Disappearing unit experience - bug or feature?

[Turbo]

I wanted to raise attention to the issue of disappearing unit experience while the patch is in progress.

I had a Scipii army in NAfrica that had been overrunning smaller enemy armies. I moved this army by sea to Cyrene to fight Egypt when I noticed that some troops were losing experience while in transit(!). Several Hastali and Velites with gold bars dropped to silver within a couple of turns while in transit .

Going back to a previous save, I was able to duplicate this. Is this a feature or a bug? The drops were fairly dramatic considering the short transit time.

[Hetman_Koronny]

Sounds scary. I've never experienced that. Or, maybe, I haven't been watching it carefully.

Is RTW the same as Medieval where general's stars affected units experience? I haven't noticed as if it worked that way but again waiting for the patch I haven't been playing Rome too much...

[Didz]

Are you sure they were losing it and not gaining it?

My troops start off collecting bronze bars and when they get a set of three they trade them in for one silver one. Or at least thats what I thought they were doing.

[Gill]

I'm certain that he is sure.
I also experienced this.
But only in a different way. I was playing as the Germans and was fighting a battle against the Gauls. I had one spearband with 2 silver chevrons, at the end of the battle they had gained 2 experience so it changed to 1 golden chevron.
Then I went back to the campaign map after the battle and instantly the golden chevron had changed into 3 silver chevrons. So they actually lost one experience.
How weird is that!

[Thaum]

I have not noticed that happening.

Just to ask the obvious did you merge units while they were in transit? Does a general make any difference to the troops experience he travels with?

Just my two cents

[Gill]

I have not noticed that happening.

Just to ask the obvious did you merge units while they were in transit? Does a general make any difference to the troops experience he travels with?

Just my two cents

Nope!
I didn't merge two units nor did I retrain them at that moment.
And it was in an amry without a general..

[Thaum]

Smells like a bug then. Although as I said I have not come accross it. Although in truth I have not really been looking out for it.

Will keep my eyes peeled.

[Tyrac]

I have seen this on my generals with some regularity. It might be ocurring on other units but i notice it on leaders because I put alot of effort into raising thier valor.

[drone]

I have seen this also. Before battle, the unit shows, say 3 bronze chevrons. But in the battle they show only 2. Once the enemy is crushed, they go back to 3 (or more). First time I saw it I was a bit confused, I haven't really investigated it though. Maybe a general's VnVs or entourage effects are reflected on the unit cards during battles?

[Piko]

its a feature silver and gold units lose 1 exp every turn they DO NOT FIGHT so that's why you lose exp with them

[Proletariat]

If this is true, that's pretty upsetting. I can't think of any reason for this. It isn't like experience in battle is incrementally gained until you hit the peaks of veteranship and then it changes from being built upon like knowledge to being charged up and lost through disuse. How stupid.

[Didz]

Thats an interesting concept and reading books like Mark Urban's 'Rifles', it seems that green troops can gain combat experience and battle savvy over several months of active campaigning.

However, a period of rest and recuperation can undermine that willingness to go back into battle and take the edge off their abilities particularly if their situation is particularly comfortable and free from danger.

The book also makes the point that individual soldiers and thus the entire regiment can peak and begin to decline as a result of over exposure to risk and danger. Some veteran soldiers can begin to feel that they have done enough and that their luck cannot continue to protect them for much longer if placed under further demand, apparently Wellington was amazed to discover that many veteran Riflemen were deserting rather than go back on campaign. Others can decide that survival is no longer a possibility and that death is preferable to a continuation of their suffering.

Another danger is that veteran soldiers can begin to form a theory of invincibility that causes them to ignore the risks of battle. This was true of the airborne division during operation Market Garden who convinced themselves that they could achieve success regardless of the risks they were being asked to undertake. I met one veteran from that battle who told me that he and his colleagues were so charged up by that time that they could not be trusted in towns and were made to pick potatoes in rural area's between jumps to try and get them to calm down. There favorite party trick apparently was to play chicken with flamethrowers, seeing how close you could get to the flame without flinching.