Buying Veteran Levels and Unit Creation

I like it. I think it could be implemented by having an improvement such as 'Advanced Training' that allows a unit of any type to be advanced through special training with additional costs of currency and turns.

There might also be a channeler trait or talent such as 'Warlord' that has the cities of the channeler operate like military states, where all the population is virtually bred for war. This would allow the default level of units to be one higher than normal, and perhaps allow a level above the normal maximum as was done in MoM.

This is supposed to be present. You can send out poorly-training peasants, or take the time to train them to be elite.

The interface is already there, but as far as I have been able to see, it isn't implemented yet.

Hello everyone, This is my first post on this forums. Now back to topic.

Do we really want Advanced Training to just grant extra experience levels that are otherwise earned by combat? In this case there would be no difference between simple peasant who somehow survived 100 battles and professional soldier who was trained to be Elite from the start. Attaining god-like power through experience levels alone might work well for heroes/champions etc. however I do not think the same should apply to the regular army.

So my idea is that lvl10 peasant is more powerful than lvl1 peasant but will not learn all advanced abilities that lvl1 Elite have. After all you won't become a Green Beret from just bashing someone’s skull for 5 years. I am thinking about some kind of skill trees with abilities that you can assign to units the same way you select equipment for them. Then the regulars could get only the simplest abilities, veterans could learn some more, and Elites could have access to the most powerful ones. (Alternatively there could be different mini-trees for regulars, veterans and elites). Then peasants would always attack theirs target the same way, simply hacking with a sword (experienced peasant dealing more damage than those straight from barracks), while Elites would become a true sword masters with abilities like increasing their number of attacks per turn when they are surrounded by lots of weak opponents, or greatly increasing damage of a single attack when facing an ogre or some other monster.

What do you think?

Firstly, welcome to the forums.

I think many here may agree with your opinion regarding 'purchasing experience'. I assume though that the OP meant only an advanced unit, one level above normal. This is what I meant at any rate, as I think it is quite reasonable that some units can have better training than others, without going over the top and allowing sovereigns to create ultra-elite champions without experience.

Regarding the tech-tree you mentioned, I think there might be something of the sort or somehow similar already implemented. I'm not sure though, so a beta tester might correct me there hopefully (*wishes he had the time to be a beta tester*).

At the moment you can train "veteran" units or "elite" units that get just more hp. I also think they should get more "skill slots". For instance a barely trained peasant has no skill, a regular unit has 1 skill, a veteran 2 skills and an elite 3 skills. And if some skills need 1 or 2 prerequisite, then they automatically are reserved for veteran or elite units.

"At the moment you can train "veteran" units or "elite" units that get just more hp. I also think they should get more "skill slots". For instance a barely trained peasant has no skill, a regular unit has 1 skill, a veteran 2 skills and an elite 3 skills. And if some skills need 1 or 2 prerequisite, then they automatically are reserved for veteran or elite units."

While this would be an improvement, I don't think veteran and levels should be in the game. Training shouldn't just give hp it should simply raise the level of troops.Training should take both time and money though. It should be easy to slap some armour on a guy and send him out, but to create an elite unit wuth mutiple abilities should take time or rearming a veteran basic unit.

Veteran soldiers should be a useful resource not just a hp bonus.

I would also appreciate seeing veteran and above units actually having tangible above the hood benefits instead of below the hood stat bonuses. Otherwise I find I tend to ignore or not even notice the difference in veterancy.

Experience cannot be bought. I will start off by saying that I COMPLETELY DISAGREE that levels or "veterancy" can be paid with pure money. It will take LONGER training AND will take LOTS OF MONEY because you are paying special tutors, instructors, other champions, ect. to visit your troops and give them advice and training WELL INTO OVERTIME. (probably from the aristocracy, which is why you would have to pay the fools anyways)

Training with a Tutor/ extra Training should increase HP (say by 10%) as well as "unlock" skills for the weapon the unit is using.

Normally weapons start with skill 1, at level 4 they unlock skill 2, and at level 10 they unlock skill 3. If you train a unit in this situation however, prior to battle, they will gain unlockable skills before the required skill level. You might also get an extra perk (depending on the instructing Champion) ... like "beer drinker", "gambler", "murderous", "insane", or "feeble". You might also get +1 combat speed or +1 movement speed.

For instance, if your Champion was a diligant long-distance runner and Drill Master, troops trained especially by him would get +1 movement

If your Champion was a Homicidal Samurai then your units trained specifically by him (requires presence of Champion, extra gold, and specifically choosing the Champion) would recieve +1 attack, +1 attack speed, and "Murderous"

If your Champion was a Psychopathic mass-murdering Acrobat, Bard, or Carnie, then your units trained by him would gain +1 to all stats, Murderous, and Insane. (and possibly gambler)

If your Champion was a hearty drunken Axe n Shield wielding lad from the lands of Gilder, then the unit would gain (extra) +1 HP, +1 Defense, and "Beer Drinker"

if however, your units were not trained specifically by a Champion (requires presence in city and extra gildar) ... then they are only trained to Veteran or Elite ... which equates to +1 weapon slot unlocked and +10% HP, or +2 weapon slots unlocked and +20% HP respectively. Also, im thinking of RENAMING veteran and elite to Exemplar and Honor Guard ... because Veteran sounds too much like they have served previously in combat, when they clearly haven't.

(well it could be an abstract, but I'd rather the option to "retrain" my experienced soldiers rather than to "abstract" the unit into a generational entity which switches out Veterans for Green Horns every 10 years of "military service, except for military soldiers. Instead I want all my peasants "military for life" unless I say different. Every unit of soldiers will either be able to bring their wags with them or peruse the "free Government provided mobile cathouse")

Elites sound OK, because it means they are trained among the "best of the best" ... but really keeping your nose in the book, or staying after practice for extra drills, wont make you a veteran. Competing in Life/Death situations sure as hell WILL. I think that all soldiers should gain "some" experience for surviving in a battle even if they didn't directly see any action. They were still sure as hell next door to it. There is no substitute for being next to the action, thats what levels are for.

Speaking of levels, I think that Champions (and units) leveling should be "similar" to how a Sovereign levels.

All you beta-testers have seen the level-up screen, so you know what I am talking about.

Sovereigns get 10 points. I propose that Champions get 7 points, "honor guard" get 5 points, "exemplars" get 4 points, and regular units get 3 points per level. (I also propose that drafts/conscripts get 2 points for level, and slaves get 1 point per level).