It would change the melee dynamic after the first few casualties, definitely change the unit cost, and would affect how vulnerable they were to missile attack. As best I understand. Personally I think armor is a better method of providing them missile defense, but I won't do that for larger sizes since that'd kick the cost up too much. And keeping pikes affordable is like the whole goal.
I would like to keep it at 480 for now even if that means we have to redo things a bit later. I would like to be able to show rbodley a truly alternative pike unit that hopefully has proper functionality. He might still reject it, but at least it was tried.
In regards to the cohesion ideas, I was thinking that we could do one or both of the following:
1) Heavy infantry non-pikes get an extra +1 cohesion bonus vs. pikes. The idea here being that pikes weren't designed to cause fractures in opposing units during melee combat. It was more important for the pike ranks to stay cohesive, which limited their ability to exploit weaknesses in the enemy line. Unlike Roman infantry, for example, who would be quite deadly once they got in close. In game terms, it would encourage drawn out fights and further hinder the ability of pikes to roll over cohorts, warbands, and hoplites. Medium foot would be unchanged.
- This is a relatively new idea, so I haven't thought through every implication of it, or 100% cross-checked it with my list of historical examples. It occurred to me as a way of slowing down the melee and/or reducing the cost of the pike.
2) Pikes lose their +1 cohesion bonus vs. other pikes. Mentioned in the other thread as a way to replicate the willingness of pikes to surrender to other Diadochi since they'd be happily recruited and how pike vs. pike contests were more decisive than what we see against Romans and hoplites. Could also simulate the clash proceeding quicker since both sides could more effectively strike each other.
- Again, this is a newish idea, and not 100% fleshed out.
