While I’m glad that the Ottomans finally have access to an archer that’s on horseback, I find it weird how it’s called “Cavalry Archer” because the term “Cavalry Archer”, when used in the context of horses, is rather synonymous with Horse Archer and also because during the general context of mounted units, that this term (Cavalry Archer) can also refer to other kinds of mounted archers (i.e., Camel Archer). Because of that, I do think the name should be different. Perhaps, it could renamed to a Turkish name like “Akinji” or some other term that has to do with mounted archery in Turkish culture.
A second thing I want to say is please turn the Horse Archer unit into a shared unit so it’s available to civs that historically deployed archers on horseback that currently don’t have an archer unit that’s on horseback like the Chinese and Delhi Sultanate (both of which also used archers on horseback). As a shared unit, it would also be given to future civs that also historically deployed horse archers like the Maygars, Persians, Vietnamese, and maybe the Amazigh/Berbers.
It’s like having a unit called “Shinobi” and another called “Ninja” (which by the way, is the case in AoE3) when both words refer to the same thing. The unit that’s called “Cavalry Archer” should be the one to receive a different name.
Well, the technology that produces it is called “Timariot”, so they are basically Timariot Sipahis acting as horse archers.
I guess they don’t have a fixed name yet because they haven’t decided whether or not to make an Ottoman variant or another civ with turkic horse archers in the future and what extra names to give them. For example:
Hungary.- had Hungarian horse archers, and they also recruited them from the Kipchaks (2 horse archers?)
Selyuk.- possible Ottoman variant, could have the Akinci. (different horse archer than its parent civ?)
Persian.- had horse archers, the even invented the Parthian shot, what name to give them? Aswaran?
Now that I think about it, they could make an Ottoman variant without military schools and highlighting the Ottoman “irregular army”, created in mercenary camps by groups, and units like Akinci, Deli, Azap or Bashi Bazouk, Humbaraci. Curiosly all of them were Irregular troops, and the Akinci would be a horse archer.
In the last theory is truth, the name “Timariot Horse Archers” would be good for Ottoman horse archers, because historically: Timariots were “regular” units of the army, with armor, a feud, and a proper military preparation, so is good that they can be produced in military Schools.
On the other hand, the akincis wouldn’t be a good name because they were “irregular” military units that never went through accredited military training. Also, those would be good for the variant.
As a curious note: In SPANISH Cavalry Archer (Ottoman) and Horse Archer (Rus) are translated as “Arquero a caballo”, so in our language there are 2 units with the same name but different stats, background and effects.
And yes, it can be problematic: In the future when they release Hungary, Persia, Al-Andalus, or whatever Civ with Horse Archers, they will have to decide on more specific names if they still want to give them unique effects. In any case as you say maybe they will create a base unit for the horse archer.
If they still want to give unique attributes to each horse archer, they could be the following:
Persia:
– Aswaran.- Has some melee armor
– Kizilbach (IV).- can switch between horse archer and melee cavalry with anti-cavalry lance.
Hungary:
– Magyar Horse Archer.- Has birthing shot and anti-light infantry bonus, replacing the archer.
– Kipchack Horse Archer.- Can shoot 3 arrows in a burst, although the 2nd and 3rd with less damage than the first.
Ottoman Variant (Seljucid, Rum Sultanate, Mehmed Army, etc)
– Akinci.- They have a birthing shot. They can switch to melee mode with a low attack and a high torch attack.
There’s no need for every civ with a horse archer to have unique attributes and as for an Ottoman variant, Seljuks or Rum Sultanate aren’t appropriate, but the Mehmed Army would be appropriate. Now, the Aswaran would come in the form of a technology like I’ve stated in the fourth version of my Persians civ concept and it wouldn’t just effect Horse Archers but certain other cavalry units too. Now the Horse Archer that’s unique to the Ottomans could always be called the Timariot Archer (which you stated when you suggested for it to be called “Timariot Horse Archer”) if it isn’t going to use the name “Akinji”.
It can be “Akıncı” , “Turkoman” or “Timatirot”.But i prefer “Akıncı”.
They can make it a regional unit with different models for each nation too.Maybe they can add a special tech for mainly horse archer civs.Im ok to that too.
If it was to be just called “Horse Archer”, then we’ll have to turn the unit that’s called “Horse Archer” into a shared unit so it’s available to the Ottomans (and perhaps, it can also be given to the Chinese and Delhi Sultanate).