Might be fixed by auto upgrading them only once they reach a city under your control. Argue that the weapon itself is not the time limitation in producing a new unit but their time training them. As such a smithy will have a large stock waiting to replace the old stuff? I suppose the real question is what is going to have value. Is the soldier and the mount the expensive thing, or is the sword and armor? Are soldiers expected to pay for their own equipment out of their payment? If so all that
Gaslamprephaim
Great video, thanks for taking it!
Bootss1. Might be possibility as a random event type thing. Focused around such city preferences. Even tie a growth counter to it so a player summoned cult starts off with the powerful being that is worshiped, and grown cults spread and then cause such a creature to appear. Some sort of dual counter of (creature in city gives x effect cult size gives growing y effect)
Might be a nice idea to allow the summoning of Magic beings to subvert a city slowly? Could base it as a city enchantment and each has a negitive effect on the city and positive effect for the caster. Nature. A elder dryad and her tree begin subverting some of the populace. Sawmills/blacksmiths are summarily sabatoged and forests are planted by the cultists. Death. Dark Ritualists. A small cult of your Ritualists begin a campaign of murder, dragging sacrif