I made the decision to add a declared module for stables and animal interaction.

Stables Are Now a Core Module in the Game!

I’ve just added stables as a central location in the game! The decision came naturally once I realized how integral animals were during WWI. They weren’t just transport or work companions—they were vital assets, and their well-being had a direct impact on the war effort.

From being injured or overworked to soldiers resorting to them as emergency food supplies, or even dealing with the horrific effects of chemical attacks, animals were deeply intertwined with the challenges of the time. It made perfect sense to create a dedicated module where players can manage their care, health, and roles.

The stables will allow you to oversee their condition, decide how to allocate resources for them, and balance their contributions with the stark realities of war. Another layer of tough decisions for the Quartermaster's already heavy load!

Here are the stats for the stables and what they represent:

FOOD_USE: How much food the animals consume daily. Poor management could lead to overuse of rations or starving animals.

MAINTENANCE_REQUIREMENT: The resources needed to keep the stables in proper working order.

MAINTENANCE_STATUS: The current condition of the stables. Low maintenance affects the animals' well-being and functionality.

SECURITY: Measures how protected the stables are against theft, sabotage, or even animals escaping.

CAPACITY: The maximum number of animals the stables can house at once. Overcrowding might lead to penalties.

REPAIR_SPEED: How quickly animals can recover from injuries or repairs to the stables themselves can be completed.

STAFF_EFFICIENCY: The effectiveness of workers assigned to care for the animals, which impacts their health and readiness. Combined with the variables of them being soldiers, civilians, POW, or women and children, the fluctuations might be quite crass and hard to predict for the Quartermaster.

This module introduces yet another layer of decision-making. Balancing resources for food, maintenance, and staff, while ensuring the animals are fit for their roles, adds depth and realism. After all, the war machine wasn’t just fueled by steel and soldiers but by the efforts of these unsung, four-legged heroes as well.
Reading how hard it hit some soldiers and how demoralizing it was to listen to the animals be injured and scream out in pain and terror, really is a dark part of reading the historical texts. Seems like it really hit some soldiers hard.