Standing armies

[RGA]

In each and every Total war games, every factions share a common feature: they all have standing armies. However more or less, big or small. Frankly, it is not much different from RTS games: you buy troops, kill each other, buy some more, rinse and repeat until one side yields. Quite simple and straight forward, but not very historically accurate.

How about a new system of recruitment: there should be 3 types of troops: professional, militias and conscript.
- Professional soldiers are like in old games: you buy one unit, they stay active for the rest of the game. Professional soldiers can be mobilized at anytime, march to anywhere. The downside is they are expensive.
- Militias are like castle defending troops in Shogun II. They cost nothing, can only be used in a small radius around castle/city. They are good at fighting rebels / invading troops but can't be used to invade enemy territory.
- Conscripts are only available in time of war. A button "mobilization" will quickly allow the assemble of large number of un-trained low morale troops for little cost. Beside from low efficiency, mobilization has big impact on economy. And mobilization can only be activated once. To avoid getting bankrupt, you should dismiss these guys as soons as the war ends.

Maybe some more types of troops for immersion:
- Vassal troops / Allied troops: can be called just like conscript. They tend to be more effective than conscript but lower in number and have to march from their homelands to your capital. Until they reach their assembling point, you have no control of them.
- others that I can't think of ATM

[totalwarguy]

I like the idea. However, I feel as if this might be one of those features that if implemented might make the game "too real".

As in, the frustration of trying to manage an army made up of the troop types you mentioned, although authentic to how it really was, might be so great as to take entertainment out of the game. I feel like one might manage a campaign like this and instead of thinking, "wow what a great video game" to, "wow what a hard day's work, I need a beer".

[Razor]

I actually like the idea. It would be nice to implement military reforms and convert an army into a small professional one, or have a military that's totally dependent on mobilization of its population, a people's army.

It would also be nice if there's a split between professional (standing) armies and levied armies that need to be mobilized from the population in times of crisis (war). For levied armies it would be great if a unit pool is created according to the social make-up of a certain province. The social class of farmers for example would for example be suitable for converting into basic low grade infantry, from the richer middle class better-equipped infantry and from the upper class cavalry and other elite units (for example). If a region has a certain amount of a certain social class a certain amount of unit x that fits that certain social class will then be available for recruitment/mobilization. It would make things a bit more complicated (implementing social class structure etc.), but certainly more interesting in terms of gameplay.

I would hardly call that 'too real' for it to make it look like hard work. I'd call it depth and interesting gameplay.

[The Great Montrose]

hmm good idea

[Ryou]

very nice idea!

[Ichon]

It is a good point and it has been mentioned on the forums a couple times very similar- hopefully CA does something like this as it will also make the change from republic to imperium more noticeable in the military.

[ngr]

Interesting ideas.

- Militias are like castle defending troops in Shogun II. They cost nothing, can only be used in a small radius around castle/city. They are good at fighting rebels / invading troops but can't be used to invade enemy territory.

I thought about the same. Garrison troops could be used to fight rebels and small squads of enemies, but they would only move within their region.

[Ichon]

Interesting ideas.


I thought about the same. Garrison troops could be used to fight rebels and small squads of enemies, but they would only move within their region.

This is exactly what I hope to see. Levies limited to region while militias can fight outside a region at increased cost but also the longer the militias are outside the region they are raised the tax base of that region declines as the militia are not working their farms and paying taxes. Then the professionals have the advantage that while expensive they don't decrease the tax base.

[ray243]

The issue is that a player never have the need to disband his armies. It is so easy to support an professional army because the upkeep cost is never going to threaten the player's finances.

Expansion in the previous total war games are extremely easy because you can keep expanding the size of your army without any fear, and never feel the need to disband them after one or two campaign seasons.

[Condottiere 40K]

I don't disband because of a very healthy paranoia of both my neighbours and allies.

[Titus Livius Patavinus]

Good idea, but as other people have said, it would be hard to implement.

[atheniandp]

No, terrible idea! That would make the Total War series into a Paradox game! WTF. Everyone knows Total War is about third-person shooting since Fall of the Samurai. It's not supposed to be realistic, it's just a game, damn it! Go away with your bad suggestions! This thread is a waste of time! WAHHHH! /end satire

[Condottiere 40K]

Increased chances of desertion for militia outside of their region, as well as lowered morale.

[Ichon]

Increased chances of desertion for militia outside of their region, as well as lowered morale.

And increased cost while outside controlled territories and lower tax base. Even better would be if there are again 2 classes as in ETW where militia lower tax bases and decrease happiness of poorer class of region militia was raised but increase tax base and happiness of the rich class.

[Condottiere 40K]

The reason I used to recruit levies and militia:

1. Easy availability

2. Cheap

3. Can be used as garrison

Why else get pitch forked peasants?

[Kinjo]

Yes Total War definitely needs some innovation in the recruitment area, when you go to war it should be like you are mobilizing a portion of the population to fill the ranks and making your army big as possible. The amount of conscripts you can call up could be determined by the infrastructure you build and population of your regions.

It could also add some interesting penalties while you are at war which would be a good thing. War should be a huge deal and it should be extremely costly, seems like going to war in current TW games really isn't that big of a deal. Going to war is something you should have to prepare for to absorb the consequences not some something you should do every other turn just because you feel like it.