Provisions...Troop stravation... Who needs em?

[Kalanar]

Quick preface, I love the game and hope I'm not being too harsh, I really appreciate all the hard work the devs do!  :D

But...

I really don't see the beneficial impact of provisions. From what I've read, it takes longer than week to starve to death, and I can accept that maybe not eating for a day might make you weak, I can't accept that it would make you unfit for battle.

Therefore, when a soldier is wounded for lack of food that he previously had the day before, I need to abstract it in my mind and say... "He had some illness... that because he didn't eat... flared up...?" It really shows the mechanics of the game taking a hard line.

Also, how long do armies typically stay in the field away from their power bases (In BM not in real life)? A week? Two? Not long enough for very many to starve (realistically, not in BM). And there is already morale penalties for being abroad, equipment damage and bonds to cash to prevent armies from stomping and camping wherever they please for too long.

I think this is a mechanic that adds nothing to game play but frustration. I don't think soldiers should consume food. Especially when 8113 peasants can survive on 17 bushels of food per day. That means to feed one man it costs .002 bushels of food. Lets say the average unit is 50men, that's .1 bushels. Lets say the average army is 1000men, that's 2 bushels of food to feed a whole army, per day. One week, 14 bushels. It's pretty insignificant, especially when provisions would only be used when in provinces that don't produce surpluses. 

I understand the feature isn't finished, but I wanted to share my concerns.

[Kalanar]

I also get that it will shake up food demand a little more, which is good... but at what cost!? at what cost!? (insert dramatic pose)

[Anaris]

It also takes longer than 3 weeks for summer to turn to autumn, and longer than a nanosecond for information to travel from one end of a continent to the other.

Many things are abstracted in the name of better gameplay.

Are provisions "better gameplay"?

Well, they're better than starving, but possibly worse than caravans, at least for now.

I think we're going to need to see how things shake out once the feature is more finished.

[pcw27]

Here's an easy way to rationalize. "food" also covers beer and wine, the primary source of hydration in the medieval world. When your soldiers don't have provisions they are forced to drink water, bingo they get sick. Going a full day without water is not fun, doing so outside in the heat while possibly marching, digging trenches, fighting or patrolling your camp can push you well into the realm of dehydration.

Still the provisions system leaves something to be desired that the caravan system had. Namely you could steal food for your realm. Maybe that could just be brought back and made to utilize the current trade system. To keep the ability from being broken the amount stolen could be very limited.

[Anaris]

As has been said a few times already, you can steal food for your realm. It goes straight to the granaries of your home region.

[pcw27]

I was not aware.

[Penchant]

stuff and
I think this is a mechanic that adds nothing to game play but frustration. I don't think soldiers should consume food. Especially when 8113 peasants can survive on 17 bushels of food per day. That means to feed one man it costs .002 bushels of food. Lets say the average unit is 50men, that's .1 bushels. Lets say the average army is 1000men, that's 2 bushels of food to feed a whole army, per day. One week, 14 bushels. It's pretty insignificant, especially when provisions would only be used when in provinces that don't produce surpluses. 

I understand the feature isn't finished, but I wanted to share my concerns.

First, you are complaining about a feature that only helps. Before provisions you were just screwed going into a starving region, now provisions makes it possible to be there for awhile without being hurt from starvation. Also the whole complaining about a feature that only helps I can definitely tell is annoying Tom because you are not the only one, which is always bad. Second, provisions are only used in regions that are starving where you make it sound like its every region that doesn't produce a surplus which is far from true, in fact if you are in a region with a surplus you gain provisions. Also like you said the feature isn't completely done yet.

[Kalanar]

*CENSORED BY USER*

[Kalanar]

Anaris, pcw27 I appreciate your constructive responses.

[Tom]

There are two things unfinished about provisions right now.

One is that when they run out, you immediately starve at the starvation level of the region, not like someone who just ran out. I have an idea on how to handle that with negative provision levels, but it simply isn't there, yet.

Two is that you can't intentionally fill up provisions. That is because the game mechanics and balance issues are more complicated than the auto-fill we have right now and I need some time (and less bugs to fix) to work it out.

[Anaris]

One is that when they run out, you immediately starve at the starvation level of the region, not like someone who just ran out. I have an idea on how to handle that with negative provision levels, but it simply isn't there, yet.

You mind if I take a crack at that? This seems like the kind of thing that it would be good to have up and running ASAP, especially for Dwilight.

[Bael]

There are two things unfinished about provisions right now.

One is that when they run out, you immediately starve at the starvation level of the region, not like someone who just ran out. I have an idea on how to handle that with negative provision levels, but it simply isn't there, yet.

Two is that you can't intentionally fill up provisions. That is because the game mechanics and balance issues are more complicated than the auto-fill we have right now and I need some time (and less bugs to fix) to work it out.

So presumably it is a bug if I get the "Surplus food in the region allows for friendly troops to resupply." numerous times and still only have 10% supplies? Or is it affected by unit size?

[Kalanar]

I'm curious how the resupply works too. Does it come out of the surplus ? Or is it just a check if there is a surplus, and doesn't effect the number of bushels in the region?

[egamma]

So presumably it is a bug if I get the "Surplus food in the region allows for friendly troops to resupply." numerous times and still only have 10% supplies? Or is it affected by unit size?

Was your unit stationary in the region at the dawn turn?

[Penchant]

I'm curious how the resupply works too. Does it come out of the surplus ? Or is it just a check if there is a surplus, and doesn't effect the number of bushels in the region?

Its the second one I believe.