[Suggestion] Making Units More Diverse

[MrFlibble]

As you all know, one of the balance issues with Dune 2 is that there are series of units with identical function that only differ in speed, armor and firepower (Trike - Raider Trike - Quad; Combat Tank - Siege Tank). In later Westwood RTS games , such units were given to different sides, like in Command & Conquer (the ~ symbol means "roughly equivalent"):

Trike ~ Nod Buggy

Quad ~ GDI Humm-Vee

Combat Tank ~ Nod Light Tank

Siege Tank ~ GDI Medium Tank

I think that in D2TM, some modifications to this could be made, otherwise the weaker units will become simply obsolete. For example, the Trike and Raider Trike for Houses Atreides and Ordos could have the role of the basic light vehicle with anti-infantry machine gun, while Quads could get an additional role (like carrying a limited capacity of infantry units, or an additional anti-aircraft capability - could be handy for the Atreides since they don't have Troopers). I still don't know how tanks could be differentiated though.

Any other suggestions on this?

[stefanhendriks]

Do you suggest that also in D2TM , sides should have different units? (instead that all sides have the same units, but with different values for their given attributes?).

As for tanks; they are kind of odd in the Dune world. Perhaps more airborn units would make sense; it is bloody dangerous on the sands! :)

[MrFlibble]

I'm not suggesting there should be other units. I mean they should function a bit differently, for balance issues. For example, in Dune 2, you have:

1) Trike

2) Quad = "A stronger but slower version of the Trike"

3) Raider Trike = "A weaker but faster version of the Trike"

When you get access to the Quad if you're playing Atreides or Ordos, the Trike/Raider Trike becomes pretty useless. The Quad gets relatively useless later on, too, but this could be fixed by adding C&C-styled weapon vs. armor distinction, giving the light vehicles an anti-infantry role, while the tanks would act as anti-armor units. So I mean, why not expand the functions of these units. This would make the sides even more different as well.

For example, the developers of Dune 2 wanted to emphasize the Ordos' obsession with speed when they introduced the Raider Trike. The Ordos Mentat calls Quads slow and not very suitable for the Ordos' stratagems, yet in the game, the player will certainly opt for Quads instead of Raiders simply because the former are more durable. Giving Quads a slightly different role (as I suggested, the ability to carry infantry, for example) would somehow compensate for this: you'll have a basic attack unit (Raider), and a slower but more protected support unit (Quad). But for the Harkonnen, Quad would remain the basic anti-infantry vehicle, of course.

[stefanhendriks]

I see your point, perhaps it could be related to a new thread i started about "tanks" on dune. Perhaps the whole unit tech tree should be revisited.