Naval > Aerial > Ground: An evaluation of unit balance

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You've lost the battle in the water(for harbor maps) or the battle in the air. Can you still win with only ground forces?
Absolutely	14%	[ 1 ]
Not likely	71%	[ 5 ]
Absolutely not	14%	[ 1 ]
Total Votes : 7

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Oct 16, 2009 14:16

Subject: Naval > Aerial > Ground: An evaluation of unit balance

NatSelection

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Joined: Oct 16, 2009,
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The naval unit is by far the most critical unit in any map where you are able to build one. They are basically mobile artillery units with defense to protect them fairly well from the small number of units capable of damaging them. If a map has harbors, then the focus of the battle is going to be who can build and maintain the larger fleet until a crushing victory is within grasp. I've seen land units stare each other down from 3-4 hexes for 10 or 20 turns as both players build nothing but their one naval unit. The main factor for these tactics is obviously a lack of counters. Aside from naval units of their own, a sapian or khralean player only has 1 viable counter to naval units (chopper/garuda) and the titan has none (lacking an air unit). I didn't count artillery for 2 reasons: 1) Sap and Titan arty can't attack after move (owned) 2) Khralean arty doesn't have the range to attack and survive. Even though I have taken down ships with choppers/garudas it is not efficient or even reliable. For these reasons, something must be done to eliminate the advantage naval units currently possess.

The aerial unit is definitely the next unit on the list when it comes to overall superiority, however, this case is a bit more nuanced. For instance, SapVSap games become chopper wars from the get-go just as KhraVKhra games become garuda wars (not because the garuda is over-powered, necessarily, but because if you lose in the air you will lose on the ground).

The Titans obviously get the shaft because they have no way of overcoming a naval force if they lose ship v ship, or, lacking harbors, they are unable to participate in the aerial competition.

I enjoy Uniwars very much, but something is seriously wrong with the balance of Naval > Air > Ground. I think there are 2 main reason for this imbalance.

1) Naval is untouchable except by Aerial, Aerial is untouchable except by a select few Ground units.

2) Not enough unit Naval / Aerial unit types.

Consider if your ground forces were comprised of only your race's tank, or tank and infantry. The strategies and options would be very limited, essentially amounting to who built the most / maintained the most. Each race has between 7-9 ground units. That is why ground combat is strategically diverse and well nuanced. It follows that Aerial combat would be strategically less diverse, with Naval following suit. Compounded with Naval > Aerial > Ground, games devolve to their most mindless level of strategy.

Opinions?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Oct 16, 2009 14:18

Oct 16, 2009 14:51

Subject: Naval > Aerial > Ground: An evaluation of unit balance

Hachiman

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Joined: Jun 25, 2009,
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Definately I think some more thought about naval balance is next on the list of balance tweaks.

For example the Dreadnought is more powerful for cost than the Leviathan (or the Garuda) meaning it is not worth playing against saps as Khrals on naval maps....

I don't really have a problem with Air vs ground balance - I think it is a fairly good soft scissors / paper / rock system (air > heavy ground > light ground > air, with some exceptions).

Oct 21, 2009 14:16

Subject: Re:Naval > Aerial > Ground: An evaluation of unit balance

brainiac

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Joined: Jun 10, 2009,
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two exceptions to your points.
1) Pirapolis vs. not titans: it is fairly easly to just keep out of range of your opponents ships as you have two whole rows to work with.
2)Land bridge - i have lost as saps vs. khrals where my opponent build mostly garudas and me, destroyers. there is limited naval mobility and also limited naval range.

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