Updating Formations

[Krags47 (OP)]

I've dug around for a day now and I've finally given up to come ask, how/is there a way to update or retrofit ground unit templates?

[Alsadius]

You can change templates freely - they don't lock.

However, there's no "Rebuild to template" option for damaged/obsolete ground forces. Templates are only used for new builds. That means it's less useful than we might like.

[Krags47 (OP)]

Okay.  i was hoping i had missed something.   I built a template realize i forgot to add the HQ unit i wanted to be in it fixed it for the future templates.  Now i have a single template different from the rest.   


I ended up just disbanding it and rebuilding a replacement.

[thashepherd]

It would be nice if ground unit training facilities had a 'refit to' functionality that operated at the formation level.

[Jorgen_CAB]

This is how I would like it to work is possible in the future.

I would like replacement to be streamlined and simplified so you just build a replacement unit, you can then use that to replace losses based on cost. So the replacement unit may contain say 100 BP worth of replacement and then each template is a rigid formation in terms of what is contains... with supply formations and all. You just target the replacement unit to reinforce a specific formation and it automatically try to equalise the losses in that unit.

You then can update and change templates... if you just reduce the number of troops in a formation you simply spawn replacement units at the locations where those formations are.

It would obviously reduce micro management at the cost of some granularity... but I think I could survive that in general.

[Garfunkel]

You can build just the HQ and then click'n'drag it to be part of the formation that's missing HQ.

[Father Tim]

Okay.  i was hoping i had missed something.   I built a template realize i forgot to add the HQ unit i wanted to be in it fixed it for the future templates.  Now i have a single template different from the rest.   


I ended up just disbanding it and rebuilding a replacement.

If it happens again, remember you can add any unit to any (completed) ground forces at any time.  So build a new HQ and drag-and-drop it into place.

This is also how one deals with combat casualties.

[Malorn]

While that is doable, I agree that a 'update to template' button would be very useful. Why make this harder then need be?

[Father Tim]

While that is doable, I agree that a 'update to template' button would be very useful. Why make this harder then need be?

*shrug*  Why make all your units the same?  Certainly the real world doesn't work that way.

I like that after fifteen to twenty years my Militia Battalions have varying numbers of soldiers, and some of my premiere Divisions have extra regiments and/or battalions.

- - - - -

Okay, the real answer is programming time.  'Rebuild to Template' is almost certainly coming in a month or two, along with the hundreds of other cosmetic and Quality of Life improvements that Steve has said didn't make it into v1 C# Aurora 'cause he wanted to release it now, not in July.

[Gyrfalcon]

Because I'm (like many others) OCD about wanting to have my units be roughly equal to each other, and not having to create custom replacement formations to bring various levels of combat damage back to 'full strength'.

[Garfunkel]

Because I'm (like many others) OCD about wanting to have my units be roughly equal to each other, and not having to create custom replacement formations to bring various levels of combat damage back to 'full strength'.

Meanwhile, you can build an extra formation or two and cannibalize them element-by-element as needed. It's not pretty but it works. You don't need custom-tailored replacement formations - just one big lump that you peel elements off as needed.

[Father Tim]

Because I'm (like many others) OCD about wanting to have my units be roughly equal to each other, and not having to create custom replacement formations to bring various levels of combat damage back to 'full strength'.

Meanwhile, you can build an extra formation or two and cannibalize them element-by-element as needed. It's not pretty but it works. You don't need custom-tailored replacement formations - just one big lump that you peel elements off as needed.

Yeah, what Garfunkel said.  Build a thousand PW-INF 'Replacement Pool' and move fifteen or one-hundred-and-eight, or however many are needed to top up your combat units.

[Krags47 (OP)]

While that is doable, I agree that a 'update to template' button would be very useful.  Why make this harder then need be?

*shrug*  Why make all your units the same?  Certainly the real world doesn't work that way.

Cause i was just making my first couple of formations and wanted a set template of what the average cost would be. 

[Icekiller]

While that is doable, I agree that a 'update to template' button would be very useful.  Why make this harder then need be?

*shrug*  Why make all your units the same?  Certainly the real world doesn't work that way.

I like that after fifteen to twenty years my Militia Battalions have varying numbers of soldiers, and some of my premiere Divisions have extra regiments and/or battalions.

You can do both.  The real world does in fact have designated TO&E's for everything.  Not everything adheres to those numbers, but there is an intended size and composition for every military formation.
A real life example would be the German military in WW2.  There was a set standard for what an Infantry Division should be, operational realities didn't always allow for each and every one to be at that level, but there WAS a set level that they should be at. 

Personally, I would just like to see those items side by side.  Have what is in the formation on one side, then have the formation template on the right side.  You could then have another button called "change template" or something to that effect, that would allow you to change what TO&E you are comparing yourself too.  This way, you could upgrade a standard infantry formation to a more modern variant of it. 

[Steve Walmsley]

Okay.  i was hoping i had missed something.   I built a template realize i forgot to add the HQ unit i wanted to be in it fixed it for the future templates.  Now i have a single template different from the rest.   


I ended up just disbanding it and rebuilding a replacement.

Just build a formation with spare HQs and transfer them. In my crusade campaign I built replacement formations with the commonly lost unit types.