Actually, if you follow the original model I described, players will be motivated to train and use their armies in a realistic fashion. Republican armies were called up on relatively short notice, they were disbanded with equal haste. Making the recruiting times and costs low and the maintenance cost high induces players to train large armies quickly and then disband them after use before they go bankrupt.
Of course this is with the Republican army. Imperial armies will train slow but cost less to maintain. This way the player will value his cohorts and keep them safe and keep them around indefinitely.
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