Unit Upgrades, Possibly Creating Hastati->Principes->Triarii Upgrade pattern.

[ararax]

I would like to start a discussion on Unit Upgrades.

Example

Upgrades in Table technology_unit_upgrades

<cost>150</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Legionaries</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_cohort_organisation</technology>
<unit>Rom_Hastati</unit>

<cost>150</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Legionaries</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_cohort_organisation</technology>
<unit>Rom_Principes</unit>

<cost>150</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Vet_Legionaries</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_cohort_organisation</technology>
<unit>Rom_Triarii</unit>

<cost>450</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Legionary_Cohort</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_professional_soldiery</technology>
<unit>Rom_Hastati</unit>

<cost>450</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Legionary_Cohort</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_professional_soldiery</technology>
<unit>Rom_Principes</unit>

<cost>450</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Evocati_Cohort</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_professional_soldiery</technology>
<unit>Rom_Triarii</unit>

This comes from a table called unit_experience_threshold_modifiers Where you can set the XP gain rate.

<key>Rom_Hastati</key>
<modifier>1</modifier>

<key>Rom_Principes</key>
<modifier>1</modifier>

<key>Rom_Principes_Four</key>
<modifier>1</modifier>

<key>Rom_Triarii</key>
<modifier>1</modifier>

<key>Rom_Legionaries</key>
<modifier>1</modifier>

<key>Rom_Evocati_Cohort</key>
<modifier>1</modifier>

So what we have is the ability to upgrade units, and the ability to modify XP gained based on unit.

So what I would suggest for now (assuming we can not modify upgrades to accept other criteria).

Is

<cost>100</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Principes</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_cohort_organisation</technology>
<unit>Rom_Hastati</unit>

<cost>250</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Legionaries</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_cohort_organisation</technology>
<unit>Rom_Principes</unit>

<cost>500</cost>
<target_unit>Rom_Triarii</target_unit>
<technology>rom_roman_military_management_cohort_organisation</technology>
<unit>Rom_Triarii</unit>

<key>Rom_Hastati</key>
<modifier>1.0</modifier>

<key>Rom_Principes</key>
<modifier>0.8</modifier>

<key>Rom_Triarii</key>
<modifier>0.5</modifier>

Through this system, the player recruits Hastati, who being young gain XP at a normal rate. The player can upgrade them at any time to Principes, and upgrade Principes at any time to Triarii. Principes gain XP at a slower rate, but a 7 chevron unit should still be able to get to 9 chevrons. Triarii gain only half XP, so the player would only upgrade them when either they reached maximum rank, or when he really needed them.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for this idea? Its debatable if this would work with AI Rome.

Same principle should work for Upgrading Legions to Evocati etc...

[Hazbones]

This could also work in the same way as the tech upgrade changes Hastati and Principes to legionaries in game. If we could pin-point the table that makes that change in units it can be replicated to change hastati --> principes --> triarri --> evocati.
Of course the difference in this method and the one you propose is that one relies on experience to upgrade and the other is just a tech you research.

Another option is to find the EFFECT that the tech uses to change hastati to legionaries and apply it to a building chain instead of a tech. This way if you construct a certain bldg in a region, all hastati will automatically be upgraded to principes.
Remember that the class system used by the Roman Republic (up to the Marian Reforms) was only half-based on individual experience. The other requirement was "property ownership".

If we cannot find a way to make the experience upgrade idea work, then tying the EFFECT to a bldg chain would be another feasible option.

[GnaReffotsirk]

I was expecting the vanilla game would have this as default.

[CoolDemon]

Although upgrade sounds like a cool idea, the problem it that the AI would not know how to use it effectively and therefore easily exploitable by human players.

[Magnar]

I was thinking about how to do this since rome 2 came out.

Your idea above wont work as you've overlooked one small little detail . The technology_unit_upgrades replaces the previous unit ie you cant build the old unit anymore. So if you put hastati upgrade to principes, all your previously existing hastati are upgradable but you cant train hastati anymore .

So unless thats changed we're stuck in the same boat as missile in charge vs fire at will (ie cant have our cake and eat it too )

Is it possible to be scripted in though?