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[gameplay] tweak melee infantry range
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Authored by Nescio on Nov 9 2020, 8:34 PM.

Details

Summary

This patch slightly adjusts the attack ranges of melee infantry:

  • axemen, macemen, swordsmen: 3.5 → 3
  • spearmen: 4.5 → 4
  • pikemen: 7 → 8

For comparison:

  • infantry footprint radius: 1.5
  • infantry slaughter attack: 2
  • infantry capture attack: 4

In single combat or small numbers the effect of this patch is probably negligible; however, in large groups more pikemen could hit a single target. Given that pikemen have by far the lowest damage per second (2, vs 7.3 of swordsmen), increasing the range differences won't hurt.
In reality pikes were two to three times as long as spears, and up to six pikes extended in front before an opponent could touch the first pikemen, so this patch improves historical realism too.
See also D2972.

Test Plan

Check for mistakes and omissions, agree with the proposed values.

Diff Detail

Repository
rP 0 A.D. Public Repository
Lint
Automatic diff as part of commit; lint not applicable.
Unit
Automatic diff as part of commit; unit tests not applicable.

Event Timeline

Nescio created this revision.Nov 9 2020, 8:34 PM
Owners added a subscriber: Restricted Owners Package.Nov 9 2020, 8:34 PM
Nescio added inline comments.Nov 9 2020, 8:39 PM
binaries/data/mods/public/simulation/templates/template_unit_champion_infantry_maceman.xml
21–23 ↗(On Diff #13822)

Unused and useless: Mauryas are the only civ with a champion maceman, and Romans the only civ that can form a testudo.
Moreover, axeman templates don't have this either.

binaries/data/mods/public/simulation/templates/template_unit_infantry_melee.xml
3–14 ↗(On Diff #13822)

Unnecessary, since all its children define different values.
Moreover, removing these lines here makes them more similar to their champion and hero counterparts.

binaries/data/mods/public/simulation/templates/template_unit_infantry_melee_pikeman.xml
11 ↗(On Diff #13822)

See champion and hero counterparts.

Nescio requested review of this revision.Nov 9 2020, 9:56 PM

I would prefer to remove the difference between pikemen and spearmen entirely, both in DPS and range, but that's a whole other can of worms...

I don't particularly for or against this diff, it seems rather inconsequential indeed.

borg- added a comment.Jan 6 2021, 12:18 PM

I already did these tests when I was doing my mod and I can say that it changes the balance a lot depending on how much the values change, anyway I will do some tests today.

Nescio updated this revision to Diff 15019.Jan 6 2021, 2:17 PM
  • rebased
borg- added a comment.Jan 11 2021, 4:20 AM

I test swordsman vs spearman in the same situations and spearman gets stronger (less swordsman alive) with the range reduction (I haven't changed the swordmen).
More testing is still needed against other units.

Any progress on the testing @borg-? This seems like an interesting change.

borg- added a comment.Jan 15 2021, 9:43 PM

Versus other units the difference seems very small, so I think it's ok.

Enough to accept? ^^

borg- accepted this revision.Jan 15 2021, 10:14 PM
This revision is now accepted and ready to land.Jan 15 2021, 10:14 PM
This revision was landed with ongoing or failed builds.Jan 16 2021, 7:38 AM
This revision was automatically updated to reflect the committed changes.