I think upkeep costs should be raised, whereas recruitment costs should be drastically lowered. This is how it was in the 18th century. Standing armies were
typically very small, but when big wars (such as the War of Spanish Succession) came up, they would immediately conscript almost their entire military. This
should be counter-acted by the fact that the more troops you raise, the more unhappiness you ferment in your nation. Wars should automatically become unpopular
with your population as time goes on, no matter how successful you are (this would also help the fact that the AI never wants to sue for peace, sometimes);
although highly victorious wars should decrease this war wariness.
This would simultaneously solve the absurdity where the AI will send on one unit at a time to burn your farms; when you slay all of their harassing units, the war becomes vehemently unpopular for their faction. I suppose that war weariness should lower, though, in the case that their country is invaded. I don't know how hard it would be to code this in, and I doubt CA is listening. But that's my opinion, that I think would greatly aid the playability of the game.
This would simultaneously solve the absurdity where the AI will send on one unit at a time to burn your farms; when you slay all of their harassing units, the war becomes vehemently unpopular for their faction. I suppose that war weariness should lower, though, in the case that their country is invaded. I don't know how hard it would be to code this in, and I doubt CA is listening. But that's my opinion, that I think would greatly aid the playability of the game.
