Olympia - Military Leadership in Stacks

From: rsocia@renaissance.cray.com (Rick Socia)

Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1992 13:12:25 +0000

A lot of discussion on stacks and how they apply to different skills.  Let me
just focus on one of them, Military Leadership.  Take the follwoing stack for
example:

Mayor Roberts, individual, stacked over      (has suffieient political skills)
  Col Smith, individual, stacked over        (military leadership skill 3)
    Col. Staff, 20
    Major Jones, individual, stacked over    (military  leadership skill 2)
      Maj. Staff1, 10
      Captain Williams, individual, stacked over (military  leadership skill 1)
        Burgundian Crossbowmen, 36
        Scotts Archers, 24
      Flemish Mercenaries, 15
    Major Thomas, individual, stacked over    (military  leadership skill 2)
      Maj. Staff2, 10
      Lt. Brown, individual, stacked over     (military  leadership skill 0)
        Tower Guards, 18
      Town Mob, 13
      Criminals at Large, 6
    Major Mills, individual, stacked over    (military  leadership skill 2)
      Maj. Staff3, 10
      Lt. Green, individual, stacked over    (military  leadership skill 0)
        Town Marshalls, 18
  Towns Person 1, individual, statcked over
    .
    .
    .
  Towns Person 4, individual, statcked over
    .
    .
    .
   etc.

In this example, the mayor is assumed to be a skilled politician, and can manage
large stacks of factions.  This is a subject for another post.

Colonel Smith, the most skilled leader, can add his military leadership skills or
bonuses to as many units immeadiately under him as his skill level, such that in
this example his staff, Major Jones and Major Thomas are affected.  Individual
units get a +1 to their leadership ability, and groups get the attack bonus. But
because of the stacking order, and The Colonels lack of skill, Major Mills will
not get a bonus.

Major Jones, who would normally have a skill level of 2 now acts as if he had
a skill level of 3, and therefore can add benefits to all units in his stack.

The same for Captain Williams, normally a 1 but the bonus gives him a 2.

Major Thomas on the other hand, normally a 2, but with a bonus of 3, will not
be able to benefit the Criminals at Large since he has 4 in his stack.  He can
benefit the town mob though, with the bonus.

As far as stacking restrictions, military leadership skills will only allow as many units that have combat skills (leadership, combat, archery) to stack with it
as it has skill level +2 or somehting like that.

This is just a rough draft I would like to throw at you for discussion.  I am
intereseted in hearing you opinions.

Political skills discussion to follow soon.

p.s. playability must not be sacrificed in favor realism, but is there a balance?
---

Rick Socia