With two recent somewhat active threads suggesting improvements to the current combat system, specifically unit-side improvements, I have come to form the opinion that, while there do exist some serious flaws in the current system, the way to fix them is not through setting up additional parameters that would serve only to complicate the system even more.
On my personal imagined agenda would be first the establishment of a somewhat reliable logic for all units. Currently mixed infantry are about as insane as they were when I first experienced their insanity in 2007. While several changes have occurred, it does not appear to me that there is any real logic behind how some units behave, especially those stupid mixed infantry.
That's not too bad, the randomness. Many things play a role in the world's ways, but always chaos has its rightful place, after all. But still, a little clearer and more predictable "rules" of unit behavior might help. It's not just mixed infantry either. All ranged forces have some sort of strange behavior in terms of range, and advance/retreat. And I mean *all* ranged units. If at least they were a bit more consistent, battles could be a bit more planned with affirmative strategy rather than contingent strategy (Ok, I'm not sure what the real technical terms are, so I used some colloquial vocabulary. In the former case, I'm talking about something like Chess, where the rules of movement are completely known by both players, and the variable against which to plan is the opponent's moves. In the latter case, I'm talking about something like I guess...Poker? Ok, maybe bad example, but some sort of game where the primary strategy is to form a plan that might not be the optimal strategy in terms of reward/efficiency/whatever, but that which can resist unpredictable variables best, or in the best balance with the desired other outcomes. In this case, the variable that must be battled is randomness itself.)
As far as unit-side and commander-side stuff, I don't see much problem with how it is right now. The stats on the unit describe the necessary components for a "realistic" battle. Mood (morale), cohesion (...), and readiness (training, though this is a bit mixed with cohesion. I consider cohesion to be the interpersonal bonds formed between the soldiers, and training to be the physical and mental conditioning imposed).
But there are probably many things that those more experienced with BM's combat system have noticed that are seriously lacking. This is a call for all those flaws, to see where people are coming from with their feature requests about the combat system. And please add your proposed fixes, and why that would improve.
