You can vote twice in the poll if you like, and you can change your vote too.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Someone was going to suggest it eventually, and I think iv'e seen it mentioned in the 'commando unit' thread but I feel it deserves its own topic. Firstly I completely agree with anyone who says the game should be tested to the max in its current state before new units are spammed at it, so as to properly gauge the need or possible impacts of these additions and ensure balance and a strong basic footing for the additions to build on.
That being said, I think paratroopers are an obvious and exciting future option and I see no harm in throwing a few ideas around.
The basic is an infantry unit that can deploy via air assault. (Though I'll mention gliders for a possible mechanized nod, the jeep one.) I think giving ALL infantry this ability would just result in constant para spam attacks, or the costs would drive down the number on infantry units in armies, which while I'm expecting late tech, big countries to have many mech infantry I think infantry should remain a constant part of armies. I think having transport planes to move units is possible, but too different to the current mechanics or to complicated to bother with when the individual unit is a better option, if you disagree post below 
Ideally it will be a unit used to compliment your regular armies or give you a greater range of strategic options, not change the game entirely.
The selling feature will be the deployment method.
They can only parachute deploy when on an airfield, otherwise and after the drop they act as a regular ground unit.
They will most likely be more expensive than regular infantry but with a weaker strength vs armour to represent a lack of heavier weapons, that being said you could argue that is represented by not being able to parachute anti-tanks.etc. in with them, also they tended to be an elite unit so again you could try and boost their stats but balancing might push the costs up to very high levels.
As they are deployed via transport plane they will also be very susceptible to interceptors during transport, perhaps even more so than bombers which would have carried more defensive armament.
In addition I believe that paratroopers should have a 'disembark' period, representing them dropping in and then assembling back into organised units in which they could mount a cohesive defense/attack.
This means that catching paratroopers either in transport or during the drop will give the defender favorable results, making it more risky.
That being said if the range is too great paratroopers can be dropped miles from the fighting and be incredibly frustrating to prevent/contain. Again this can be balanced against flight speed, giving an active defender more time to intercept via air or ground, meaning longer trips would be more of a gamble. but I still think a short distance is better, perhaps if we go historically the distance between the southern British provinces and northern French ones etc.
Its interesting to note this deployment method could be used to move troops faster over Friendly ground from airfield to airfield, or across waterways without having to risk sub attacks. It could even be used for evacuations in the face of the enemy if you use paratroopers like border guards or decoys.
The deployment method itself I'm assuming would allow you to land your paras anywhere on a road, not sure about whether landing directly on/into combat with a province capitol would be good or not, but i see no reason to prevent it, after all your opponent could GM a tank brigade as you drop!
An important question might be whether or not you are allowed to recall, constant feinting could make paras even harder and annoying to defend against, but then these things are suppose to be planned out for days ahead of schedule so accidentally dropping miles away or when you didn't want to drop at all would be really painful.
Could you drop into the sea? gameplay wise I'm nodding vigorously (I like having max options,) the rest of me is face palming.
Tech wise it should be an infantry lvl and a plane level, strategic bomber perhaps? day 12/16? or maybe mid twenties. Does it need an airfield in the province to be produced though? Id guess so for training jumps etc. and a high level barracks, maybe even a level 2 industrial complex to represent the planes required.
What are your thoughts? where have I gone badly wrong? (hopefully not everywhere) Any historical examples you know? Thanks for reading this brain dump!
. TLDR : Tanks have their role, para have another role if para were used in the same way as tanks then i would say paratroopers would be useless , but no they are not used in the same way as tanks
