Question About 1.12 Ground Unit Replacement Mechanic

[Adseria (OP)]

In the recent Changelog post, you said:

When replacements are required, the replacement process will use the Unit Series of each unit in the Replacement Template, rather than the actual unit.

By "when replacements are required," does that mean that it will only update lost units to the new type, or will intact units be replaced automatically, too?

For instance, in your Chimera example, you have a formation with the Mk II, and the latest version is the Mk IV. If you created a new formation with Mk IVs and set it to provide replacements for the formation with Mk IIs, would it immediately remove the Mk IIs and reequip with Mk IVs, or would the original formation keep the Mk IIs until they were lost in action, at which point the lost units would be gradually replaced by Mk IVs?

This is the main source of micro that I've noticed in my games; I hope it will be automated.

[Gyrfalcon]

This is something I have been wondering about as well, actually.

[Droll]

I have forwarded your question here:

http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=11620.165#lastPost

Its the changes discussion thread.

[Steve Walmsley]

For now, it won't replace older vehicles. I probably will add that at some point though.

[Droll]

For now, it won't replace older vehicles. I probably will add that at some point though.

I suppose it could be like a checkbox or something that toggles auto-upgrade on/off for a replacement formation.

[Adseria (OP)]

For now, it won't replace older vehicles. I probably will add that at some point though.

I suppose it could be like a checkbox or something that toggles auto-upgrade on/off for a replacement formation.

That would make sense. Maybe have the checkbox on the formation receiving replacements, though; that way, you can have reserve formations equipped with older stuff receive updated replacements from the same replacement formation, in the event they actually find themselves in combat.

[Desdinova]

It'd be great if there was a way to rebuild ground formations similar to refitting ships.

[DEEPenergy]

I think an easy way to do it would be to let us re-research ground units so they upgrade to the new racial armor or weapon strengths. Then when researched the upgraded units will update the templates they are part of so any battalions you create with that template will contain the upgraded units And if you could retrain units into their upgraded forms at a ground unit center that would be even better

[Adseria (OP)]

I think an easy way to do it would be to let us re-research ground units so they upgrade to the new racial armor or weapon strengths. Then when researched the upgraded units will update the templates they are part of so any battalions you create with that template will contain the upgraded units And if you could retrain units into their upgraded forms at a ground unit center that would be even better

The problem with that system would be that it would remove the logistics element. Like, if you have a unit on a frontier world with outdated tanks, you'd have to bring it back to a world with ground unit training facilities, rather than just building the new tanks and then sending them to the frontier and re-training there. The existing system has a good representation of that; it just has a lot of micro.

I think combining my/Steve's auto-replacement functionality with the ability (as suggested by Desdinova) to rebuild units on station would be a decent middle ground; that way, people could choose to do it whichever way they prefer, whichever is easier or for RP purposes.

[Malorn]

Yes...please just let me rebuild to template, it would be so much easier... and it's hardly some sort of unfair advantage.