Matrix Games Forums

Eric, can you enable the Disband function for Diplomats, Fleets, Armies, and Corps?

Examples:

I captured the French Fleet, took their ships, and now have to pay upkeep for the fleet counter (which I don't need) forever.

I can't build good new diplomats because I already support three shitty ones (Britain 1792) and I can't afford to pay for new ones while supporting the old ones.

On the other hand...

Realistically, these diplomats are high-level courtiers and powerful members of your upper nobility; getting rid of them by disbanding should have a political cost. You can't just tell someone like Pitt or Kutusov to go take a hike. At least w/o consequences.

Perhaps an NML hit, similar to the one you take when you toy with feudal level?

I'm reluctant to allow players to disband diplomats as I had similar thoughts as jimwinsor and like the playability factor of making players commit to the diplomats that they create (whether they end up with stats they like or no.) An NML hit might work.

Disbanding containers is a good idea, and is now much more important that we've changed the rules vis-a-vis the destruction of empty containers.

Well, if we want to be realistic about it, high-level courtiers that are useless could be shunted off into some job where they don't do damage -- there were no real "professional" foreign office officers at the time. So disbanding a diplomat would not really be firing him, just reassigning him. Hence, no morale hit.

-- Mal

In reference you diplomats, this action is unavalaible because they have effect in the treaties of surrender, in fact the victorious nation adds VP equal to the sum of its diplomats legal scores, multiplied by 10 (page 53 on manual). Take care of this.

ORIGINAL: malthaussen

Well, if we want to be realistic about it, high-level courtiers that are useless could be shunted off into some job where they don't do damage -- there were no real "professional" foreign office officers at the time. So disbanding a diplomat would not really be firing him, just reassigning him. Hence, no morale hit.

-- Mal

Ah, but the point is: they are still gonna want their $20 a turn sinecure pay. You can make them First Vice-Lord of the Imperial Bedchamber, Holder of the Kings Slippers rather than court diplomat; but they'll still demand their same hefty $20 a turn salary from the treasury to recompense them in their new very prestigious position.

And thats really the point isn't it? You are still out $20 a turn.

Yeah, it's that recurring support cost that annoys. I don't mind a one time "send-off party" charge with ML or $$.

I think it's the unions that make it impossible to dismiss them. They are all, even the Turkish, members of the Pan-European Federation of Diplomatic Workers. Soldiers aren’t unionized, that’s why we can so easily lay off scores of them.

There should be a way of making them understand that, even for an aristocratic diplomat, $20 a turn just for doing some -for the most part unsuccessful- lobbying is too much to ask.

Maybe if you reduce your countries Feudal level to zero, you can have an option to send some of these nobles to the guillotine. )

Or you could work it like England did repeatedly in the 17th century: impeach, impeach, impeach. Then off with their heads.

-- Mal

Well, I would like to see an option that would allow a diplomats ratings to be increased. As Spain, I have a diplomat who has a rating level of 0 which stinks. One would think that as he is successful he would increase his skills.