I find that most of these suggestions are very general. Here are mine.
1. Battle Tactics
I believe that there should be a preparation stage before each battle where you can have your troops in a starting positions, with starting commands. Also i believe you should have a more detailed map and aloud to set waypoints. This will allow me to make formations for my solders for more planed battles. The way points will also allow me to set my Calvary to walk around the enemy and flank their offence.
I think the battle ground should correspond with the game world. If i am on a hill on the overhead map. I would like to start on a hill in the battle field. I would like to be able to strategically retreat to a spot on the overhead map, to have an advantage on the battle field. There are a few ways to make this. Make a random map generator that corresponds with with the terrain the two parties are on. Or even preferably in my opinion make a whole extra map of the world in the battle perspective so that if you battle in the same place twice it's always the same. So if you find a strategic location on the map that works for your strategy you could always lore your opponent into that map.
I think the player should be able to make and save their own formations into the tactics screen. Similar to the Tactics in Dragon Age, you are give several triggers and events that can be used in multiple combinations. How many tactics you get depends on how many points you put into the tactics skill. For instance if i have a line of archers and 5 paces behind them i have a line of foot soldiers.When the enemy is within 40 paces of my archers, my archers fire. When the enemy is within 10 paces from my archers. my archers fall back 10 paces. When the enemy is within 15 paces of my foot soldiers my foot soldiers advance 10 paces. This allows me to let my main army fight intelligently while i control the Calvary in a flank. You will be able to save tactics and formations for ease of use. this way you don't have to time the whole thing, and redo it at the begging of every battle.
2. Dynamic Mode
A TOGGLE-ABLE dynamic setting for your game. This is complex so i will do my best to explain. In this mode lords and ladies have a possibility of dying. In order to prevent the loss of lords and ladies. the first generation must marry and create new lords and ladies. Also the player can experience this as well. This will incentive's weddings and marriage. The son/daughter will have all the money from the previous lord/lady as well as 1/5 their renown. If you do not have a son or daughter a hair can be created for 1/10 the renown. Also rival families will not be fond to your new heir.
This can also allow a progression system where factions can spend money on universities and research for better and more effective weapons and armor. Only up to primitive guns. but this option should be toggle-able. For instance i don't want guns but other players do, i should be able to stop the age of progression at a certain point. This gives more advance nations an advantage compared to larger lesser advanced nations. and adds a cool meta game and political system element.
Also a cool feature would be the growth and sacking of cities and castles. Similar to the mechanic in the Total War series. Towns can be grown into castles or cities, As well Cities and Castles can fall into towns. Here is my idea of balancing once a town has all the buildings constructed and has been flourishing for x amount of days. the owner of the town may choose to fund a City Wall or a Castle Wall. Once that is construct a City/Castle will be raised in its place. Also Cities and Castles can be demoted into towns if the prosperity falls to low and the walls crumble due to a poor base of taxation.
Another feature should be a building that can be constructed in owned fiefs to change the nationality of troops from one faction to yours, destroying this building returns it to its original nationality.
3.Game Setting (100% opinion)
I think an interesting story line for the series would be a prequel. A time when the nords just began to invade the main land and the great kingdoms began to emerge. Aswell the Nomad Tribes in the desert lands where united under one ruler. This is an excellent time of instability that a player will enjoy balancing or tilting in his/her favor. This also can expand the world as some of the "Lost Cities" of the land are still there to explore, and the Nords home land could be traveled to, allowing more towns/cities/castles and a chance at naval combat
This will add several story's such as Assist the nords in conquering cities in the mainlad, or let one nation split from anougher nation, or convince tribal leaders to join under the command of the tajar. This story can lead to many interesting campaigns.
4. Game Politics
In order to enhance the feeling of being a lord i think several mission could be introduced. I never felt like a ruler when i had to send messages from one lord to anougher but i have some ideas for lords to feel like lords and not mercenaries or messengers.
Court System: You as lord are the authority of your land, as the ruler of a town/city/castle you should be able to trial criminals/deserters/prisoners with several forms of punishments or even freedom. Depending on who you arrest every action you take in the court room will hurt someone and help another. maybe you release a farmer who stole some goods, you would increase your relationship with the towns people, but hurt your relations with the traders guild. Increasing the prices of your own gear but but by increasing the towns fondness to you, you are able to increase taxes if you so please
Marriage system: Able to Arrange marriages between your heir and another lords heir to create a new force within your faction and increase relations, if dynamics is put in this will give your faction an extra lord and lady and also if your lord dies, your heir already has a place in the world so you do not regress as much.
Messengers and advisers: Able to send messages through a personal messenger you can hire or be even more effective by speaking to your advisers that can be hired in a castle/city of your owning. The ability to select several options including give assignments to assassins and mercenaries to carry out your bidings against enemy lords. should you hire men to free a friend, should you send assassins to kill an enemy lord/lady. Or would you send men to spy on enemy movement and sabotage their prosperity. mercenaries to attack caverns and farmers and patrols to protect caverns and farmers. The world is a dark place of brutal politics.
Cities/Castles
The towns in with fire and sword were to empty and to big, please make smaller towns/castles and fill them with bustling town life. Fishers farmers and all sorts of things would be a nice touch. Instead of aimlessly walking around some activity will greatly add to the immersion, as well as interacting with the town folk by doing miniature quests such as fish or hoe, would be a nice touch. They can be timing mini games but seeing that would greatly improve towns as hubs and not as a menu.
5. Player Control
I Believe that the player should be able to make his own banner as well as construct his own national military that all his servants will use. The balance in creating your own troops is how many points they are given per tier, how much armor they are aloud to get per tier, and what the upkeep cost is due to your ideas. This will allow you to truly make your own faction with troops that fit your play style. You can also teach your lords the tactics you use and they will follow.
i hope there are good suggestions and i will continue to add to it through edits, if you like these suggestions please leave some feedback, if you don't please leave feedback as well. I did this because i don't like how general the suggestions have been "Better Graphics, Improved A.I., Better Politics, ect" these do not help anyone and the devs already know that's what we want.
