailops.com
Web: http://www.crosswinds.net/india/~shiva
ICQ: 17719980

[tniem]

Maybe the heroes can come from huts. We are still going to have them right?

That's also a good idea Sir Shiva.

What I would emphasize with Heroes is randomness. You want the player's reaction to be, "cool! I got the Joan of Arc," right when he leasts expect it.

Hero units should be RARE and COVETED.

[WarVoid]

Interesting,
I like the hardcore vet idea myself. But the unit would have to have lasted thorugh hell itself before it gains a super advantage and becomes a hero.

[Az]

hey hey hey .... wait a sec wait a sec ... in that case ... lets not build cities... lets cast magic ... lets ... turn undead ... lets build dragons ... lets build phoenix ... lets play Heroes of Might and Magic !!!!!!!

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Enslave the enemy .

No no dalgetti, I'm not sure you understand the concept here.

Heroes aren't supposed to be like common units. They're super rare characters that are hard to get. They're so rare that you only see them like every 20 games or so.

The ultimate hidden secrets in the game.

When you earn the hero character, your reaction should, be "whoaahhhh that was cool."

You remember the rumor of the megalopolis in Civ2? Where supposedly you put 4 cities together, and eventually it would form a real megalopolis? It's stuff like that that I think would be cool to discover.

These things are the spice of the game, and when the game has them, you know for sure it's a winner...

[Az]

oh . it seems to me that I've just understood the thing you mean .... sorry for getting pissed off

and I say what should happen is the hero unit must appear ONCE in every civ's history : and only during the hard times . this unit should also have Unique abilities and demand no support .
[This message has been edited by Dalgetti (edited April 29, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Dalgetti (edited April 29, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Dalgetti (edited April 29, 2000).]

"and I say what should happen is the hero unit must appear ONCE in every civ's history"

I agree 100%!

"and only during the hard times"

That's an interesting take. Giving the player hope, a slight extra advantage, when he's down.

"this unit should also have Unique abilities and demand no support."

Yes!

[beyowulf]

Ya know, in SMAC there was a Unit workshop. It allowed you to design your own units. However, even more importantly, it allowed you to upgrade old and weak units to more important units. Now suppose you get one of these 'hero' units. Lets say he's a 'hero' phalanx unit. Now what happens later when the majority of civs have tanks. Now with ordinary units, this really wouldn't be a problem, just disband the old units and build new stronger units. But I doubt any would want to disband a 'hero' unit. So what to do? It would be very nice to be able to upgrade your hero into another type of 'hero' unit. Say from a 'hero' phalanxe to a 'hero' musketeer.

[Khamul]

I believe hero should appear when you need them (you just lost half of your country, and Joan then appear)- and should not be only military units, but also diplomats and such, or even units with nothing but a cool ability.

A suggestion - even tough I hate the guy - Hitler hero. Due to his charisma - he could have said litteraly anything, and the people would have wholeheartedly applauded (I mean, not because of the 1000 SS with guns that where around, tough they perhaps helped too.)
I would have him as an hero that have the lowest possible stat, but prevent unhapiness in wichever city he is garrisoned in. He would have some negative effect on the military units in town (he would use his speech to get the units to following, and he was an utterly incompetent tactician