Improved Recon Units!

Tired of Recon units being mostly useless past the Medieval Era? Do you enjoy fast movement, hit and run tactics, stealth, and other options the Recon Class provides? This mod seeks to balance Recon units, giving them an edge in combat, and also other utilities that make them useful beyond discovering early tribal villages.

While it would be easy to just buff Recon units combat-wise, I tried to instead boost the things they already have, and give them a few extra functionalities. Of course, they are also buffed combat-wise!

Features:
– New Unit, Building and Improvement
– New Policies
– New Abilities
– Buffs to existing Recon units
– More updates on the way!

A lightweight information era Recon unit, to counter the expensive GDR. It has more movement, sight and combat strength (both ranged and melee) than the Spec Ops, and can also paradrop. Unlocked with Nanotechnology.

Building for Encampment districts: can be built instead of the Stable or Barracks. Is cheap and provides the usual bonuses that Barracks give, and an additional free promotion! The only downside is they only apply to Recon units.

Special improvement that can only be built by Recon units (after Rifling). It provides half the defensive bonuses of forts, and grants 1 appeal to surrounding tiles. Can be built on all featureless land, and also Forests and Jungles. To complement this, Rangers get 2 build charges, Spec Ops and Space Cadet get 1.

– New World Explorers (Military Slot, Unlocked with Colonialism) : Recon Units gain +1 Movement and +8 Combat Strength.

– Diplomatic Immunity (Diplomatic Slot, Unlocked with Diplomatic Service) : Recon Units may enter foreign lands. Obsolete with Public Trade Security.

– Public Trade Security (Diplomatic Slot, Unlocked with Capitalism) : Land Traders within three tiles of a recon units cannot be plundered. Recon Units may enter foreign lands.

– Landmark Re-purposing (Economic Slot, Unlocked with Conservation) : Forts and Shelters with Charming appeal provide +2 Gold and +1 Culture. Forts and Shelters with Breathtaking appeal provide +5 Gold and +3 Culture. After Flight, they also provide Tourism equal to their Culture yield.

– Recon units occupying a defensive improvement (Shelters, Forts, Great Walls, etc) gain +1 Sight and +6 Combat Strength when defending.
– The Experience bonus from Armories and Military Academies also applies to Recon Units.

After you get a few cavalry units, recon units become almost useless for exploration since the main advantages they have are through promotions; which are hard to get once you discover the tribal villages and natural wonders around you. The Observation Tower, New World Explorers, and Shelter give Recon units an edge in both combat and exploration past the mid-game. From here, the Diplomatic Immunity and Public Trade Security Policies help them scout out lands of potential enemies, and even protect your trade routes! Landmark Re-purposing can help you gain a bit of gold, culture and tourism from Shelters and Forts that may have been left in your territory after wars; and the appeal bonus from Shelters can further help with Culture victories. Finally, the Space Cadet can both defend and dominate past the Information Era; with a couple of promotions and the New World Explorers Policy, they are a force to be reckoned with!

This mod has no custom art! If anyone wants to contribute Icons, portraits or 3D Models it would be greatly appreciated!