Game Tweaks / Balance

[part_time_player]

Hi, because I always play with a castle to city ratio of about 1 - 5 I've found that I'm constantly fighting with armies made up of 60% or more spear militia as they are the most abundant troops available. As well as getting a little repetitive I've found it's also put me off trying some of the factions who have particularly weak militia troops.

I've considered therefore modding the game slightly to allow limited recruitment of castle troops in cities and vice versa for each level of barracks to allow for variety to be achieved more easily. For example a level 1 town watch in a city would be able to build a town militia (max 3) and peasants (max 1), a town guard would be able to build town militia and spear militia (max 3) as well as peasants and sergeant spearmen (max 1).

I've also found that I spend a disproportionate amount of my time fighting with weak early troops and would like to be able to tech up a bit faster, so I'm considering modding the build times on structures to be slightly reduced (costs remain the same).

What I was wondering from the forum was, will these changes have any serious affects on game balance and am I possibly modding for no reason when a simple change in play style would achieve the same thing(s)? (Not including reversing the city/castle ratio as this would cripple my economy).

Thanks

[pevergreen]

I dont see anything wrong with your style, but you have to spend the first 20 odd turns fighting with militia. Your castles simply cant raise population that fast.

I have 3 castles, cavalry, infantry and ranged. In each one i make farms first, then the unit producing structure then armoury. Then whatever until i can upgrade it to the next tech and repeat. I am presuming thats where your problem is coming from, the low growth in your castles?

[TheLastPrivate]

When the CPU controls a land it gets population growth bonus like no other. When your castles are struggling with "castle", the CPU may have 9000 pop by then. For castles that are in low-pop areas like innsbruck where its locatoin is perfect but has low pop, leave it to the CPU.

[part_time_player]

Hi, thanks for the responses, I wouldn't say I have a problem with population growth as I tend to build farms etc first and leave taxes on low. I do find however that by mid-game even if I've been building something in every province in every turn I still seem way behind on my construction and that I'm reaching a level 3 or 4 size settlement before I've even finished the level 2 buildings. Thats why I'm thinking of reducing the build time required.

My castles can produce reasonable troops but because there are so few castles if I need to raise an army quickly I find there are more militia available than there are anything else.

[TheDruid]

Same Prob here.
Especially with egypt : Alexandria and Cairo.
Now in my new campaign i got the taxes to get them at 90 % order.
That made growth slower.
These are cities yes ; problem is same.
In castles however you cant adjust taxes.
Though i dont see a prob with castles; they grow just like i tech them up; just in time.
Keeping the bigger order , so less garrisson needed.
Also cities are harder to defend so need more than the 6 free upkeeps if in probably hostile territory.
one question though : The free upkeep for Castle : is it Castle based units or city based.
Another one : The Tabardaya or something from Egypt is build in City only but doesnt count with free upkeep units.
I can understand why the horses are not, but these should (i think)
posted the questions here cuz topic title is about balance so...

[part_time_player]

If you have a building that allows for free upkeep of units it will only apply to units that have the fre upkeep ability and that can be trained in that settlement.

[TheDruid]

how can you know what units have the free upkeep ability (maybe i can change it :P )
other than just creating them and see..

[Monsieur Alphonse]

All militia units have no upkeep in the cities that can train them. For example if a city can train militia crossbows then they have free upkeep in that city.