Military Academies

[AriochIV]

Yes, the experience from multiple instructors does stack. But you can only have one military academy per city.

 

[Enkidu_Warrior]

In my last conquest game, I played Tokugawa and had an amazing capital city.

I ended up running Vassalage and Theocracy, along with 2 great general instructors there. With barracks, Riflemen were starting out with 11 xp - enough for 3 promotions, which they could take on top of Combat I and Drill I, both of which Riflemen happen to get.

Needless to say the game didn't last long after that.

EW

 

[Watiggi]

My current unit production city has 3 instructors, barracks, ger, westpoint, heroic epic and a military academy. With Vassalage and Theocracy, it is producing 17xp Combat V gunpowder units and 21xp Cavalry.

I ultimately used a general as an academy so I could just tip the scale of units built in 3 turns to 2 turns each. I found it really helps at certain times.

 

[Mr. Civtastic]

give a culture boost

Sistine Chapel

 

[Proteus]

My current unit production city has 3 instructors, barracks, ger, westpoint, heroic epic and a military academy. With Vassalage and Theocracy, it is producing 17xp Combat V gunpowder units and 21xp Cavalry.

I ultimately used a general as an academy so I could just tip the scale of units built in 3 turns to 2 turns each. I found it really helps at certain times.

Yep,
my mil city also produces 17 XP units.
Really nice to have Elite units which start with 4 promotions.

Makes it easier to assign them to different duties (as you already can promote them according to the duty)

 

[bitplayer]

Yes, the experience from multiple instructors does stack. But you can only have one military academy per city.

Ah ok thats good to hear. Up till now Ive just been building acadamies in my high production cities with them. Think I might just try for one super military building with them in my next game rather than 3 or 4 so so ones.

 

[Theodorick]

I once had a high production city with barracks, stable, west point, heroic epic, military academy, and one instructor. Talk about an over-powered military city! It was making one powerful unit per turn, and in no time I'd have a new army ready to destroy a nation or two.

Add this in with the right civics and you won't need the great generals on the battle field anymore.

Personally I always use the great generals in a military city, until the 3rd one. The 3rd one is usually spawn by Facism, and I use this on the battlefield. Why waste a great general in battle? If you lose one battle with them, they're gone. At least with the academy and instructor, they'll be there for the rest of the game, and will help in rebuilding your military if it should be destroyed on the battlefield.

 

[Lager]

Even if the leaders provided a 50% boost it would be hard to justify not taking the +2 exp option. With the right wonders and civics and two instructors you can put out a unit a turn with 17 exp points in your military city. I did this with tanks in a Prince game I played recently... CR3, Combat1 straight from the barracks is sick...

 

[Watiggi]

Really nice to have Elite units which start with 4 promotions.

5 promotions for melee/gunpowder units with 17xp, if you have Aggressive. Conducting war with a lot of Combat V units is great - especially if you have a Medic III Warlord nearby. The Combat V units heal really quickly in enemy territory. They are also a Warlord away from Combat VI which really rocks: A jump from +50% strength to +75% is really noticeable in the odds.

 

[AfterShafter]

Even if the leaders provided a 50% boost it would be hard to justify not taking the +2 exp option. With the right wonders and civics and two instructors you can put out a unit a turn with 17 exp points in your military city. I did this with tanks in a Prince game I played recently... CR3, Combat1 straight from the barracks is sick...

Well, the way I look at it is... If the +25% boost will make a rifleman go from 3 to 2 turns in my best production city, while the +2 xp bonus will not actually get them an upgrade out the gate, I consider it worthwhile... Particularly when I'm at a tech disadvantage and need throwaway more than elite units.

Hell, sometimes the 25% bonus allows you take make sacrificial catapults every turn rather than every two turns. That's a huge benefit, moreso than an upgrade on those catapults.

 

[suspendinlight]

I once had a high production city with barracks, stable, west point, heroic epic, military academy, and one instructor. Talk about an over-powered military city! It was making one powerful unit per turn, and in no time I'd have a new army ready to destroy a nation or two.

I'm in the midst of a game where I captured Athens early and turned it into a military power house. It produces over 200 hammers per turn and has:
-2 military instructors
-military academy
-heroic epic
-west point
-pentagon
-barracks, stables, drydock

Plus Tokugawa is agressive/protective and so my units are coming out with like 13 XP and free promotions.

 

[civ_king]

I'm in the midst of a game where I captured Athens early and turned it into a military power house. It produces over 200 hammers per turn and has:
-2 military instructors
-military academy
-heroic epic
-west point
-pentagon
-barracks, stables, drydock

Plus Tokugawa is agressive/protective and so my units are coming out with like 13 XP and free promotions.

in that case go vassalge and theocracy

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Well, the way I look at it is... If the +25% boost will make a rifleman go from 3 to 2 turns in my best production city, while the +2 xp bonus will not actually get them an upgrade out the gate, I consider it worthwhile... Particularly when I'm at a tech disadvantage and need throwaway more than elite units.

Hell, sometimes the 25% bonus allows you take make sacrificial catapults every turn rather than every two turns. That's a huge benefit, moreso than an upgrade on those catapults.

Because of Carry over, that Can't happen.... if it is taking you 2 turns to make catapults now... Exactly 2 turns...that means 20 hammers

and you add a M.A. then that means 25 hammers... which means that
3 catapults will take 2 turns each
2 will take 1 turn each
(8 catapults in 5 turns)
25% just isn't quite enough... especially if most of your military comes out of your Heroic Epic.

 

[Watiggi]

Because of Carry over, that Can't happen.... if it is taking you 2 turns to make catapults now... Exactly 2 turns...that means 20 hammers

and you add a M.A. then that means 25 hammers... which means that
3 catapults will take 2 turns each
2 will take 1 turn each
(8 catapults in 5 turns)
25% just isn't quite enough... especially if most of your military comes out of your Heroic Epic.

You mean, 5 catapults in 8 turns

Krikkitone, I don't think you were meant to take him literally. I think he was making a point whereby the MA allows you to reduce the turn rate, making it quicker to build units. If he was being accurate, then it could have initially been producing around 25 hammers to switch it from 2 turns to 1 turn. 25 hammers will give you a long enough 2 turn build cycle and a 25% increase in hammers (to 31 hammers) tips it over so that it moves into a predominantly 1 turn build cycle.

Now that Trebuchets are going to be increased in cost, this will help alot more.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Right typing too fast

In any case 25% more means you get 25% more units in time or you get the same units in 80% of the time

I don't think that really compares especially if
1. you have a Heroic Epic City to put instructors in
2. you have that Heroic Epic City building most of your military

Now if it was 35% I could see putting it in Several Non-HE Cities if you wanted the 'Stalin' approach to your army (Quantity having its own Quality) and being worthwhile.. As it is, it seems the best use of your GGs is
1. Get the 20+ exp unit so you can Build HE and WP (and to provide an Early boost to your Small Army)
2. Put Instructors in that Super military city (so you can get experienced units built)



As a side note, they really need to eliminate or at least reduce the different exp needed on different time scales.

 

[Murky]

The AI seems to prefer Military Acadamies, I've captured several.

I prefer to mainly use them for specialist +2xp in cities with high unit output.

 

[Paulk]

Hmm maybe make it +33% military production? Than its 1/3 HE and not 1/4.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Well +35 would be more round, but that's what I think would be good.. plus they should give culture, I haven't checked if they do.

 

[Watiggi]

No culture.

I was thinking that the MA would be more for putting in each city. But the number of GG's you get in a standard game kills that idea completely. The GG doesn't give you free techs and doesn't start a Golden Age. The only thing stopping the game from giving many GG's is the fact that you can stack the instructors on itself and thus making units with a ridiculous amount of xp. I think that should be limited to a certain number per city. Then the GG's can be more liberal and so a militaristic empire can be created whereby it can have a Military Academy and Instructors in each city, rather than focus it all in one city. It would be better I would think, more fairer to the other civs while also being favourable for the militaristic civs.

 

[Colossian]

I don't like that I have to control too many units. I dont like to waste all my time to control the enormous units. I hope the unit cost is going up. The unit upkeep cost is too low. I like civving, not warfare.