Real Recruitment 1.3 Guide
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 1.8 (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 itดs 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.
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.
Pool Priority
: For every building tier, there is a maximum size allowed for all combined pools at
that level, called the Total Force Pool (TFP). Units with a low pool priority will be bumped out of
the TFP by higher-priority units. For example, if a Late Professional unit enters the TFP and there is
no room, it can bump out a Local or Rural Levy.
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:
· 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.
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.
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
Pool Priority: High
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 eraดs 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 eraดs 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 rise. 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
Pool Priority: Medium; First Early Pro in the Pool does not count toward TFP limit
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 kingdomดs 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 nobleดs or the crownดs service. For the first half
of the gameดs 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
Pool Priority: High
Replacement Rate: High
Training Time: Varies
Recruitment Cost: Increased
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 realmดs 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. Due to the
infrastructure and training time required to field units in this category, recruiting cost is increased.
Urban Professionals
Pool Size: Average
Pool Priority: High
Replacement Rate: Average
Training Time: Varies
Recruitment Cost: Increased
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
Pool Priority: Low
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 regionดs urban centres and often they are paid by them
as well, while they are doing their usual service of guarding and patrolling the townsด areas of
interest, which is represented by being a free upkeep unit, as long as they are garrisoned in a town.
If leaving the townดs limits they are supposed to be that urban centreดs contribution to the kingdom
ดs 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 realmดs
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 cityดs 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
Pool Priority: Low
Replacement Rate: Average
Training Time: Next Turn
Recruitment Cost: Equipment/Mounts Discounted
Upkeep Cost: Increased
Special: Discipline typically lower than for trained units, usually have the 'untrained'
attribute, limited Free Upkeep in castle regions where recruited
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
Pool Priority: Very Low
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
Pool Priority: High; First Order unit in the Pool does not count toward TFP limit
Replacement Rate: Varies, but typically Very 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
Pool Priority: N/A
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 in a very detailed fashion depending on the current date:
Early, High or Late. Aside from whether the unit is available or not, its level of availability can also vary from year
to year. 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.
Importance of battles in SS
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Originally Posted by Voodo chile
