Improved Settlers

[Johnny Go-Time]

Hi all, I saw a reference in the Answers thread to settlers who can be improved for the late game.
This sounds like a great idea to explore, here are the first thoughts off the top of my head:

1) Have tiers of Settler unit, where Building upgrades etc. would provide access to the more advanced units. The more advanced settlers could create a town which automatically has a Smithy and/or Granary etc.
2 ) When building the Settler unit, you could choose how many units of population to invest into it from the originating city. This would allow the newly-founded town to build up more quickly.
3) In the original city where you build the Settler, select a low-level building and say "Deploy to Settler". The resulting settler unit's cost is increased by the cost of that building, but it will then create a town which has that building automatically (...I'm not sure what the story-logic behind this one is...)

[baenre]

I really like this idea. What do you think about allowing population transfers from one active colony to another? Say I make a settler with 5 population at my huge city, and sent it to a newly conquered city next to an adamantium deposit for good weapons. instant population boost there and I can start making soldiers where I want.

[Troy_Costisick]

It would be nice to send 5 population with a settler, IMO. Good idea

[Happerry]

Wasn't that going to be a special ability of the Orc faction?

[Asmodai]

My personal opinions:
1) I don't like this. Personally I think building your towns is a big part of the game and if you get most of your buildings automatically late in the game that's a huge negative for me.
2) Is what I suggested be a special ability of the Orc faction when the Orcs were going to be more stereotypical (take "stereotypical" as a good or bad thing as you like... I happen to like stereotypical Orcs). I'm not sure if it's in or not with the Native American inspired Orcs, I've seen some suggest it be retained but I don't think there's been any "official" word. In any event I like the idea but I prefer it as a special racial ability not something everyone does.
3) I like 3 better than 1 but I would still prefer that not be in there as it doesn't make much sense to me generally... again maybe as a neat race specific mechanic but not a general settler ability.

I may be mistaken but I do believe you can create a settler and send it to another city to "move" population, it's just that you have to do it one population unit at a time. This is fine in my mind because creating the settler depletes one unit of population from the creating city (so you have to have earned it) and it's vulnerable to attack as it marches across the map. So you can really just think of settlers being one population unit of a city. If you want to move 5 population from one city to another just make 5 settlers and move their stack.