You sure that is a good longterm gameplay move?produno said:
Will NPC lords be allowed to permanently kill other NPCs too?
This could ultimately result in a very boring game - or, is there "lord regeneration" ie: do new lords spawn to take that spot? Or is that NPC slot permanently "disabled" for that game?
If only the player is able to perma-kill NPC lords that could work, but should be costly in some way - maybe other than just stats. Like, loosing some of your overall troops, eg: 15% of all your troops abandon service.
Thats just an idea, but an unknowing player could really ruin his gameplay quickly if free-kill was in there...just a thought.
Now THATS cool!
More religion interaction, making it play a real role other than relations with other religions.
In AWOIAF religion is a powerful "magical" force, not just one superstition vs another.
(Being able to perma-kill a lord under siege when playing as red priest, which also auto-wins the siege? Yes plz!)
So - the 7 kingdoms are basically all the same troop trees?
That doesnt sound very exciting.
Doesnt sound like AWOIAF either.
And in Essos, the troops should be DRASTICALLY different. EG: Dothraki should only have maybe tier1 and 2 "peasant/slaves" as foot troops, and ONLY horse troops beyond that (eg: "once they earn their horse").
Unsullied should be glaive/shield wielders with strong shields, fast/long glaives, and be fast-moving foot troops, but with little chest armor. Solo? they can get mobbed down easy. In formations like they are trained? Unstoppable on the ground without a good mix of tactics and other troop types.
The reason my troop tree is the most popular is not because troops are similar. its because (especially at R6 and R7) they are incredibly powerful. But there is always a way to counter them.
Going to war with Vaeghir? You better bring good pikes to counter their heavy charge cavalry and tanky foot troops from swadia or pike wall formations from rhodok to combat their shock troops which are heavily armored 2H maul bashers.
R6 and R7 are equipped with beautiful sets of armor and really look (and are) elite.
You are proud of the troops youve trained up.
So many M&B mods really dont bring that enjoying gameplay and waste what imo is the biggest enjoyment of M&B - really big diversity in playstyle based on the diversity of the troops.
For example Brytenwalda - while an amazing mod, the troops at top tier are still ugly, mediocre, and canon fodder.
AWOIAF is all about grand armies and epic battles between all these diverse tribes/factions/kingdoms wearing beautiful and culturally diverse armors, wielding exotic weapons and fighting in so many different styles.
If done right, a troop tree that actually matches that would make the mod succeed on its own.
Quick example:
The North: 3 lines - archers, heavy foot troops, medium cavalry.
Heavy foot troops are defined by big 2h swords and medium armor.
-Medium movability, medium armor, high HP, high damage (shock troops).
Archers in the north were said to be some of the best hunters, although not professional military archers.
-High movability, light armor, medium HP, medium damage, long range.
Cavalry in the north was all about adaptability. They werent lance-wielding knights, or heavily armored.
-High movability, 2h and 1h+shield, high HP, medium damage (flankers, chasers, hit-and-run).
Then you have something like Lannister: 3 lines - crossbow/pavise rankwalls, heavily armored sword+shield foottroops, and heavily armored knights.
Crossbows were their mainstay as a professionally trained army.
-Pavise, medium/short range xbows, medium armor, medium HP.
"Foot Knights"
-Heavy armor, medium HP, medium damage, strong shields.
Knights
-Low movability, high charge damage, lances and short 1h+shields, heavy armor, medium HP
And to give a balanced perspective - lets look at Dorne: 3 lines - "dervish" infantry, javelin skirmishers, light cavalry. No archers/xbows.
Dervish infantry are fast moving, shield + glaive + scimitar that can work in rankwall or solo as quick moving nimble fighters.
-High movability, medium HP, medium armor, high damage.
Javelin skirmishers should be strongest throwing troops, there's also a big issue here that javelins and throwing weapons in the native game are retarded because they typically only come with 3-5 ammo.
That makes throwing more or less useless. 25 ammo base for all throwing, +5 for javelins (light throwing spears), +15 for things like darts and stones.
-High movability, medium HP, light armor, should have high damage javelins and then throwing spears (higher dmg/longer range) at top tier, and also have backup throwing darts, has backup desert bucklers + short scimitar for melee and is 75% as good at melee as with thrown.
Cavalry in the deserts was mostly hit-n-run, wearing the enemy out, flanking, chasing down retreaters/archers, harassment.
-High movability, medium armor, medium HP, short spears/shields + backup scimitar, + thrown darts.
If you can picture this - you can imagine how massively different gameplay is between factions. If balanced right, fighting different faction lords becomes an issue of learning how to best use your troops strengths and avoid the weaknesses that your opponent exposes.
Brilliant gameplay.
...and for example: iron islands troops should not have any cavalry. Very good melee skirmishers, and throwing axe troops etc.
The way M&B troops were made in native, dont really give much of a chance to someone that doesnt have a horse. Which of course is why its called "MOUNT and blade", but that also kills the best potential of this game's combat system.
In my troop tree, nords have no cavalry. Rhodok's dont either except for a measly tier5 light-cav (only good for chasing down stragglers - tier7 is top in my tree). But both of them are incredibly strong, and rhodok actually is the best faction at taking out cavalry-based armies. (Rhodok is almost purely heavy pikes + crossbow/pavise troops === a slow moving turtle tank, it plays very defensive)
Then there's khergit, which in my tree only has one foot troop that goes up to tier6 which is a 2h glaive + short-range archer "skirmisher", the rest are all cavalry (both t7 "elite" troop lines).
All in all i had usually 4 lines of troops in each tree.
Sarranids had 5 lines and the most diverse tree of all, with the best spear throwers, and you really had to use all 5 (or at least 4) of those troop lines to do well in battle. To make up for one types weakness and so on.
Troop trees make or break this game IMO.
It all comes down to immersion, and the enjoyment of the combat.
A good troop tree does that more than anything else.
All your other features, quests, religions, etc wont mean anything if this isnt done right.
This is where most mods fail.
(I think ive made my point now)
Good luck I hope its awesome!
