Missile units and experience.

[Byzantium]

I've always thought it strange that whenever a ranged unit gains experience it's defence and melee abilities are increased rather than it's missile rating.
Obviously it's not an entirely redundant feature as missile units are usually on the recieving end of enemy ranged attack and i suppose the extra defence gives them a slightly higher chance of survival but overall would an increase to missile rating would be more appropriate?
Easy to say of course being blissfully unaware of how the game mechanics function and at the same time unaware whether such a thing is possible?
From the point of view of game balance would such a change adversely effect game balance and is such a change practical or even desireable?

Your thoughts and opinions gentlemen please.

[Akkaid]

Your not going to like this, but exp has almost no REAL benefit for missle units. There is no gain in missle attack, wich would really be unbalancing in the game; consider the effect of 6 units of Genoese Xbows with a missle attack of 11! Also, the defense gain that complements exp gain is in defense skill, which does nothing against missles (only armor and shield defend from missles). There is a chance that exp gain aids in accuracy, Im almost sure it does in siege units.

On the other hand, byzantine guard archers and gen Xbows can hold thier own against lower tier units in melee with a few chevrons!

[delra]

They are more accurate and follow your orders quicker though.

[Byzantium]

Good point Akkaid.I hadn't considered which part of the overall defence value was enhanced by experience when i wrote my post.Oh well,there's one little crumb of comfort thats been casually brushed from the table.
Then again,you both mention something i was unaware of,an increase in accuracy.If what you say is true and there is something whirring away under the bonnet that enhances ranged ability then all's well and good.

How that relates to performance on the battlefield remains to be seen.

[delra]

Experience is most important to heavy cavalry. Gold chevron Lancers or Famiglia Ducale can charge a stone wall and it won't stop them... :-)

[eusKai]

It´s an easy test: Put a full experience archer unit against the same unit without experience in a custom battle and see what happens.

Or better, make 2 custom battles: one with an experienced archer unit against one infantry unit, eg, english foot knights, and another test that´s the same but with unexperienced archers. Then see how many foot knights reach your archers in each case. This way the defense of the archer unit won´t matter and you will be testing acurracy

I´ve made the test and well, experience is a bonus. Maybe not as much as in some low level units, when +3 att and def is more (going from att2 to att5 is very good)than what they had , but the bonus is nice

[Akkaid]

Yeah, the longer ranged missle units seem to benefit from exp more than others, Ive seen this with Byz Guard and Genoese X bows.

PS: Listen to Delra, he's Polish!

[delra]

Oh noes, I'm exposed. :-)