BoA clearly draws a lot of inspiration from Avalon Hill's great 1776 game. The regions and strategic areas are identical, the major and minor rivers and bateau movement are the same, and the rebel militia recruiting seems to be pretty similar. In fact this is what I find appealing about BoA - it seems to draw on what was wonderful in 1776 while ditching the parts I didn't love.
But I have a question about recruitment. In 1776 most of the grand strategy was driven by recruitment. Before the redcoats showed up each strategic region would recruit plenty of continentals (presumably because the state governments didn't feel the need to tie up manpower in their militias), but would have very little rebel militia activity and lots of tory militia activity. Once the redcoats controlled at least one strategic city continental recruitment would drop off a fair bit, but rebel milita would increase dramatically and tory militia would all but disappear. Of course, if the British Regulars were present in the region and controlled no strategic cities at all the rebels would hit the trifecta - lots of continentals and rebel militia, and very few tories.
What this meant was that it wasn't too hard for the British to enter a region, because they had tories in place and rebel militia were few, but once there it was essential that they held on to at least one strategic city. This strongly pushes the British to behave roughly historically. If they abandon New England all together they face huge numbers of continental recruits in the region. It is very tempting for the Brit to expand the war into new regions, because the regions he ignores recruit lots of continentals, but have very few militia available to defend them.
As I understand it, rebel recruitment works basically this way in BoA. But in 1776 rebel militia and continental work very differently based on the presence of the Brits - continental recruitment gets worse and worse and the British position improves, while rebel militia activity increases when the British arrive and only really tails off when the British have overrun the entire region. I have no idea how realistic this is, but it drives British strategy in 1776.
Is there a similar dynamic in BoA? Do you get the same upsurge in militia recruitment combined with a decrease in continental recruitment when the British take their first strategic town in a region?
Globally yes, it is very similar. 
The militia recruitment is also limited by a "force pool", i.e. even if the Brits shows up in a region, no more militia will be raised if they are already all on map.
On the other hand, training may improve some militias into CA regulars.
But CA regulars have also a force pool which is region based: for instance, if the Brits ignore Deep South for some time, the CA raised there will stop once all regiments are on map.
Clearly, the percentage chance of raising new troops (militia and CA alike) is linked to the presence of the Brits in the region, and their more or less important control of strategic cities... in some way, the dynamic works in a similar fashion, even if the "rules" are different
The militia recruitment is also limited by a "force pool", i.e. even if the Brits shows up in a region, no more militia will be raised if they are already all on map.
On the other hand, training may improve some militias into CA regulars.
But CA regulars have also a force pool which is region based: for instance, if the Brits ignore Deep South for some time, the CA raised there will stop once all regiments are on map.
Clearly, the percentage chance of raising new troops (militia and CA alike) is linked to the presence of the Brits in the region, and their more or less important control of strategic cities... in some way, the dynamic works in a similar fashion, even if the "rules" are different
Forgive me for being a pain, but I'd like a little clarification.
Does the rebel militia recruitment increase as the continental recruitment decreases? (Ignoring the fact that some milita units will be trained to continental status.)
In 1776 when the British enter a region and take a strategic city continental recruitment drops off, but rebel militia recruitment jumps, usually more than doubling. Is there a similar dynamic (getting more militia and fewer continentals) in BoA?
Does the rebel militia recruitment increase as the continental recruitment decreases? (Ignoring the fact that some milita units will be trained to continental status.)
In 1776 when the British enter a region and take a strategic city continental recruitment drops off, but rebel militia recruitment jumps, usually more than doubling. Is there a similar dynamic (getting more militia and fewer continentals) in BoA?
The rebel militias recruitment rate is bell-shaped: None to few if there is no British or if they have all towns, and peaked when there is British without towns.
The CA recruitements are inversely proportionnal to the number of towns the British have. The less they have, the more are recruited.
This is bound by Force Pool and there is also a feedback loop: the coefficient is further adjusted by how much the Force Pool is depleted. So all things being equals, if you have a nearly empty force pool compared to a full one, you will get far less new units.
The CA recruitements are inversely proportionnal to the number of towns the British have. The less they have, the more are recruited.
This is bound by Force Pool and there is also a feedback loop: the coefficient is further adjusted by how much the Force Pool is depleted. So all things being equals, if you have a nearly empty force pool compared to a full one, you will get far less new units.
Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."
Does it matter if there is 1 British unit or 50 in a region to how many militia are recruited or is the presence of a single unit enough to trigger maximum militia recruitment? Does the presence of Tory units in a region have any influence and vice-versa?
Can you give any more information about the factors that influence the recruitment of Tory militia? I assume they also have a force pool. If militia units are destroyed is any % returned to the force pool or are they lost for good?
Very interesting and helpful topic.
Thanks, Chris
Can you give any more information about the factors that influence the recruitment of Tory militia? I assume they also have a force pool. If militia units are destroyed is any % returned to the force pool or are they lost for good?
Very interesting and helpful topic.
Thanks, Chris
One other question about this. In the PBEM campaign game I'm playing I have just retaken Norfolk. The unit I have in Norfolk is the only unit I have in the entire region. Will this units presence trigger a massive American militia recruitment drive in the region? If so I may be better to have no units in the region. In that case it may also be better for my PBEM partner not to attempt to drive me out of Norfolk. I hope this is not the case as it would seem a bit gamey. I hope the number of units in a region is a factor in the number of militia raised due to their presence? If not it would also make a player very weary of briefly straying into another regional area (as I did when I moved into the Deep South Dismal swamp area just south of Norfolk)
I hope I don't trigger a large American militia recruitment just through moving a handful of units into or through a region I have no other units in?
Can you clarify this?
Cheers, Chris
I hope I don't trigger a large American militia recruitment just through moving a handful of units into or through a region I have no other units in?
Can you clarify this?
Cheers, Chris
Its kind like you say, but the percentages are very graduals in fact and you won't see suddenly a hord of militias coming. You will see more compared to the situation where there is no British in the district, but that's all.
If you have all cities and there is more Loyalists (in population) / insurgents, the coefficient is 0
Same, but there is more insurgents: x0.12
If you have most cities but not all: x0.25
If you have some cities, but less compared to the rebel: x0.37
If you have no cities AND you have troops: x0.50
if you are not in any of these cases (and have no troops): x0.25
As you see the logical conditions kind of overlap but are a bit confusing. We will see with Philippe if we can switch to something more arithmetic, like additives conditions.
If you have all cities and there is more Loyalists (in population) / insurgents, the coefficient is 0
Same, but there is more insurgents: x0.12
If you have most cities but not all: x0.25
If you have some cities, but less compared to the rebel: x0.37
If you have no cities AND you have troops: x0.50
if you are not in any of these cases (and have no troops): x0.25
As you see the logical conditions kind of overlap but are a bit confusing. We will see with Philippe if we can switch to something more arithmetic, like additives conditions.
Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."
I don't think it's really all that gamey. If you stay in Norfolk you cause increased militia recruitment, but you also curtail continental recruitment. That's not necessarily a huge plus for the rebels, and is historically close to reality. I think the history shows that the appropriate British behavior is to stay away from a region until you can comit to it in force.
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