Trying a classification system for units and their heroes

[Jolly Joker]

Irrelevant. You cannot really hire alien heroes in the beginning because you can't use their forces and their special skills which will be a serious drawback.
If you then get a chance to hire a fully developed alien hero later on that's happenstance, like finding some precious and special artifact. You cannot plan on it and not every hero will be a good hero for every force or against every force, so I don't see the point here.

[Mytical]

Besides which, there is a chance that (although slim) you might have to use heroes who's skills are either too low to make a difference or not exactly fit for the creatures you have. So since it is impossible to count for every possibility (stats are random even if somewhat larger for the 'preferred' stats, then their is artifacts, bad luck streaks with skills, any number of variables) so to be honest using the creature alone is a better way to classify since things might crop up that is unexpected. Then adjust when you have your own hero (which you know what stats, skills, artifacts, and such you have to work with). Unless somebody perhaps knows a way to account for every possibility even the unlikely ones?

For instance how does those necromantic troops fare when the hero is a Wizard? A Warlock? A Knight? (ect). What happens if that necromancer goes with something besides attack > archery > ect ? Or if some weird twist of fate sticks that necromancer with a choice between Leadership and Light Magic (highly unlikely, but presumably possible)? Just not possible to include all possiblities. And if you do force them into a "They get this skill" thing, then wouldn't the others get the best skills possible for them also? Imagine those Master Hunters with Attack > Archery > Frenzy. With the sylvan heroes having master light magic, ect? Wouldn't they be seen differently then? Or with Master Avenger, and the two buildings built..wouldn't that change them (as they would do more damage to the 'preferred enemy')?

[Adicto]

Well, JJ's effort of classifying all this has been doubtlessly enormous, but in my opinion that classification has a big basical problem: it mainly classifies the creatures according to its function in a combat under certain circumstances, but the classification should consider only the creatures' properties, and later determine its function in a battle.

For example, we can classify creatures using 4 indicators:
Durability: (ligth, medium, heavy) HP+DF+abilities+growth
Movement: (defender, attacker) speed+initiative+abilities
Damage: (weakener, fighter, killer) damage+AT+abilities+growth
Special properties: (shooter, assaulter, assistant, meat-shield, etc) abilities

So if we analyze zombies, we can say they are medium defenders who play the role of weakener meat-shields, or if we analyze wraiths, then we say they are medium attackers who play the role of anti-tier7 killers.

If after this analysis/classification we find that those creatures do not work properly when they are added to its corresponding hero & army (for exaple a medium assault fighter working as heavy defender, or as heavy aasault killer), then is needed a hit with the nerf hammer or a little doping... but we can't analyze creatures like if they were in a perfectly represented scenario. The analysis of an army as a whole is a different thing.

[Mytical]

I think JJ did a very good job (and Banedon too), but I do believe that nobody will ever make a 'perfect' classification. People are going to disagree with one thing or another. That being said, I intend to use them for myself, just with some units being classified differently.

[Banedon]

I think JJ did a very good job (and Banedon too), but I do believe that nobody will ever make a 'perfect' classification. People are going to disagree with one thing or another. That being said, I intend to use them for myself, just with some units being classified differently.

Nah, JollyJoker did a better job than me. His / her classification scheme is more complex and complete than mine, which involved a grand total of 5 different creatures. A perfect classification is probably unattainable, but I hope we came close

[Jolly Joker]

Actually I would have had to introduce another one in Haven, for the Inquisitor, because that unit is everything at the same time, Artillery, Support, Hunter-Killer and even Killer, so I'd say that this is a true Multi-Purpose unit or MPU because that unit is able to do everything, but excels in nothing EXCEPT in that.

[ThunderTitan]

but excels in nothing EXCEPT in that.

So he excels at doing everything, but excels at nothing? You really watch that wording.

[Mytical]

I believe the term is "Jack of all trades, master of none." (which is what JJ is meaning I believe...

Another thing to consider is 'anti-ranged' units. What would you call them? (support?). For instance..tier 3 upgraded units in haven. They can make ranged units less effective. Or gated units (which can do the same). The wall of fire/mark of fire combo from the Rune Patriarch? Some units can just make ranged unit's life miserable...shouldn't they have their own classification? Maybe Anti-Artillery?

[Jolly Joker]

Right. Squires would have been Hunter-Killers and Defensive Support Troops.

[okrane]

Here's an idea.. we make n classes of units where n is the number of units in the game. Then any unit will be very precisely classified since we can look better at its specifics... wait... this has already been done... by the game itself... hmmmm