Reconciling Scale in Wesnoth

[UK1]

So in battles we have "Units" capturing "Villages". There are scalar problems here and I think the Writing Forum is the best place to resolve them. Villages are villages. I don't think there's any disputing that. They are a group of people living in a place, together. One soldier simply could not capture a village. It would be impossible. I'm aware that villages can be small, but they can only be so small. Several families with improvised weapons could easily fight off a single soldier. If we are to believe that the Peasant unit is capable of killing a Spearman unit in favorable numbers of about 3:1, surely a Village could do the same. For there must be several such peasants in a Village.

Therefore, I contend that for the use of villages to make sense, "units" must represent multiple soldiers. But then we run into more issues. Surely some units DO represent individuals. I hardly think, for instance, that Delfador had a bunch of other Delfadors running about with him, mumbling obvious advice and shooting lightning bolts when there are no ore-AMLA units around.

How do we reconcile these things? Anyone?

[iceiceice]

Ahem:

http://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?t=1158

FREQUENTLY PROPOSED IDEAS: (summary)

General principles

Wesnoth deliberately maintains a simple User interface and style of play. Ideas that would alter the fundamental nature of Wesnoth just won't be accepted, no matter how good they are. Fundamental parts of Wesnoth's nature are:

...

An abstracted sense of scale. Wesnoth uses a simplified scale system where 1 thing (eg. 1 unit, 1 village, 1 type of terrain) takes up 1 hex.

http://wiki.wesnoth.org/FrequentlyProposedIdeas

IMPORTANT: More importantly than not reproposing an idea, you should make sure that it does not violate a Wesnoth Acronym:
WINR: Wesnoth Is Not Realistic. If you want a realistic game, search the Internet for "wargame". Wesnoth is not a wargame.
KISS: Keep it Simple, Stupid: Keep things easy to program, or you will have to program them yourself...

Other relevant acronyms:
HAPMA: Hexes Are Possibly Miles Across: However, WINR. See http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1882.

The consensus appears to be that it is fine for scale to be abstract in Wesnoth, no need to "reconcile" these "scalar problems".

[firefox]

I guess Delfador could easily take over any village by showing the peasants his ligthening magic.
Then they would either be impressed or frightened and hand over the village.
Delfador has no need for a squad.

[gnombat]

Also, note UAPEB - Units Are Possibly Entire Battalions

http://wiki.wesnoth.org/Glossary#Wesnothian_Acronyms

[Zepher79]

Not sure if this counts as a necro, but I was thinking about this while playing the other day. The way it made sense in my head is that the unit and name we see on the board is most representative of a particular leader and their own group of soldiers who follow them, the number varying depending on the type. For example, the Cavalryman unit might represent the commander of a group of calvary numbering a few dozen while a Wose unit might represent only a handful of them, led by an elder. What I like about this abstraction is that it also explains a few other game conventions such as hit points (representing the state of gear, moral, and wounded soldiers) and especially view distance various units have (representing the handful of scouts any battalion of soldiers would send out ahead and to the flanks to gather intelligence for them without actually engaging the enemy.).

As for things such as magic users and the like, I'd justify it by perhaps thinking about the various assistants and bodyguards they would likely employ to keep them supplied and safe so they could perform their spells without being distracted by having to field all needs personally. If that were the case, even a dozen lightly armored soldiers led by a person able to cast gouts of fire could easily command a village to lay down their arms, perhaps by fear alone.

Also, the healing in villages makes more sense as it isn't simply resting for a single combatant, but the repairs of a whole battalion that require the work of a blacksmith, healing of the wounded, and perhaps recruiting from the local populace if need be. (Which is especially morbid if you thought about the implications that makes when playing the undead...) Obviously an established settlement would be able to speed up this kind of work rather than soldiers simply having to scavenge off the land and do all their own repairs.

Again, this is just how it's been playing out in my own head, and depending on what scale you prefer to think in it could expand a battle that we see from the clash of a dozen units into a fierce battle between several hundred soldiers led by a dozen veteran commanders!

[holypaladin]

Also, note UAPEB - Units Are Possibly Entire Battalions

http://wiki.wesnoth.org/Glossary#Wesnothian_Acronyms

So how about heroes? Are they as well whole battalions?

[lhybrideur]

Could be the hero and its bataillon.

[holypaladin]

Still we're get used to think of units as just units.

[Ravana]

If you are used to it then that should be the end of discussion.