Sort of like surrendering too. No one ever surrenders, except like Looters/Brigands. So why is it there if everyone just fights to the death? Should be some benefit to it.
Ideally I'd like to see it work something like this:
When the player surrenders to a looter/bandit, the looter/bandit has a 50% chance of taking their belongings as normal but letting them and their troops go free, instead of taking them prisoner.
When the player surrenders to a noble, that noble checks their relations with the player (if any). They take that number, and for every positive Mercy or Honesty trait the player
or noble has, they add 10 (for a max possible of +40). For every negative Mercy or Honesty trait either of you has, they subtract 10 (max possible of -40). Then, a random number is rolled between 0-50 and added to the result.
If the result is -100 or below, they execute you. (Very rare case, requiring you both to have very low relations/negative traits, and the RNG not rolling in your favour).
If the result is between -100 and 49, they take the player and their troops prisoner and take some of their property as normal.
If the result is 50 or greater, they let the player go with their property, but take their troops prisoner.
If the result is 100 or greater, they let the player go with no penalty. However, if the player makes any attack on their faction in the next 5 days, you incur an Honor penalty and lose relations with that noble.
Example 1: The player is Cruel and Dishonest. They surrender to a lord who is Merciful and Honest, and has -100 relations with them. The RNG rolls 10.
-100, +20, -20, +10 = -90. Player is taken prisoner.
Example 2: The player has no positive traits. They surrender to a lord who is Cruel and Dishonest, and has -100 relations with them. The RNG rolls 16.
-100, -20, +16 = -104. Player is executed.
Example 3: The player is Cruel and Dishonest. They surrender to a lord who is Cruel and Dishonest, but has 60 relations with them. The RNG rolls 17.
50, -40, +17 = 37. Player is taken prisoner.
Example 3: The player is Merciful and Honest. They surrender to a lord who has no traits and no relations with them. The RNG rolls 31.
0 +20 +31 = 51. Player is set free, but their troops and goods are taken.
Example 4: The player is Cruel and Dishonest. They surrender to a lord who has no traits and 100 relations with them. The RNG rolls 6.
100 -20 +6 = 86. Player is set free, but their troops and goods are taken.
Example 5: The player has no traits. They surrender to a lord who is Merciful and Honest, and has 70 relations with them. The RNG rolls 13.
70 +20 +13 = 103. The player is allowed to leave with their troops and goods untouched, as long as they don't attack in the next 5 days.
This check could also be added to the outcome of battles the player has lost, with -20 subtracted for the player deciding to fight instead of just surrender. Lords with very good relations with you would let you go after losing a battle instead of taking you prisoner! But on the other hand, lords who hate your guts could give you the chop in playthroughs with deaths enabled.
