I'm torn on the army fodder aspect. On one hand it will make the battles seem more full and like a real battlefield. On the other hand, I felt like sometimes in Fire Emblem you are against the odds. You run a ragtag group of people fighting for the good of the land when all else is in despair. It made sense for you to have a small team of allies. You never really had the backing of an army.
I'm sure the story in this game will reflect that aspect though. I'll hold out on outrage at multiple versions of the game when they actually announce that it is so.