Unit Size

Is there anyway to change, edit or mod unit size of a particular unit Eg. Peasant and not change the default size of the other units?

I am thinking of using the "creating units to reduce population" trick to curb my over-populated cities.... instead of making them rebel and exterminate them.

Since peasants are cheap, it is the most ideal unit to recruit. Then disband them somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

That should be possible, although you'll have to get your hands dirty editing text files.

In the data directory is a file called "export_descr_unit.txt". In it contains the data for all the units in the game (basic stats only). In each unit block, there is a line labelled "soldier". You will see a number such as 60 or 40 or 27. This is the base unit size (large units are 2x this, and huge units are 4x).

Find the unit you are interested in, and change that number to change the number of men in that unit. Keep in mind that there are several Peasant units, and also keep in mind that AI empires that also have the same Peasant unit type as you will be subject to the increased unit size (if you made the Peasant unit 500 men, for example, the AI might drain their cities quickly).

Also, keep in mind that you cannot disband units unless they're in friendly territory. And if they're in friendly territory, the men in that unit get added to the population of the region they're in. Thus your idea of creating Peasants and disbanding them really won't help your overpopulation problems. You'd have to march them against an enemy army or city and have them die to "get rid" of them.

The only reliable way of solving population issues that I know of is to allow a city to rebel (moving your garrison outside can speed this up). When you move in to recapture the city, select "exterminate". This has the surprising property of not only thinning the herd, but your people in that city will love you for it (in the form of massively reduced squalor, and thus increased order).

I've heard that the squalor issue might get addressed in the next patch, however, that's just a rumor, so I wouldn't recommend holding your breath.

Hi Hoof

I can't change the unit size, after editing the number from 60 to maybe 120, when I start the game, the game just crash back to desktop.

Thanks

That is because at the very maximum units can only be 256 strong or somewhere near that. And since 4*60 = 240 you can't expand much on those units. And don't forget that some units have officers and such, so you have to take them into account.

4*60???

Where does the 4 comes from?

I am running on normal scale. So there shouldn't be any problem, rite?