Thu Nov 21, 2013 8:20 pm
Yes - provided you train them up, you effectively have an unlimited force pool for these units. I'd only mention four caveats:-
1) Conversion of the "Volunteers" unit into an "Inf (conscript) Rgt" unit will not occur while the former is part of a division. If it is subsequently removed from the division, it will convert (next turn).
2) The AI will not do this. So if you're doing this against the AI, you're gaining an unfair advantage.
3) You will create duplicate elements. Single element units automatically give their name to the element. So if the you merge the 2nd Illinois Mil. unit into the 1st Illinois Mil. unit, the next Volunteer unit you raise for Illinois will be called the 2nd Illinois Mil., with a single regiment called the 2nd Illinois Mil., even though that regiment is already part of the previously merged unit. This process can be repeated over and over. So if you're a special fan of the 2nd Illinois Mil. or even the Tennessee 'Beach Creek Jerkers', you can make them a very large part of your army.
4) No real historical basis. OK, at the start of the war there were a few existing militia regiments on both sides that converted themselves into volunteer regiments for Federal or Confederate States service. After that, I've not been able to discover any instances. If you really wanted to "see the elephant", you joined a volunteer regiment for up to 3 years service. If you preferred to be a "fireside fusilier", you joined the militia - at least until the draft gave you no choice. I don't think a couple of weeks' training even from the charismatic Little Mac would have persuaded the 7th New York Mil. to give up their sandwiches from Delmonico's and their velvet-covered camp stools.
I may well be in a minority of one here, but I think it would be better if "Volunteers" units had at least two elements from the start. The units should not convert by training, although the individual elements still could. The flavour names should be the same as for the normal infantry, not militia. You could regard these units as regiments rushed to the front after only the most basic training at muster camp. That did happen. As for the state militia units, I would not allow either the units or elements to convert by training. These guys are at home most of the time, and they want it to stay that way.
Just a humble suggestion.