I’ve been watching updates about the new AOE2 DLC that is coming out. I’ve specifically enjoyed how they give unique bonuses and encourage mixing unit compositions (like General type units and different infantry). Much of it reminds me of AOE3 (shoguns and Auro buffs) but it got me thinking of more ways this could be done in AOE3 to spice things up. Right now, most cards that affect unit stats are straightforward, giving either more attack or HP. The same goes for most unit upgrades–but this has been charged with the “recent” change to the royal guard upgrades to European units. Now some give attack speed, more resistance, more range, etc. Most of these are small but they (IMO) make the game a lot more fun. So I hope here to make a list of the different ways units can or could be buffed:
+attack and HP (standard),
+specific attack stats (range, siege, hand,),
+speed,
+resitance
+range,
+attack speed,
+siege range,
+AOE damage,
+charged attack,
+promotion bonus,
+deflections,
+aura (attack, hp, speed, etc.),
+los
+multipliers
+mounting/dismounting.
There are probably more but this is a pretty good starting list I think–you certainly have a lot to work with and I think mixing and matching some of these could make for some really fun play styles. A few examples:
- Spain’s card “Spanish Square” gives +10% ranged, melee, and siege resistance to pikes. This is fine but little used in my experience simply due to how little pikes are used that late. It’s not bad but I think there may be a way to make it a bit more spicy. “Spanish Square” now grants ranged HP to Pikemen, Roderleros, and Musketeer when they are nearby. So Pikeman by himself has 0% rr, pair him with a rod, now he has 5%, pair him with a rod and musketeer, and now he has 10%–it wouldn’t stack more than that. What this would do is encourage a never-used combo of Pikes, rods, and Musketeers (of course you would use other units too). You might have to put a cap on how many nearby units a single one would buff tho (so 1 pike doesn’t buff 50 musketeers).
- Russian card “ransack” gives +50% siege to infantry units. Very good card that doesn’t need changing, but just to follow the idea of mixing and matching bonuses…“ransack” now grants +30% siege to infantry units. Grants 5% attack and speed to nearby infantry when an enemy building is destroyed. This would encourage some wild dives and the use of mortars and siege units, which could be fun.
Neither of these is necessary but there are just a couple of ways I thought the idea of mixing unique bonuses could be applied. Let me know what you think.
