Part II

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An example of what i mean in the MOVING exponential factor for rising of costs related to honour :

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ya 100 250 500 750 1000
ys 200 325 450 615 800

Factors: 3)2.5 4)5 5)7.5 6)10
[for ashi]
Factors: 3)1.625 4)2.25 5)3.075 6)4
[for samurai]

These numbers show how it works with the moving exponential factor.
In the example above, the factors are favouring the samurais: the higher the honour the more ashi is disadvantaged in cost.
Of course TESTING only can tell where lies the balance. Changing the factor is the key.

There u can already see though that a ya with an honour of 4 costs more than a ys with same honour and is no more a big deal for player could use those koku to buy more less honoured ya.
This would mean that, u know, we have balanced the game towards numbers/honour(which is our goal) for we know that low honoured ashis rout but still they were the bulk of japanese armies of that age.

Lets see an example with the FIXED increment factor 1.5 for ashis and 1.1 for sam.

2 3 4 5 6 7
ya 100 150 225 338 507 760
ys 200 220 242 266 292 322

And again, as u can see, the ashi is worth only with low honour and big number
...only testing can prove the right method.
But i guess these example are extremely clear.

MOVEMENT
FIRING RATE
FIRING RANGE
ARMOR
ETC.
ETC.

These are the basic values. I would leave movement as it is. But i would change the range for archers and muskets. We could realistically agree that without wind, arrows get to 300 yds (with still a good chance to kill or render victim useless in battle) while muskets to 150.
(wind is the clue! the weather is linked to range and it will be easy to find this value)
We are of course thinking of UNIT TO UNIT fire, not single to single fire.

The rate of fire is a shot per minute for every gunner and at least 3 shots per minute for archers.
(the firing rate should also take in consideration the honour but never allowing a high honour unit to behave unrealistically as it does now).


MORALE, last but not least of course.
In stw the morale is computed with losses and leadership of general and unit leader.
There also is to take in consideration christianity/buddhism (if lanza makes it in having them change it from as it is now) and the gun BOOM scaring factor but its secondary now...im talking about the monks and guns of course.

There is no way to detach morale-honour according to me...not completely at least for every type of unit has its morale factor for sure but this is computed with these 2 honour related factors : general and unit leader.
The ashi honour limiter would fix them all according to me but is just speculation without testing.

As to the guns shooting through friends and hitting enemy i really have no idea on how to fix only the programmers can't.

The editor is a great idea.
in regards to honour/morale:
Wether the choice goes towards ashi limiter, change of exponential factor to a fixed or moving value that makes a difference between ashi and sams...
It will bring a higher cost for high honour ashis and higher cost still for gunners (importing of gun and powder/bullets and we only need to change the basic value of 175 for the mu) we will have given a great realism factor to this game.

If ashis cost a lot to be honoured, we will have many low honoured ashis and few high honoured samurais and this is EXACTLY what was war in Japan at that point in time.

Further speculation is useless now. When the editor will be released, each of us will have plenty of time to find the correct values for every unit...and of course, we will have to fight to the death
Exp is the key. We cannot just say i want the ashis to cost this and the sam to cost that...we must test the different values.

Let me know what u think...of course i can get u in contact with the author of f4patch this to make sure everyone playing online has the same values and to prevent cheating.
The editor of course doesn't need the patch coordinating program but i can bet money on this:

As soon as maps and third parties add ons will be released, a program coordinating the patches will HAVE to be as well or the players will not be able to play online anymore since everyone will have a "different game" installed.

Best regards