It's extremely modular. As long as nothing else is changing the explorer upgrades and perks, it should be fine. Regardless, it shouldn't make the game crash, but values will just be dependent on whatever mod was loaded last. And that could potentially make something not work if you had two mods changing explorer upgrades, which is the one thing I wouldn't recommend.

does this work with mods that buff the base explorer or does it override/get overridden by them?

You're welcome, potatoes.

CHeers Potato!

Cheers Potato

joel: Uou mean the Phasal Transporter orbital unit?
This only works if there is land on the other side. Explorer units can't be transported to water :(
Is there a different portal I'm not seeing? Or is that in reference to another mod?

everett: You can use portals for that, although it is rather a waste of production

Aracnideo, if you do not explain, Snake cannot fix it.

I'm sorry... ?

I was able to merge the two manually, but it would be nice to see it integrated.

I have a big favor to ask, @Snake . I would like to see a version of this mod that is compatible with the Codex series of mods. This is one of my favorite mods, and combined with Codex, It would be amazing.

Yes. clop1000; u ever looked "See all 38 collections (some may be hidden)" for referance?

Does it work with "Awesome" mods?

I was hoping for the upgrades to include hover. That way you could get to the ice locked ruins! :)

i actually subscribed to this one and that means I really like it

@snake: How about making the explorer a ranged unit, instead of being a melee unit?

worked for only 1 unit out of 12.

I don't recall there being anything wrong with Explorers attacking. I use them to attack aliens all the time. But I do remember them being weaker in water. I think it's something to do with embarked units being treated differently. Definitely worth bringing an escort when embarked, as with most units.

Awesome Mod, just wish it changed the model as well.

Question, it may be another mod I'm running at the same time, but the explorer unit doesn't attack anymore. Anyone else having that issue?

It's not a big deal, as the upgraded defensive capabilities are amazing once fully upgraded.

Lastly, I noticed the upgrade is a lot less effective while in the water, is there a reason for this?

Cool Mod!

petemadeley :Gaia's (RT) Improved Victory Conditions and Improved Tech Web Mod , Gaia's (RT) Improved Exploration and Artifact Helper or Ryika's Awesome pods and ruins mod may and can alter the chances for better. Ryika's New Earth(randomize) and or Gaia map(randomize and no marvels so increase all else). Whatever works to your flavor to add with this Explorer Upgrades mod and increase chances of findings while being able to have defense on explorers.

I didn't know that. I had several games where I searched several progenitor ruins and must have been unlucky. Even if it did cause my problem I would still use it. Thanks for the reply.

Thanks. I can't think of anything in my mod that would cause such a bug, though. What evidence do you have of this? IIRC, the progenitor ruins have a random chance to reveal the signal.

Excellent mod. Well thought out and balanced. I have noticed a slight problem: exploring pregenitor ruins doesn't seem to register towards the contact victory.

You're a fucking legend. Do you know how long I've been waiting for one of these for RT?

This mod is very effective and efficient.

Also, off topic (apologies): can you do a mod for the spies? Especially with regard to the % added per spy when stationed at HQ. It seems to me that 1% per spy is a really weak support. My thought would be 3%, 5%, 8% for each recruit/agent/special agent assigned to HQ. That would make high level spy tasks a lot more interesting and achievable. Maybe it's a bug that it only gives 1%. Anyway, I was disappointed when I saw how little difference it made.

late in the game you get the ability to portal to different sites via a satellite link, so if you utilize that technology, the only thing you would have to change is the ability for the explorer to "land" in the water... which currently only vessels and hovercraft can do. They would be stuck behind the ice after doing the expedition, but just delete the unit and build another one. Maybe this could be an edit to the basic unit, essentially being a disposable, one-shot use.

That sounds great!

Nah, the paradrop/carrier thing is too convoluted, I think. I'd be more down for hover. I'm considering getting rid of move after attack as it seems the least useful perk for such a unit, and replacing it with either invisibility or hover.

With my understanding of the way Carriers work, it should be possible to set up any unit to be carriable as cargo on another unit.

My suggestion for letting explorers reach ice-locked expedition sites would probably be to give them a submarine perk instead of a hover perk

Well, for me the unit naming is not that important.

As you have studied the code, is there a Civ V remnant "paradrop" ability available?

Or a way to make submarines or hovering units able to transport Explorers?

Reaching those ice blocked expedition sites would be awesome addition to this mod.

(cont.)
"Commando" refers to a soldier trained to specialize in raiding and quick strikes in enemy territory. So moving after attacking fits. You might also consider a perk for pillaging tiles.

"Technician" refers to an expert in in practical science/technology. The unit would probably need more unconventional perks. Perhapse a measure of stealth, a bonus to expeditions, or buffing other units.

Neither Purity nor Supremacy are inherently more or less militaristic than the other, or more or less than Harmony is. That is a flavor left open to the individual leaders (players) to bring to the table. Each affinity does have a different military philosophy, however.

Purity seems the most forward of the three, big armor, big guns. Hit the enemy hard and as broadly as possible.

Supremacy is more tactful, calculating. Coordination of military forces and surgical strikes.

Harmony is ferocious, but at the same time, "squishy". They overcome this with numbers. Alternatively, they can become quite resilient with regenerative properties.

Well, I think what Exsolutus was trying to say is that Purity generally appreciates the "innate" strength of human race and human evolution as a driving force, whereas Supremacy promotes enhancing us via technology to overcome our shortcomings (a view further backed by the descriptions of the Victory types Promised Land and Emancipation):

http://civilization.wikia.com/wiki/Victory_(CivBE)

And as for the Expedition sites blocked by ice. This is a major (and in a way very silly) problem. Perhaps if the Explorer can't hover, it could "paradrop" from a nearby colony (making it necessary to build a colony close to the last sites "prisoner of ice" and - neat? or have some kind of fancy floating transport craft which carries only explorers (graphics could be nicked from another unit)?

i definitely considered hover as an upgrade perk, but as was alluded to, the model would look weird. i also tried to add other perks like more expeditions, but some attributes are not as straightforward to mod as others it would seem.

as for naming and affinities, i'd appreciate any discussion of it (hopefully with better arguments). i can see where supremacy tends towards robotics more than purity, but it also feels more militaristic, hence commando.

Good ideas from Exsolutus and dtt.scanner

maybe give them an extra 20% chance to find an artifact at each tier, and hover at Tier 3?

or even just added to Tier 2... they don't really need to be any stronger than this vs aliens, and if you are using them as combat troops then I don't think you are using them right. LoL.

it would be nice if there were a Tier 3 "Hover" unit that could get across the ice to pick up the few remaining expeditions trapped in pockets of ice. You wouldn't really need to change the explorer graphic, unless you wanted to and are good at that sort of thing.

As a name, Technician makes more sense for a Supremacy unit, and Commando makes more sense for a Purity unit.

No, why do you think they would be?

I don't know if this is just an error in the description, because I haven't loaded the mod up yet, but shouldn't the Purity upgrade be "Commando" and the Supremacy upgrade be "Technician"?

Oh, good reminder. I didn't see any explorer mod for Rising Tide and it really needed it.

I always asked for this!
Good mode. You seem to have implemented the first upgrade mode on the RT.

Cool mod, I really needed this.