Call for a Military Reform

[Provolution]

This is an idea to streamline Japanaticas economy, military force and research potential, as well as enable more interesting planning options.

Presently Japanatica can sustain 84 military units, with a future maximum of 112 units for cities. Now Japanaticas 28 settlements are 14 Cities and 14 Towns.
For the time being we have 141 units, where we need to pay out 57 gold per turn and keep our research level at 70 % to finance that. I am by no means a
dove or an extreme hawk, but see that we waste a lot of economic resources as
well as having problems in developing rimside cities due to corruption.

141 units

Order of Battle

Domestic Minister

Grade D Units

2 Settlers-----------Will be settled
42 workers----------

12 of these workers should be added to frontier cities to strengthen us in cultural wars where we have inferior cities. We also need to remove some foreign workers in this manner in order to make room for modern unit builds.

Military Minister

Grade A Units, 44

Maintain as core of expert army and navy and develop these as our professional military force. These should primarily relocate to naval exploration or to the French and Zulu Borders.

4 Caravels---------Future Galleons, Regulars
9 catapults--------Future Cannon, Regulars
23 Samurai--------Future Cavalry, Veterans Only
8 Muskets---------Future Riflemen

Grade B Units - 38 Units

Relocate Swordsmen (with some Core Samurai and Catapult Units) to the Iroquois/Babylonian Theatre, and then poll which of these we should prepare a Vintage War against in order to maximize the use of swordsmen before obsoletion. These troop must be used in a war, or disbanded in corrupt frontier cities for shields. The Poll will cover

CASUS BELLI CRITERIA
WAR OBJECTIVES
WAR BUDGET
ACCEPTABLE LOSSES AND CRITERIA FOR PROMOTION AND DISBANDMENT
PEACE TERMS

19 Swordsmen------Dead End. 4 Elites and 15 Veterans
19 Pikemen---------Future Muskets.

Grade C Units--------Relocate to rim corrupt border cities and disband for shields, also gives a net save of 15 gold per turn, about 1000 Gold for a term
The disbandmemt should primarily take place on the strategic French Border, with the absence of both Palace and Forbidden Palace, those shields are needed badly in a ripe corruption area.

2 horses-----------Future Samurai-----veterans
2 Warriors---------Future Swordsmen----regulars
11 Spears----------Future Pikemen-------regulars

141 - X(-15 C Grades,- 10 B Grades, - 12 D Grades) = 104 Units
112 Near Future Max
84 Present Max

Gains, Science will increase by 10 % because of this reform, frontier towns will get badly needed shields and we will accumulate more gold. We also only get top rate soldiers out of this, retiring the weak ones for civilian service.

 

[Provolution]

We got 6 Babylonian and 6 Roman workers working at half efficency. These 12 foreign workers represent the Japanatican Relocalization Program to the New Frontier.

Former Ibanago, now Grumpypuss, (Zulu Taxman) could invite 3 Babylonian settlers and 3 Roman settlers, where we need rush buys for Courthouse and Temple.

Former Vironicum, now Kagemusha (Roman and Japanatican Worker) could invite 3 Babylonian Settlers, 2 Roman Settlers and the Zulu worker from Zwazi to settle here.
Rush buy Court house here, corruption rampant.

This will create two perfectly multiethnic cities in the Northern Desert District, and would accelerate Japanaticanization of the region. However, we also need to rush buy aqueduct and connect luxuries as part of this plan. But let the foreign workers create their own future in this region. This is not strictly micromanagement in the boring sense, but will allow us to scale up presence in this border region where it is needed.
We also need to cut 12 workers anyways, why not the half effective foreign workers.

 

[MOTH]

Good plan provolution. This kind of analysis has been needed for some time. The only flaw I see in the analysis is the mention of the foreign workers (see last paragraph below).

I would also like to see an analysis made of the upkeep cost of barracks. I would expect that we could sell off 10-20% of the barracks we have currently built for a savings of 2-5 gpt.

I am opposed to any significant reduction in our worker force until we have researched and built a railroad network. The rail network will allow us to efficiently shift defensive units in the case of an unexpected war.

As for the foreign workers. These should not be counted as the 12 you plan for settlement actions. These are currently costing us zero for upkeep. There are some that would say "free the slaves", but I personally feel that these workers are earning their keep and will soon be building the rail roads.

 

[Provolution]

MOTH, okay compromise

We add 7 workers to Grumpypuss and Kagemusha, just to get critical mass below 6, being 3 Romans, 3 Babylonians and the Zulu Worker from Zwazi. However, they need to build the infrastructure before they are allowed to settle down. This means they need to irrigate the desert to make it habitable. Still, we need to boost the border to France, since they are the 2nd or 3rd ranking power in this game.

 

[Zarn]

I believe we should have a smaller, mobile, advanced military. We should have a small Navy (but not too small), some Samurai (for patrol), and pikemen for cities.

Our goals seem similar, so I feel we are on to something, here.

 

[Provolution]

Zarn good we agree on the basics

However, I want a doctrinal setup, with a Northern Army Grouping on the French Zulu Border, comprising of our Modern troops, and a Southern Army of Vintage Troops on the Iroquois and Babylonian Border. Additionally, I want Two Privateer groups of 3 ships each, one for each ocean, and 2 Naval Expedition forces. These should have 2 Frigates and 3 Galleons each. A total of 16 naval units. I really need to put the attention on Navigation and Magellans Wonder here. Also, each Naval Group should have a full detachment of expedition forces, so we are allowed to have a rapid response to any military crisis. This force will retaliate and take the key enemy wonder
or resource city. Finally, I want four frigates to explore NW, NE, SE and SW of Japanatica to find new Islands, bringing us up to 20 naval units. With expedition forces
as Marine soldiers, our naval force will be around 50 units.

Therefore, we need to trim down our Grade C forces and disband them, arrange a Southern Vintage War against Iroquois or Babylon (I will poll three options, Iroquois Campaign, Babylonian Campaign and Absolute Peace with disbanding the Swordsmen).
However, this military force requires us to remain Monarchy, as we have 4 neighbors to
cover for the time.

 

[Nobody]

we should have a good sized navy (not to big or small). Plus 15 to 20 samuri located half north and south or all in the center. and musketmen in the citys to defend. we have 2 horses if we bulid 2 more, we could send one to the borders of france zulu, babylon and iroquios. possiably sending our swordsman either to iroquis or as a standing army to the new world. im off to school cya

 

[blackheart]

What we need is a rapid deployment system. It was like in Civ2 when you could defend an entire continent with just a few tanks because you have railroads. Granted we don't have railroads now, but we're going to get them soon. We should retire soldiers when their position can be taken by newer, more advanced units. Diminishing our numeric strength is not good. Even old and obsolete units still boost our military might status and is a bargaining chip on the diplomacy table.

We don't necessaryily need a large navy, just one that is well prepared to deploy to remote regions and can sustain itself.

 

[Nobody]

5 gallons and 2 frigates would be enough, plus any pirate ships

 

[Zarn]

I agree somewhat with Nobody. This is what I believe should be in the Japanatican Navy.

3-4 Galleons
2-3 Frigates
0 Privateers (I don't advocate such an honorless code)

 

[Provolution]

I stick to my naval doctrine of nothing less than FOUR FLEETS

1. We need a West Coast Fleet so we can land and take wonders either in Babylon or Western France. 3 Galleons and 2 Frigates.

2. We need a East Coast Fleet so we can land and take wonders either in Iroquois or Eastern Zulu. 3 Galleons and 2 frigates

3. .We need a flexible Pirate Fleet to inspect coastal defenses on running basis in order to gather critical intel, provoke wars and sink enemy transports in colony races.
4 Pirate Ships

4. Explorer Group. 2 Frigates with 2 Explorers and 2 settlers.

We need this in order to get island bases.

 

[Crimso]

Aren't we presuming that these Islands are going to be pretty tiny? Why load explorers when we can load muskets/rifles and/or workers?

 

[Provolution]

Good call, we should add musket escorts then.

 

[Sir Donald III]

Frigates cannot hold troops. Add a Galleon to the Expeditionary Fleet. Possibly a second for Garrison Support (Explorers can't defend vs an attack.)

 

[blackheart]

I would like to advocate that in each of the fleets 2 of the galleons be loaded with purely cavalry and the last galleon with all muskets. We need garrisoning units after the invasion. Of course this wouldn't be enough to hold out for long, so we need to keep spare galleons in our harbors ready to transport a massive army to a newly captured port.

Actually Provo, if we are planning a decisive and quick war, why don't we just combine all of the galleons together and have one huge amphibious assault. We could use the frigates to block off the enemy's sea lanes and bombard the ports.

 

[Provolution]

Remember, we are two oceans apart, so we need two assault fleets. Plus, we only want to take out 1-3 cities in a war. I agree on your troop composition, but would add a cannon or two as well.

 

[blackheart]

We should have a fourth galleon each then, for the cannons. Unless we are going to haul major ass in getting reinforcements to the battlezone all is not going to be well.

 

[Provolution]

ok, I will summarize so far what the verbal support to the military reforms goes.
First of all, we cannot have any revolution UNTIL we have built down our forces to an ecomomic sustainable level or that we have built up our bank infrastructure to carry the costs. I also would prefer Monarchy until we stabilized some borders and built a complete railroad network to allow for a trimmed down military. As long as we have no real road network to all cities, and the infrastructure is still being built, we need to delay the revolution for the best prepared time to do so.

So, based on the following reform debate, I will poll the Reform Package before my term starts, and when it passes, I will poll all casus belli, war objective and war closure
criteria in natural continuation of our

The TERM IV MSAV MILITARY REFORM BILL.

15 Grade C Units will be disbanded in Grumpypuss and Kagemusha in order to build up our border defenses to the Powerful Neighbor France. This is done in order to save the national budget, save expenses, increase research and streamline our military.

2 Horsemen
2 Warriors
11 Spears

19 Grade B Units, 15 Veteran and 4 Swordsmen will be localized in the pivotal region facing both Iroquois Occupied SOuth Roman terriroty and the Babylonian Grapes of Wrath Region in our Southern Army. I will later poll if any vintage war should take place and against Iroquois or Babylonia, or in which criteria should be fulfilled for the MSAV to declare war on either of these. These will have some core Samurai and Cannon units. The plan is to sacrifice these non-upgradeable units in a Vintage War before these turn to old, and then retire the remainder in peripheral rim towns.

The Majority of the Grade A units will be localized on the Franco-Zulu border, where I will poll the prospect of a Final Samurai War, and then poll sub-criteria for if and how this should take place. This force will be mainly Samurai Veterans, cannons and muskets. Finally, the Japanatican cities will be held by pikemen and muskets.

I will also post the "TERM IV MSAV NAVAL DOCTRINE BILL", and poll suboptions. Do we need a Western Ocean Fleet, an Eastern Ocean Fleet, an Ecploration Expedition amd A Privateer Corps? And which missions should we assign to these fleets. Please state your opinions on this here.

I would also ask for the Domestic Ministry, led by SD3 and soon Zarn to transfer all Roman and Babylonian workers to Kagemusha and Grumpypuss, and ask for the building of 3 fortresses in the area, as well as military roads. Prisoners of War should ideally be part of the Military Organization of Japanatica in order to develop military infrastructure, roads, railroads and defenseworks as well as boost border territories.
So we will ask for a MSAV-DOMESTIC PRISONER OF WAR INDUSTRIAL LABOR BILL.

THE BACKING OF THESE THREE BILLS WILL ALLOW US TO DEMOCRATIZE THE MILITARY
OPERATIONS OF JAPANATICA, SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU STATE YOUR VIEWS HERE. As soon as these are discussed and polled prior to TERM IV, I will poll operational doctrines to each and every civilization on our continent.

 

[DaveShack]

Foreign workers do not cost maintenance, so they should not be included in the economic analysis. Adding a foreign worker to a border town (well to any town for that matter) yields a foreign citizen, which increases flip risk -- see any of the flip calculators. I always keep foreign workers and join native workers in my individual games -- two free workers are better than one which counts against the unit total.

 

[Provolution]

DS , even better, then certainly all Prisoners of War should belong to the Ministry of War.
If that is the case, I would gently ask for POWs to be transferred to Military Worker Camps for military projects in building military infrastructure.