Named Units?

Seeker · October 29, 2000, 14:40

This comes from my other thread, but here we go.

players should have the option to give units special names apart from the home city and unit type names, just like in Empire Deluxe or Imperialism I.

Especially for ships, this would add atmosphere, as in HMS Victory, HMS Hood, USS Enterprise, Bismarck.

Shogun Gunner · October 29, 2000, 15:14

I'm open to naming. Quite frankly, I would even settle for an "automatic" naming system, in which each military unit would carry a unique id. For example, 1 Armored Division, 5th Legion, 11th Catapult, 131 squadron.

Then it would be possible to consult the military advisor and see a total history of any unit. How many combats, victories/retreats, when it became a veteren/elite, and any other actions of the unit during it's existence.

1940 2nd armored division mobilized
1941 2nd armored division defeats French armored division near Mannheim
1942 2nd armored division captures French city, Metz

and so on...

If this was done, then there would be an option to rename the unit. Just like city founding currently in Civ II.

Dom Pedro II · October 29, 2000, 16:18

I think units, terrain, and bodies of water should be able to be named. Maybe roads or railroads. (Just a thought)

Shogun Gunner · October 29, 2000, 19:00

Just like with have Ctrl-G to turn the grid on and off, a Ctrl-M (or some equivalent) could allow a Map names on and off.

Maybe it would give those advisors something more to talk about...

Military Advisor: We need City Walls, the enemy has crossed the River Rhine.

I know I'm dreaming about making the advisory council useful, but I think the naming idea is tops.

UltraSonix · October 30, 2000, 01:16

If SMAC could name landmarks, then it makes sense naming units. The benefit of this could be for the civ history journal that everyone here loves (Shogun Gunner's idea above is sort of like it). With this idea we'd be able to get entries like:

Dec 1965 - HMS Sydney sinks USS Enterprise near Brisbane.

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No, in Australia we don't live with kangaroos and koalas in our backyards... Despite any stupid advertisments you may see to the contrary...
[This message has been edited by UltraSonix (edited October 30, 2000).]

rremus · October 30, 2000, 04:34

And of course it should be corelated with stacking units. You could create armies and give them names. It will make the game not only more fun, but also more easy to play.
Stack several units in 'Army group North', several in 'Army group Center' and several in 'Army group South', then then try to enclose the enemy's 'Tank Army 3' and 'Tank Army 5' around Voronezh... This way I think is more easy to remeber what we're each group suppose to do after several turns.
Now I spend a lot of time trying to remeber what is this Archer doing in the middle of the desert... It should go North? South? I have to scroll, look in to the midi-map... The game is long anyway...

Biddles · October 30, 2000, 05:15

This idea is good. No impact on gameplay, but just one of those superficial things that enhance the game.

I can just imagine my 1st elite infantry batallion cutting some fundamentalist army to pieces.

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- Biddles

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Deathwalker · October 30, 2000, 05:49

Great idea, it was one of the things I liked in BOTF

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I have walked since the dawn of time and were ever I walk, death is sure to follow

October 31, 2000, 22:31

Great idea...

Naming should be automatic, taken from the .txt file. You should also be able to rename units.

And rivers, mountains etc. should be named by their discoverers (ie. discovering civ) and these names would stick on the map (if desired)..

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-Shiva
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Tiberius · November 1, 2000, 03:53

I'm with you, guys.

Naming units, armies (stacks) and landmarks would be a nice feature in civ3.