[SUMMARY: This post deals with the issue of combat power - how units are assigned relative values for shock and fire combat - and to a lesser extent, issues of morale and attrition. Five graphs (three land, two naval) have been developed from game files, and are presented here, together with some limited commentary.]
1. INTRODUCTION
I have converted into graphical form the information that is contained in the files “...EUII / DB / Combat / land.csv” and “...EUII / DB / Combat / naval.csv”. You can find the information in these files reproduced in the following post by State Machine (as well as your hard drive):
http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23218
2. PROCEDURE
For this posting I prepared five graphs - one dealing with land shock values, one dealing with land fire values, a third which shows land morale values, and a fourth and fifth graph which cover naval combat. For each graph, I have plotted technology along the X-axis. However, I have utilized the “average” year of advance (taken from “land.csv”) for axis labels, rather than a simple technology level number. Consequently, although the X-axis of each graph tracks technology, there is a temporal link to the data on unit performance (with Technology Level 0 = 1419, Technology Level 5 = 1485, Technology Level 10 = 1508, etc.). For those among you who are especially pedantic, the number level of a particular technology can be determined by counting marker symbols - however, note that because the first technology is Level 0, the first five technologies shown are Levels 0 - 4, and the next five are levels 5 - 9, etc.
I chose to produce the land graphs using “purchase lots” (1000 infantry / 1000 cavalry / 10 artillery) so that all three combat arms could be shown on a single graph, without resorting to a logarithmic scale (because purchase units are single ships, a similar treatment is effectively provided to naval forces). Where applicable, I kept the original (...rather odd...) percentage units that were used in the “land.csv” file, so as to avoid confusion as to what numbers were being reported. (Note, however, that I have divided all of the percentage values by 1000 to simplify the presentation on the graph [i.e. - 600% is actually 600,000%] - with the division noted on the graph axis description).
Also shown on the graphs are the land/naval combat “Eras”. These are non-numeric items (or rather, they are non-numeric as presented on these graphs) which are intended merely to block out the eras over technology and time. (Although these eras do not have a direct impact on combat values, they do affect the determination of which combat results tables are used - consequently, they have important impacts on land combat, but these impacts are outside of the scope of this particular post.)
3. GRAPHS
a) The Land Shock Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPST.JPG [100 K]
Although there are few dramatic changes in the shock values, there is one period of early and important changes. At Technology Level 0, the relative shock values for cavalry / infantry / artillery are in a ratio of 10 / 1 / 0. From this starting point, the infantry shock value rises markedly over the first several technology levels, increasing by 100% before technology increases to Level 9. Over this same set of technologies, the cavalry shock value declines 20%, so that by technology level 9, the relative values of cavalry / infantry / artillery are 4 / 1 / 0.
Thereafter the changes on this graph reflect recurrent incremental additions in infantry and artillery shock values, with nearly constant shock values for cavalry. At Technology Level 60, the end of the land technology vector, the ratio of shock values for cavalry / infantry / artillery is approximately 4 / 2 / 1.
b) The Land Fire Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPFT.JPG [100 K]
The analysis of cavalry firepower is relatively simple: cavalry firepower is essentially non-existent in the game (indeed, for a good portion of the game it is absolutely none-existent, being equal to zero).
Fire combat shows a much more varied set of values for infantry and artillery. There is no fire combat in the Medieval era, but thereafter, substantial changes occur, as infantry and artillery combat values rise during the Renaissance and Arquebus eras. However, perhaps the most important observation to draw off of this graph is the dramatic increase in the fire value for artillery late in the game. Although the infantry fire value doubles over Technology Levels 20 - 60, the artillery fire value increases eightfold during the same period.
c) The Land Morale Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPMT.JPG [100 K]
Perhaps unremarkably, this graph demonstrates that morale increases incrementally as technology levels increase. However, closer examination shows that the earlier increases occur at a more rapid pace, with morale increasing by 50% over Technology Levels 0 - 7, and increasing by 100% (i.e. doubling from a value of 1.5 to 3.0) over Technology Levels 0 - 11. By way of comparison, it requires another 49 advances - the entire remainder of the Land Combat Technology Vector - to produce another 100% increase in morale values (from 3 to 6).
Also shown on this graph is the VSize value, an undocumented parameter (but, then... they all are...), which some posters have suggested is used to increase (values of VSize > 1) or decrease (values of VSize < 1) the size value of an army which is used in either supply or attrition determinations. (I have collected no statistical information which can be used to objectively evaluate either of these hypotheses.)
d) The Naval Shock and Fire Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPNV.JPG [100 K]
This graph shows the decreasing importance of galleys over time versus warships. However, note that for a significant period of time the galley is the equal - or superior to - the warship in shock values. Unfortunately, there is no clear information in “naval.csv” which can be related to how the galley morale penalty, which is threatened in the manual, is implemented.
e) The Other Naval Values Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPNX.JPG [100 K]
Not surprizingly, this graph shows increasing naval morale, and increasing benefits for the wind gauge, together with declining attrition values over time. However, also included is a “low wind” value which decreases markedly during the period when sail warships are overtaking galleys in combat effectiveness. Although one might be tempted to speculate that this parameter has been included to further improved the effectiveness of galleys early in the game (possibly being responsible for the galley morale penalty, through its decline?), I have no evidence to suggest that it does indeed do this.
1. INTRODUCTION
I have converted into graphical form the information that is contained in the files “...EUII / DB / Combat / land.csv” and “...EUII / DB / Combat / naval.csv”. You can find the information in these files reproduced in the following post by State Machine (as well as your hard drive):
http://www.europa-universalis.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23218
2. PROCEDURE
For this posting I prepared five graphs - one dealing with land shock values, one dealing with land fire values, a third which shows land morale values, and a fourth and fifth graph which cover naval combat. For each graph, I have plotted technology along the X-axis. However, I have utilized the “average” year of advance (taken from “land.csv”) for axis labels, rather than a simple technology level number. Consequently, although the X-axis of each graph tracks technology, there is a temporal link to the data on unit performance (with Technology Level 0 = 1419, Technology Level 5 = 1485, Technology Level 10 = 1508, etc.). For those among you who are especially pedantic, the number level of a particular technology can be determined by counting marker symbols - however, note that because the first technology is Level 0, the first five technologies shown are Levels 0 - 4, and the next five are levels 5 - 9, etc.
I chose to produce the land graphs using “purchase lots” (1000 infantry / 1000 cavalry / 10 artillery) so that all three combat arms could be shown on a single graph, without resorting to a logarithmic scale (because purchase units are single ships, a similar treatment is effectively provided to naval forces). Where applicable, I kept the original (...rather odd...) percentage units that were used in the “land.csv” file, so as to avoid confusion as to what numbers were being reported. (Note, however, that I have divided all of the percentage values by 1000 to simplify the presentation on the graph [i.e. - 600% is actually 600,000%] - with the division noted on the graph axis description).
Also shown on the graphs are the land/naval combat “Eras”. These are non-numeric items (or rather, they are non-numeric as presented on these graphs) which are intended merely to block out the eras over technology and time. (Although these eras do not have a direct impact on combat values, they do affect the determination of which combat results tables are used - consequently, they have important impacts on land combat, but these impacts are outside of the scope of this particular post.)
3. GRAPHS
a) The Land Shock Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPST.JPG [100 K]
Although there are few dramatic changes in the shock values, there is one period of early and important changes. At Technology Level 0, the relative shock values for cavalry / infantry / artillery are in a ratio of 10 / 1 / 0. From this starting point, the infantry shock value rises markedly over the first several technology levels, increasing by 100% before technology increases to Level 9. Over this same set of technologies, the cavalry shock value declines 20%, so that by technology level 9, the relative values of cavalry / infantry / artillery are 4 / 1 / 0.
Thereafter the changes on this graph reflect recurrent incremental additions in infantry and artillery shock values, with nearly constant shock values for cavalry. At Technology Level 60, the end of the land technology vector, the ratio of shock values for cavalry / infantry / artillery is approximately 4 / 2 / 1.
b) The Land Fire Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPFT.JPG [100 K]
The analysis of cavalry firepower is relatively simple: cavalry firepower is essentially non-existent in the game (indeed, for a good portion of the game it is absolutely none-existent, being equal to zero).
Fire combat shows a much more varied set of values for infantry and artillery. There is no fire combat in the Medieval era, but thereafter, substantial changes occur, as infantry and artillery combat values rise during the Renaissance and Arquebus eras. However, perhaps the most important observation to draw off of this graph is the dramatic increase in the fire value for artillery late in the game. Although the infantry fire value doubles over Technology Levels 20 - 60, the artillery fire value increases eightfold during the same period.
c) The Land Morale Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPMT.JPG [100 K]
Perhaps unremarkably, this graph demonstrates that morale increases incrementally as technology levels increase. However, closer examination shows that the earlier increases occur at a more rapid pace, with morale increasing by 50% over Technology Levels 0 - 7, and increasing by 100% (i.e. doubling from a value of 1.5 to 3.0) over Technology Levels 0 - 11. By way of comparison, it requires another 49 advances - the entire remainder of the Land Combat Technology Vector - to produce another 100% increase in morale values (from 3 to 6).
Also shown on this graph is the VSize value, an undocumented parameter (but, then... they all are...), which some posters have suggested is used to increase (values of VSize > 1) or decrease (values of VSize < 1) the size value of an army which is used in either supply or attrition determinations. (I have collected no statistical information which can be used to objectively evaluate either of these hypotheses.)
d) The Naval Shock and Fire Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPNV.JPG [100 K]
This graph shows the decreasing importance of galleys over time versus warships. However, note that for a significant period of time the galley is the equal - or superior to - the warship in shock values. Unfortunately, there is no clear information in “naval.csv” which can be related to how the galley morale penalty, which is threatened in the manual, is implemented.
e) The Other Naval Values Graph
http://home.att.net/~lordbarkingdog/CPNX.JPG [100 K]
Not surprizingly, this graph shows increasing naval morale, and increasing benefits for the wind gauge, together with declining attrition values over time. However, also included is a “low wind” value which decreases markedly during the period when sail warships are overtaking galleys in combat effectiveness. Although one might be tempted to speculate that this parameter has been included to further improved the effectiveness of galleys early in the game (possibly being responsible for the galley morale penalty, through its decline?), I have no evidence to suggest that it does indeed do this.
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I guess Galleys aren't as worthless as I thought!