I have a quick idea I wanted to run by you guys. Actually, it`s not my idea
-- it was taken from the Battletech collectable card game.

Rather than actually having to keep track of where all military units are at
any given time, we can assume that much of the military can be sent to
"Patrol". When invaded, quick patrol units will be able to respond to
hostile incursions, while slower patrol units will not.

In order for this to work all all units (or possibly all Armies,
compromising multiple units) must have a certain assigned Speed or Move or
Initiative rating. When attacking a realm, only defending units that are
set specifically to guard the province you are invading (regardless of
Speed) and units assigned to Patrol that match or exceed your attackers`
Speed can respond to your attack. All units assigned to Patrol that are
slower than your attacking units, can not respond.

In order for this to work, there has to be some balancing factors between a
unit`s military effectiveness and its Speed. Slower units/armies should
generally be more powerful, while faster units should be weaker, but more
versatile.

There also has to be some reason to attack one province over another, and
currently there really isn`t one. There`s an easy way out in saying that an
opponent doesn`t know which provinces are being guarded and which are not;
but this just unnecessarily adds to a bookkeeping nightmare. I`d rather
have some provinces actually worth more than others somehow.

Military movements are more abstract, and there is less realism/simulation
concerning the strategic movement/deployment of troops. Also there`s not so
much emphasis on how far a unit can move, what type of terrain is involved,
or how much it costs to put an army on the march. Most of the
military-strategic decisions actually become economic-strategic decisions as
you decide which provinces to guard, and what kind of units to purchase for
your military.

This system does provide a greater emphasise on combinations of different
units, as you will need to balance Speed with overall effectiveness. You
*could* respond to every single incursion with units of weak Scouts from
your Patrol area if you really wanted to, but most likely you will also need
some cavalry and other specialized deployment-units, too.

For those who like the old system, you could still deploy every single
defender to guard a specific province if you really wanted to. But you have
some additional options under this system. Some armies for example, may
prefer slower, more powerful units to guard the capitol and other key
provinces. This same army may prefer to invade in full force with slower
units engaging massive amounts of enemy resistance in full bloody battles.
Another army, however, might prefer to harass an enemy with faster units
that can strike at unprotected provinces without worrying about the Patrol
-- these units wouldn`t do much damage, but they`d be able to get in and get
out quickly, and over time, they could be a significant threat.

I`ll post more details later.

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