Training dummies?

[anagain]

I just started a new campaign mission and I'm having no luck getting soldiers to use dummies. I have 2 level 1s and a level 3, but none of them use the ones I place.

I found the use of dummies erratic in the last mission, but they did eventually use them.

I want to get the level 1s up a level or two before I open up the next question marked room, but unless they start training then that's not going to happen.

Any suggestions or hints?

 

[Grombeard]

Do you have a "defend flag" active for the soldiers? I noticed they'll train very rarely when they are on guard duty...

Another general option would be to disband your warriors and order new dwarflings. They level up without doing anything and you'll just have to wait until they're level 10 or so and you instantly get first class fighters for your settlement.

 

[anagain]

I'll turn off the defend flag and see if that helps.

I don't like the idea of using the dwarflings to get first class soldiers. I'm not trying to judge, so please don't take it that way, but it seems like a 'way around things' to me. Not the way for me.


EDIT: Hehe, they started training as soon as I turned off the defend flag. Thanks.

 

[Xerkis]

The other thing is - make sure the dummies are facing the right way. they only have a one way to face.

And the Dwarfling way is a way around it. . . . .but I do that all the time myself. cost less and faster. . . . but it does still not feel right.

 

[Grombeard]

I do the dwarfling thing in the campaign because i want to finish it quickly. I guess in custom mode i wouldn't want to dismiss a single dwarf...

 

[City Builder]

Using dwarflings keeps the pace of the game for the player. If your troops are wiped out and you have to start over at level 1 troops again it's going to severely slow down your game, where as keeping maybe 3 to 5 dwarflings running around just eating your food and sleeping in your beds and leveled up means that you can get your troops right back into action when you need them instead of a losing situation you might have a fighting chance if you've got some spare dwarflings standing around waiting for a job to be assigned to (i.e., military units).

I try to get to a minimum of 17 population allowance as soon as possible so that I can afford to have maybe 5 dwarflings standing around all the time until I actually need them. At first though I thought it felt very cheaty until I started to use it and understand how it affects the flow of the game play, now I accept it and would not like to have to do without it.

I'm sure though if polled, we'd likely get a 50/50 on whether or not dwarflings feel cheaty or not.

 

[Maria Theresa]

Maybe we could reach a compromise and make the cost of turning dwarfling into a military dwarf to be dependant on the level of dwarfling. So that higher level dwarfling costs more to turn into military dwarf.

 

[Xerkis]

Maybe we could reach a compromise and make the cost of turning dwarfling into a military dwarf to be dependant on the level of dwarfling. So that higher level dwarfling costs more to turn into military dwarf.

That I like - a lot!
a very good compromise

 

[Grombeard]

Maybe we could reach a compromise and make the cost of turning dwarfling into a military dwarf to be dependant on the level of dwarfling. So that higher level dwarfling costs more to turn into military dwarf.

Yes, this would balance things out. But don't make it too expensive...

 

[Nick Giordano]

I never thought of using dwarflings as reserve troops. Definitely going to try that out!

 

[City Builder]

Maybe we could reach a compromise and make the cost of turning dwarfling into a military dwarf to be dependant on the level of dwarfling. So that higher level dwarfling costs more to turn into military dwarf.

If they did something like that and I'm all for having more gold sinks in the game as it's so plentiful, I'd still like the ability then to put a level cap on my dwarflings, so that I can choose that my dwarflings do not train up past level 10 or past level 15 etc. Then I don't end up with a bunch of dwarflings that I can't use because I just did some massive expansion and decided to tile the entire place in marble that I had to buy from Hemfart.

 

[Illanair]

I'd love a "call to arms" button that turns everyone not already serving into militia at a cost. Emergency troops when your precious hearth is being threatened. :laugh:

 

[JakobWerle]

I'd love a "call to arms" button that turns everyone not already serving into militia at a cost. Emergency troops when your precious hearth is being threatened. :laugh:

lol! too many paradox games played eh? >.< though it sounds like a cool idea

 

[Grombeard]

Another option that came to my mind is maybe limit the max dwarfling level to 10 so you can't instantly replace lvl 15 elite troops, but still they would provide a quick way to replenish lost troops so you're not totally ****ed when your military dwarves got slaughtered.

 

[JakobWerle]

Another option that came to my mind is maybe limit the max dwarfling level to 10 so you can't instantly replace lvl 15 elite troops, but still they would provide a quick way to replenish lost troops so you're not totally ****ed when your military dwarves got slaughtered.

That is a perfect idea. I dislike when my leveled dwarves die, and all I have left is a fresh bunch of level 1 recruits. Goodbye beautiful architecture.

 

[Xerkis]

I think a cap at level 10 for the Dwarflings is a good idea.
I would hate to lose a high level (20+) Working or Scholar from an invasion that went very bad. And having a cap on it would be a good compromise. Plus this forces the use of Training Dummies more – another plus out of it.

I also agree that there needs to be more Gold Sinks in the game. And this could be one of them.

So after thinking about this for a bit – yeah, I would be for both of these ideas being implemented.

 

[Illanair]

lol! too many paradox games played eh? >.< though it sounds like a cool idea

Not really - Never noticed it as an option in Paradox games. I got mine from older RTS games such as Warcraft 3 (Humans could make workers go militia for a few seconds) and Age of Empires.

 

[Darkwing88]

10 level caps idea for dwarfling is brilliant for many reasons - right now i had one idle dwarfling that was around level 15 and level 17 warrior wchich was trained from same time when dwarfling arrived. I felt like having idle dwarfs is more rewarding than investing in them.

 

[Pandadan]

Weird game-changing suggestion: Bring Your Dwarfling To Work Day!

Dwarflings do not accrue xp. Or maybe they do, but only up to level 5 or whatever.

Instead, dwarflings can be promoted to an apprentice military/apprentice worker/etc., and accrue xp but otherwise behave as the current dwarflings. Their level cap is, say, level 10.

Apprentices can be promoted to full dwarf (military/worker/etc.) or demoted back to a dwarfling (and their level reduced appropriately).


This actually began as "each full dwarf can have one apprentice, who accrues xp in their mentor's career only and is capped at the mentor's level minus some value, or 75% of their level, or whatever." While I still quite like the idea, it involves a lot of mechanical stuff that doesn't exist in (and may not be appropriate for) AGoD, i.e. assigning dwarves tasks with other dwarves as the target. (then again, we can sell dwarves, so ... hrm, that means they're valid in-game targets for actions…)

 

[ShadowTani]

Maybe we could reach a compromise and make the cost of turning dwarfling into a military dwarf to be dependant on the level of dwarfling. So that higher level dwarfling costs more to turn into military dwarf.

+1 for this change for all classes! The base cost should be low then though, for example 10 x the dwarfling level, which would make a level 5 dwarfling cost the current static expense; a level 20, which most of my dwarflings end up on before I convert them, would cost 200 which wouldn't be too rough even for tourmaline, and therefore not a very intrusive gameplay change IMO, but rather just a healthy boost to the gameplay depth (and a lot more people would likely be more comfortable with the dwarfling system that way). The other class upgrades beyond that should remain static however.

Another option that came to my mind is maybe limit the max dwarfling level to 10 so you can't instantly replace lvl 15 elite troops, but still they would provide a quick way to replenish lost troops so you're not totally ****ed when your military dwarves got slaughtered.

I would only support this idea if you could increase the cap, for example through research, then it would be a superb idea!

Weird game-changing suggestion: Bring Your Dwarfling To Work Day!

Dwarflings do not accrue xp. Or maybe they do, but only up to level 5 or whatever.

Instead, dwarflings can be promoted to an apprentice military/apprentice worker/etc., and accrue xp but otherwise behave as the current dwarflings. Their level cap is, say, level 10.

Apprentices can be promoted to full dwarf (military/worker/etc.) or demoted back to a dwarfling (and their level reduced appropriately).

Not a bad idea... for a different game. It would be too complex and tedious for AgoD IMO.