(9-VT) Introduction of Logistics & Supply System for Military Units

[sabir_ogrande]

Summary
Introduce a logistics system that models supply, attrition, and operational reach for military units through visible supply bars. This system rewards territorial control, infrastructure, and planning, while limiting deep, unsupported offensives. It is designed to be transparent, scalable, and AI-manageable.

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Background / Current State​

In Vox Populi, military units operate indefinitely without regard to supply lines, fuel, or ammunition. Distance from cities and infrastructure has little mechanical impact beyond healing and reinforcement speed. This allows armies to function unrealistically deep in enemy territory without meaningful logistical preparation.
This proposal adds logistics as a visible, player-facing mechanic, without altering core systems such as 1UPT, promotions, or combat resolution.

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Proposed Change​

1. Supply Bars on Units​

All non-exempt military units gain one or more supply bars, shown above the unit (similar to HP):

• Ammunition – Ranged units
• Fuel – Internal combustion units (land, naval, air as applicable)
• Provisions – All non-ranged land units

A unit may have multiple bars, depending on unit type.

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2. Effects of Supply Levels​

Each supply bar ranges from 0 to 100 and regenerates only under supply conditions.
When a bar is depleted (0):

• Ammunition = 0
  • Unit cannot perform ranged attacks
  • Can still defend and move at reduced speed
• Fuel = 0
  • Unit movement reduced to 1 tile per turn
  • No attacks allowed (defensive only)
• Provisions = 0
  • Unit takes 10 HP attrition per turn
  • Movement reduced by 50%

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3. Supply Consumption Rates (per turn)​

Unit State	Consumption
Idle (no movement, no combat)	−5
Moving	−10
Attacking	−10
Attacking + Moving	−20

Values apply per relevant bar.

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4. Supply Regeneration & Resupply Zones​

Supply regenerates when a unit is within 5 tiles of a valid Resupply Center:

• Cities
• Towns
• Forts (with garrison)

Regeneration rate:

• +15 per turn inside resupply range
• +25 per turn if stationed directly in the tile

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5. New Civil Unit: Mobile Supply Convoy​

Introduce a new civilian unit: Supply Convoy

• Can be built in cities
• Creates a temporary supply route between:
  • A selected frontline tile
  • The nearest valid resupply center
• Units within 3 tiles of the convoy gain:
  • +10 supply regeneration per turn
• Convoy can be pillaged or destroyed, similar to trade routes

Only one active convoy per city.

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6. Resource Dependency​

Supply regeneration depends on strategic resources:

• Provisions → Food surplus from cities
• Fuel → Oil (or Coal before Oil era)
• Ammunition → Iron (Copper counts as Iron where applicable)

If a civilization loses access to a required resource:

• Units stop regenerating the corresponding bar
• Existing supply remains usable

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7. Pillaging & Foraging​

Units may restore supply by pillaging:

• Pillaging a tile restores +20 to depleted bars

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8. Environmental Attrition​

Units outside resupply range suffer environmental attrition:

• −5 HP per turn
• Increases to −10 in Desert, Tundra, Snow

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9. Exempt Units​

The following units are fully exempt from logistics and attrition:

• Scouts
• Recon units
• Expeditionary / Special Forces-type units

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Intended Effects​

• Encourage frontlines, not infinite deep strikes
• Make infrastructure, forts, and cities militarily relevant beyond defense
• Add counterplay through resource denial and convoy disruption
• Improve immersion without replacing existing combat systems

This system adds depth without changing unit roles, promotions, or victory conditions.

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AI Considerations​

• AI already evaluates distance from cities, supply-like mechanics (healing, attrition), and trade routes
• Supply Convoys use existing trade-route logic
• AI avoids attrition tiles today and can reuse that logic

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Implementation Requirements​

Complex Proposal:

• DLL (supply logic, attrition, unit state handling)
• UI (supply bars display, tooltips)
• Database (unit classifications, resource links)

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Scope & Balance Notes​

• Does not change 1UPT
• Does not add new victory conditions
• Does not require new map scripts
• All values are explicit and adjustable

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Closing​

This proposal introduces logistics as a strategic constraint, not a punishment. Armies remain powerful, but only when supported by planning, territory, and resources—exactly the kind of decision-making Vox Populi excels at encouraging.

 

[FPXI]

Very cool idea. However, I'm against introducing new subsystems at the same time we are doing a major balance pass.

 

[hokath]

It sounds interesting but it would need a significant amount of testing to make sure it was AI compatible.
Moreover something this big really needs a working implementation before it can be voted on.

Finally, this proposal is not in scope for this session (sorry!)

Due to the need for the DLL devs to focus on fixing bugs and bringing 5.0 to release quality, there is a moratorium on:

1. complicated proposals (requiring substantial DLL or AI changes)
2. speculative proposals that might have an unpredictable effect on balance.

Proposal vetoed.

 

[sabir_ogrande]

Ok... I understand.. But here stays the seed.. Maybe it will inspire someone who can code to try it as a mod first...

 

[Brackenspore]

This allows armies to function unrealistically deep in enemy territory without meaningful logistical preparation.

After today's kidnapping of the Venezuelan president by elite American special forces in 30 minutes, your claim is starting to look questionable, at least for the Information Era . At the same time, the idea itself is very important and necessary, adding realism and depth to the combat.

 

[sabir_ogrande]

Americans are probably cheating.. But alas... Let's focus on our game...

 

[Recursive]

Timestamp post to arrange all the threads in a neat order.