Combat has only seriously changed very recently. Siege engines were around etc. They only thing that wasn't really was equipment was the same value for def. and off. and cohesion didn't exist.
I can recall population, but can't recall if it actually declined.. erm it was 8 years ago! There was an option to call out the militia which gave you 800 man units in the capital when it's threatened (still around? not sure). It was a hell of a fight though.
Eh... recently?
There have been changes to combat several times both directly and indirectly during the last 8 years, cavalry with bows is still my dream even if it would be banned in the Barony due to cultural reasons. I remember when they introduced the marshal system and the confusion that followed, a longer chain of command with weary generals who was used to control the battlefield . What confused me was the absence of squirrels in Shiverwood but I guess Tom had killed them to make way for the northern vikings march towards Brackhead.
To be honest I like that the game changes even if I curse most of the time as most changes is a nerf towards my characters not counting when Zortagh become the richest character ever in the BM history (Taxes almost killed him )
