Capture vs. Killing: Technology and Bonuses

So, on travel (again!) and I'm in Chicago. Went to the Science and Technology museum to see the captured U-505. Got me thinking. The amount of technology and the benefit the allies gained from capturing this U-Boat was significant, and I was wondering if the same thing could happen in elemental. Instead of killing your opponents outright, you opt for capturing. A separate button in attack reduces your attack and defense by half or so. If you defeat the enemy, they are captured, instead of killed. I'm not talking about capturing swords and armor to use on my troops, but I'm instead thinking that if you capture an enemie's troops, you gain a permanent bump of attack and defense against that enemy in the future (it would be a permanent buff against that opponents technology). Not large at first, maybe 1%, but if you capture instead of kill for 10 combats, it starts to gain momentum. It could speed up the end game where you know you've beaten your oppenent, you just need him to realize it. Maybe if you have more than a 20% bonus against that opponent, he capitulates.

Anyway, more food for thought.

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o rather - if you capture a unit which uses technology that you do not yet have you can gain a few points of research towards that technology.

if you capture a bow armed unit, but do not have the bow technology you would be able to make some guesses towards what you needed, and perhaps gain 1%-2% of the technology per bow captured, up to 25% to 50%. Or perhaps 10% for the first, 5% for the second and 1% for any more up to some limit.

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What would there be to stop a player that was in a largely losing position to 'snipe' low health stacks with a powerful mage just to rush to the 20% capitulation threshold, and therefore win without deserving? Also the bonus would start to erode into the reduced damage that you were doing by trying to capture the unit in the first place, making each subsequent unit eaiser to capture than the last.

Interesting idea for sure, but probably needs more balancing.

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