Ranged units are really hard to get balanced. Especially long range+fast units like chariots. Even though chariots suck and lose from pretty much all units except tas, axemen and hypaspists(although hypaspists dont lose that bad cause they get good hp).
But chariots can easily become overpowered if ES tries to increase their dmg. Imagine an uber fast unit with long range that can actually kill things uber fast, especially when massed. You will be able to choose when to fight(cause of speed), exploit the stupid ai and hide behind buildings(cause of uber range) and own everything cause you get critical mass which along with your concetrated fire+strong firepower will be able to own everything, even counters.
Toxotes for example have this ability. FU massed hades toxotes can do 13 dmg so they own pretty many things on their own.
Tas used to have this ability before they got nerfed. Thor fu tas could do 10 hack dmg and they were ranged. I remember 1 time on team game, my enemy had massed tas and he had tons of buildings that were forming a "wall". I was massing jarls+rams to counter them but massed tas could kill the rams in 0.0001 secs and jarls got screwed pathing trying to go throw the small choke points to actually hit them. Then i went mythic and got some ballistas which owned both tas and buildings. But still ta wars were pretty common among norse players some months ago.
PS Hoplites can counter toxotes cost and pop effectively even when massed. Hoplites can also counter all kinds of hippikon+toxotes or hoplites+toxotes combos cost/pop effectively. Thats why i love noob greeks that stick to stable+archery combo cause hoplites beat all units that come out of those buildings. I have beaten 1800ish norse/greeks/eggies on team games, only by massing acedemies and making hoplites+hypaspists . But this can only be done after 15 mins when you have managed to mass farms(30+).[This message has been edited by NIB (edited 08-22-2003 @ 04:23 AM).]