Noob questions.

[The Celtic Viking]

I had some time today apart from my usually busy schedule and so I decided to make a small test on the effect of experience when put on archers. I used the flat grasslands map, and by setting the AI as defender and bringing 4 Thorakitai (one as my general), which I always kept right behind the archers I was testing with, I kept the AI standing still in close formation. I first tested normal Kovkasi Lernain Netadzik (Caucasian Archers), then I tested them with 3 experience and then with 3 weapons upgrade (the two latter both showing up as giving 10 attack [7 being the normal], for the record). I fired from the default formation (5 ranks deep, close formation), always from the direct front (or as close to that as I could come). I fired from the maximum range possible. I did it 10 times per version. Here are the results:

Caucasian Achers (no upgrades, 7 attack) vs Hoplitai Haploi (no upgrades)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1: 22
2: 17
3: 25
4: 27
5: 25
6: 27
7: 30
8: 27
9: 38
10: 24

Average: 26,2 kills

Caucasian Archers (3 experience upgrades, allegedly 10 attack) vs Hoplitai Haploi (no upgrades)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1: 22
2: 26
3: 20
4: 30
5: 29
6: 25
7: 32
8: 35
9: 45
10: 28

Average: 29,2 kills

Caucasian Archers (3 weapon upgrades, 10 attack) vs Hoplitai Haploi (no upgrades)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1: 63
2: 85
3: 65
4: 65
5: 71
6: 69
7: 67
8: 66
9: 78
10: 69

Average: 69,8 kills

Because the difference was so stark, I went ahead and did the same test again, but this time with 9 experience points.

Caucasian Archers (9 experience upgrades, allegedly 16 attack) vs Hoplitai Haploi (no upgrades)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1: 33
2: 35
3: 34
4: 42
5: 26
6: 36
7: 36
8: 43
9: 30
10: 43

Average: 35,8

My conclusion from this is that experience points doesn't seem to increase missile attack at all; rather, the theory that experience for missiles only improve their accuracy seems much more likely to be true.

[antisocialmunky]

Pretty much that. Experience gives some sort of accuracy bonus. This is why I banned weapon bonus for long range missile units because missile/shield/kill rate bonuses are so finicky.

Well that and wall of legions with archers.

[Kival]

I'm wondering about that... before we changed it, accuracy was 100 % for all unis, so it does not really make sense to increase accutacy.

[The Celtic Viking]

Actually, that's not true, Kival. Though GG2 indeed did add accuracy modifiers that didn't exist before (for arrows, sling bullets and javelins, that is), missile accuracy cannot have been 100% prior to his fiddling as they still missed a lot. (Yes, I have checked it to be sure.)

[Kival]

Actually, that's not true, Kival. Though GG2 indeed did add accuracy modifiers that didn't exist before (for arrows, sling bullets and javelins, that is), missile accuracy cannot have been 100% prior to his fiddling as they still missed a lot. (Yes, I have checked it to be sure.)

Are you sure that's not only attack lower defense in the random calculation of attack?

[The Celtic Viking]

Are you sure that's not only attack lower defense in the random calculation of attack?

Yes - when I said they "missed" I meant that their arrows landed off target, i.e. in the ground.

[Lazy O]

But weapon upgrades are bugged, that is not a fair comparison at all.