Clear Cut(Engineering Domain Power): How To Create A More Effective Design

[taomastercu]

I have several modifications to the functioning, cost, and timing of Clear Cut that I think would vastly improve it from a usability perspective.

Firstly I think you should divide it into three powers which arrive in sequence and then unify in the late game. Secondly I think the costs should be reduced for the earliest action. Finally I think it should work slightly differently mechanically.

In Age 3 or 4 you should gain the Clear Cut action as a Pioneer power costing 25 Engineering. It should clear out basic Forest tiles as and end your unit turn. You should be able to move first but then like combat it uses up your actions and movement fully.

In Age 4 or 5 you should get Deforestation which costs 40 Engineering and is performed in Outposts or Vassals/Regions and is more like the current Clear Cut power but without being usable on swamps but is usable on Deep Forest and not Jungles.

In Age 5 or 6 you should get Swamp Draining which functions exactly like Deforestation but costs 50 Engineering.

In Age 7 or 8 you should get Land Clearance which removes Swamps, Forests, Deep Forests, and Jungles and costs 50 Engineering and can be used by both Territory, Outposts, and Pioneers for flexibility.

Being able to revert land to grassland without resetting tile influence would be super useful which Is why Clear Cut and Land Clearance don't require you to set up the Outpost. But you can set up an Outpost if you prefer to be able to take the actions limited only by Engineering and not 1 action a turn with your Pioneer.

Whether these abilities unlock directly by Age or with specific techs within the Ages, I think the player should be notified of their existence whether in the Age graphic or through a secondary popup.

[The Konrad]

Why would you all be willing to sacrifice the most valuable Engineering XP for this thing.
There are Improvement Shovel Points for this and that's a perfect way to use them.
Why do we need Engineering XP to cut down a forest, in fact engineering should be used to reforest an area that has suffered from a massive logging operation.
I am amazed how people simply accept such blatant disregard for my most precious Engineering XP.
Cutting down a forest is acutally rather easy. It's already stretching my suspension of disbelief that my tribe had a logging operation for 11000 years and in year 1000 AD can still have the same forest it had from the start of the game...

[taomastercu]

Originally posted by The Konrad:

Why would you all be willing to sacrifice the most valuable Engineering XP for this thing.
There are Improvement Shovel Points for this and that's a perfect way to use them.
Why do we need Engineering XP to cut down a forest, in fact engineering should be used to reforest an area that has suffered from a massive logging operation.
I am amazed how people simply accept such blatant disregard for my most precious Engineering XP.
Cutting down a forest is acutally rather easy. It's already stretching my suspension of disbelief that my tribe had a logging operation for 11000 years and in year 1000 AD can still have the same forest it had from the start of the game...

I'm not opposed to using IP personally, but presumably the devs had a reason.

Also I just played a God Kings games with like 85 Stone Cutters so I guess when you are making 300 Engineering a turn in Age 7 you are more willing to spend that Engineering since you are constantly capped out anyways.

But you'll notice I did suggest heavy reductions in Engineering cost.