[Wauthan]

I would say that free units do force a pretender god to do something with them. What sets Dominions 2 apart, from other strategy games I have played, is that it is not easy to see the reasoning behind certain features. Simply because the developers put a lot of thought into the game.

Lets say a province sends you 30 young men who are ready to die for your cause. Trouble is that these wellmeaning soldiers are in a backward province, and armed only with spears and simple leather cuirass. But what to do with them? You can't just snap your fingers and have them drop dead. Your dominion would sink trough the floor in the province that sent the units. Nor can you afford to have them do nothing because they expect the same treatment as any other soldier in your army.

It's a pain. But it is a royal one that's historically very correct. The roman empire had a lot of trouble with young men, "larger than life", show up in their camps and expect the same benefits as a legionaire. In the game it might be a way for the downtrodden people to try and appease a vengeful god, or a diplomatic way to gain favor from the ruler.

Thank the heavens that the Illwinter crew didn't have the dominion go down in provinces where a lot of recruits return in caskets.

But there should be some way to retire units "gracefully". Perhaps they would not be added to a provincial defence, since they are retiring, but add experience to their home province PD. These are veterans coming home and teaching the tricks that kept them alive to their kinfolk.

But if the more expensive commander units are retired I have no problem seeing them added to a province defences. They are exceptional individuals and would be very likely called upon to guide the militia should the province be attacked. It thoughens the PD but it's a very expensive way to do so, and it's very unlikely that players will invest a lot into it since commanders are better used as active units in the campaign.

[ January 21, 2004, 13:42: Message edited by: Wauthan ]