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KOTH: The Case for Change An Analysis of the Military Force Composition for the Kingdom of Koth By: Charles R. Mosteller |
| KOTH'S CURRENT TROOP COMPOSITION Kothic Royal Cavalry : Troop Type 1 Troop Category : HC - Heavy Cavalry Missile Combat Ability : None Melee Combat Ability : Excellent Morale : Excellent Movement Rate : 5 The cost to train and outfit is MODERATE. Minimum = 0% Maximum = 15% Kothic Archers : Troop Type 2 Troop Category : LIA - Light Infantry Archers Missile Combat Ability : Superior Melee Combat Ability : Poor Morale : Good Movement Rate : 4 The cost to train and outfit is MODERATE. Minimum = 40% Maximum = 60% Kothic Spears : Troop Type 3 Troop Category : MI - Medium Infantry Missile Combat Ability : None Melee Combat Ability : Good Morale : Good Movement Rate : 3 The cost to train and outfit is LOW. Minimum = 40% Maximum = 50% Kothic War Chariots : Troop Type 4 Troop Category : HCH - Heavy Chariots Missile Combat Ability : Good Melee Combat Ability : Excellent Morale : Good Movement Rate : 4 The cost to train and outfit is HIGH. Minimum = 0% Maximum = 10% Desert Mercenaries : Troop Type 5 Troop Category : LC - Light Cavalry Missile Combat Ability : Good Melee Combat Ability : Good Morale : Good Movement Rate : 6 Well adapted to combat in Desert and will fight with increased ability. The cost to train and outfit is LOW. Minimum = 0% Maximum = 1 troop Current Minimum Army Composition: 40% - Light Infantry Archers 40% - Medium Infantry NOTE: This yields a maximum heavy troop capability of 20%. NOTE: This set-up only allows a maximum degree of flexibility in troop composition of 20%. Koth's military weakness is traceable, not to any one singular cause, but rather, to a combination of different factors that, when taken together as a whole, impose a collective toll upon the kingdom. First and foremost amongst these factors is the 40% Minimum that Koth is saddled with, where its forced reliance upon a high percentage of light infantry archers is concerned. Superior Missile Combat Ability of these light infantry archers is mitigated where missile superiority is not achieved, which appears to be in most instances. Exacerbating this troop unit's problem is that it is also saddled with a Poor Melee Combat Ability. Thus, once the archery phase is past, almost half of Koth's required troops immediately become fodder for the heavier troop types of Koth's immediate neighbors. If the desire is to try and remedy's Koth's military deficiencies and shortcomings with the bare minimum of change, then the primary candidate for change is the Minimum Troop Requirement Percentage for Kothic Archers (Troop Type 2). A noticeable reduction of this Minimum Troop Requirement Percentage for Kothic Archers is recommended, accordingly. If this is the only change to be implemented to Koth's military, then Koth should be required to maintain no greater than 20% Kothic Archers, though requiring Koth to maintain no greater than 10% to 15% is recommended, instead. The easiest way to instill greater flexibility in Koth's military composition is by reducing the Minimum Troop Percentage Requirements where they exist, which is concentrated in two troop types - Kothic Archers (Troop Type 2) and Kothic Spears (Troop Type 3). Why? Because these two troop types, alone, account for 80% - four-fifths - of Koth's military composition. At first glance, Koth appears to be capable of fielding up to 25% heavy troops. This is derived from the fact that Koth can maintain a maximum of 15% Kothic Royal Cavalry (Heavy cavalry) and a maximum of 10% Kothic War Chariots (Heavy Chariots). Yet, this is not actually the case. This potential for 25% heavy troops is mitigated by the dual minimum percentages of the Kothic Archers and Kothic Spears, which are 40% and 40%, respectively. Taken together, light and medium troops must account for a bare minimum of no less than 80% of Koth's military composition. This yields the de facto maximum remaining troop percentage of 20% which can be filled with heavy troops. Koth's over reliance upon high percentages of light and medium troops is further exacerbated by Koth possessing a mercenary capability so small as to be of no real consequence. Both of the quasi-Kothic states of Khauran and Khoraja possess greater access to mercenary forces than the Kothic motherland, itself, possesses. Aside from being a paradox in the historical setting, it spotlights a key component of Koth's military shortcomings. Koth's access to mercenary forces, which is limited to a grand maximum of just one troop unit of mercenaries, even when viewed in its very best light, still provides no recourse for Koth to increase its troop composition with heavy mercenary troops. Koth is limited to just one troop unit of mercenaries, and even they are light cavalry. For all practical purposes, Koth possesses no mercenary capability of consequence to bolster its standard troop base with. On top of its other problems, Koth is saddled with a mercenary capability that lacks substance and which fails, utterly, to off-set the multiple other problems which collectively undermine Koth's military composition. If all kingdoms had access to the same troop types and/or troop capabilities, then the respective player kingdoms would become less distinct, in comparison to one another. Thus, simply implementing access to heavy mercenary troops by Koth, in the vein of Aquilonia or Turan, or even Khauran and Khoraja, is not something that should be undertaken lightly, if at all. Any attempts to remedy Koth's military shortcomings should be carried out in a way that preserves, or if at all possible, enhances Koth's uniqueness as a kingdom. Otherwise, kingdoms will begin to take on more of a generic feel. Thirty-six player kingdoms transformed into clones, or which have clone capabilities of one another, would result in a diminishment of the feel of the Hyborian setting. Additionally, the more difficult and more complicated and more time consuming it becomes to effectuate changes to Koth's military, the less feasible that it becomes for RSI to try and remedy such shortcomings with Koth's military as otherwise may exist and be viewed with consensus by both RSI and the Hyborian war player community at large. While it might be ideal for many things about the game's programming to be changed, the player community should be realistic and understand that a "wish list" of changes is neither feasible nor realistic, in terms of the excess demand that a littany of broad changes would impose upon RSI's limited staff and manpower capabilities. In short, programming changes and quality control of such changes does not transpire by the wish method. NEW TROOP TYPES One way to remedy Koth's military shortcomings and deficiencies is for RSI to create new troop types for Koth. This, however, may entail greater effort on RSI's part to implement necessary programming changes to effectuate such, compared to other methods available for trying to address such shortcomings in Koth's military. A variation on creating new troop types would be for RSI to change existing troop types to new troop types or to change stats on existing Kothic troop types. Of course, the stats on the existing troop types could be altered, without changing the troop types, themselves. Justification for adding new Kothic troop types, or for changing existing Kothic troop types, can be found in Robert E. Howard's writings. For example, in the tale, "The Scarlet Citadel," Robert E, Howard wrote: "Strabonus' Shemitish bowmen had wrought havoc among his knights, feathering them with shafts that found every crevice in their armor, shooting down the horses, the Kothian pikemen rushing in to spear the fallen riders." Thus, clearly then, there is ample precedent for the creation of a Kothian Pikemen troop unit, which would be a new troop type for Koth, to be found within the history and storylines set in Hyboria. Whether creating that particular new unit type would remedy the Kothic military's shortcomings in Hyborian War, though, is a separate issue. Perhaps it would, or perhaps it would not. Analysis is necessary to arrive at a determination on that particular point. However, the creation of new troop types out of whole cloth may entail a major undertaking, in terms of what would be necessary, in programming terms, to implement entirely new troop types. I would recommend against creating entirely new troop types, unless no other way to remedy Koth's military shortcomings can be demonstrated. I just think that creating new troop types would be one of the least efficient ways, in terms of maximizing the use of a finite amount of time and resources dedicated to programing changes, to go about "fixing" what ails Koth's military. OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE MALADIES While many players of Hyborian War, notably a number of veterans with man years of first-hand experience to judge from, agree that Koth's military needs to be "fixed," because of its shortcomings and deficiencies, unanimty on the correct "solution" to remedy Koth's military maladies is not to be found. Unanimity, however, is an unrealistic expectation to serve as valid basis to warrant making changes of any type to Koth's military. One aspect of the overall issue which is deserving of being expounded upon, though, is whether Koth's military shortcomings are offensive or defensive in nature, or perhaps both. If defensive, then one possible route to bolster Koth's defensive capability is to increase its starting number of troops. This type of change could perhaps be effectuated without necessarily implementing other changes along with it. But, even if the starting number of troops for Koth were increased, without other changes also being made, Koth would still suffer from its pre-existing over dependence upon light and medium troops. THE KOTHIC MERCENARY PARADOX In his treatise, "The Hyborian Age," Robert E. Howard described Koth as one of the kingdoms that dominate the western portion of Hyboria. Specifically, he said: "Five hundred years later the kingdoms of the world are clearly defined. The kingdoms of the Hyborians--Aquilonia, Nemedia, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Koth, Ophir, Argos, Corinthia, and one known as the Border Kingdom--dominate the western world." In the kingdom set-up report for Koth, RSI described Koth and its relationship to the quasi-Kothic entites of Khauran and Khoraja in the following manner: "Khoraja and Khauran remain independent Kothic states, valuable as trading partners but untrustworthy always, and bothersome in time of Kothic expansion. Ours is an august position, foremost among our peers and beneficient to our inferiors, sometimes to a fault." Koth is the Kothic motherland, foremost amongst the Kothic states, has been around and existed as a kingdom for hundreds of years longer than either Khoraja or Khauran, and yet, it has the least mercenary capability of the Kothic triumvirate, even to the point of it being almost nonexistent, and certainly inconsequential. How odd it strikes one for Koth, the supposed and avowed "pride of the southern Hyborian world," to have the smallest mercenary capability of the three Kothic states. If RSI is to be believed in Koth's kingdom set-up report, to only be able to hire one, single troop of mercenaries at any given time, no matter the threat or threats posed to it by multiple enemies, creates the paradox of the Kothic mercenary dilemma. Common sense, historical tradition, standing amongst its peers in the Kothic triumvirate, and its geograhical proximity of being surrounded by nations on all sides that possess significant capability to raise, not just mercenaries, but heavy mercenaries, begs that this paradoxical oddity be redressed. While, certainly, one method of providing remedy for the Kothic mercenary paradox would be for RSI to implement access to mercenaries for Koth of no less than its Kothic sister states of Khauran and Khoraja, there is another possibility worthy of being explored which could provide an expanded Kothic mercenary capability, while simultaneously avoiding packing Koth with too much mercenary punch. If the one troop limit for Koth to raise its existing Troop Type 5 (Desert Mercenaries) were raised, Koth could gain a useful mercenary capability, I believe. Koth does not have to be transformed into another Aquilonia, in terms of military and mercenary might, to have a military which is both functional and substantially unique. Allowing Koth to raise an increased number of Desert Mercenaries, which, granted, are light cavalry troops, would bolster Koth's military capability. To have a noticeable impact upon the Kothic military capability status quo, Koth would need to be able to raise a noticeable number of these light cavalry mercenary troops. Accordingly, a maximum of 20 or 30 that could be raised is recommended. By not founding Koth's mercenary capability upon a percentage basis, this approach would help to keep Koth distinctive in feel and play from both its sister Kothic states and from neighoring mercenary-capable kingdoms, as well. Furthermore, by endowing Koth with a more robust light mercenary capability, rather than imbuing it with a full heavy mercenary capability, the light mercenary capability would be less likely to create disproportionate imbalances in the status quo with the seven different player kingdoms that border Koth - imbalances that may well entail further adjustments to account for a Koth that packs a heavy mercenary punch. While raising the maximum limit on the number of Desert Mercenaries that Koth can raise would not provide a stand alone remedy of Koth's shortcomings in the area of heavy troops, if taken as part of a broader effort to provide Koth a series of adjustments to its military capability, I do believe that this approach can, nonetheless, be a worthwhile element and an integral component of an overall solution for the oft-lamented Kothic military dilemma. REVISION OF PERCENTAGES Koth has heavy troop capabilities built into the kingdom, already. One way to redress shortcomings in this area is by simply revising the maximum and minimum percentages of its various troop types. Simply increasing the maximum percentage of heavy troops allowed to be raised by Koth will not, in and of itself, either fix the core deficiencies in this area, nor will it actually change the composition of Koth's military composition. Why? Because, unless the minimum percentages for Troop Type 2 and Troop Type 3 are reduced, those very same minimum troop percentage requirements will continue to govern and to control Koth's military predicament. The crucial issue, in this regard, is what is the "right percentage number" of heavy troops for Koth's military to possess? If the current maximum percentage of heavy troops that can be fielded by Koth is 20% of its overall troop base, and this is insufficient, as a developing concensus of veteran players of Hyborian War indicates, then the "right percentage number" must be higher than 20%. There is little point in going to the trouble and effort of making changes to Koth's military in the game's programming, if no one then is really able to discern any detectable difference. Accordingly, whatever changes are made to Koth's military should be noticeable, and particularly to veteran players of the game, since they, by default, have extensive first-hand experience with the balance considerations of the game which any changes to the game's programming hold the prospect of impacting. To effectuate a degree of change that is noticeable, an increase of at least 20% in the maximum percentage of heavy troops allowed to be fielded by Koth is probably in order. A review of the maximum allowable percentage of heavy troops by Koth's neighboring player kingdoms is appropriate, I feel, to do a comparison of those kingdoms most likely to feel any immediate impact of a revised Kothic heavy troop capability. Argos: 75% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Ophir: 70% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Corinthia: 95% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Zamora: 65% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Khauran: 30% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Khoraja: 40% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Shem: 90% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Koth (currently): 20% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Koth (proposed): 50% maximum percentage of heavy troops as part of their overall military. Proposed Percentage Changes to Koth's Troop Types Kothic Royal Cavalry : Troop Type 1 Troop Category : HC - Heavy Cavalry Minimum = 0% Maximum = 25% Kothic Archers : Troop Type 2 Troop Category : LIA - Light Infantry Archers Minimum = 20% Maximum = 60% Kothic Spears : Troop Type 3 Troop Category : MI - Medium Infantry Minimum = 30% Maximum = 50% Kothic War Chariots : Troop Type 4 Troop Category : HCH - Heavy Chariots Minimum = 0% Maximum = 40% Desert Mercenaries : Troop Type 5 Troop Category : LC - Light Cavalry Minimum = 0% Maximum = 20 troops UNIQUENESS OF THE KINGDOM The proposed changes to Koth's maximum and minimum troop type percentages would, I believe, better reflect Koth as being foremost among its Kothic state peers, where the quasi-Kothic states of Khauran and Khoraja are concerned, since it would give Koth a slightly higher, but noticeable, maximum percentage of heavy troops compared to its smaller Kothic peers. A great fear of both Khoraja and Khauran should rightly be that Koth may one day try to strip them of their independence. Increasing Koth's heavy troop maximum percentages may enable Koth to be in a better position to bully both Khoraja and Khauran, but this would be more in keeping with the historical relationship between these three kingdoms. These proposed changes would also enable Koth to field sizeable heavy chariot forces, which would help to distinguish Koth from the other player kingdoms in the game of Hyborian War. The Kothic player could still forego the use of the expanded heavy troop potential, if desired, and rely upon light and medium troops, if that is the strategy that they want to pursue, while playing Koth. By increasing to 50% from the current 20%, Koth's maximum percentage of heavy troops allowed to comprise its overall military would provide a needed boost to Koth's ability to compete on more equal footing with its immediate neighboring kingdoms, yet except for its two smaller Kothic brethern states of Khauran and Khoraja, Koth would still possess the smallest maximum percentage of heavy troops allowable, where its overall troop numbers are concerned. Also, by allowing Koth to raise up to 30 troops of Desert Mercenaries (Light Cavalry), this would help to bridge the remaining 15% gap in the maximum allowable heavy troop percentage between Koth and its next closest non-Kothic state neighbor, Zamora. One irony of the Desert Mercenaries troop type that Koth is allowed to raise is that this troop type has a movement rate of 6. Yet, unless Koth only has a single, solitary troop of this type in an otherwise empty army, then the Koth player will never really be able to realize any discernible benefit from having a troop type that has a movement rating of 6. Allowing Koth to be able to have more than just one of Troop Type 5 at a time would enable the Koth player, if they so desire, to field an army of size which could exploit the movement rate of 6, the highest for any Koth troop type. Simultaneously, though, by limiting Koth to be able to have no more than 20 of these light cavalry mercenaries, Koth could never fill a full 30-troop army with them. Having less than 20 would tend to reduce the utility value of the troop type, itself, since they are light troops, yet precluding Koth from having a full 30-troop army of Troop Type 5 imposes some degree of limitation upon Koth for using this troop type to conduct offensive invasions most effectively, as adding additional troops of other types to a 20 troop Desert Mercenaries army would have the immediate effect of reducing the movement rate of such an army below the movement rate of 6 which that particular troop type enjoys. THE STARTING NUMBER OF TROOPS It would be possible to off-set at least part of Koth's military deficiencies, by making no other changes than simply to increase the overall number of troops that Koth starts the game with. In Conan's time, Koth was constantly in the throes of civil war.
Source: The Gazateer Hyboria Being in the throes of war could easily account for why Koth does not start the game with more troops than it currently starts the game with. At least some troops could reasonably be expected to have already been killed over the course of the civil war that Koth is constantly in the throes of. A review and comparison of the total number of troops that Koth's immediate neighboring kingdoms start the game with is in order, before a decision to increase Koth's starting number of troops should be made. Argos: Starts the game with 56 troops. Ophir: Starts the game with 70 troops. Corinthia: Starts the game with 60 troops. Zamora: Starts the game with 43 troops. Khauran: Starts the game with 29 troops. Khoraja: Starts the game with 22 troops. Shem: Starts the game with 68 troops. Koth (currently): Starts the game with 77 troops. Accordingly, I would not recommend an increase in the starting number of troops for Koth. It already starts the game with more than three times the number of troops that Khoraja starts the game with, and in fact, Koth starts the game with more troops than any of its immediate neighboring player kingdoms. If, however, an increase in Koth's starting number of troops is to be made, then the advantage accrued by Koth in such an instance should be counter-balanced elsewhere, unless this is the only change made to Koth's military composition. Changes elsewhere can be made to remedy Koth's military shortcomings, without increasing Koth's preponderance of numbers, where its starting number of troops is concerned. HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS Its ancient capital, Khorshemish, is the center of the armor-making industry that is Koth's pride and joy.
Source: The Gazateer Hyboria Koth's armor-making industry is Koth's pride and joy, according to this source. An increase in Koth's maximum allowable percentages of heavy troops would better reflect the armor industry of historical Koth. It would seem paradoxical for the armor-making industry to, on the one hand, be Koth's pride and joy, but on the other hand, Koth to have less heavily armored troops than even the smaller quasi-Kothic states of Khauran and Khoraja. Almost all scholars discussing Koth's history have presumed it to be the first of the Hyborian kingdoms.
Source: The Gazateer Hyboria By having been established as a kingdom for such an extensive period of time (Khorshemish was Koth's ancient capital, according to the previous source cited), even to the point of being widely presumed to have been the "first of the Hyborian kingdoms," is an argument that stands in favor of Koth being placed on more equal footing, in terms of its mercenary capability compared to that of its immediate neighbors who are, by default, also Koth's most immediate threats. The elephant-being, Yag-kosha, mentions Koth between Nemedia and Aquilonia as he speaks of ancient Hyborian kingdoms.
Source: The Gazateer Hyboria Here, again, it is alluded to that Koth has been around for a very long time. How a kingdom so well established as Koth is only able to possess a mercenary capability of just one single troop, even though its much younger quasi-Kothic neighbors of Khauran and Khoraja possess many times the mercenary capability of Koth, remains a mystery, and seems at odd with the historical order. In Conan's time, Koth was constantly in the throes of civil war.
Source: The Gazateer Hyboria Since Conan is a figure that appears during game play of Hyborian War, we can safely assume, then, that Koth is in the throes of civil war. Being in the throes of civil war is actually an argument that favors no increase in Koth's overall starting number of troops. However, how a kingdom in the throes of civil war has a mercenary capability that is virtually non-existent, seems rather odd. Why? Because a civil war would provide a setting where mercenaries would enjoy a multitude of opportunity for employment. Still, Kothic kings covet Khauran, and ever seek to absorb it in their empire.
Only the most clever economic and political manipulations hold Koth at bay, for now. Source: Hyborian War Kingdom Set-Up Report for Khauran According to RSI's own historical commentary, as contained in the kingdom set-up report for Khauran, Koth is held at bay from absorbing Khauran into its empire by manipulations that are both economic and political - not military in nature. Thus, it defies explanation, from a historical context, why Khauran possesses a mercenary capability that is vastly greater than Koth's. CONCLUSION The grand object, it would seem to me, would not be to transform Koth into another Aquilonia, nor to eliminate all of Koth's built-in vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Rather, the grand object should be to simply make Koth more competitive, to imbue the Koth player with a more realistic chance of going toe-to-toe with Koth's most likely enemies, while simultaneously retaining or improving elements which make Koth unique as a kingdom in the game. SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC CHANGES RECOMMENDED AND PROPOSED FOR KOTH 1. Decrease the Minimum Percentage for Troop Type 2 from 40% to 20%. 2. Decrease the Minimum Percentage for Troop Type 3 from 40% to 30%. 3. Increase the Maximum Percentage for Troop Type 1 from 15% to 25%. 4. Increase the Maximum Percentage for Troop Type 4 from 10% to 40%. 5. Increase the maximum number of troops allowed raised of Troop Type 5 from 1 to 20. |