Question about healed units

[jinandjuice]

After playing RTW for a couple of years, I've notice the pattern that missile troops tend to heal most of their casualties (about 60%-90%), while infantry's healing pattern is very dynamic, ranging from 0% to 100%. Cavalry mostly don't recover at all, except for very occasional times when they would heal at a dynamic rate. I've never found out why this is so. Can anyone speculate?

[Selifator]

I think it has to do with the amount of combat a unit sees, how much it runs around, and how far it goes from the wounded. Though the last two might just be superstitious nonsense from me.

[Saladin_2008]

technically RTW is a computer program so there must be a method to it.....would be interesting to know what factors into it though

[Scutarii]

The heal rate is much higher for lighter armed troops because they go down from far lesser blows. Light troops are far more affected by missiles, which have a much lower lethality than melee weapons (which means more healed casualties at the end). You'll notice that well-equipped heavy infantry will not heal much at all, because they are not affected much by missiles, instead losing most of their men in the melee. It also takes more to bring down these better equipped men, but once their down, their down...

[Roman_Wolf]

exactly what scutarii said.

I'd also add is that archers rarely ever see melee battles. so they're usually shot down by other archers which probably aren't that much lethal. on the other hand, try having your archers run down by enemy cavalry. You'd quickly notice that barely any are healed.

[Juicemisbruk]

Pretty cool, that is actually realistic. Far more likely to heal from an arrow then a sword blow.

[C-Rob]

Pretty cool, that is actually realistic. Far more likely to heal from an arrow then a sword blow.

Are you sure? I could have sworn it was easier to heal from a decapitation than an arrow to the leg...

[jinandjuice]

I must disagree with roman wolf. my velites in the front lines often get hammered by charging cavalry before they can get behind the hastati maniple, yet most of them manage to recover.
And to what scutarii said, i've seen roman infantry get pummeled by dacian and thracian falxmen, and it seems that hastati recover the most (50%), while principes recover a bit (20-50%), and triarii rarely recovering. but these casualties are mostly due to melee combat, not missile. So scutarii's statement seems only half right.

[Scutarii]

I think I covered that experience... In melee, the heavier troops take more to bring down, but will stay down when they do go (ie:triarii will take less kills, but heal less than hastati, just like you've said).

[Yojimbo]

I think I covered that experience... In melee, the heavier troops take more to bring down, but will stay down when they do go (ie:triarii will take less kills, but heal less than hastati, just like you've said).

Actually no even with the same weapons (all knives look some units of peasants heal much more than others. there doesn't seem to be a method to it.

Also elite troops like generals bodyguards tend to heal more, probably because they would be attended to before the less important troops and peasants would. The peasants don't heal much at all either a units armor must have something to do with it since getting hit though armor wouldn't be as deadly as if you were stabbed wearing nothing but a tunic.

[jinandjuice]

The peasants don't heal much at all either a units armor must have something to do with it since getting hit though armor wouldn't be as deadly as if you were stabbed wearing nothing but a tunic.

Yet, Velites with no armor heal at an amazing ratio while a fully-armored triarii barely heal any.

[jinandjuice]

My bad, I thought you were only referring to missile damage.
In that case, let's go to cavalry. Would light cavalry be considered "heavy" troops or "light"?

[Scutarii]

Cavalry... I'm not particularly sure about, but light cav still heal more than heavy cav. Definitely not as much as light infantry though...

[jinandjuice]

I had forgotten part of my original question...
The primary reason I've been so appalled is that I see one unit not heal any, while another unit of the same type healed every casualty, in the same battle.

[Scutarii]

I had forgotten part of my original question...
The primary reason I've been so appalled is that I see one unit not heal any, while another unit of the same type healed every casualty, in the same battle.

If you remember back to how they took the casualties, it might explain things... Melee vs. Missiles, etc.

[Selifator]

Different situations where they take casualties? Or the system rolls a dice, you live and you die-style.

[Lord Dakier]

Romans are fairly well armoured in almost all of theyre units.

[Lord Dakier]

Good test Forlornhope.

[Scutarii]

Your test pretty much proves what I said - or doesn't prove much at all... Only two units took significant casualties, and they were the only two that had significant healed casualties. So the heal rate is constant throughout. Plus, don't expect many casualties healed in a full melee battle with a captain at the head. Obviously there is also some randomness in the engine for this as well... Weapon lethality may play a role in casualties healed, but I'm not completely sure.

[Sarac]

I haven't payed enough attention to my finances (which is probably I've only ever won two campaigns ) but does it matter is units heal casualties? I always merge my units after battle since it's easier and cheaper to retrain. Also I think it helps them get experience chevrons.