Gross Disparity in Ability

[mcantu]

No probs ;) It's nice to see that people are still enjoying Rome, even when we're hard at work on a new generation of tech and gameplay with Empire...

Anyway, most of the info in the old quote should still be valid, I was only referring to how the actual combat bonus works which is applied as a result of the general's command rating.

Ok, I think i've got it...

A generals command bonus is applied the defense score of all units under his command; the morale bonus is applied to units within a certain distance of him; with the radius of effect being 30 m + 5 m * command + 2 m * influence. Is that about right?

Could you explain what you meant with this...?

It is also rescaled to range from -6 to +6, changing quickly at low bonus levels and then slowing down towards the top of the range.

Thank you again for your help!

[Aradan]

K, I am probably being dumb here, but this needs some clarification:

the quality of the defender's general is applied

The only way for this bonus to result in faster combat death rates rather than slower ones is if the defender's general has bad command traits...

What I deduct from these two is that the attacker's command bonus is not taken into consideration... If it was, it *would* be possible to have faster combat death rates, even if the defender didn't have combat penalties (he could have 0 command and the attacker would have at least 1 command bonus). Am I missing sth?

The -6, +6 part is clearer I think (are u using some sort of logarithmic function?). Physical distance plays no part in the application of just the combat bonus or the morale bonus as well?

Is there a chance that we ever get a peek at the combat formula, as happened with MTW? Wishful thinking?

EDIT: @ Geoffrey S: Not sure which problems you refer to exactly but for the record FATW does use hidden command/morale bonuses for the AI generals, though we haven't touched the chances of players getting command stars themselves. Up to now we have had no complaints though.

[Pode]

I just would like to point out a perhaps unintended consequence of this system, in that if there are multiple generals with an army, the number of command stars determines which one will be the commander. Which can lead to a situation where all of the morale boosting traits and ancillaries assigned to your chosen commander that you did the "simple math" for are wasted because Doofus McFeeb* who was along for the ride has one command star and a -8 to morale. Not that anything like this has cost me a battle or anything, just saying I realize that this is my own fault for not doing the simple math on all 75 of my family members every turn when they get new traits I'm not told about, but even I have limits to how much I will nanomanage.

Hyperbole aside, yes the current system is workable and the Cannae argument in its favor was funny, but the system has flaws as well and the OP has a valid point that perhaps deserves less mocking and more consideration.

*Purely illustrative and no offense is meant to the honorable and intelligent Clan McFeeb, should they in fact exist