Re-Equipping Units

[unmerged(78752)]

Something that I feel to be quite annoying in the present game is the way that units can only ever be (eg) Infantry Divisions OR Mech Divisions OR Escort Fighter wings etc.
In reality, a division could be re-equipped so that it could change from (eg) a cavalry division to an Armoured Division. Similarly (as another poster mentioned on an earlier thread), a Leg Infantry Division should be able to be re-equipped as Mechanised Infantry.
The same holds true of Air Force Assets. An Interceptor Fighter wing should be able to be re-equipped to a Fighter or Escort Fighter role.
Fair enough, a ship can only either be upgraded or scraped (though I suppose the odd cruiser was converted into an aircraft carrier...) but I think the game should permit greater flexibility to 're-brand' air and land formations.

This would be simple enough - when building a 'new' formation, the system would simply ask if you want to build a new formation from scratch, or re-equip an existing division. Choosing the latter would be cheaper and faster, but would require the player to select the division in question, thus essentially taking it out of action for the duration of the process.

 

[Balesir]

Good notion! This, too, would work well with 'upgrades' being done by creating STR zero divisions and then 'combining' them with current divisions. This would work by creating the new unit you want at STR zero (this should be standard, I think) and then 'melding' it with the old one at a suitable base (after moving them into the same location). The new unit would have the type and tech of the newly made unit and the STR and experience, etc. of the old one.

 

[unmerged(64364)]

There would need to be some sort of penalty (To experience perhaps) for this change of roll but otherwise the idea may have merit. It is particulalry daft not to be able to turn infantry into motorised Infantry just by adding trucks.

Of course the counter argument here is that you can already do this: you disband a division and then use the manpower released to 'train and re-equip' the division via the build queue.

The new suggestion is essentially the same as doing the above but presumably because these troops are essentially already trained to some degree it ought to be possible to do it quicker and with a reduction in resource requirements (since they already have rifles, mess tins etc.)

They could appear on the build queue (like HOI1) and return when converted.

 

[Balesir]

Rather than the build queue I would suggest the deployment pool - and all units in the deployment pool should have a base to which they are 'tied' so they disappear and reappear at the same place.

The problem with the current 'disband/rebuild' is that you lose experience - plus it really ought to save time (training) and ICs (basic kit, as Weisenwolf points out). Maybe the components of a Division are:

• Basic Manpower - men with basic kit and training as infantry, tank crews, special forces, etc.
  
  Fighting Kit - weaponry and fighting gear
  
  Transport Kit - trucks, half-tracks, IFVs, tank transporters, whatever
  
  Supplementary Kit - amphibious gear, airdrop gear, additional supply assets

Plus similar for air and sea units (so, e.g. experienced sub crews could be moved to more advanced model subs).

 

[unmerged(64364)]

Interestingly because MOT/MECH are produced later in the game and because most players move their sliders (to varying degree's) towards Professional Army I find that my Mot/Mech divisions usually turn up with more experience than the overwhelming majority of my Infantry.