Ground unit recruitment suggestion: Use Replacements

[Louella (OP)]

In a long campaign, with extensive ground unit use, you end up with many units that are understrength.

Making replacements to bring them back up, can be quite a bit fiddly at times, due to the complexity involved, and the different ratios of what needs replaced.

So here is what I suggest: An understrength unit, can have the "use for replacements" checkbox ticked.
Ground unit construction, will use elements from any unit set as a replacement, to reduce the time&cost of units under recruitment.

E.g. I bring back an understrength Tank Battalion to Earth. They have 40 out of 90 tanks they should have at full strength. I set that formation to "use for replacements"
I recruit a new tank battalion on Earth. Instead of paying the cost of 90 tanks, they use the 40 from the understrength unit, and so the cost is for 50 tanks.

This would help the player, by providing a straightforward way to consolidate remnant units.

[Barkhorn]

Great idea.  I have an additional suggestion; the new unit should take proportionally less time to train as well.

[alex_brunius]

Great idea.  I have an additional suggestion; the new unit should take proportionally less time to train as well.

I think that's the same thing as suggested since the time it takes to train a unit is a direct function of it's cost 


What is unclear in the suggestion is what should take priority, should the example "use for replacement" tanks go to training of new units or to reinforcing other understrength units first?

[Xkill]

Another idea is to create a new order at the Ground Unit Construction tab, similar to what exists for shipyards, where you can "refit" ground formations. It would cost the same way that normal construction does, and would allow you to choose both the formation that needs refitting and the formation type to refit to.

Or instead of this, you could mark formations for reconstitution through a checkbox in the Ground Units window, and then on the Ground Unit Construction tab simply authorize said reconstitution, costing the same as new builds. Any surplus elements get scrapped, any understrength elements are reinforced up to the demands of the template.

This both maintains the design objective of encouraging the player to mix spent formations together when on campaign, and allows for simpler standardizing during peacetime.

[Aloriel]

Use for Replacements already automates replenishing understrength formations.

When I want to replenish a formation, I will create a formation called "Reinforcement - <unit type>" and it will have as many of <unit type> as I can squeeze into a transport. These reinforcement formations have no HQ, unless that is the unit I am wanting to replace. So, for example, if I have a tank design called M1 Abrams that I have in a large number of armored formations, I will create a new formation called "Reinforcement - M1 Abrams" that has nothing but M1 Abrams in it. Mark it as Use for Replacements, and let it replenish my depleted forces automatically.

Since these formations are intended solely for reinforcement and are named as such, it is easy to find them in the list and mark them all "use for replacements".

This method works in the background. Nothing fiddly about it.

What I would like to see instead is another checkbox called "Upgrade" that will allow you to take an old formation and upgrade the equipment in it through the GU construction queue. That's where things get fiddly for me.

[Barkhorn]

Use for Replacements already automates replenishing understrength formations.

I think OP means the opposite; using an understrength formation as replenishments.

[Aloriel]

Use for Replacements already automates replenishing understrength formations.

I think OP means the opposite; using an understrength formation as replenishments.

I get that, but using the same button will result in my reinforcement formations being utilized for GU production. I don't want that. Basically, I am trying to say that the check box already has a function. Please don't ask for it to be changed.

Also, if I can get automatic reinforcements, so can they. It isn't fiddly the way I've done it.

[Louella (OP)]

Use for Replacements already automates replenishing understrength formations.

I think OP means the opposite; using an understrength formation as replenishments.

I get that, but using the same button will result in my reinforcement formations being utilized for GU production. I don't want that. Basically, I am trying to say that the check box already has a function. Please don't ask for it to be changed.

Then how about a new, different check box "Use as Cadre" to use depleted units as foundations to build new units ?

When I want to replenish a formation, I will create a formation called "Reinforcement - <unit type>" and it will have as many of <unit type> as I can squeeze into a transport. These reinforcement formations have no HQ, unless that is the unit I am wanting to replace. So, for example, if I have a tank design called M1 Abrams that I have in a large number of armored formations, I will create a new formation called "Reinforcement - M1 Abrams" that has nothing but M1 Abrams in it. Mark it as Use for Replacements, and let it replenish my depleted forces automatically.

I know. However, I have a great many unit types, and a replacements formation for each unit type is a lot of player administrative clicking for little gain, in my opinion.

[Aloriel]

Then how about a new, different check box "Use as Cadre" to use depleted units as foundations to build new units ?

That is something I can get behind.