[FotS]Questions from a returning player

[arun]

Hi, I have started playing the game again after a long time, and I have decided to go for an FotS campaign because I like its economic model, trade system, map and agents better. I have started a Satsuma Normal difficulty Long campaign and so far, it has been going exceptionally well. In about 18 turns, I already have 6 provinces, and I am at peace with everyone with an ally and a vassal. All this was accomplished by an army of 3 Line Infantry, 2 Levy Infantry, 6-8 Levy Spear and my Daimyo. The AI always felt that this army was inferior and so I didn't have to besiege any settlement for more than a turn.

I plan to spend the next year growing my economy and building a modern army of Line Infantry and Parrot/Armstrong guns. But I have just realized that I know almost nothing about FotS navies! And there is precious little information available from a Google search. What composition and number of navies do you guys suggest I keep? I will learn to fight Naval battles in time, but I need to get the composition right.

I am also trying to get as many Ishin Shishi as I can - the +1 clan wide happiness bonus is something that I must have.

I also have a couple of other questions:

1. Geisha - How do you guys use them? My plan is to use them almost exclusively for town growth. Is this a good idea? Where do you guys put them? My instinct tells me that I should put them in a town that is already high wealth, highly fertile and where I plan to build mostly economic buildings.

2. Military Ports - How many miltary ports do you guys like to have? I am currently thinking of putting one in the province with specialty that reduces the cost of modern units, and one where Smugglers are (once it is captured). The others become Trade Ports, right?

EDIT: I seem to have got the Smuggler bit wrong. They don't seem to give Navy boosts in FotS.

Defensive Army/Garrison - I like to keep a medium sized defensive army at the back of my empire while my Daimyo conquers Japan. This makes me a less appealing target and also helps to keep Public order in check. What is your choice of garrison for repression? I was thinking Line Infantry - they cost only 20 more upkeep than Levy can actually be used in battle.

I have a lot more questions but they can be asked later in another thread. This thread already has too many questions. I will appreciate answers to any question - you don't have to answer all of them

[arun]

Can someone please share their thoughts on these issues? it's has been a few days and there is only 1 view - I don't know how that's even possible!

[weirdoascensor]

My Game is modded, so my experience may differ:

1. Geisha. Just like you, stictly economic. But, high level ones with skills are able to be used more agressively, such as Happiness Boosters for newly subdued provinces.

2.Only in Coal/Copper Region. You'll only need 1-2 of them, for Navy Shipyards. The Rest, make it Trading Ports.

3. Linesmen are too expensive for mere garrisoning Castles. I just use Levy Muskets and Spears, accompanied with Teppo Kachi, much cheaper.
One thing in FoTS, is the chance of the enemy deploying masses of Archers are little...You can position your units inside the courtyards, not on the walls, and take no shots whatsoever by non-artillery carrying besiegers...Gunshots dont arc like arrows do...
Just lure them to climb...whats waiting is hail of bullets, then a spear push compacting and cornering them.

Essentially for Fleets, decide how many sectors of sea you need to cover...make Core fleets of Ironclads and Frigates, accompanied with many smaller patrol "nets" of light corvettes...The nets only job is spotting...Bombardment, Blocking, Fighting is the Core Fleet's Job...

[arun]

First off, another question: Is it a good idea to let peasants rebel once in a while in your core provinces? I know that 1-2 turn -25 wealth growth is a bit bad, but it does mean that the General defending the core provinces will earn a few command stars.

Thanks for the hint about fleet composition

I guess I can keep Geisha in frontline rich provinces - there is no mechanic requiring 'Metsuke put in richest provinces (in Shogun 2)' if I remember correctly. Also, high level Geisha can boost my army's morale for important battles if they are already near them. The +10% empire wide wealth bonus for Geisha seems OP if you ask me. It will probably make me insanely rich. God, I love how Ishin Shishi, Geisha and Foreign Veteran all give valuable bonuses. Shinobi seem to pale in comparison if you ask me.

About ships in copper regions - does the modern unit discount bonus apply to ships as well? Because if it does, then as Satsuma I already have 2 provinces with great locations on the Eastern side of Kyushu.

Line infantry costs 100 upkeep vs 80 for levy. The difference doesn't seem large to me, considering that the former will fight off any rebellions. I guess if you are sure that no attacks will come that way, then linesmen are useless. Levy spears will be required, of course.

[Father Ribs]

The quality of line troops versus levy, by upkeep cost, and it's a no-brainer to me. I guess if my economy really needs that extra 20 koku per unit per turn I'd think about it differently.

As for Geisha, if I need spare generals, I send one in with my rebellion-inciting team to seduce the rebel general to my side. In a close battle (ie if you want rebels to take a somewhat defended AI fort), having her distract the garrison can make a difference if she's skilled enough.

Never let a province you like rebel! Unless you like spending thousands of koku rebuilding every building they loot before they get around to attacking the province settlement. If you want to train generals this way pick a poor province you don't have anything invested in.

[Forward Observer]

The quality of line troops versus levy, by upkeep cost, and it's a no-brainer to me. I guess if my economy really needs that extra 20 koku per unit per turn I'd think about it differently.

There is a bit more to consider than just the upkeep cost.

First there is much larger difference in recruitment cost. The base cost for Levy infantry is only 500 monetary units while the base cost of line infantry is 770 units. This means that line troops cost an extra 270 units or 54% more than levy infantry to recruit up front.

Secondly, you have to have at least a cadet school to recruit line infantry while you can recruit levy troops anywhere. Once most players expand, they are only going to have line infantry producing buildings in a few selected provinces--especially those with either armor and blacksmith shops or those with religious centers that add charge and mêlée bonuses. One just can't economically have that many line troop producing centers. This means that in addition to cost, experienced line troops will also present a logistical challenge to replace.

If one captures a province that has no line troop producing buildings nor the need to build any, it simply makes more sense to recruit some levy troops on the spot so your experienced, more costly line troops can be freed up to move on with the main army for further conquests.

Once you build up your fortification levels, you will get some free spawned garrison line troops anyway, if you are attacked. I've held off some pretty large armies with just such a mix of levies and spawned garrison line troops. Castle walls make a great equalizer in the game

Lastly, until you get a province fully converted to your faction, you may have to leave as many as 5 or 6 units to repress the populace--a populace that does not care whether they are being held in check by a freshly recruited militia soldier or battle hardened, more expensive, and harder to replace line trooper.


I maintain that I don't want to have to constantly pull experienced and expensive line units out of my fighting army for garrison duty---units that I will have to replace with equally expensive line troops when I can simply recruit cheap local militia to do the same job for 64% of the initial cost and 80% of the upkeep

I've been playing a lot of republican campaigns lately, and believe me--popularity and money are at a premium right after declaring independent. I'd go broke quickly if I only used line infantry to garrison all my provinces.

Of course provinces that are exposed or in danger of counter attacks by the enemy A.I. will have to be dealt with on an individual basis and as such may be exceptions to the rule--at least until they become relatively safe from such attacks.

Cheers

[Father Ribs]

All valid points, but one of my first geographical priorities is to set up my main ground unit production province, and with research and two foreign agents, the cost of line infantry and levies become essentially on par. I had an event during one of my (on medium...I was messing around with alternate economic strategies) Republic campaigns where all my land troops and cannon cost literally 0 Koku to produce for a while...that was fun.

[arun]

Well, I think I have had enough of self imposed rebellions. The rebels are annoying cowards who just pillage and retreat. It was good for getting my General defending core provinces some experience, but no more.

As for Line vs Levy - ultimately, it seems that the urgency of the need for repression means that I find myself favouring the Levies. The cost differential is not small, but more importantly the large distances in FotS mean that I just don't have the time to train Line Infantry in a city and then have it travel to province where it is needed.

On the bright side, 2 Ishin Shishi are now close to level 5 and when they reach level 6, I will have +2 happiness clan wide. Add to that +2 happiness from a tech, and things should be easier to manage. I hope.

Agents are very powerful in FotS. I love it