Civ5 promotions from military buildings vs. Civ6

[Tomice]

Civ5 gave us free promotions from military buildings, while in civ6, encampment buildings only give a bonus to earning promotions.
Was there a specific reason to change this?

I was just thinking that the old system would help to solve a few issues in civ6:
- Encampments would be more desirable to build
- Upgrading would no longer be strictly better than newly building units.
- Unit lines like scouts and carriers would be easier to upgrade.

Also, peaceful players wouldn't be mostly locked out of a fun part of the game.

Opinions?

Also, was there ever a mod that changed things back to the old system?
Haven't found any, but it's a hard to search topic (very common phrases)

 

[AmazonQueen]

If you're a peaceful player your army shouldn't be as good as that of a warmonger. I wouldn't mind if you could get the 1st, maybe 2nd, promotion from buildings but elite veterans should be the product of experience.

 

[MrRadar]

There was a very good post as to the 'why the change' on a similar thread.

 

[Tomice]

Thank you Mr. Radar, I quoted it here for further reference:

I think the reason the barracks, armory, and academy (and naval counter parts) work the way they do is so that the newer units will be able to keep up with the older units. Older units take the span of a few wars in the early game to get to level 4, but by the late game, you usually have so many units and so many fronts that it would be hard for them to earn enough experience to be as valuable as your long-standing veterans, if the rates were identical. Instead, units built from the proper training facilities in the late game are able be competitive because they earn experience faster.

I personally think this is better than the approach in V because it dramatically shortens the time necessary for xp gathering time in the later eras to get the top tier promotions.

The problem here is:
- A civ5-style system would give you 90 free experience (what's needed to reach lvl 4)
- To earn 90 free XP with the current system, you would first need to earn 120 xp from combat

In other words, it would take 60 extra XP to go from lvl 4 to 5 in a civ5 system.
In the currently implemented civ6 system, you need 86xp to reach lvl5 even if the unit was built from a military academy. Not to mention it has to survive several battles in its weak, unpromoted state.
Sure, on the way up to very high levels, the civ6 system would eventually overtake, but it's a long way to get to this point.


Edit:
If I calculated correctly, the civ6 system reaches lvl6 (225xp) and onwards faster

 

[Tomice]

If you're a peaceful player your army shouldn't be as good as that of a warmonger. I wouldn't mind if you could get the 1st, maybe 2nd, promotion from buildings but elite veterans should be the product of experience.

Warmongers would still have higher promotions!
Peaceful civs would stay at 3 promotions max, while warmongers would start there and go further up.

 

[Jaybe]

By whichever system, civ5 or 6, better-trained units should cost more production AND potentially more maintenance.

And I STILL want to be able to rename my units as soon as they appear, or at ANYtime thereafter.

 

[Mr. Shadows]

The promotions are shiny and attractive but it's the insta-heal that matters. A fresh unit from a military academy will get its first and second insta-heals so fast that it can fight continuously until the second heal is spent. That's a huge force multiplier that makes a fresh unit better than a promoted one.

 

[Sostratus]

Well I'm pretty sure that units lose the bonus to exp rate when they level up, like many other promotions they get from things like natural wonders.
@Victoria is the expert in that, though.

Even if it was restricted so that such units only got one free promotion, you'd still have things like Janissaries starting at 2, so they could have 3 move right away. Don't even get me started on how dangerous it would be making it easier for Incans to amass more Ambush warak'aqs would be.
I do miss it though, especially how if you had autocracy or brandenburg gate you could get that delicious 60xp promo for Uber bombers.

 

[Victoria]

Well I'm pretty sure that units lose the bonus to exp rate when they level up,

Yup, lazy mechanics, no memory, just field modification.

 

[Archon_Wing]

I guess it makes more sense?

No amount of training makes up for actual experience. It makes sense that training makes it easier to become experienced. Also promotions in the game are rather strong. +7 combat is a lot and a veteran army with promotions utterly squashes one that does not.

Maybe a free promotion with a military academy? Give a reason to actually build one.