So, the gunpowder units are both op, and not op in hilarious ways. First of all, battles cannot be won by targeting an enemy objective, unlike in real life. Second for period gunpowder, the units are remarkably prone to firing perfect and don’t have the limitations they have in real life. In return the gunpowder units have been nerfed into a caricature of their real life counterparts, simply because the real life limitations of gunpowder were never included in the game.
So, what do we need to make things accurate for gunpowder? Several things!
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The gunpowder mechanic. All units that use gunpowder have a new little brown bar above their heads. Gunpowder. Whenever they take a shot, the bar depletes a little bit. The gunpowder unit can refill the bar by visiting a powder magazine. When the bar empties? No more shooting!
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A new age. The age of enlightenment brings with it new tech, new units, and a new structure. The tech is cannon upgrades. The new unit is the balloon. A unit that is towed by donkeys, can deploy, and when deployed grants a massive sight range. The new structure is the factory. A structure that speeds up production of gunpowder units in nearby structures, and researches cannon related tech.
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The new structures. The magazine, and the factory. powder magazines can only be built near friendly blacksmiths, universities, siege workshops and factories. They are costly, and when they catch fire (hello shinobi!) they explode. And when they explode, its like a small nuke going off. Powder magazines are not fun to be near when they go boom. Powder magazines automatically refill any gunpowder unit or powder train that is near them.
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The new unit! The powder train acts as a mobile powder magazine. However, it does not create new powder and has a limited supply. This means that new full powder trains must be advanced to the army, and empty powder trains must be moved to refill. This creates supply lines, which if cut create a SERIOUS PROBLEM for a gunpowder army. The second new unit is the balloon. Hot air balloons did signaling for artillery in most wars involving gunpowder up to and including world war 1.
New balancing.
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Gunpowder siege units range is tripled! In addition, they have a chance to miss (increasing with range) and they are slower to reload by a factor of 2. However, their sight range is NOT increased. They now rely on scouts and balloons to be able to see their enemies at range and shoot them. This creates the need for lategame scouts. Something which is lacking.
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Gunpowder units cannot fight without gunpowder. Certain civilizations get bayonets at the factory for their musketeers, but that’s it!
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Powder trains detonate if they are destroyed. And yes, they can be lit on fire by shinobi. This means that powder armies are susceptible if they are not well organized.
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Certain civilizations could get one or two of three techs. Powder scrounging which allows players to refill powder on existing units if a gunpowder unit dies near them. Powder raiding allows powder units to refill off enemy powder magazines. Powder scavenging allows musketeers to generate a very slow trickle of powder over time.
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Gunpowder units experience powder loss in wet terrain. Specifically if they walk over a swamp or a marsh, their powder bar depletes. Only powder trains are immune to this, and it means that in swampy maps, powder is not the answer.
This creates a lategame dominated by gunpowder, but also creates a lategame where gunpowder is NOT always the best solution, especially far from friendly lines. Using powder forces the player to think strategically, and build supply lines and an empire. Scouts become useful again in this lategame. In addition, cavalry become important, both for raiding supply lines and for charges against the siege units. This makes spearmen more relevant too.