As for the last point I didn't intend to say that all units of a faction should be immediately recruited everywere. In Europa Barbarorum first class goverment are availlable only in "Homeland Regions" and require a long time to be implemented. Units recruitment should depend only by the goverment and not by a particular building (except for artillery, that if possible should require only a "technical accademy" and an higher class blacksmiths/craftsmans factory, leaving a free place for other buildings).
imo you mean: recruit all available troops for each government type in MIC level 1 wtihout having to upgrade it.

A) It would scew gameplay. One whole part would be missing. The campaign would be shorter and you have nothing left that keeps you intersted in the middle/late game. You would fight endless stacks of elite units from the beginnigng on, it would screw balance, too.

B) we had to revise our current very very complex recuitment system, which is highly compliceted (10 mb text (edb) is much).

C) It would make the game easier (you don't have to think of upgrading your mic's which are expensive and time consumimg) something that we and i think our fans don't want (if we want an easy game we could play vannila).

D) imho would be unhistorical to recruit elite units regardless the effort of building maintiaining a proper recruitment facility in (training, equipment, planning). You would have aone sice fits

E) On starting some Factions may have not the ability they would have had in those times (afaik seleukia can't recruit Hypapistai from start). But they are not starting from zero (like in vannila). If you look around you will notice that some bigger cities will have better recruitment than smaller. Rome for example can recruit Hastati, Prinzipes and triarii from start.

Point A and B are imho the most crucial one


Before the Marian Reform legionaires werent' usually paid by the Republic for their service, so their manteinance cost should only be refered to supplies and equipement repairs (regardless if they are in a settlement or not). Unit manteinance cost should be even lower for barbarian warriors who supplied themselves "on the location" and personally provided to their equipement.
The maintance cost also simulate to a certain degree that the man who is serving in the army do nothing to generate income, he cant harvest his field, produce goods etc.