Real Recruitment Beta 0.95/ Real Combat 1.41 released
RR Beta 0.95 and RC 1.41 have been released (combined download at end of post). Shouldn't be many more changes required to RR until final version.
PLEASE CHECK BACK TO THIS PAGE FOR REGULAR UPDATES
LATEST VERSION POSTED 28th FEBRUARY
RR Beta 0.95 Main changes:
-Increase in crossbow mercenaries available in northern italy
-Reduction in replacement rate of Late Professionals
-Most factions can now recruit low numbers of free upkeep militia at castles to act as garrison troops
-Generals recruitable at fortresses and citadels. Early Generals are Early Pros, Late Generals are Late Pros
-Sergeant Spearmen and Armored Sergeants available later from lower tiers
-Some Early Pro swordsmen now available in Early Era from Barracks or better, and available from High Era from Drill Square
-Some Local category units downgraded to Militia RC quality
-Reduction in Religious Order replacement rate and availability
-Increase in recruitment costs of Late and Urban Professionals to reflect training and infrastructure costs
-Assorted date, pool and balance fixes
RC 1.41 Main changes:
-Increase in spear defense value by 1
-Spearmen shield value increased by 2, to reflect close positioning of spearmen while in formation and dynamics of use of spear/shield combo in combat. Spearmen now better balanced
-Heavy Lance attack value increased by 1
-Dismounted Polish Nobles now use spear, not light_spear
-Use of Dave Scarface's recruit_priority_offset values in EDU to improve army composition, thanks to Dave for a great job. These replace previous recruit_priority_offset values
-Horse armor effect increased by 1, this reverts it to the pre-1.4 value
-Gothic/Dismounted Gothic Knights set to Feudal category rather than Late Professional
-Mongol cavalry speed reduced to same as other mounts
-Kataphractoi set to Elite
-'Western European' model heavy cavalry has reduced spacing between horsemen to effect close-order charges. Please provide feedback if this should be extended to other units
-mental stats of some militia quality units further lowered
-Some militia units, especially early-era types (eg spear militia) slightly downgraded in quality. Militia units overall are now better balanced.
-1 point penalty to mounted unit armor removed to balance better with more powerful spearmen and 2H weapons from previous updates
-New attack delay system implemented
-Close-order western lance cavalry specialising in the charge get additional +1 charge bonus due to specialised high saddle, +1 shield but -1 defense
-Handgun slightly reduced in accuracy
-assorted additional stat fixes
TO INSTALL RR/RC
Copy the contents of the download's data folder to the Stainless Steel data folder. As always, its safest to back up your current files first!
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NOTE 1: If you are using Echad's Fix pack, delete export_descr_buildings.txt and rename export_descr_buildings_ECHAD.txt as export_descr_buildings.txt
NOTE 2: There is a new descr_battle_map_movement_modifiers.txt file included that slightly slows movement rates, use it at your discretion.
NOTE 3: This should be save-game compatible.
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Real Recruitment Beta 0.95
Introduction
Real Recruitment ('RR') is an attempt to more accurately simulate the dynamics of recruiting, retention and training during the medieval period covered by the M2TW game. It also includes an ERA system that ensures units are available during the approximately correct historical timeframe. It is integrated with Real Combat 1.41 (though can be altered to fit other EDU's).
RR divides the units in the game into 9 separate categories, each with different factors that influence unit availability, training time, recruitment cost and upkeep. The 9 categories are: Feudals, Early Professionals, Late Professionals, Urban Professionals, Urban Militias, Locals, Rural Levies, Religious Order and Mercenaries (a list of units by category will be attached).
Design notes follow. Note that, although they may seem complex, the game can be played in exactly the same manner as normal. The detail is for those who want some background and are interested in what is happening behind the scenes.
Goals of Real Recruitment
Realistic Army Composition
So far there are always one or two unit types that dominate the AI armies and the player is likewise not motivated to use armies, that, at least roughly, resemble those of history, when he can afford an elite army. Typical european armies consisted of a core of knights, ie heavy cavalry with at least the same amount of light cavalry, if not more, a small contigent of heavy infantry (at first mostly noble infantry and it´s amount would increase later on as well) accompanied by conscripted peasants and semi-professional urban militias and, according to the culture, between a fourth and half of the infantry armed with ranged weapons. These armies would be supplemented by a single or two special units (for europeans mounted archers for instance) and an artillery park according to the age, bolstered by some mercenaries. For eastern armies the special units would be the heavy cavalry, while the melee cavalry would be substituted by light and heavy horse archers. In general the amount of cavalry would be higher and the infantry mostly equipped with bows, with only a comparatively small part equipped for melee. RR attempts to create the conditions that encourage realistic army composition.
Encourage Increased Use of Mercenaries
In an age where mercenaries played a crucial part in warfare, RR implements a cost and availability structure around most units recruitable by the player such that the use of mercenaries is more desirable, and attempts to make mercenaries useful and necessary without letting them dominate the campaign. The value of mercenaries is closely linked to the availability of the normal unit roster. The more problems we make to recruit regular units of the faction the more valuable mercenaries will become. When military desasters like Crecy left a kindgom with insufficent trained manpower (=reduced replacement rates), when major conflicts exceed the military potential of a state (=balanced pool sizes of recruitable units in settlements) or time is running out (=some units take longer than one turn to train), European rulers frequently relied on bands of mercenaries to wage their wars.
Historical Accuracy In Regard of the Appearence of Unit Types
The vanilla recruitment system leads to ahistorical situations, in which units that were quite common at an age are placed at the end of the tech tree or their appearence occurs far before their time. RR attempts to ensure that units appear during the approximately correct historical timeframe.
Making Military Disasters Have More Impact
Following on from the above, it can take some time to recruit a capable, large army. If that army is subsequently destroyed it can take some time to recover.
Trying to Represent the Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Faction's Unit Mix
Historically, each faction's unit mix had a certain 'flavour'. For example, France relied heavily upon Heavy Cavalry and Nobles and was one of the first to move to a professional force, England her archers, Lithuania had a very 'Early'-style roster with lots of Nobles, Early Professionals and Militia (+ Religious Order), Mongol Forces are largely derived from plains warriors welded into a disciplined force, Middle Eastern factions were less feudal and some had slave units etc. RR attempts to recreate this, and any relevant advantages and disadvantages, by categorising each faction's units appropriately.
Generally Making the Strategic Part of the Game More Challenging
Well, I think this is self-explanatory, and 'More Challenging' does not necessarily mean harder. To prove that point, the AI has been tested with RR and does just fine!
The Categories
Overview
Following is an overview of the nine categories in the RR system. Each category is defined by 6 main characteristics.
Pool Size: The maximum number of available units of this type available for recruitment at any time.
Replacement Rate: The rate at which new units become available for recruitment and go into the Pool.
Training Time: Defines when newly-recruited units become available. For most categories, it is the next turn. For Late Professionals and Urban Professionals, it varies by the unit quality and type. Generally, better-quality units, archers and cavalry take longer to train.
Recruitment Cost: The cost to recruit one unit of this type. Factors influencing Recruitment Cost are:
Upkeep Cost: The cost to support and pay for this unit for 1 turn. Upkeep costs increase in the following hierarchy: Javelin < Archer < Melee < Crossbow < Gun. One turn's upkeep cost is also paid to the unit during training. Mounted units cost significantly more.
- Armor: from Padded to Late Renaissance Plate, more heavily armored units cost more
- Mount Type: from Pony to Armored Horse, better mounts cost more. Most cavalry units also maintain at least 1 additional fighting mount, though the armor cost is paid for only once
- Riding Mounts: Mounted and Dismounted versions of those mounted units (eg Dismounted Knights) maintain from 1 to 4 additional cheap riding mounts
- Weapons: from Spears to Muskets, better and more technologically advanced weapons are more expensive
- Training Costs: Training costs increase in the following hierarchy: Crossbow < Melee < Javelin < Gun < Archer. Mounted training costs are significantly higher. Training costs for Swords and Polearms are increased. Training costs for 'highly_trained' units are increased.
Special: Any special factors influencing the unit category.
Recruitment and Upkeep Costs are heavily modified by Real Combat unit class: Peasant < Militia < Average < Superior < Elite.
Note that all costs are calculated PER MAN and multiplied out by the number of men per unit, to arrive at a final unit cost, eg although it may cost less to recruit an individual spearman than a swordsman, a unit of spearmen may cost more by virtue of being 25% larger.
Feudals
Pool Size: Low
Replacement Rate: Very Low
Training Time: Next Turn
Recruitment Cost: Normal
Upkeep Cost: Doubled
Special: Limited Free Upkeep in Castles, units often impetuous or of low discipline
The major and minor nobles, that follow the call to arms by their overlord, the king and bring with them their armed retinues. They serve as part of their tenure agreement and formed the core of the early era´s armies, but will not die out even at the end of the period given by the game. This category includes almost all of the early, high and late era´s european heavy cavalry, a large part of the light cavalry and the noble infantry. The giving of tenured land (fief) to the feudal vassal is simulated by the payment of the one-time Recruitment Cost (which could instead in this case be called a tenure agreement). The ongoing obligation of the vassal is simulated by making it a free upkeep unit at the castle. If the vassal/feudal unit ends the year away from castle, it has clearly been in the lord's service that year/turn for a greater period that its nominal obligation, and an upkeep cost of some variety must then be paid. The upkeep costs for Feudal units in such a case are substantial, and capricious feudal nobles were a constant source of headaches to the crown. Note that these units are recruited by the castle, not the barracks or stables. By recruiting at the castle we are simulating the gathering of nobles/landowners seeking tenure from the castle lord. Because the number of Feudal units will be quite limited, their relative importance rises, and the number of Early Professionals, Locals, Urban Militia and Rural Levies will also rise by comparison. NOTE: In the Late Era, the number of free upkeep Feudal units normally supported (Castle 1, Fortress 2, Citadel 3) falls by 1. The feudal system is gradually disappearing.
Early Professionals
Pool Size: Low
Replacement Rate: Low
Training Time: Next Turn
Recruitment Cost: All Training and Equipment/Mounts Discounted
Upkeep Cost: Increased
Special: Also in it for the loot, but no way (yet) to simulate this
This category encompasses all those types of men, who live solely by waging war in the pay of either some noble or the crown on the base of contracts for a specific amount of time or a campaign. Although they are full-time soldiers, their regular pay, while of significant size, is often just complementary to them getting a chance to loot and as they are regularly dismissed, after they served their purpose in a specific campaign, they often invest their money in a second base of fortune or have to look for another mission by another employer. This and the relatively easy going recruitement criteria mean that the numbers of professionals in a kingdom´s service are extremely volatile. They represent hard-bitten individuals or small groups of men, who are trying their best to profit from the ongoing feuds and major campaigns of the medieval world, which leads to a surprising high fighting morale, while their discipline and equipment is generally of good to moderate. The more efficient and better equipped units of this category are supposed to be that part of this class that found a regular employment in a noble´s or the crown´s service. For the first half of the game´s timeline early professionals are the core of the melee infantry part of an army supplemented by militias, while the noble heavy infantry is either used at critical points or kept in reserve. Sergeant spearmen are a stereotype of this category. The poor Replacement Rate of Early Professionals leads to the result that short and properly prepared campaigns would see a good amount of them, but ad-hoc fights and prolonged campaigns will quickly eat up the reserves of trained men. Note that it is recommended, when using Early Professionals, to disband them in the settlement from where they were hired if they are not immediately needed. This keeps upkeep costs down and they will appear in the Recruiting Pool again next turn. This is a reasonably good abstract simulation of what happened historically. If the dividing line between Early Pros and Mercenaries seems somewhat blurred, that's because it is.
Late Professionals
Pool Size: Average
Replacement Rate: High
Training Time: Varies
Recruitment Cost: Normal
Upkeep Cost: Normal
Special: Training Time varies based on Unit Type and Quality, higher proportion of disciplined units
Contrary to their early counterparts late professionals have much clearer dependencies, which come along with the development of the stronger central powers of the medieval states. Instead of being assigned for service for a specific campaign the crown now tended to keep a significant amount of those full-time soldiers in regular pay and founded something similar to a standing army, which encompassed the most reliable (which means loyal to the realm´s gouverment, not well behaving) companies of armed men, whose core stayed the same for a considerable amount of time, even as still a good part them had a fluctuating staff. They have a specially trained officer corps (in which, as a novelty, even some minor nobles make career) and the more advanced states even sport regular recruitment institutions (like the military academy). Their equipment is usually among the best available, as the states wanted to profit from their considerable investment they put into their training and more often used the threat of the power, which they represented, to ensure the loyality of the major nobles of the realm, than in actual battles against foreign powers. Going along with this and the technological development the kings of europe made sure that almost every tactical role on the battlefield (especially that of the heavy cavalry) now could be brought to bear by a class, whose primary dependency was to the crown, instead of local nobles. This is represented by units as Lancers, Demi-Lancers, Pikemen and Arquebusiers, which are all part of this category.
Urban Professionals
Pool Size: Average
Replacement Rate: Average
Training Time: Varies
Recruitment Cost: Normal
Upkeep Cost: Normal
Special: Training Time varies based on Unit Type and Quality
Similar to Late Professionals, but the units are recruited and trained in a city.
Urban Militias
Pool Size: Average
Replacement Rate: High
Training Time: Next Turn
Recruitment Cost: Equipment/Mounts Discounted
Upkeep Cost: Increased
Special: Limited Free Upkeep in Cities, expensive and less morale than regular units when away from them in the field
Lo and behold, urban units are taken from a region´s urban centres and often they are paid by them as well, while they are doing their usual service of guarding and patrolling the towns´ areas of interest, which is represented by being a free upkeep unit, as long as they are garrisoned in a town. If leaving the town´s limits they are supposed to be that urban centre´s contribution to the kingdom´s war efforts and sequentially have to be paid and provisioned by the crown. This also causes economic dislocation in their home town. While some of them, who were raised in towns of secondary importance, are organized militias, those who are recruited by the more influential population centres often have no other job besides soldiery, as we suppose that such big amounts of population can produce enough income for letting a significant amount of the citizens dedicate their live to secure this income. (And their comparatively high independency towards the realm´s leadership.) Their main characteristic is their relatively good equipment (as there are enough specialist craftsmen in a city), much of which they pay for themselves, while their effectivenes and discipline will proportionally increase with the city´s political and economical importance, even when still lacking a bit in comparison to true professionals, who live by war (instead to live by keeping the peace). Italian Militias would be a perfect representative of this category.
Locals
Pool Size: Average
Replacement Rate: Average
Training Time: Next Turn
Recruitment Cost: Equipment/Mounts Discounted
Upkeep Cost: Normal
Special: Discipline typically lower than for trained units
This group encompasses members of kingdoms which have either a sophisticated system of implementing the rural population into its armed forces (eg Longbowmen) or who have a considerable amount of more warlike population (eg Woodsmen). Locals serve as part of their duty as subjects of the realm and, mostly, are either receiving less pay than other soldiers or none at all, though the time taken for their training and organisation does cause some economic dislocation. There are, of course, also volunteers among this group, but mainly because there is a multtude of reasons why someone lost his livelihood. Their main characteristic is, that they are never full time soldiers, but all their martial prowess is learned as part of their civil live or during the short training they receive before being organized in companies, given officers of regular units (mostly experienced full-time soldiers and only very seldom one of their own people of higher status like village headmen) and shooed in direction of the battlefield. Their quality mainly depends on how warlike their origin is, while their equipment is commonly of low quality, second hand (which means looted) or provided by themselves, which makes them more readily available than other troop categories.
Rural Levies
Pool Size: High
Replacement Rate: High
Training Time: Next Turn
Recruitment Cost: Equipment/Mounts Discounted (usually have none)
Upkeep Cost: Normal
Special: Very Low Morale
As can be expected by the name this category summarizes all units that are recruited from the rural population, mostly by drafting them. These units are mostly peasants and have little to no military skill. Against any substantial opposition, they are likely to run away.
Religious Order
Pool Size: Varies, but typically Low
Replacement Rate: Varies, but typically Low
Training Time: Next Turn
Recruitment Cost: Normal
Upkeep Cost: Reduced
Special: Typically Good Morale
Members of religious orders, they are called to their tasks. As such, they are fighting for a cause that does not necessarily place payment for their services in such a high priority, and their upkeep is somewhat reduced.
Mercenaries
Pool Size: Varies
Replacement Rate: Varies
Training Time: Immediate
Recruitment Cost: Varies, But Usually Reduced (More experienced Mercenaries cost more however)
Upkeep Cost: At Least Double
Special: Often (but not always) slightly reduced morale.
To recruit a mercenary is in almost all cases a cheaper (and certainly more immediate) option that recruiting and training the corresponding faction unit. However, their upkeep (read: pay) is also typically at least double what a regular soldier would receive. Thus, their long-term employment quickly becomes an expensive proposition. To add to this, they are often somewhat averse to risking their lives in combat. Experienced mercenaries will cost somewhat more to hire.
ERA System
Real Recruitment varies the availability of all units depending on the current era: Early, High or Late. Aside from whether the unit is available or not, its level of availability can also vary from era to era. For example, some units that are common in the Early Era will become less available in later eras. Changes will be particularly evident for Feudal units.
Units also become available as a result of technological advances. The set of conditions that govern this are:
Heavy Mail: available whenever an Armourer is built. This will typically be late in the Early Era and is approximately the correct timeframe.
Partial Plate/Mail: Early-Mid High Era, about 1275
Full Plate: Late Era, about 1380
Gothic Plate: Mid Late Era, about 1450
Handgun: about 1310
Arquebus: about 1466, Spanish Arquebus about 1444
Musket: about 1502
Pikes, Polearms, Heavy Crossbows: about 1310
I am indebted for a significant part of the categorisation work in this mod to Konstantin Alexander and Notger.
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