Quote Originally Posted by YLC View Post
It just (re)occurred to me, something I wish Total War games would do is to have the traits influence the commanding officers tactics, and that we abolish the command stars.

Instead, we have a rank system, based on the said factions historic ranks, that would determine combat effectiveness of the troops, first and foremost. Second, traits such as "ambusher", "guerrilla", "cavalry commander", "artillery mastermind", "melee specialist" etc, influenced the commanders tactics and which troops the AI decided to give him.

What results is that we know have to face a general with troops he knows how to use in a battle to his favor, with a competent AI. This will force players to think more about how they are committing their forces and with whom.
This is an excellent idea! I have often wished that A.I generals had a little bit of character to them and this would certainly help. I don't think we have to abandon stars completely though, they still serve as a useful indicator of effectiveness. Stars could effect the abilities of a general in any situation, not just one in which he has related traits. They could also tie in directly to morale.

I wish stars had an effect on the campaign map as well. Better, higher star generals should be able to travel further and have a larger area of control due to superior logistical ability. They should also be able to train troops with higher morale or experience if stationed in an area with training facilities. This would represent the effect of having a military genius take a hand in deciding what to teach the men.