I would like to request the addition of a dwarven version of calvalry and implementation of more realistic calvalry mechanics. Here's the basic idea of my proposal:
Dwarven Calvary:1. Use specially purposed, large boars as cavalry (would be relatively expensive to get, and possibly take a long time to learn how to ride), or a dwarven variant of the Shetland pony; the shetland pony would also give an animal which could be used for stone hauling tasks, which reflects its original use in mines for this purpose. Being miners themselves, I think that they would at least have a pony for this purpose. More exotic mounts would require a dungeon master, naturally.
a. As a bonus, the pony would also improve the efficiency of hauling-perhaps have one dwarf oversee two or three ponies, thereby effective doubling or tripling the hauling capacity of a dwarf. Also creates management-do you want mounts or haulers now, and how much of one can be spared for the other?
2. A heavily armed, adamantine helmed hammerer wielding an artifact hammer is dwarfy. The same dwarf riding an equally heavily armored steed into battle is even more dwarfy. There should be strong incentives to include heavy armor on calvalry-less chance of your mount getting shot out or cut out from under you, namely. I could be mistaken, but i do believe that some horses were given head armor with a blade or spike merging from it to make them more dangerous. If this could be added in, it would make cavalry
perfectly dwarfy.
a. Would also mean making a decision early on if you use calvalry-do without armor for your calvalry, and give it to your infantry dwarves, thus having a more mobile-but much more fragile-force, or leave out infantry dwarves and focus on a kitted out calvalry force, with unarmored backup?
b. Heavy armor should give an encumbrance penalty, just as it does with dwarves. Keep in mind though that often warhorses were specifically bred to be able to support massive ammounts of weight. A Clydesdale is a good example of what a fully armored knight would have as his mount-and they're one of the largest and strongest breeds we have around. That is NOT a coincidence.
3. Armor for mounts should take more bars of metal to make than armor for dwarves, to take into account the greater size of the mount relative to the dwarf.
a. Would make heavy cavalry slighty more expensive than they would otherwise be, and reflect the sheer cost it took to outfit a fully armored unit back during the days of knights and other armored cavalry units. It would also make it less easy to field a fully armored unit of dwarves early on.
4. Ways to assign a mount:
a. Assign a mount as war dogs are now assigned. This would require some slight changes to the weapons menu, and a sub menu for the mount's equipment, but it should be doable.
b.Alternately, give the mount a separate screen where you designate their armor. Then, specify whether the dwarf rides an unarmored (read: suicide, at least against orcs) mount, a lightly armored mount, or a heavily armored mount. One of the horses will then be selected.
c. Have mounts show up under the military units screen. For a dwarf to ride a mount, assign mount to a "squad" position directly under the dwarf. The dwarf then rides the mount.
5. Add a "riding" skill. This would be trained by using a mount, and would level very slowly on its own. To raise it faster, one would need to have an instructor in the vein that is supposed to be incorporated for sparring dwarves in the next release. Alternately, just make it level at a normal rate through riding...but-
a. Novice riders are barely able to control their animal. They'll eventually get them to where they want to go, but it will take time and the animal might wander before they can get it under control. Novice riders also have a higher chance of being dismounted and suffering injuries. A dabbling dwarf is going to have to depend on luck to do the job...until he gets his skill level up.
b. Likewise, more experienced riders are better able to control their animals in combat-an untrained dwarf riding a mount without the Likes_Fighting or predator tags may have their mount flee the battle when shot. If they have either of the above tags though...the dwarf may be unable to get their mount to pull back from the battle. until it is wounded enough to attempt to flee itself.
c. The chances of this happening should decrease as skill levels-by the time they get to skilled, they should have little problems controlling their beasts, and by proficient they should also be able to use the mount effectively in combat, although issues may arise with advancing towards the enemy or disengaging if necessary. Subsequent skill levels should increase the ability of the dwarf to control the mount in combat
i. The reason for this is because it is one thing to control a mount such as a horse when there is nothing around to spook it. It is a whole other issue to deal with something that could agitate the mount-such as being wounded, and still keep control.
6. Make riders attached to specific mounts-i.e., given them ownership of their mounts. Riding the same mount over time makes sense, since each animal has a different temperament. Furthermore, a dwarf may get attached to their mount, and get an unhappy thought if it dies. A sufficient unhappiness/grief might make the dwarf go tantrum or go into a beserk rage in the middle of battle. Likewise, they may get a happy thought from having their favorite mount assigned a coffin in the same room as their tomb.
7. Make certain qualities dependent on temperament of the mount. A placid mount would be good for learning how to ride, but it might be slower than an aggressive mount and more likely to spook in combat. Likewise, anyone thinking of riding "bucko widowmaker goretusk the warboar" had better be *really* good at riding. Aggressive or spirited mounts, while harder to handle (and BAD for learning to ride on), should be faster, less likely to spook, and more likely to engage in combat-which can be a BAD thing if your dwarf can't control him.
a. For instance, I can see an aggressive warboar charging prematurely into a siege before the rest of the squad is assembled.
b. Since Toady One is considering the effect of personalities in dwarves, once that is ironed out extending this to mounts should be relatively easy.
8. Have the potential for dwarves with a low riding skill to be eaten if thrown from a mount with the Large_Predator tag attached. If a warbear/lion/jaguar/wolf throws your dorf, and the pred is annoyed and hungry, he should try to kill and EAT that dwarf. Gives an incentive to stick with safer alternatives until dwarves level up in riding skill, and offers the potential for "fun", which in my opinion should be required.
a. A named mount (one that tasted dwarf blood before being tamed) should be just as dangerous as they normally are. Even if a dwarf is riding it, there should be a strong chance of the creature trying to kill a dwarf-including attempting to deliberately throw and devour the rider.
9. They would function as a much-needed "shock troop" for dwarves. Currently, none of their units are suited for this task.
Cavalry in General/Cavalry Mechanics:1. Pretty much every aspect of riding as applied to dwarves should apply to other races as well, except elves might have an innate ridding ability-would obviously not apply to evil mounts, however.
2. Make spike traps deal damage to cavalry when they are up, and not just when they spring up below them. This would make a picket line to stop cavalry charges a real possibility. Also the possibility of upgrading from spears to a
pike (which, incidentally, is somewhat different in purpose from a spear-a normal spear is *much* shorter than a pike).
a. Proper use of this might also require the implementation of battle formations, but if not possible would simply require pikemen/dwarves to be strategically placed at choke points. BTW, pikemen were disadvantaged in melees due to the size of the pike (it's difficult to fight in hth with a 22 foot long pike, although these were the extreme versions), so they should get a penalty to hit against anything but cavalry and other pikemen.
b. Pike might only do extra damage if the cavalry unit is actively charging (see point below). It would make more sense for a charging unit to suffer extra damage than a stationary one, given that the charging mount essentially is impaling itself on the pike.
3. Give Cavalry a speed boost when they engage-cavalry don't gallop around at full speed constantly, it would wear down their mounts and could cause the problem of having a tired, exhausted mount right when you need a fresh one to charge the enemy. Perhaps use a modifier to speed activated when they chase an enemy?
a. Would also allow cavalry to take their traditional role as the anti-archer/flanking unit. For a more extended maneuver, it might be possible to order them to go at full speed. This would be offset by the below:
4. Make it possible for mounts to become overexerted if they carry their rider for too long without being able to rest. For someone with a low riding skill, the mount would refuse to move and either become prone (sleep if that's implemented for animals) or simply refuse to move. A skilled rider could force their mounts to continue, but an overexerted mount would function like a booze-deprived dwarf-they slow down more and more as time goes one.
a. Eventually, even a legendary rider should either be unable to force the mount to continue or the animal should just drop dead from exhaustion. Real life horses, camels and other mounts do have their limits, you know. So should mounts in-game. Also relates to the 3rd point. Armor should also exacerbate the problem.
b. Extended periods of time moving at a gallop/high speed should cause them to exhaust more quickly. Basic biology here.
c. Discourage abuse of going full speed all the time-sure (for dwarves, or when playing as other races with modding), sure, your dwarves get everywhere fast, but that won't help if by the time your mounts have rested up enough to take on the goblin/ orc siege, the riders are getting boozed up. And the caravan with a liaison just arrived. Have "fun".
5. More specialized weapons for riders. While mounted soldiers did use regular weapons, certain ones, such as
lances, were more specialized for use specifically while mounted, and left the user at a major disadvantage when unhorsed. These weapons should, if possible, get a bonus from the charge, at least in the case of lances (since it is the momentum of the mount itself which helps determine the power of the lance).
a. If possible, base damage on such weapons from the speed of the mount.
6. Depending on the size of the mount, the ability to run down and possibly trample a fleeing target-one moving away from it.
If anyone else can think of something which I missed, please feel free to add it.
And on a side note, fixed a little problem with the urls...
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Topic: Implementation of proper (realistic) cavalry, and dwarven cavalry. (Read 1968 times)