Government type and barracks levels

[QuintusSertorius]

Something I'm not entirely clear on in spite of having played for a bit now is exactly how your government type interacts with what barracks (and therefore troops) you can have.

It seems that with a type IV government you can only build local barracks and thus recruit from the region. You get troops from them all the way up to the highest level of barracks.

Yet with a type I government it you can build either faction or local, but it seems you don't actually get any local troops, at least not at the first few levels. Do they only appear at the top tiers of local barracks? Or will there never be any local troops available in your homeland regions?

What about types II and III? Is it a mix of both? And more importantly do you only get troops at the lower level of barracks, or higher? As in if there are no troops shown with the most basic, does it mean I need to keep investing in several levels before I get some troops, or does that mean there are no local troops?

[Admetos]

The government type has nothing to do with what each barracks can recruit, they only decide what MICs you can build. For example, with a Type I, you can build the highest level factional barracks, and a Type IV lets you have the highest level regional barracks.

As a general rule, the further away from your homelands you get, the more regional troops you'll encounter.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Type1 - L5 factional, L2 regional
Type2 - L4 factional, L3 regional
Type3 - L3 factional, L4 regional
Type4 - L2 factional, L5 regional

What units you get is entirely tied to the region. Government only restricts MIC levels, not units. If your government can build that level of MIC, then you can get the unit. See the recruitment view for details of what you get and where.

[Irishmafia2020]

Type1 - L5 factional, L2 regional
Type2 - L4 factional, L3 regional
Type3 - L3 factional, L4 regional
Type4 - L2 factional, L5 regional

Wow... I never knew that! Thanks for the info, that will actually be something to think about as I build my empire!

[QuintusSertorius]

That's pretty much what I was after. So I'll need to go to the recruitment viewer to see if there's anything regional in central Italy. And whether there's anything at all to recruit in Karali, which seems devoid of troops.

I'm a bit confused that you can build factional with type IV - not the case in any of my type IV regions. Does the province need to have grown to a certain size before you can build factional barracks?

[QuintusSertorius]

A semi-related question, if you get a reform event and already have a level five barracks, how much is it to "reform" the barracks? Same again as level 5 cost? Or would you have to destroy and start again?

[Admetos]

IIRC, you get the option to build a new level 5 barracks. Not a clue of the cost though.

[QuintusSertorius]

Here's an example. Campania/Capua says I can recruit Samnite Heavy Infantry with level 4 barracks. Presumably that means level 4 regional, because they don't appear at present with a level four factional barracks.

And what about the generals? Do you need level 5 regional to recruit them?

[QuintusSertorius]

Here's another related question. Let's say you've had a level 4 government in a province, and built your regional barracks up to level 5. Then you destroy the level 4 building, and put in a level 3 instead. Would the troops you were able to recruit from that barracks at the top tier disappear? Or would they still be avaiable because the building is still there (even though you should now only be allowed a level 4 regional)?

[Admetos]

1. I'm guessing that's from the RV. Next to the column which tells you the level, there's a column which says complex. IIRC, the lower number is a factional barracks, whilst the higher will be a regional barracks. Keep in mind though this can all get skewed with reforms and such.

2. Yes. Level 5 regional for generals.

3. You'd still be able to recruit the old troops, seeing as the government only determines what you can build and you've already built the level 5 regional. It's cheating the system a little though, so I wouldn't do it as it kind of ruins the whole point of the system.

[QuintusSertorius]

I'd just stop myself recruiting them, rather than destroying the barracks and starting again. That's the thing, in most provinces I'm advancing gradually through the stages at 20-30 year intervals. Type IV at first, and only when the client ruler is approaching 60 and death do I make the switch to type III. Then after another gap it'll be type II. Then finally if it's possible, type I.

[Admetos]

Not a bad system actually.

[QuintusSertorius]

Wasn't my idea originally, came from someone else's house rules and I liked it a lot.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I forgot to mention, the system is completely different for Carthage. IIRC, they can't build factional MICs outside of Africa and can more regional MICs at levels other factions couldn't...

[QuintusSertorius]

I forgot to mention, the system is completely different for Carthage. IIRC, they can't build factional MICs outside of Africa and can more regional MICs at levels other factions couldn't...

Given Carthage's historical reliance on foreign troops, that makes a lot of sense.

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Thanks to everyone for the info. It really is pearls of wisdom for us Newbies...

[Ludens]

I'm a bit confused that you can build factional with type IV - not the case in any of my type IV regions. Does the province need to have grown to a certain size before you can build factional barracks?

No, you should be able to build it everywhere. However, there are exceptions for Carthagian (see MAA's post) and Roman factional MICs. The latter cannot be built outside the homeland provinces until the Polybian era, and not outside Italy until the Marian one.

Here's an example. Campania/Capua says I can recruit Samnite Heavy Infantry with level 4 barracks. Presumably that means level 4 regional, because they don't appear at present with a level four factional barracks.

What faction? IIRC Samnites are factional units for the Romans, but regionals for everyone else.

Here's another related question. Let's say you've had a level 4 government in a province, and built your regional barracks up to level 5. Then you destroy the level 4 building, and put in a level 3 instead. Would the troops you were able to recruit from that barracks at the top tier disappear? Or would they still be avaiable because the building is still there (even though you should now only be allowed a level 4 regional)?

The latter. Although IIRC the EB team intended to make it impossible to build a government types if you had MICs standing that were not allowed under that government.

[Gotthard]

I gotta agree, the steppe factions in particular isn't very clear. It's a LOT better than nothing, but it's hard to tell what nomadism vs. pastoralism does, and which buildings have reversible changes and which don't. It's certainly a complicated building tree to keep track of any why you cut it definitely.

[QuintusSertorius]

Which is well and good if your brain works that way. I'd have had an easier time reading something less graphical and more simple text flowchart.

[Papal_Knight]

Which is well and good if your brain works that way. I'd have had an easier time reading something less graphical and more simple text flowchart.

well then. let's get a volunteer to hold your hand next time.