What did you change the <face> lines too?
Are these actually the only things you changed to get it working?
in previous version inside <face> ... </face> is a template function, where you just put a template id for an npc character build.. however in current version, somehow it doesn't work anymore.. so looking at some updated troops mod just like the link you gave above (calradia girls), inside <face> line is a more detailed body properties.. like age, face key, etc.. i am just copying all text inside <face>...</face> from that mod..
such as this :
<face>
<BodyProperties version="4" age="18.10" weight="0.0" build="0.2157" key="00000002C00003410560061000115164100574100001224225564603800101000255202405431101000000000000000000000000000000000000000000A01000" />
<BodyPropertiesMax version="4" age="22.22" weight="0.2" build="0.45" key="000580070000354AFE722D3D7685EEF98CAB7DFFAFC1FFCC99ABAF8A833C4B5705BBA0570BABEC96000000000000000000000000000000000000000001788105" />
</face>
those body properties data i got from calradia girls mod.. but i guess those data is also copied by mod author from native files.. i look it in /Modules/SandBoxCore/spnpccharacters.xml, those files contain body properties data for every npc and troops in native games..
(notes : some lines in that files still using template function though.. so i guess, perhaps it doesn't necessarily need to change the line inside <face> ... </face> to body properties data.. what makes the previous version mod doesn't work anymore is perhaps because the id for npc character in spnpccharacters.xml is changed by game dev, therefore the game doesn't recognize it.. then it can't generate body properties for the troops mod, and somehow just creating babies, because it's the default?..)
also every culture has different data.. so make sure you copy appropriate body properties data for each corresponding culture your mod gonna create.. such as if you want to build some custom khuzait army, put body properties data from khuzait npc's body properties data, so they build gonna have face keys typical to the culture (such as slanted eyes)..
another thing to change is <equipmentSet> line.. in previous version, the code for troop equipment is <equipmentSet> ... </equipmentSet>. If you want more varieties, just add more such as :
<equipmentSet>
...
</equipmentSet>
<equipmentSet>
...
</equipmentSet>
<equipmentSet>
...
</equipmentSet>
(fill the three dots with equipment slot and ID)
for current version, the code must be written like this :
<Equipments>
<EquipmentRoster>
...
</EquipmentRoster>
<EquipmentRoster>
...
</EquipmentRoster>
<EquipmentRoster>
...
</EquipmentRoster>
</Equipments>
example :
<Equipments>
<EquipmentRoster civilian="true">
<equipment slot="Body"
id="Item.battania_dress_a" />
<equipment slot="Leg"
id="Item.ladys_shoe" />
</EquipmentRoster>
<EquipmentRoster>
<equipment slot="Body"
id="Item.battania_female_civil_b" />
<equipment slot="Leg"
id="Item.ladys_shoe" />
<equipment slot="Cape"
id="Item.battania_civil_cloak" />
</EquipmentRoster>
</Equipments>
and thats all.. my older version installed mod has been working again..