Allied General Workshop: Prevent Super Core Units

Here is my side of a past forum discussion

Many players complain about unrealistic super units in “core” (the units that you carry through scenarios in a campaign). Even with alleged “low prestige” campaigns, some players claim that they can afford 4x-cost Elite replacements and the 5 turns out of battle to make 15-strength units (“overstrength,” or “OS,” makes a unit 11-15 points instead of a “full” 10 points).

However, the combination of truly (1) low prestige and (2) high unit cost should have the desired effects across the board (reducing aircraft, wonder weapons, overstrength units, and elite replacements).

Here are some additional ideas to minimize invincible core units:

Give NO auxiliaries (except ships)—no more cannon fodder to shield your core and do all the dirty work: All risky jobs must be done with core. In small scenarios, select which core units to use. Now go buy some recon.
For an AI-only campaign, make the AI's units dirt-cheap so the player does not gain medals as quickly. Instead of giving the AI $60 to buy a $60 '41 infantry, give it $12 to buy a $12 '41 infantry, so it would take the player 5 times longer to get a medal. Make all unpurchasable AI units such as battleships $12 to minimize medal-grubbing meta-gaming.
Disable the Elite button during scenarios to prevent OS, so players have to husband units, fight UNDERstrength, withdraw from battle, or dilute with green replacements. Automatic elite replacement at the end of a scenario are OK and still would not allow OS. An alternative to cracking the game engine is to make a shell for the game that would duplicate all the buttons except Elite. For instance, clicking "Reinforcements" in the shell transmits to clicking "Reinforcements" in the game, but the shell would not have an "Elite" button so the player only would get the after-battle Elites.

Questions