Or there should be a tech that equips hand cannoneers with arquebus.
Reasons:
- Hand cannons were not very effective weapons. You cannot aim with them, and the firing was uncontrollable. They weren’t widely used on the battlefield and didn’t revolutionize warfare as much. They did not replace bows and crossbows. Arquebus did. Only the Chinese used the handcannon firing mechanics for quite a long time but that soon evolved into all different advanced forms with multiple barrels, etc. (could be a unique unit or tech) and they also switched to arquebus later. The primitive “one iron barrel on a wooden stick” wasn’t very effective and was soon replaced. So the arquebus fits better as a somewhat “ultimate” all-round unit with high damage and hp.
- All unique variants of the handcannoneer use arquebus, including Malians who acquired gunpowder later than the other civs (who still use the primitive hand cannons in the game).
- The Japanese handcannoneer is renamed to “handcannon ashigaru”. That never existed. Ironically the Japanese almost skipped the era of handcannons and directly acquired arquebus from the Portuguese. The most famous image of the ashigaru was using arquebus. The “ozutsu” is also a very large caliber arquebus.
- Personally I think the handcannon is not very visually appealing. It’s just a wooden stick.
I think the only reason why handcannoneer is the basic gunpowder infantry is because AOE2. But AOE2 was made with 1990s popular history knowledge and the timeframe is earlier, while AOE4 extends into the era with arquebus and culverins. So I believe the arquebus should be generally accessible to all civs.
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I agree with everything here, but would like to keep the old model on civs that did not traditionally use gunpowder. To better represent the lack of development in gunpowder technology. Could roll the Chemistry research into giving handcannoneers the arquebus model when researched.
All in-game civs either had extensive use of gunpowder, or came late to the scene (which means they directly jumped to arquebuses), because primitive handcannons were ineffective.
As far as I know, only the Ming Chinese maintained the use of handcannon firing mechanics (i.e. inserting external source of fire into an open hole) for a longer time, but they still tried to improve on it by introducing multiple or rotating barrels and all other fancy (many of which impractical) designs. So they kind of pursued a different path of development than improving the firing mechanics.
So instead of gaining the arquebus, the Chinese could have a unique upgrade to the handcannoneer by giving it multiple barrels. But the other civs should justifiably have access to arquebus.
Not to mention in late Ming dynasty the Chinese also massively switched to arquebuses.
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What are you talking about? Arqueguns were acquired in the middle of Ming Dynasty. The multi-barreled gun was designed to deal with the armored nomadic cavalry, who needed to be around 30 meters to fire, with the best effect at 5 meters. It’s like an organ cannon in a game. Most were used for cavalry, chariot battalions, garrison troops, and militia.
in vehicle camps, arqueguns were used to shoot distant enemies, while multi-barreled guns were used to shoot near enemies. Same on the walls.
In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there was political corruption and low pay for artisans. Inexpensive, untrained, and low-bore, multiple-barrel guns were the most effective weapons against nomadic horsemen in the presence of bunkers and vehicle battalions.
Instead we have the BUG that the Musofadi Gunners turn their muskets into handcannons. Please, that doesn’t look right, and of course it’s a BUG because the same doesn’t happen to the Streltsy.
Let’s make a request for “Serpentine Powder” to turn Handcannons into Arquebuses or Muskets.
This is our chance, we’ve been asking for whatever excuse to see muskets in most civs for a long time, and now with the new technology of the PUP, is the right time.
I’ll include it as an answer in a future poll I’m preparing to make our PUP comments. And this one about the arquebuses request, of course, is on the agenda.
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That’s basically what I said.
Before accessing the arquebus, the Ming army innovated on the design of the hand cannons but not the firing system.
After they accessed the arquebus, they gradually though not fully adopted it. Then in the Qing Dynasty arquebus became dominantx
Yes that would be a great chance. The improved mobility and firepower granted by the tech synergizes with a more advanced-looking firearm.
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Great idea techs are better when they have a visual effect as well so they can keep the old handcannon model but make the upgrade change it.
