Skirmishers

[Retto]

 Skirmishers are an idea I had for a more specialized force...which could go in and take a modest amount of land from pretty much anyone.

Skirmishers would not fit in in generalized attacks or defenses, they would be strike teams which went into undefended areas of empires, and captured land.

You would have to train skirmishers - and they would require a lot more time for one force to be ready. To make a good skirmishing force, you'd need some leaders, and some of each army type - so the makeup of your skirmishing team depends on a balanced land assignment.

Skirmishers are defended against by workers and towers to a greater degree than actual armies (I'd say 80% workers/towers, 20% armies), and their effectiveness comes in taking small amounts of tents and towers. Skirmishers would never destroy buildings, so you always get the buildings already built-upon.

Maybe you can choose what sort of building to attack, and the skirmisher group makeup determines how well you do against it?

I'd say for skirmisher attacks, at most 3% of your enemy's land - It's /most/ effective for armies going up.

What do you think of this? Would skirmishers add a good, interesting, countable element to the game? Or would they be another bogged on uselessness?

[Nohcnonk]

 You could also have them take 30% or so of all unused land when they attack.  I think they could encourage more balacing gameplay.

[Juska]

 Why don't we balance the races?

Huh maybe? A little bit? No, I guess well add more fun useless (junk) to a game that is ruled by one race!!!!!

[Peace Alliance]

 juska's got a point. skermishers would be cool, and those of use who could figure out how to sue them would have a ball. but there are other things to be concerned about, once the game is balenced we can start thinking of new stuff.

the game can't get too complicated, like shael's been saying. that will tern people away from the game.