Special Forces, underpowered?

[Geronus]

I don't think it should be made publicly available. It could spread to your realm's enemies, or to rivals within your realm?

And just how useful is it if it's also a secret to everyone in your own realm? Not useful at all is the answer.

I agree with Lilwolf, it makes no sense for SF special abilities to be completely opaque to the person leading them. Realistically, how are you *not* going to know what your unit can do? If they're more effective against fortifications, it's probably because they're lugging around cannons, bombs or other specialized siege equipment. Not exactly secret.

[Shizzle]

And just how useful is it if it's also a secret to everyone in your own realm? Not useful at all is the answer.

I agree with Lilwolf, it makes no sense for SF special abilities to be completely opaque to the person leading them. Realistically, how are you *not* going to know what your unit can do? If they're more effective against fortifications, it's probably because they're lugging around cannons, bombs or other specialized siege equipment. Not exactly secret.

Well, it would be useful if, let's say, you're the only person in your realm knowing how they work :)

Although I suppose the real advantage would be rather slim. I think the compromise offered in the other topic might be okay: adding some flavour text giving a hint about their 'specialty'. Perhaps even during the construction of the RC. Kind of lameif you call your unit the Keplerstan Paladins if they are good at climbing fortifications...  ::)

[^ban^]

What if there's another explanation for why your SF 'specialty' is secret? Just a thought.

[dustole]

I really don't like the SF ability secrecy either.  If your SF have a range of 5 that is really obvious what their special ability is.   The cost is significantly higher than non-SF.    The only real benefit I can see is that an SF unit will be smaller and less likely to be targeted than a huge infantry unit, but it might put out similar damage. 


Also, isn't mixing SF a bad thing?   What is the reasoning behind hiding their special ability?  This game is supposed to be light weight.  How is gathering dozens of battle reports and spending hours studying them in order to /maybe/ figure out what their special ability is light weight? 

[vonGenf]

The game is lightweight in that you don't need to know what the special ability is in order to profit from it. It can help at the level of strategy, but as a troopleader it's not needed.

All units have special abilities. Certain units like police work, others don't. You figure that out by observation, if you care to figure it out.

[Shizzle]

Well, all I can hope for is that Skyndarbau's SF's specialty isn't civil work. Seeing that he's a cavalier ;) btw, maybe I should change my name on here. Having the same name as user and for a character seems... wrong.

[Geronus]

What if there's another explanation for why your SF 'specialty' is secret? Just a thought.

Would you care to elaborate, or are you just being intentionally vague?

[Bedwyr]

Would you care to elaborate, or are you just being intentionally vague?

Intentionally vague, but in the "we're bound to not say something outright but trying to hint" way.  As I said on the other thread, dev team is currently discussing how much information to release on this, but until a firm conclusion is reached no one can say anything beyond vague hints.  We recognize this is annoying, hence why discussions are going on about how to change what information the playerbase gets.

[Geronus]

Intentionally vague, but in the "we're bound to not say something outright but trying to hint" way.  As I said on the other thread, dev team is currently discussing how much information to release on this, but until a firm conclusion is reached no one can say anything beyond vague hints.  We recognize this is annoying, hence why discussions are going on about how to change what information the playerbase gets.

Thank you for the clarification.

Personally I think it would add to the attraction of Special Forces and make them more interesting if there was some type of indication as to what it was that made them "special". The idea of SF having unique abilities is intriguing, and adds not only to their value, but to their symbolic nature as among the best troops the realm has to offer. Someone else might have a 90/90 SF center just like yours, but maybe your SF are Berserkers, while his are a heavily armored phalanx. It creates the possibility of having a truly unique center.

[Shizzle]

Well said :)

[Indirik]

All units have special abilities. Certain units like police work, others don't. You figure that out by observation, if you care to figure it out.

Two of my characters currently have units that like to loot.  ;D

[Foundation]

My SF unit's special ability is awesome training, it's up to 77%!

[Chenier]

Honestly, it sounds as if they Devs are trying to say that SF do *not* have special abilities, though perhaps they simply emulate another unit type (infantry, MI, or cavalry).

If that's not the case, then shame on them for asking for proof that requires lots of effort and special circumstances to collect just to prove a point. Actually, that works both ways. I know that you might be bound not to reveal bits of how the game works, but it's just being jerks when you compensate by demanding the impossible of people, as if it was no big deal. Most of these suggestions are impossible to disprove, and pretty near impossible to prove if they are true, because of how little we know on how they work.

Further, I believe the wiki actually says that they have special abilities. Or did, at some point, if it doesn't still. Somewhere.

[egamma]

Honestly, it sounds as if they Devs are trying to say that SF do *not* have special abilities, though perhaps they simply emulate another unit type (infantry, MI, or cavalry).

If that's not the case, then shame on them for asking for proof that requires lots of effort and special circumstances to collect just to prove a point. Actually, that works both ways. I know that you might be bound not to reveal bits of how the game works, but it's just being jerks when you compensate by demanding the impossible of people, as if it was no big deal. Most of these suggestions are impossible to disprove, and pretty near impossible to prove if they are true, because of how little we know on how they work.

Further, I believe the wiki actually says that they have special abilities. Or did, at some point, if it doesn't still. Somewhere.

Older SF centers--those in Makar, specifically, have proven special abilities. To use Makar as an example, some of the men have a charge ability--I guess you could call that cavalry, sure. But the others will act like they have siege towers--no other unit in the game does that.

What is unknown is if there are newer SF centers that have abilities.

[fodder]

should sf and mi have ammo count? (for each battle)