More Abilities For Generals?

[altimatepirate]

I was thinking about the distinct lack of usefulness for most of the characters (gentlemen, rakes but particularly generals) in empire and was trying to brainstorm ways we could make generals more useful.

As it is generals just provide some abstract bonus through command ability but it doesn't seem to mean much other than your troops don't rout as quickly. i never really thought about matching certain generals against others or anything like that.

Here are some of the ideas I came up with

1) having a unit limit for armies without a general, ie armies w/o generals can only have say 5 units, bad generals can have 10 units, medium generals can have 15, and good generals can have a full stack. seems to make sense and it would definitely make generals a lot more important but it might be kind of frustrating

2) generals with higher command have an expanded deployment area on the battle map. i thought of this when i was playing and had to deal with the reinforcement bug. i was kinda pissed but i played it off by kinda pretending that the reinforcing general was just really damn good and manuevered behind me. i think maybe good generals should have an expanded deployment area and when they get really good they can deploy anywhere on the map not in their opponents zone.

3) i don't know if it's true now but better generals should have a larger intercept zone

4) better generals should move faster (much faster than the current bonuses which are barely noticable imo)

5) better generals should be able to retreat more times

these are some ideas i came up with, lets help CA/the modders out

[Varaaki]

3) i don't know if it's true now but better generals should have a larger intercept zone

I like this idea; I can't imagine much else in the game being designed around certain intercept zone sizes, so changing it wouldn't break anything else. And it makes sense that a better general would be able to position and motivate his troops to march farther and ready themselves for battle.

[LuckyNinja]

I like the first two. The first one, maybe just 10 stack for no army full for general, not so frustrating, but I love the idea of the second one. Can't be too big though...

[tokaiser]

You would think that generals would have more to do. Special abilities and doctrines. Pretty bland way of representing the great leaders of the time.

[fluffstalker]

THey do kind of have specalities. For example

Cavalry Commander or Coorporal in Gold Braid, representing their chosen arms of command. But it really does have a pretty bland in game effect of increasing command stars. Nothing else that I am aware of.

I think its a good list of ideas.

Heres a few abilities Ill add to this thread, that have to do with cav, infantry and artillery commanders.

Corporal in Gold Braid/Infantry Commander: Plus One Morale and Plus X (Whatever would be balanced) Reload Ability to Infantry on the Map

Artillery Commander: Plus Reload Ability and Accuracy for Artillery on the Map

Cavalry Commander: Plus Morale and Charge Bonus for Cavalry on the Map.

In this way one could customize generals by taking a nilla general and giving him a large amount of the desired arm: artillery, cavalry or infantry, and watching him gain traits. The above advantages are representative of extra drilling and inspiration given by the general, obviously a general cant literally make you reload faster but its all abstract.