new resource to worry about (population/manpower)

[visual kestrel]

basically, this can be a toggleable mechanic that can make you not just worry about budget, but also about your people.

basically, if a ship has 6 crew, it will consume 6 manpower. this will theoretically make players be more careful when fighting and designing since they have to worry about not wasting all their manpower on one ship.

maybe a way to get population is to provide cooler living space

[merry lagoon]

Based.

[tepid minnow]

would also help nerf cultists as their special crew type costs less but would be less manpower efficient

[visual kestrel]

bump

[silk vessel]

Sounds cool tbh

[dry vector]

this actually might work

[cobalt trench]

Good idea. The disposability of airsailors kind of bothers me when you're deep in enemy territory and get de-crewed by tentacles or boarders, then as soon as the next battle starts all your ships are fully re-crewed based on the quarters modules that survive rather than the actual persons that survive. Wounded (not dead) crew should be able to convalesce post-battle though; medbays being required for that, or giving a bonus to it, would make them possibly aproach usefulness. Limitations on manpower would go hand-in-hand with restricting the restocking of ship crew to times when ships can rearm (perhaps even being gradual like resupply).

[chilly cosmos]

No more human wave tactics ?!

[main karma]

Make this a toggleable mechanic then I'll be happy

[visual kestrel]

its already stated as a toggleable mechanic

no worries

[runic trench]

the point of the game is sending hordes of miserable tiny people to their inevitable and certain death, limiting it feels a bit meh
it also doesn't sound much different from just maintenance cost relative to your upkeep

[stiff elm]

[winter birch]

+1

[clever pecan]

so, you have an empire with thousands of people, but a manpower slot that tells you you only can have 35 sailors at once?

[tall cedar]

no like, manpower that can depleted from insane amounts of deaths i assume

[delicate thicket]

I feel like this would come into play most with the concept of devastation

[weary shoal]

"Your ship designs and tactics are so bad that they have caused a measurable shift in demographics that social scientists can date by battle and ship design dates."

[wanton torrent]

also would suggest adding the manpower to be L O C A L

ie: you can't get 100 sailors off the tiny costal village but you can off denser populated cities.

also would make the "population centre" more useful as you could get say 25% more total manpower in every city (ie people have to spread away from that really crowded place and that makes it more populated in other places in that country.)

and also probably shouldn't be like a cap but like it hovers around certain numbers depending on your upgrades and the size of the town
and dwindle with stuff like priates and monsters being nearby.
and boost with food based buffs being nearby.

blah blah blah i'm yapping