History Main / WorkerUnit

* ''AdvancedStrategicCommand'': Has a lot of these, though differing with unit set. Different transports are required for [[http://asc-hq.org/unitguide/html/11Ui4.html ammo]], [[http://asc-hq.org/unitguide/html/10Ui2.html fuel]] and [[http://asc-hq.org/unitguide/html/25Ui2.html construction materials]] that all runs out rather quickly. Field repair vehicles, to fix units without hauling them all the way to the factory. Generators to keep your mines and factories running when you don't have enough powerplants plugged in. Bulldozers to construct [[TunnelNetwork pipelines]], bridges or runways for planes. Builder vehicles to create buildings and turret foundations. Resource prospectors to know where to build a mine or oil platform. Icebreakers. Almost anything requires a proper WorkerUnit and some spent resources.
* ''{{Globulation}}'': Has worker, scout and fighter... uh... creatures. Without workers you cannot collect resources, and thus cannot do anything at all -- even keeping units alive requires a worker collecting raw foodstuff and bringing it to an inn.

* ''{{Civilization}}'': Workers build land improvements and transportation networks, while settlers are responsible for establishing cities. This distinction was introduced in the main ''Civilization'' sequence in ''Civ III''; in the first two and all their SpinOff games (save one), settlers handled both tasks.
** We say "save one", because the distinction was actually introduced in ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'' (transparently a much-modified ''Civ II'' spinoff). ''SMAC'' was actually the first Sid Meier game to split the improvement and city-building functions, with the improvement function taken by the Terraforming module ("Formers") that could be attached to any land or sea chassis (although some chassis are simply uneconomical) and the Colony Pod to build bases.

* ''{{Dune II}}'' used a Construction Yard, a building that was used to build the other buildings in the base a set radius from the Yard or another building. Resource gathering was handled by a unit called the Harvester. A vehicle called the Mobile Construction Vehicle or MCV could also be constructed, and could then deploy into a new Construction Yard at a new location.

** The Commander in [=TA=] and the [=ACU=] in the [=SC=] series are interesting variations, being {{Do Anything Robot}}s. They do the first round of heavy lifting in most missions due to being the sole starting unit.

* The ''AgeOfEmpires'' series: Villagers act as worker units here, using cycling to gather resources and direct construction.

* ''{{Civilization}}'': Workers build land improvements and transportation networks, while settlers are responsible for establishing cities. (This distinction was introduced in ''Civ III''; in the first two and all their SpinOff games, settlers handled both tasks).

* ''SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'' has the Supply Crawler weapon package, which allows a base to gather resources from a square outside its area of influence. There's also a Terraformer package, which is required for building base improvements.

** SpiritualSuccessor ''SupremeCommander'' simplifies that to three increasingly potent and expensive amphibious Engineers per side. The sequel further simplifies that to one per side, with more structures unlocked by research.

* ''Game/EvilGenius'': Construction workers, while serving as only Cannon Fodder in battles, are the only minions capable of building new rooms, and are the staple of any world domination plan.

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* The ''{{Warcraft}}'' series: As of ''Warcraft 3'', each faction has a distinctly different worker unit. All four primary workers(the Peon, Peasant, Wisp and Acolyte) can repair structures and mechanical units, harvest gold (by cycling in case of Peons & Peasants, or via magic in case of Wisps & Acolytes). All four can construct structures - directly in case of Peons & Peasants, through summoning in case of Acolytes, and through the 'growing' method in case of Wisps. All except the Acolyte can harvest lumber, while the Undead use their basic combat unit, the Ghoul, to harvest it. In emergencies Peasants can also be turned into emergency Militia to defend the base, while Wisps can explode to drain mana and damage summoned units nearby.

* ''{{Civilization}}'': Workers build land improvements and transportation networks, while settlers are responsible for establishing cities.

** In AgeOfMythology Greek and Egyptian workers function essentially the same, though only the Greeks are called villagers. Norse peasants only gather (dwarves are peasants that mine faster) while infantry build, and the Atlantean citizens don't need to cycle while gathering.

* The ''{{Warcraft}}'' series: As of ''Warcraft 3'', each faction has a distinctly different worker unit. All four primary workers(the Peon, Peasant, Wisp and Acolyte) can repair structures and mechanical units, harvest gold (by cycling in case of Peons & Peasants, or via magic in case of Wisps & Acolytes). All four can construct structures - directly in case of Peons & Peasants, through summoning in case of Acolytes, and through the 'growing' method in case of Wisps. All except the Acolyte can't harvest lumber, while the Undead use their basic combat unit, the Ghoul, to harvest it. In emergencies Peasants can also be turned into emergency Militia to defend the base, while Wisps can explode to drain mana and damage summoned units nearby.

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* ''DawnofWar'' has the servitor, gretchin, bonesinger, zealot, techpriest, scarab, earth caste drone, slave and the ecclesiarchical servitor, all of which only contruct and repair; resource gathering is handled autonomously by capturing points or building generators. Techpriests may garrison inside of a structure, which is more beneficial than other units doing the same as they activate all of that structure's garrisonable weapons (requiring 2-3 infantry, depending). It's sequel removes workers altogether, with scouts or tech-based heroes filling in for repair duties.

* The ''{{Warcraft}}'' series: As of ''Warcraft 3'', each faction has a distinctly different worker unit. All four primary workers(the Peon, Peasant, Wisp and Acolyte) can repair structures and mechanical units, harvest gold (by cycling in case of Peons & Peasants, or via magic in case of Wisps & Acolytes). All four can construct structures - directly in case of Peons & Peasants, through summoning in case of Acolytes, and through the 'growing' method in case of Wisps. All except the Acolyte can harvest lumber, while the Undead use their basic combat unit, the Ghoul, to harvest it. In emergencies Peasants can also be turned into emergency Militia to defend the base, while Wisps can explode to drain mana and damage summoned units nearby.

The worker epitomizes the idea of BoringButPractical, being an essential component of your forces in every game, despite usually not doing much/any fighting. If you lose your workers, and lose the building which makes them, you generally lose the game, unless you already have an absurdly powerful army compared to your opponent (which is unlikely given the ArbitraryHeadcountLimit). As such, due to their relative vulnerability and value, they make good targets for hit-and-run harassment tactics. [[CharmPerson Taking control]] of an enemy worker sometimes allows you to construct the [[EnemyExchangeProgram enemy faction's structures and units]].

[[quoteright:239:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Peon_3575.png]]

* ''AdvancedStrategicCommand'': Has a lot of these, though differing with unit set. Different transports are required for [[http://asc-hq.org/unitguide/html/11Ui4.html ammo]], [[http://asc-hq.org/unitguide/html/10Ui2.html fuel]] and [[http://asc-hq.org/unitguide/html/25Ui2.html construction materials]] that all runs out rather quickly. Field repair vehicles, to fix units without hauling them all the way to the factory, even though it's less efficient. Resource prospectors to tell where to build a mine or oil platform. Almost anything requires a proper WorkerUnit and some spent resources.

* ''AdvancedStrategicCommand'': Has a lot of these, though differing with unit set. Transports, builders, resource prospectors, generators.

* ''Advanced Strategic Command'': Has a lot of these, though differing with unit set.
* ''Globulation'': Has worker, scout and fighter... uh... creatures. Without workers you cannot collect resources, and thus cannot do anything at all -- even keeping units alive requires a worker collecting raw foodstuff and bringing it to an inn.

* The ''{{Warcraft}}'' series: As of ''Warcraft 3'', each faction has a distinctly different worker unit. All four primary workers(the Peon, Peasant, Wisp and Acolyte) can repair structures and mechanical units, harvest gold (by cycling in case of Peons & Peasants, or via magic in case of Wisps & Acolytes). All four can construct structures - directly in case of Peons & Peasants, through summoning in case of Acolytes, and through the 'growing' method in case of Wisps. All except the Acolyte can harvest lumber, while the Undead have use their basic combat unit, the Ghoul, to harvest it.
** A mercenary worker unit, the Goblin Shredder, is also available. It harvests lumber using the cycling method, but hauls in much larger loads than the standard workers.

* In {{Achron}}, CESO (the human faction) has Mechs and Marines as builders and Resource Processors for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin gathering resources]]. According to the developer, the other factions will have drastically different methods of construction.

* Constructing [[ConstructAdditionalPylons Buildings]]: This is either done by making a worker(or multiple workers) construct a building directly, meaning it can't do anything else until the building is finished, or by "summoning" a structure, which allows it to attend to other tasks while the building constructs itself. A third possibility is for the worker to "grow" into a building, with the unit getting consumed in the process.

* ''{{Dune}} II'': The Spice Harvester was the resource collector, and the Construction Yard created buildings.
* The Mobile Construction Vehicle in most ''CommandAndConquer'' games deploys into a Construction Yard, which then builds all other structures. Harvesters are used to gather resources.
** ''Generals'': The [=GLA=]'s construction unit also serves as the resource gatherer, and is the least efficient of all the factions. The American and Chinese armies use bulldozers for construction, and a different unit (the transport helicopter and truck respectively) to gather resources.
** ''Red Alert 3'': The Prospector (Allies) and Ore Collector (Soviets and Empire, with different capabilities) move ore from ore mines to ore refineries. The Prospector also doubles as a constructor, since it can transform into a Command Hub and allow new buildings to be built nearby. The Soviets have a separate constructor type (the Sputnik) with the same transforming capabilities as the Prospector (the transformed form is called an Outpost). All of the Empire's buildings are unpacked from Nanocores.

* ''{{Warzone 2100}}'': Any unit with the 'Truck' module is a worker, whether it's based on a regular wheeled chassis, a hovercraft chassis, or a heavy tank chassis. They use direct construction and repair structures, but cannot repair units, and are not needed for harvesting resources.

* ''Rome: TotalWar'': Averted. From a city, you can build upgraded roads in the surrounding area, and they have a real effect on unit movement, but there are no worker units to do it. It's all managed by the city governor.