Retraining, Training, and Combat Experience

[Monk]

I am talking about individually training units. Also, there could be an option to change how your troops will be training in specific settlements/across the board. Whether you want to devote this much of their time to firing drills, this much to marching drills, etc. Even adjust the amount of time that they will spend in training.

There was a game some years back that did this. I forget its name as it's been too long but basically you could set how long you wanted a unit to stay in training. Less training would produce the unit right away and was very cheap, but the unit was very poor quality and was only effective en mass. More time training equaled to higher costs and longer production time, but the result was a unit that was much, much more effective.

It was a really cool aspect of customization where you could set whether to be a zerg player or more oriented around a solid team of highly trained units. I have, however, completely forgotten what game did that. I wish I could remember. I guess that speaks to how much the feature impacted me.

However, as interesting as it would be I doubt we'll see this in ETW. You can already focus on what technologies you can research in regards to armies though, maybe one of those is something that increases training time while also increases starting experience?

[Vuk]

There was a game some years back that did this. I forget its name as it's been too long but basically you could set how long you wanted a unit to stay in training. Less training would produce the unit right away and was very cheap, but the unit was very poor quality and was only effective en mass. More time training equaled to higher costs and longer production time, but the result was a unit that was much, much more effective.

It was a really cool aspect of customization where you could set whether to be a zerg player or more oriented around a solid team of highly trained units. I have, however, completely forgotten what game did that. I wish I could remember. I guess that speaks to how much the feature impacted me.

However, as interesting as it would be I doubt we'll see this in ETW. You can already focus on what technologies you can research in regards to armies though, maybe one of those is something that increases training time while also increases starting experience?

I think that if you went farther and customized how much time was spent with certain aspects of training it would be even better. Then it would not be creating uber units so much as choosing your units specialisation. I would love to see this in a game, what an ocean of tactical depth it would add! It could all be kept realistic with prices, training times, upward limits, etc. That way you would not have players spawning unbeatable armies of perfect soldiers.

[Sir Beane]

Looking at screenshots each unit in Empire seems to have individual bars for its skill and experience in reloading, accuracy, range, melee, charge etc.

The level of experience in a paticular field is represented by a green bar, out of a possible maximum. My theory is that with training and combat experience the bar steadily increases and your unit becomes more effective. Technologies probably also help this increase.

[pevergreen]

Also, mods.

[Vuk]

Here's to hoping.

[USS Providence 1972]

I think the game assumes that certain types of units have more training than others, thus the additional cost to build and upkeep the more effective units. There is really no substitute for combat experience.

A soldier who will crawl through mud and barbed wire with a machine gun firing blanks over his head might not be as willing if the bullets are live and they are being aimed at him. The most highly trained and equipped troops don't always win the battle. Gallipoli in WWI was a great example. The Turks didn't even have uniforms for most of their troops but still inflicted heavy casualties on the Brits and forced them to withdraw.

[pevergreen]

Gallipoli in WWI was a great example.

I disagree, the ANZACs simply had to take a beach where the Turkish forces had entrenched. It was a bad landing position, and not a good battle for the ANZACs but they still won...eventually.

Edit: Yeah it was not the British, it was the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps)

As for a battle which reputation won, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Beersheba.

I never get tired of linking to that battle.

The light horsemen jumped the front trenches and dismounted behind the line where they turned and engaged the Turks with bayonets. The Turks were in many cases so demoralised that they quickly surrendered. One Australian who was dazed after having his horse shot from under him, recovered to find his five attackers with their hands up, waiting to be taken prisoner.