New to forum and have been waiting for this game for years now. I can't wait. But I have a quick question:
Does researching technology etc. affect manpower/number of available units on the ground. I am just curious about the trade-offs when it comes to devoting resources to research or particular types of units. I assume tanks/gas etc. is all abstracted (added as a modifier like in Paths of Glory or whatnot) but does devoting industrial resources or whatever effect the immediate aggregate strength of an nations army?
I guess my fundamental question is: Would it sometimes be more prudent to avoid researching stuff altogether and simply spend resources on fighting the war? I just want to know what kind of difficult choices will confront the player, will trade-offs be crucial and will these decisions play a major part in the long-term?
No - there's no trade off involved - research is all into technology, so unit size and number is not affected, except you do get tank units if you go that path.