Where do replacements come from?

[Heldenkaiser]

I have read the manual and several FAQs and strategy guides on this one, but I don't seem to be able to figure out where replacements come from. I understand the need to have them, but what constitutes the pool? Is it shared with the one for reinforcements, so the total manpower raised goes into one big pool, and I can either make it into reinforcements or replacements? The more of the one sort, the less of the other? What determines the upper limit for replacements on the revelant screen?

Pointing me to a thread or document where this is covered is good enough. Thanks.

[Coffee Sergeant]

Reinforcements are new units that take time to build. They spawn in a random town of the state you draft them from (although the larger cities tend to get more units)

Replacements are used to bring units which have suffered casualties back up to full strength. Each point represents a full element of the given type(for infantry, 1000 men, for calvary, 750 men, etc.), although the way works out is that a damaged unit only has a certain probability of using up the point, depending on how many men it needs to replace. They did this to keep the numbers small, and it works out in the statistical long run, sense. So it say an infantry regiment needs to replace 100 men, then it only has a ~10% chance to use up the point (a full regiment is 1000 men and each point = 1000 men). On average, for each 1000 infantrymen replaceed, one point will be used up.

Both replacements and reinforcements require money, conscripts and (usually) war supplies. In this sense it all does draw from the same "pool" of resources.

[Coregonas]

The numbers in each pool explains you how many regiments are in your army. For instance if you have a line infantry pool with the following 2 numbers

4
75

it means you have 75 elements of line infantry and just 4 in the replacement pool

So you should build more replacements according to those 2 figures. 10% of the total is a common use value.

Also, you get some free replacements (mainly infantry / cavalry / militia) during a few initial turns. But you must build most of the replacements needed.

[Rafiki]

"Well, you see, Heldenkaiser, when a daddy and a mommy love each other very much, the dadda gives the mommy a special kind of hug, and some months later, a stork comes and delivers some replacements....."

(I'm kinda shocked that your parents haven't covered stuff like this for you?)

[Primasprit]

[Gray_Lensman]

deleted

[Heldenkaiser]

No, Rafiki, they did neglect to tell me that. (Trying in vain to picture the stork bringing 138 conscript companies of replacements ... )

I guess what I am wondering is this ... I order men recruited (call for volunteers or draft). I get so-and-so-many companies (is this the total listed at the bottom of the replacements screen?). Now these companies are the pool out of which I can either make reinforcements (new units) or replacements (for existing units)? And if I don't use them all up, what happens to the rest? I mean, those turned into reinforcements go into new units. Those turned into replacements ... actually, what do they do? Sit in some replacement depots waiting to be assigned? And now thirdly, those that I turn into neither reinforcements nor replacements, where do I picture them? Are they some sort of silent reserve for either purpose? Sitting at home waiting to be called up?

Guess what I don't get is how this all ties together ...

[Rafiki]

Let's see if we can do this step by step

1. You receive conscript companies either from your regions or from events. These are stored in a national pool, which you can see at the top of the screen, and you can also see projected totals in various places (e.g. the replacements screen as you say).

2 You use conscript companies in two ways:

2A: Buy reinforcements (new units). This is pretty straight-forward; the units spend a variable amount of time on the map, building strength, and become available after a short or longer while.

2B: Buy replacement chits. These are bought and collected in separate pools for each type of element (e.g. "line infantry" or "cavalry"). By themselves, replacement chits don't do anything, nor can you use them directly, but they are needed for repairing and replacing elements.

3 Your replacement chits can be used in two ways:

3A Repairing damaged elements. Damaged elements will recover some of their strength each turn; the rate will vary based on type of element, where it is located and whether it's a Union or CSA element. There is a chance that each element replacing losses like this will spend a replacement chit, but it's not certain it will. Note that even if an element wouldn't have spent a chit while repairing itself, it still requires that there is at least one chit in the appropriate pool for any repairs to occur.

3B Replacing eliminated elements. Units that are missing elements compared to their original TO&E can recover one of them each turn. This will spend a replacement chit of the corresponding type

For some details concerning this, check out http://www.ageod.net/aacwwiki/Manual:Losses_and_replacements

[Heldenkaiser]

Excellent information, Rafiki. Many thanks. I think I got it now, except one thing ... what happens to entirely unused conscript companies? I.e. if at the end of my turn I have some unused, just as I have money left, or war materials? Do they stay around waiting for the next turn?

And is 1 conscription point = 1 conscript company? The replacement screen uses the latter term, the financial screen the former ...

[Rafiki]

Excellent information, Rafiki. Many thanks. I think I got it now, except one thing ... what happens to entirely unused conscript companies? I.e. if at the end of my turn I have some unused, just as I have money left, or war materials? Do they stay around waiting for the next turn?

Yes.

And is 1 conscription point = 1 conscript company? The replacement screen uses the latter term, the financial screen the former ...

Yes.

[Heldenkaiser]

Thanks.

[Heldenkaiser]

One more question ...

In the replacements menu, the mouse-over explanation in each box gives something like this

Replacements already in pool
Replacements ordered to be built
Number of elements on map using this replacement type (huge number)

(Quoting from memory.)

Now the third line ... I would understand that to mean that in all my army there are so many elements (sub-units) of this type. Hence so many in potential need of replacements.

Only why does this number go down when I order replacements of this type?

[GShock]

You confuse the reinforcements and replacements.

The third line (the huge number) in reinforcements are the total number of that unit type you can build on the whole theater from that state (that's why when you buy one it gets subtracted from the total potential production) while in the replacement screen, the third line shows you how many you already have on the field (and it doesnt decrease of course).

[Eoghammer]

One more question ...

In the replacements menu, the mouse-over explanation in each box gives something like this

Replacements already in pool
Replacements ordered to be built
Number of elements on map using this replacement type (huge number)

(Quoting from memory.)

Now the third line ... I would understand that to mean that in all my army there are so many elements (sub-units) of this type. Hence so many in potential need of replacements.

Only why does this number go down when I order replacements of this type?

it is normal as you can't have more replacement ordered that the number of element on the map. So the number on the map is reduced by the number you just ordered.

[Tazilon]

it is normal as you can't have more replacement ordered that the number of element on the map. So the number on the map is reduced by the number you just ordered.

As it is currently labelled, it makes no sense to me.

Since you don't need a 1:1 ratio, it doesn't matter, but...


Say I have 10 units in the field and 0 replacements.

I build 1 replacement and my "units in the field" drops to 9 on the screen. If I build my second replacement, my "in the field" drops to 8.

If I can't build more than what I have in the field, then this system either doesn't work as intended, gives you erroneous data or is labelled incorrectly. Quite obviously, building a replacement does not lower the number of units I have in the field.

I'm thinking it is a case of the third line being incorrectly labelled. It should read "Number of Replacements you can build", not "units in the field".

If that is the case, the label should be changed, as it is beyond confusing the way it is now.

[Heldenkaiser]

I am suffering from the same confusion as Tazilon. There must be an error somewhere, probably in the mouse-over explanation, third line.

And I *do* know reinforcements from replacements.

[GShock]

And I *do* know reinforcements from replacements.

It's as eoghammer says then.

[arsan]

I have noticed this too.
I understand this as that the thrid line number has a two fold meaning.
Its both the total number of this element on map and the max number of this kind of replacement you can buy on a given turn.
Because, as Egogammer says, both numbers are the same.
I think each turn the number resets to the number of elements on map so the quirk its only noticeable as you buy replacements.
Don't know if i had been able to explain my self... does it makes any sense??

Regards!

[Tazilon]

I have noticed this too.
I understand this as that the thrid line number has a two fold meaning.
Its both the total number of this element on map and the max number of this kind of replacement you can buy on a given turn.
Because, as Egogammer says, both numbers are the same.
I think each turn the number resets to the number of elements on map so the quirk its only noticeable as you buy replacements.
Don't know if i had been able to explain my self... does it makes any sense??

Regards!

It does reset every turn. The problem is that it does not represent what it says it does. It represents how many replacement you can still build that turn - NOT how many units you have in the field. As I said, if I have 10 units in the field and build 1 replacement, this number drops to 9. Building a replacement did NOT cause me to lose 1 unit in the field.

It DID however, reduce the number of replacements I can still build. Thus my contention the number is actually, "replacements you can build", not "units in the field".

[GShock]

Probably a small tooltip glitch. Easy to fix in this case. Does Pocus know about this?

[arsan]

Thus my contention the number is actually, "replacements you can build", not "units in the field".

But as you can build only as many replacements as units of that kind as you have on the field (in theory, of course, you will never want to spend on so many replacements. A 10% is more than enough, IMHO) the number represents both concepts as the same time... at least before you begin buying this kind of replacement.
Regards!

[Tazilon]

Arsan,

Before you buy replacements, it accidently represents both numbers. But, as soon as you buy 1 replacement, the number no longer represents what it says it does. It is not labelled correctly.

A broken watch is correct twice a day - but that doesn't mean it is a reliable reference of time. This number is only correct until you use it - then it no longer matches its label.

Once again, if you have 10 units and buy 1 replacement, the number becomes 9. This no longer accurately portrays your number in the field as you still have 10 in the field - not 9. It DOES accurately portray how many replacements you can still build.

The label is wrong and should be corrected. It is extremely confusing to newer players who have not yet figured out it isn't what it says it is.

[Gray_Lensman]

deleted

[arsan]

Arsan,

Before you buy replacements, it accidently represents both numbers. But, as soon as you buy 1 replacement, the number no longer represents what it says it does. It is not labelled correctly.

A broken watch is correct twice a day - but that doesn't mean it is a reliable reference of time. This number is only correct until you use it - then it no longer matches its label.

Once again, if you have 10 units and buy 1 replacement, the number becomes 9. This no longer accurately portrays your number in the field as you still have 10 in the field - not 9. It DOES accurately portray how many replacements you can still build.

The label is wrong and should be corrected. It is extremely confusing to newer players who have not yet figured out it isn't what it says it is.

Yes you are right. Thats exactly how it works.
I agree the tooltip is not clear about the twofold meaning of the number.
Still this broken "watch" is still useful IMHO as:

- Before buying any replacement it tells you how many "potential costumers" you have on the field for this replacements so you can know how much replacements you must buy to have an adecuate reserve.
- As you but them it tells you how many you still have in store to buy.

Now, if someone can state this two meanings clearly on a short tooltip of course it will be an improvement

I think the second info is less useful as probably nobody will buy as much replacements of one kind so as to hit the max limit. At least if he know how to play.
Regards!

[lodilefty]

The text for the tooltip is in the LocalStrings_ACW file

strRPLPoolNumbersHint

[Tazilon]

Tazilon:

This obviously needs to be fixed, but please excuse the original programmer/developers for the occasional grammatical errors which you will occasionally run across. English is not their first language and sometimes the subtle differences are not so immediately apparent to them. You do have to admit that this game is superbly designed even though they were working with some language challenges.

No pardon is needed as no accusations or complaints are being registered. I think we are all trying to make a good game even better by pointing out and clarifying such things.


The solution is extremely simple:

Change the tool tip to read "Number of replacements available for purchase." If you wish to also display how many units are in the field, you need to add another number. This one number can't do both since it decreases everytime you buy a replacement.

I would suggest a future patch changing the top line to "Number of units in the field." , the second line to "Number of replacement units." and the third line to "Number of replacements available for purchase." then adjusting the counts in the top two lines to correctly count those items.

That way, the player gets all the info he needs to effectively use the replacement screen.