Strategy for Unit Upgrades

[albiedamned]

Yes, this is true. The upgrade cost does change based on number of units in the field when the upgrade is to a new "line" of units. The upgrade to Light Tank is a new line, ie, going from heavy cavalry to tanks. However, I bet once you have light tanks and you are ready to upgrade to modern age tanks, the upgrade cost should not depend on number of units in the field. This is a bit hypothetical on my part since I didn't test this exact scenario, but this would make it consistent with the results I saw in my tests. When upgrading from slingers to javelineers to elite javelineers, or directly from slingers to elite javelineers, the upgrade cost did not change based on number of units in the field. But when upgrading to arquebusier (a new line, gunpowder infantry), the upgrade cost did depend on number of units in the field.

[tniem]

Very very very interesting. Nice work albiedamned. And to BHG. They gave this a lot of thought. To upgrade between units of the same age without cost is smart. The extra cost however to build up to the next age type units just make sense. So BHG has done a marvelous.

Let me see if I fully get it though. Which of these is cheaper: dispanding a full line of units before the upgrade and then rebuilding your army or simply upgrading? Now the answer would be simply upgrading because the cost of upgrading is simply the difference in cost between the two unit types correct?


p.s. Obviously the disbanding all would not be cheaper but I kind of meant sending them all in an attack and having them die but hurt my enemy. That way I would not be paying for their upgrade.

[albiedamned]

Originally posted by tniem
Let me see if I fully get it though. Which of these is cheaper: dispanding a full line of units before the upgrade and then rebuilding your army or simply upgrading? Now the answer would be simply upgrading because the cost of upgrading is simply the difference in cost between the two unit types correct?

Upgrading to a new unit line (ie elite javelineer to arquebusier) would be cheaper if you disbanded all the units in the original unit line (or lost them in battle) first. It would make no difference when upgrading within a unit line, ie, slinger to javelineer. But even when upgrading to a new line this would not be a good strategy, since the combined cost of building all the units back up is a lot more than the savings you get in the upgrade cost. If you look at my results, at the end of the first test run, you'll see that each time I disbanded an elite javelineer the upgrade cost for arquebusier went down by 30f, 20t. This was a fixed rate of decrease - it didn't change with each unit I disbanded. And the cost of building a new arquebusier is more than the amount of the decrease.

The most important strategic implication of all this is that it pays to hold off on your upgrades as long as possible, since it costs more to upgrade incrementally. If it doesn't look like you will be fighting, hold off an age or two on your upgrades.

[albiedamned]

After looking at unit production costs, I have a new theory on unit upgrade costs. Before I was saying that upgrades within a unit line, like slinger to javelineer, don't depend on number of units in the field, while upgrades across lines, like elite javelineer to arquebuiser, do depend on number of units in the field. Now I think the upgrade has a fixed base cost plus an additional cost which is number of units in the field times the difference in unit production cost. This gives the exact same results as my first theory, since unit production costs do not change within a line but they do go up when you advance to the next line. My test results (see page 1 of this thread) support this new theory precisely since an arquebusier costs 30f, 20t more than a light infantry, so I'm pretty sure it's correct.

[Timeline]

WoW, this is amazing!

Excellent work albiedamned, you should be proud!

[Bridger]

Originally posted by albiedamned


Upgrading to a new unit line (ie elite javelineer to arquebusier) would be cheaper if you disbanded all the units in the original unit line (or lost them in battle) first.

hmm, this is odd, i'm so confused now, somebody from BHG clear this up!