RE: "Outlier" and it's actual impact on the game.
All my PBEM's are "outlier" Fought to the last man, bullet, vehicle, Victory Objective. Obviously this is not historical reality EXCEPT for "Outlier" battles (The Alamo). So doesn't this become the conundrum for the game designer. As a Gamer I say "whadya mean I can't pull out one crew for another?" No amount of excellent argument regarding "simulation" or historical "accuracy" matters much to me because I am, obviously, an "Outlier".
So here's my counter-intuitive pitch for Player (not AI) crew swap.
If it is NOT too difficult and time consuming to code than this feature should be put on the short list. It will have a very positive impact on H2H games and, like all "Options" does not need to be used by those who see it as a-historic. It would not be used by the AI in complete deference to history and to simulation accuracy. In other words an option to please the great un-washed... or at least, Me