My wargames battalions only have a few dozen figures in them instead of around 600.
And so often our battalions usually have only one drummer instead of several, one sergeant instead of lots, and one officer instead of many.
Which leads me to think that if instead of wargaming, my hobby was making model cars, would I be satisfied with modelling a Chevy with one wheel instead of four?
Or for model ships, making the Titanic with one funnel instead of four?
DRESSING THE LINES 
While some might be satisfied, I would not be.
— Jeff
I’m working on a set of forces cor Grant’s Napoleonic rules using plastics. It looks like there will be enough command figs in the box to equip each of the four 12 man companies with a drummer, officer and sergeant.
It was not something I had really thought about until now, thankyou!
Mel
On the other hand, to be credible you have to keep (roughly) the ‘real’ ratio between drummers – sergeants – officers – standardbearers / privates.
Otherwise your regiment will look like a colour party or ‘tête de colonne’, not like a fighting unit.
Already to have two flags (King’s or Colonel’s + regimental / battalion’s) in a 48-men infantry regiment overrepresents the standard-bearers; with a 14-18 figures units, the regiment looks like a colour party.
Not keeping the same ‘representational scale’ for ‘other ranks’ and for ‘privates’ *exactly* corresponds to your visual exemple: an oversized funnel on a ship model.
True, Jean-Louis, but I was not talking about only the number of officers, sergeants etc … I was also talking about the number of men (a couple of dozen supposedly being about 600).
Ship and car modellers do not have a representational scale – they still have everything, but make them smaller. Wargamers, however,(and also model railroaders) tend to use a representational scale for some aspects (number of soldiers, number of train carriages).
It was just a thought – and a rather silly thought at my preferred 28mm scale. But possibly a do-able thought at a much smaller scale, though then (in my opinion) you lose the charm of individual 28mm miniatures.
With some 600 2mm miniatures to represent your average battalion in 1:1 scale, will you still have the (perhaps unconscious?) rejuvenating feeling to be playing with toy soldiers?
My own unconfessed dream would be to play with 54mm miniatures -the size of my toy soldiers and Indians some…, well more than 55 yeats ago. But when it comes to ‘representational scale’ my reasoning tends to the direction opposite to yours: the larger the miniature, the closer it is from 1:1 scale, so the closer the ‘representational scale’ has to be. Thus, while since reading ‘The War Game’ I’m content with 50-some 28mm minis to represent an infantry battalion, I’d need some 200 54mm ones to be ‘visually satisfied’. You understand why this ‘dream’ is unconfessed (I’m married..).