The cost of the migrants

Post by **wieder** » Sat May 20, 2017 1:00 pm

It was proposed that migrants would cost 20 instead of 10. The cost was changed to 16 but it could be more or less. The problem with cheap migrants affects the mid and late game so we could consider something else. Like making the current migrants available only in early game and then maybe adjusting the cost only after reaching some tech like invention. The early migrants could cost 10 and then after invention they could cost more and have maybe an extra move.

Or something else maybe?

cgalik · Post by **cgalik** » Mon May 22, 2017 3:16 pm

I think they should stay at 10. I think this is an overreaction to LT37 where people were using them to train up units. Plus, LT38 is a 2 team game so this won't be a problem there.

Explorers cost 20, so I think 20 is too much for migrants as they cost population too.

But if you really want to bump them up, then yeah after invention you could obsolete them and make migrant II which is more shield. Maybe they could have a chance for upgrade as they are working to give a little benefit to their increased cost?

arkan · Post by **arkan** » Mon May 22, 2017 5:22 pm

I second cgalik in wishing migrants cost not to be increased. If the goal of this change is to prevent easy training with them, let's remember that they cost 1 population, so that isn't really cheap. Also this use has been discouraged by the lower chance of units promotion through combat.
What about decreasing the promotion effect of Magellan Expedition small wonder to +25% (from +50%) to further lower the too easy promotion?
I would prefer to avoid creating another type of migrant to keep things simple.

cgalik · Post by **cgalik** » Mon May 22, 2017 6:20 pm

And for the record, I think promotion chances should stay high like LT37. I think I only saw 1 elite 3 war unit in the whole LT37 game.

Post by **wieder** » Mon May 22, 2017 9:45 pm

The promotions didn't really affect Elite ranks. Just veterans up to Hardened 3.

Maybe we could start slow with 12.

arkan · Post by **arkan** » Wed May 24, 2017 8:47 am

Hmm, why not keep at 10? It's a round number and is the standard cost.

Post by **wieder** » Wed May 24, 2017 10:20 am

The round numbers don't really work that well with the long and fast LT games. Phalanx vs. warrior is a good example of this. A phalanx would be too expensive if the cost would be 20.

I'm really tempted to spit migrants into 2 units. One cheap for the early game and another more expensive one for the mid and late game. More moves maybe. A migrant could cost 20 in the mid game and a settler 45. Maybe after getting rifles or something like that. However that is a big change and I won't add it to LT38.

The problem is that there are no longer that cheap units in the late game and migrants is a popular way to cheaply kill conquered cities.

arkan · Post by **arkan** » Wed May 24, 2017 12:58 pm

I disagree here. The best way to reduce a city will be with settlers, and those unit costs hardly matter late in the game as player make much more gold. Needless to say I'm not in favor of adding unneeded complexity by creating new migrants/settlers units.
I also dislike the strategy that consists in shrinking a city with settlers/migrants, but if a player decides to go that way it should be his choice to do so.