Hello, this is a “no expect to be implemented” idea. It is a totally different approach making more disctintive, “accurate” and fun to play civ?
The main idea is to give Japs an unique militar building, the Dojo.
Dojo is available from Castle Age and cost 225 W.
In Dojo you can train Samurais, Samurai Archers and Mounted Naginata Samurai. Yes, they would have 3 UU.
Samurai: remain the same stats as nowdays
Samurai Archers (SA): A little more expensive than generic archer line (30W 50G) but with little better stats, 5 more HP, 1.05 Mov speed, 1/1 armor, 90% Accurate and little bonus against UU (+2 f.e.), 30 TT
Elite Samurai Upgrade is still only available in Castles but affects Samurai Archers and Mounted Naginata too, sounds huge, but the Elite version should be slightly worst than the generic similar unit.
This mean: SA>Crossbow, but ESA < Arbalest and MNS>Knight, but EMNS<Cavalier
I can see the appeal of this, but I don’t think the suggested ways of implementing it really fits the AoE2 way of doing things. What do Japanese Knights, Cavaliers and Cavalry Archers represent, if not mounted Samurai? (For the same reason, I’m confused by the Mounted Samurai scenario editor unit… especially since it looks like Hussar.)
So personally I’d prefer this as part of an (optional, client-side) option to use regional skins for units – i.e. just as a graphical change, rather than a gameplay change.
(Also, were dojo ever actually military buildings or just martial arts training buildings? I don’t know.)