I want to use one of zwzsg's awesome research gadgets (the Advanced version) to change how higher level units in CT are available. Here is a basic rundown of what I'm thinking:
So the biggest thing we're looking at here is the removal of the T2 factory cruisers. Instead there would simply be one mech cruiser and one tank cruiser, and the T2 units from each group would be present in those cruisers. However, they would be locked out until either the Ace Mech or General Tank (WIP names) was built.* indicates either remodeling a unit
# indicates making a new unit
Mech Cruiser*
- T1 Mechs
- T2 Mechs (locked)
- Ace Mech# (unlocks T2 Mechs)
Tank Cruiser*
- T1 Tanks
- T2 Tanks (locked)
- General Tank# (unlocks T2 Tanks)
Cruiser Beacon
- Factory Cruisers
- Missile Cruiser#
- Transport Cruiser*
- Battlecruiser (locked)
- Commander Cruiser# (unlocks Battlecruiser)
If either of those units were killed, the player would have to build another to get back to T2. This would promote protecting them, but I want them to be strong enough that people would want them in a fight (just not stupid crazy strong). It also means players could raid their enemies trying to kill these key units to try and weaken them.
I'm pretty happy with that idea, but a little more uneasy about the relationship between the Battlecruiser and the prospective "Commander Cruiser". The idea is to lock out battlecruisers until later in the game, but a Commander Cruiser would feel redundant compared to the Flagship. If I did go through with this I would probably take out the OP Battle Flagship and replace it with a less-capable but still nice to have Commander Cruiser.
I'd like to know what people think of this. I'm hoping it is more simple than the old TA-ish way of morphing to T2 cruisers. It would be a little more intuitive too I think, with greyed out icons and a message saying "you require X".