Armies

[g_flook]

I looked and cant find it. So here it is.
Armies should be inherently expensive. You should also be forced to equip them. DAMN!!!!!! Wouldnt that make game pregression slower. They could start out with meager equipment but be fairly expensive. 18 gold for a troop, with some sort of armor and weapon is really inexpensive. Considering you cant buy any metal amor for less than 300 gold at a minumum. this would curtail the mass meandering armies we have roaming around the maps. The upkeep she be quite a bit more as well.
Leveling these armies should be a bit slower as well. Two battles and you have a few armies already levelling. Not even that many quite a few times. I like the training aspect of you hero. Why not take that a bit farther. I like the upgrade paths but a knight can still be a knight with out a horse. You need to buy his mount of course. There should also be veterans, Green, and elite troops. With different morale values. Skill sets and so forth. You could also move laterally in the class. Such as Vaegir infantry would stay infantry but become more skilled in their profession. EX: HP, STR, and other secondary skill sets. This would make elite armies better. When you upgrade the overall experience of the group would go down. Why, because you are learning a new skill set. Sometimes different weapons, sometimes mounted versus unmounted. You can make this individual or group based. On group based, when you add new recruits the overall experience of a veteran group would go down. Individually of course would be dependant on the individual soldier.
I also noticed when some soldiers upgrade some of the physical attributes go down. Seems odd to me. Training costs money . War cost money. Soldiers costs money. I would like to see it refelected a bit more in the game

 

[Sir Prince]

I am starting to dread your psots, for several reasons that I won't bother to go in to.

Anyway, Yes, armies are exensive, No, you would not pay your average soldier 18 denars. Yes, equipment was expensive, hence why lords usualy only helped to equip their regular troops that they keep all year wether or not a war is on. They would also step up production at the blacksmiths and have an armory where they have built up a store of weapons. Yes, an army is slow. And it marches on it's belly.
They do have a elite/green status in a way, regular footmen aren't as experianced as veterins, and verterins aren't as experianced as horsemen/guards etc. The skills also do need to be fixed as there are (or were) infantry with riding skill and these could become more "class" specific.

 

[g_flook]

I am starting to dread your psots, for several reasons that I won't bother to go in to.

You arent required to read or respond to them.

 

[Volkier]

Agree with Prince
They already level MUCH slower when the size increases, (unless of course they are farmers leveling to the next tier). It takes me a few battles just to level ONE mercenary to hired blade. ONE, and I don't mean those '4 river pirate' battles, I'm hitting armies in the 40's number with my 10 knights...

As for armies, I think these are the problems which need to be fixed:
1 - Be able to buy armor / weapons / horses for your troops. This (as the original post mentioned) will increase the money you spend on your army, however increasing their weekly wage in my oppinion, will then not be nessesary.
2 - For some reason unknown to me, some troops (hired blade in this case) does not have a mount, while another hired blade has the most expencive horse in game. It is pretty lame that a hired blade in full plate armor which he can harldy move in, with a long lance meant for charging, is crawling around on foot. Slows down the whole army, and I normally end up killing them. Waste of denar in my oppinion. To resolve this either
A It should be decided whether a specific unit does or does not have a horse. If yes, then yes, if no then no. OR
B As said in 1, you are able to equip your servants with horses / armor / weapons since they can't apparently think for themselves. OR
C Units actually DO think for themselves, and upgrade to buying a horse / better armor, looting a horse from the battlefield (I don't know HOW much loot has been rotted away including horses cuz' theres not enough space in inventory. My men could have easily took the horses)

Its only my oppinion though, in which I don't think money is the problem at all.

 

[Hunter]

Well, have to buy the horses to your troops is a bad idea. a charger costs much, and you dont want your knights/hired blades to ride on sumpter horses right?

keep them as they are.

PS. if your hired blade runs on foot, some one might have killed his horse in a battle.

 

[Micnatt]

I agree with Volkier. Also i would like to be able to hire more then just footmen from the taverns =( I would guess that footmen arent the only ones looking for work?

 

[Jhaerik]

First of all, if that was the case, I would not play this game. It would involve a huge ammount of micro-management, which the current lack of is one of this games strongest points.

Secondly, can you imagine the coding nightmare of keeping track of the the created vairents in equipment, it woild more like put those with slower machines out of a game. I'm also curious on how do think it would actually be fun to sift through 40+ inventory screens upgrading equipment, ever few fights.

Lastly, troops already take a large part of the loot gained in battle for themselves, I've always assumed that they use this equipment to upgrade their own. Though you never actually see your troops enter town with you, who is to say that they are not buying/selling the same as you? I don't mean this as an actual Buy/Sell persay, but I rather sure most will understand what I mean by this.

P.S. g_flock I found that comment rather rude, and I am not as nice as Prince there is, so.... "You arent required to write or return to them."

 

[g_flook]

I didnt mean individually out fit your army. I meant as a whole. Should you have 12 knights. You buy 12 pieces of equipment in bulk.......
Should you not have enough for that equipment you cant buy them. I quote]Lastly, troops already take a large part of the loot gained in battle for themselves, I've always assumed that they use this equipment to upgrade their own[/quote]---where does this information come from. When I see horses left on the bettlefield ive never seen my peasants grab one for the next battle.Seriously, I doubt your soldiers loot now. Your beginning peasants would infinitely have better equipment in the first few battles.
I havent been playing very long and have an army of knights, blades, sword sister and Vaegir Guards. So I would have to beg to differ,that they upgrade slow. I think it only took 4-5 battles for the sword sisters to go up. I also play on 100 percent difficulty, should the question be asked.
Ive seen people talk about seiges and I have commented on sieges as well. Well lo and behold, armies are an centrical part of seige.

P.S. g_flock I found that comment rather rude, and I am not as nice as Prince there is, so.... "You arent required to write or return to them."

--He commented on my post, about dreading reading them and im the one who is rude. I find that ironic and if not the least hypocritical. Funny as well. Rudeness, Im sure with everyone is a perceived personal opinion.

 

[Nairagorn]

Jhaerik, Scamp was an ass (albeit a polite one), and g_flook responded in a mature manner. What possible reason could you have for chiming in like you did?

There's way too much personal attacking on this forum. If I see any more of it people will be banned. Jhaerik and Scamp, I'm watching you in particular now. Knock it off.

 

[Kelpo]

I actually like the idea. I would love to be able to customize my own troops instead of, or at least in addition to just having to work with the existing ones.

I don't think this would even be very hard to implement either. I recall once having a mod where you could equip any of your troops just like your heroes, the only difference being that if you gave one peasant a sword, a whole mob of peasants became armed with one. So making a new item available, eg. "a bunch of swords" and giving it to your troops, they could all be equipped according to the player's wishes. This I would like.

 

[Volkier]

The only reason why I was suggesting you being able to buy your hired blades a horse, is BECAUSE not all currently have one. They pop without one, ie. SPAWN without one AS SOON as I upgraded them (note that the mercenaries actually had a courser). And it is really a waste of experience and time executing the ones which think they are too good to be part of the cavalry..
I really honestly don't mind if my troops upgrade themselves, but like I said, it may be a bug, but it is very very very VERY annoying that my hired blades in full plate with lances etc. are for some reason running on foot, never had a horse, and are not getting one after about one frigging month of combat and getting the loot.

Likewise it is very annoying to have your troops play 'hero' and one hired blade charge (especially the one with horse since I normally kill the others myself) at about 20 enemies, and stop right in the middle of them, when I am specifically telling them to 'follow me' while riding to the other side of the map. Could there be no command such as "drop all attack and retreat"? This can force your units to retreat back to the initial starting point "with the inventory chest"

Micro management, in my oppinion, is something which brings depth to the game. However some people may prefer simplicity, and I agree that balancing the two things out is a very difficult thing to do for the developers. Like I said, it may be a bug, but having a hired blade without a horse is a simple waste of denar, time and experience :