Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

A big issue with games like this, is having enough troops for every front. You do not need strong units so much, as you need many units.

Militia helps a bit early game, but even they are too many large units (as ironic as that sounds). And we need longterm solutions anyway.

I can think of 2 options: Active units and "diffuse" units

Active Units:
You get a option to recruit a exceptionally weak unit that is spamable. Think police forces, rather then army. Specifically:
- each unit consists of only 5 subunits. Much smaler then that and you propably want diffuse units
- the only gear selection is that of infantery militia. You are however responsible for buying the gear/replacements
- they do not use soldiers from the SHQ to form, but Population directly
- they may use the private food of the zone the are stationed in, but using public food would not be a bad idea
- they have issues using any military approaches. Entrenchment might be capped to the automatic amount, morale and readiness low, no XP gain - that sort of thing
- security points may create a immobile unit of this type in the city. Those immobile troops would count for reducing unrest, be used in events and would defend the city - but could never leave

Diffuse units:
This would not make the border guards a active unit with all the costs of calculation tactics and AI movement for them, but more of a hex-feature that spreads out from cities. If a hostile tries to invade the zone, they start slowing them down. Maybe they are actually embroiled into skirmishes (actuall combat) with a small number of enemies every hex they move.
But especially when going into the area where "cities build danger", resistance would start getting stiffer. This should prevent Slaver or Animal Stacks for getting all the way to your doorstep, without being challenged.
A simple way to limit the range of this, would be to look at the logistics coverage. If a hex is not at least green effective operational logistics for infantery, it will not get diffuse troops like that. And even in that area, it might be limited to the "danger zone".
Out-of-city assets might be another natural gathering point.
They might not act if proper military forces are in the hex. Even the weakest miltiary force will propably beat them anyway.

ORIGINAL: jimwinsor

Machine gun battalions make pretty good cheap border units.

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

ORIGINAL: jimwinsor

Machine gun battalions make pretty good cheap border units.

Some issues with that:
1. Still limited to my troops
2. MG's are pretty expensive in IP and Metal
3. I do not need something that good in combat the first place. Infantery Brigades have issues fighting them.
4. I need mass, not class.

ORIGINAL: Cornuthaum

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

ORIGINAL: jimwinsor

Machine gun battalions make pretty good cheap border units.

Some issues with that:
1. Still limited to my troops
2. MG's are pretty expensive in IP and Metal
3. I do not need something that good in combat the first place. Infantery Brigades have issues fighting them.
4. I need mass, not class.

MG infantry brigades are mass, not class. they are the very image of the dirt cheap line-holders.

ORIGINAL: zgrssd

ORIGINAL: Cornuthaum

ORIGINAL: zgrssd



Some issues with that:
1. Still limited to my troops
2. MG's are pretty expensive in IP and Metal
3. I do not need something that good in combat the first place. Infantery Brigades have issues fighting them.
4. I need mass, not class.

MG infantry brigades are mass, not class. they are the very image of the dirt cheap line-holders.

They got up to twice the defense power of basic Infantry, at 50% higher cost.

500 Infantery? Now that I can call cheap mass.

500 Infantry with Militia gear? That is more what I am aiming for.

ORIGINAL: Kamelpov

Soviet cheap unit still use manpower so you have no choice. Or otherwise use automated turret it won't move and slow them down and don't use manpower I think.