[suggestion] Unit Builder & Experience Mod

[NovaColonel]

Hi everyone,

I have two ideas who would improve gameplay substancially imho. One seems to be relatively easy to mod in (although I have no idea about modding):

Realistic Experience Mod

Most of you probably just recruit lots of line infantry as your main fighting force. This is the game's main unit, and available from start. And the only grahpical difference is the bayonets... which makes things boring. So here's my suggestion:

1st it might be nice to add a option of additional trainings for recruitment. So, normal line infantry stays as it is, costs some 600, and takes one turn to train. Good choice if you need troops quickly.
But what if you are planning to attack yourself and have plenty of time to prepare? it'd be nice to have an option of recruiting line infantry with additional training, taking two or even three turns to train for a unit?
You could choose if you want them to receive firing drills (which would improve accuracy and reloading time), bayonet drills (improves melee) or combat training (improves everything by adding one chevron). Of course the recruitment costs would be accordingly higher, but you have a choice. This way wealthier nations would have not just more, but better trained troops.
I also like the idea of the player having to retrain his troops once new equipment or firing drills are researched. So, in the late game, you could have a unit somewhere in the far outskirts of your Empire that is equipped with plug bayonets only, and have never heard of rank fire due to the remoteness of their position.
An evolution of uniforms would also be nice - the more chevrons a unit gets, the fancier the uniforms become, to reflect the increased value of them.
Would that be doable without too much effort?

2nd - Unit builder. This would take the idea of the additional training further, by adding the option to assemble your own units. So you would have a button saying "Unit Builder" or something, and when you click at it, you could first select the type of unit (infantry, cavalry, artillery), then the type of soldier quality you'd like (conscript, irregular, professional, elite) - resulting in a stat value for morale. Then you'd choose the weapon (cheap musket, musket with bayonet, rifled musket, long rifle, carbine, rifled carbine, sabre, lance), which would set the range value. Then the focus of training, which would finally give you the stats for melee, accuracy and reloading time. Finally, select a nice uniform and unit size, and off you go. Based on all these selections, you'd also get the recruitment cost, training time, and upkeep. So if you're willing (and able) to pay 800 upkeep, you could get your elite infantry with 125 range, 5 shots per minute, great accuracy, and decent melee capabilities.
This could more accurately represent the different paths of the nations as the time passes on: One faction might go for melee infantry, another one for rifles as main weapon (with still usable morale and melee), and so on...

What do you think?

[Flobulon]

While I have no idea as to the feasibility of such a mod, I certainly love the idea of it. Recruitment is one of the features which could do with a mod adding much-needed depth, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who tailor-made squads would appeal to.
Great work, I really hope something like this is possible

[Sharpe]

If this was combined with an 4/8 turns per year mod, this would be excellent. A fully armed and filty unit of line infantry would be awesome. Still green tho, cant replace battle exprience.

[NovaColonel]

Wouldn't have to be totally green... basic combat experience can be simulated to the extent of one chevron - maybe firing drills with someone shooting fake ammo in the direction of the soldiers, or the like... remember that it'd take twice or even thrice the time and cost of training.