Helldiver
Sergeant

New to the game, registered it a the same day I installed.
Love the game, like the style, wish there was a bit more fluff thrown in such as:
-Roads between towns (+Bonus to Speed, but higher likely hood of bandit spawns)
-A "flee" option (explained below)
I know the game is designed to have some bit of "realism" factor to it. But a lot of that gets thrown out the window wence you have "levels" and traditional RPG elements governing things. But what is most frustrating to me thus far has been the progression curb, among other things.
1) Seems to me higher level bandits/raiders/dark hunters are in the areas where the player starts off way to early. I've had Dark Hunters (DHs) already near Zendar (forgot the correct spelling) as early as level 6. At this level the average player just doesn't have enough group slots to have enough of a unit. Also at this level, the average player just doesn't have enough men, and the men he does have are way to low level to defeat these opponents.
-Such opponents (the level 30 ones) should be completely out of the organized kingdoms. I mean, from a realism perspective wouldn't they be a bigger threat to stability than the rather pointless skirmishes between the Vaegir and Swadian? Higher level (above the level of the local standing militias/armies) should be outside the starting realm (maybe out behind the Salt Mine areas and such)
This is not to say that you can't progress evetually given enough time and enough losses of your army. But eventually things get worse.
Too many failures and you will see the next problem:
2) No way to recruit a standing army/militia in the later game. By level 10 I found it very difficult to find militia anywhere (I had recruited all of the swadians from all towns). I ended up conscripting hordes of peasants and farmers to form up lost militias. (I didn't like Vaegirians for roleplay purposes, I wanted a full swadian company)
-Ok, this is realistic, I like it... but: You should still be able to find atleast 1 Knight at each capital, and atleast 2 Veterans/Men-at-arms in One of the counties' villages. This represents the fact that there should and would be a sergeant or two to be found among the population...
Perhaps make it level dependant or something...
In the current vanilla game if you continue to loose your armies (do to mishaps like oh I don't know; Getting overun by footmen that have over 7 speed while you're towing away at 6) like I mentioned above, it can be hard to retrain the new conscripts. Why? Because there are no more River Bandits and lower level guerillas. Either they've been absorbed into the big groups, or they've been slain by federal patrols or your own company. With what I mentioned above, the removal of the heavy hitters from the middle country, this problem shouldn't be that big. It would allow players who lost an entire division to come back to town and retrain a new force.
-Adds replay value tremendously. Gives life to the starting villages.
-The Dark Hunters, Khaergits.. should still do their massive blitzkriegs here and then until either you or the federals can push them back to the outlands.
3) This is why I think there should be a "flee" option. No not Retreat, I said "FLEE". Always, always.
-Selecting Flee gives the enemy a free attack at you with a +1 advantage bonus to their army (basicly the AI fight each other without you for one round, with the enemy gaining a bonus).
-Drops moral severely
-Gives you a 20% bonus to overland map speed for 10 seconds.
-Deducts 10-15% denars (lost supplies, etc)
This would allow you (especially in those early levels) to flee the engagement from those sea raiders/mountain bandits and so on that make the mid game seem rather discouraging.
-If points 1 and 2 are looked at, perhaps 3 would not be neccesary at all, since by the time you're fighting the big guys, you're either ready for them, or almost ready.
This brings me to the next point that is also a result of some of my complaints above:
1) Merchant Quests can lead to an almost game breaking experience in the early-mid game. Very realistic how it was done, good... but somehow I think something is wrong. Something just doesn't fit right.
-I get 7 spices from Thir to take to Reyvdin and on the way we get hit by M1Abrams equiped Dark Hunters... Loose a large portion of my men, lost 3 of those flipping sacks of spices... Turned in the spices at the designated Tavern, go to the merchant and now I owe the organization 3056 denars, plus increasing interest that so far seems to be about 25% of what I earn per day?!
-Was also escorting a team of Merchants, they got routed as well... I'm being charged for their loss as well? I mean...
So in this current game (I play on 116% difficulty, saves on exit, saves all the time) we've been forced to eat our horses and slay bandits until we can manage to scrounge up enough denars to pay the debts.
3000+ denars is not something a level 10-15 finds easy to get especially with the above problems. I had enough difficulty getting myself and Marnid equipped to even dream about 3000 denars, which at the current rate will end up being 4000 denars before I can pay it off. This is absurd, they won't take paymets, or do a refinance so that I can reduce the interest by paying lump sums. Don't give me the "business like we have today didn't exist... BS because if they can charge me interest, he can sure as hell break it up into payments, or allow me to begin paying the debt so he knows I'm in good faith. This would make the denars gained due to interest being proportional. Or you could have it so that the base interest increases the longer it takes you to make your payments. Example: "You have 3 days to pay 15% of the debt to the guild".
Its a complete almost game over spiral, unless I missed something?
Only horses as an alternate food source? Realistic again, but forced realism should be balanced by realism. Why can't I go to a different merchant to buy alternate foodstuffs? Yes I know that some bandits have food on them, but that can be a turkey shoot, as well as in the early-mid levels, especially after a massacre of your force, you might not be able to do that.
The Merchant shouldn't shut his shop to me because of a failed mission. He shouldn't give me more missions. But I should still be able to trade with him.
-In the above situation a player that owes a merchant a debt due to a failed mission; The merchant would then charge him a 20-25+% tax on all goods the player purchases from him (until the player pays off the debt).
-How will the player pay the debt if he can't: A) Get missions, B) Do merchantry trade?) Aside from going on a killing/slave driving spree?
Anyhow. If I overlooked something, am missing something, or if any of you have strategies I could use in my above situation, feel free to point them out. The game is stupendous. I find myself severly hooked on it (coming from a long time WoW/EQ/SWG/UO/NwN player..)
regards!
Love the game, like the style, wish there was a bit more fluff thrown in such as:
-Roads between towns (+Bonus to Speed, but higher likely hood of bandit spawns)
-A "flee" option (explained below)
I know the game is designed to have some bit of "realism" factor to it. But a lot of that gets thrown out the window wence you have "levels" and traditional RPG elements governing things. But what is most frustrating to me thus far has been the progression curb, among other things.
1) Seems to me higher level bandits/raiders/dark hunters are in the areas where the player starts off way to early. I've had Dark Hunters (DHs) already near Zendar (forgot the correct spelling) as early as level 6. At this level the average player just doesn't have enough group slots to have enough of a unit. Also at this level, the average player just doesn't have enough men, and the men he does have are way to low level to defeat these opponents.
-Such opponents (the level 30 ones) should be completely out of the organized kingdoms. I mean, from a realism perspective wouldn't they be a bigger threat to stability than the rather pointless skirmishes between the Vaegir and Swadian? Higher level (above the level of the local standing militias/armies) should be outside the starting realm (maybe out behind the Salt Mine areas and such)
This is not to say that you can't progress evetually given enough time and enough losses of your army. But eventually things get worse.
Too many failures and you will see the next problem:
2) No way to recruit a standing army/militia in the later game. By level 10 I found it very difficult to find militia anywhere (I had recruited all of the swadians from all towns). I ended up conscripting hordes of peasants and farmers to form up lost militias. (I didn't like Vaegirians for roleplay purposes, I wanted a full swadian company)
-Ok, this is realistic, I like it... but: You should still be able to find atleast 1 Knight at each capital, and atleast 2 Veterans/Men-at-arms in One of the counties' villages. This represents the fact that there should and would be a sergeant or two to be found among the population...

Perhaps make it level dependant or something...
In the current vanilla game if you continue to loose your armies (do to mishaps like oh I don't know; Getting overun by footmen that have over 7 speed while you're towing away at 6) like I mentioned above, it can be hard to retrain the new conscripts. Why? Because there are no more River Bandits and lower level guerillas. Either they've been absorbed into the big groups, or they've been slain by federal patrols or your own company. With what I mentioned above, the removal of the heavy hitters from the middle country, this problem shouldn't be that big. It would allow players who lost an entire division to come back to town and retrain a new force.
-Adds replay value tremendously. Gives life to the starting villages.
-The Dark Hunters, Khaergits.. should still do their massive blitzkriegs here and then until either you or the federals can push them back to the outlands.
3) This is why I think there should be a "flee" option. No not Retreat, I said "FLEE". Always, always.
-Selecting Flee gives the enemy a free attack at you with a +1 advantage bonus to their army (basicly the AI fight each other without you for one round, with the enemy gaining a bonus).
-Drops moral severely
-Gives you a 20% bonus to overland map speed for 10 seconds.
-Deducts 10-15% denars (lost supplies, etc)
This would allow you (especially in those early levels) to flee the engagement from those sea raiders/mountain bandits and so on that make the mid game seem rather discouraging.
-If points 1 and 2 are looked at, perhaps 3 would not be neccesary at all, since by the time you're fighting the big guys, you're either ready for them, or almost ready.
This brings me to the next point that is also a result of some of my complaints above:
1) Merchant Quests can lead to an almost game breaking experience in the early-mid game. Very realistic how it was done, good... but somehow I think something is wrong. Something just doesn't fit right.
-I get 7 spices from Thir to take to Reyvdin and on the way we get hit by M1Abrams equiped Dark Hunters... Loose a large portion of my men, lost 3 of those flipping sacks of spices... Turned in the spices at the designated Tavern, go to the merchant and now I owe the organization 3056 denars, plus increasing interest that so far seems to be about 25% of what I earn per day?!
-Was also escorting a team of Merchants, they got routed as well... I'm being charged for their loss as well? I mean...
So in this current game (I play on 116% difficulty, saves on exit, saves all the time) we've been forced to eat our horses and slay bandits until we can manage to scrounge up enough denars to pay the debts.
3000+ denars is not something a level 10-15 finds easy to get especially with the above problems. I had enough difficulty getting myself and Marnid equipped to even dream about 3000 denars, which at the current rate will end up being 4000 denars before I can pay it off. This is absurd, they won't take paymets, or do a refinance so that I can reduce the interest by paying lump sums. Don't give me the "business like we have today didn't exist... BS because if they can charge me interest, he can sure as hell break it up into payments, or allow me to begin paying the debt so he knows I'm in good faith. This would make the denars gained due to interest being proportional. Or you could have it so that the base interest increases the longer it takes you to make your payments. Example: "You have 3 days to pay 15% of the debt to the guild".
Its a complete almost game over spiral, unless I missed something?
Only horses as an alternate food source? Realistic again, but forced realism should be balanced by realism. Why can't I go to a different merchant to buy alternate foodstuffs? Yes I know that some bandits have food on them, but that can be a turkey shoot, as well as in the early-mid levels, especially after a massacre of your force, you might not be able to do that.
The Merchant shouldn't shut his shop to me because of a failed mission. He shouldn't give me more missions. But I should still be able to trade with him.
-In the above situation a player that owes a merchant a debt due to a failed mission; The merchant would then charge him a 20-25+% tax on all goods the player purchases from him (until the player pays off the debt).
-How will the player pay the debt if he can't: A) Get missions, B) Do merchantry trade?) Aside from going on a killing/slave driving spree?
Anyhow. If I overlooked something, am missing something, or if any of you have strategies I could use in my above situation, feel free to point them out. The game is stupendous. I find myself severly hooked on it (coming from a long time WoW/EQ/SWG/UO/NwN player..)
regards!