I think the naval gameplay is better than before, but i find it still not enjoyable and it has a big lack of depth, so that’s my idea or concept to improve it:
2 types of dockyards
- dockyard: same as now, can be built from dark age, produces boats, that can move only on shallow water, they are small and cost cheap. Dockyard cost reduced to 100
- Grand Dockyard: it’s a big structure, 5x5 tiles with a canal that goes straight on and links to deep water. All boats can move through the canal so you don’t cut the shallow water in two. Produces Ships that can sail only on deep water, are bigger, faster and far stronger than boats.
new naval roster
Shallow water: all boats take 1 pop, and are slower than ships, easy to be dealt with by land units
- fishing boat, costs 50w, can only fish on shore fish, can build fishing traps from feudal age (the equivalent of farms, but with less rate of gathering)
-Transport boat, can trasport 8 units - Merchant boat, slow, brings as many resources as land merchant
- archer boat, similar to the galley, but no more aoe damage and always hits target like all archer units, counters demo boat
- Ram boat; new type oh ship, acts like a knight, very fast, with a charge bonus damage and attacks in melee, lots of piercing armor, counters archer boat and buildings
- demo boat, like the corrent one. but counters ram boat (one shots it or almost does)
garrisoned boats in dockyards shoot arrows, current limit of 3 is fine to me
Deep water; all ships are far stronger than boats, faster, cost more, and take more pop space; they are really hard to be dealt with by land troops, unless you use siege units
- fishing ship, fishes deep sea fish at an insane amount of rate, it would be the fastest gathering unit in the game by far.
- transport ship, like the current one
- Merchant ship, like the current one
- Archer ship, counters Springald Ship
- Springald Ship, counters Ram Ship
- Ram Ship, counters archer Ship
- Carracks
there’s no demo ship version, only boat
Grand dockyard costs far more than dockyard, has a springald spot that shoots on water, can garrison 10 boats/ships.
You can build springald ship only from castle age, it makes no sense to me that you can build them in feudal but you have to age up to have a springald on land.
Of course this change would need new models for boats, but i have to say it’s a pain in the eye to watch galleons sailing in paddles. Of course in maps like ancient spires, confluence etc you cannot use ships
I think this would add depth to the naval side of the game, and it would be harder to get early full control of water cause you can sail only on shallow water and boats are slower.
Hope you guys would share your thoughts about this