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Adding a Tab to the kingdom slot to send request to mercs to work for your kingdom rather than running around trying to find them would make them more practical in use
and help while you try and defend.
 
Adding a Tab to the kingdom slot to send request to mercs to work for your kingdom rather than running around trying to find them would make them more practical in use
and help while you try and defend.
No, they should simply remove mercenary clans from the game.

I kill them always at the start of a campaign with the console and the game is so much better without them.
Factions, who lose a war are more likely to pay tribute instead of demand tribute.
 
Great.... Remove all features that does not work 100% and the game at least is not hollow anymore :razz:
Haha, I hope there will be some improvements and interactions with them, Like a messenger system to invite the minor faction leader to a meeting.
I agree they are mostly an annoyance currently.
it would also make the ai look more pro active if minor factions without contracts, actively seek out faction leaders to negotiate services. (even better if this would take part in a throne room).

added features regarding mercenaries at a later state could be:
- improve relations to a point to be able to recruit minor faction units and acquire armor
- establish a new culture based on the minor faction, maybe designate only a certain town, castle or village in your kingdom. at this point the become a regular clan. (only 1 per player kingdom)

- taking over a minor faction as leader and take this culture.
- being able to bribe opposing mercenaries to switch sides in the next major battle (only if this is in line with the character traits of the clan leader)

I would also like them to stick to an appropriate climate area on the map. For me personally This only applies to the southern Jawwal, Ghilman and Beni Zilal, I find it weird seeing them in the snow. But I don't see how to balance this without applying this to all minor factions.
 
No, they should simply remove mercenary clans from the game.
Hard disagree... there's already too few factions.
- being able to bribe opposing mercenaries to switch sides in the next major battle (only if this is in line with the character traits of the clan leader)
I like this idea. The whole thematic appeal of mercenaries is that they are fickle and loyal only to the highest bidder... a rich ruler should have no problem paying off the enemy's mercenaries, unless its a particularly professional/dogmatic company. Would also provide a practical solution to the annoyance of defeated factions staving off surrender via hiring mercenaries, without removing the obstacle all together.

The core issue with mercenaries/minor factions is that they are mostly indistinguishable from any other clan as far as gameplay goes, and act nothing like a player on a merc playthrough would. IMO the biggests issues with mercenaries in their current state are:

- Their unwavering loyalty and identical priorities to their current faction (e.g. they should ransom captured lords back to the enemy, as it's in their interest to keep the war going and get the financial reward).

- Their unique units are quickly diluted and thus they don't serve the specialist roles implied by their troop roster or the encyclopaedia (e.g. Boar are ranged Xbowmen, Karakhergit horse archers, etc.) If the recruitment system was also changed for major factions, so lords were more restricted to their own culture for recruits, then the presence of these specialised mercenaries would also be far more impactful. Seriously, just fight against early-game minor factions, then fight them again in late-game... completely different experiences.

- They're not very useful to a player-created kingdom, as their service is seemingly random, there is no haggling for their services, and their leaders have to be found and petitioned, rather than the opposite. The player has to do this when playing as a merc, so it should work that way for the AI too.
 
- Their unique units are quickly diluted and thus they don't serve the specialist roles implied by their troop roster or the encyclopaedia (e.g. Boar are ranged Xbowmen, Karakhergit horse archers, etc.) If the recruitment system was also changed for major factions, so lords were more restricted to their own culture for recruits, then the presence of these specialised mercenaries would also be far more impactful. Seriously, just fight against early-game minor factions, then fight them again in late-game... completely different experiences.
This can easely be solved now, when game supports unlimited (yet conditional) upgradepaths. This means recruits can have paths into all associated minor factions. Restricted to be used by members of the minor faction and maybe to a player with a certain relation to its clan. (See my suggestion More T1 upgrade paths for how this can be used to get access to a wide range of troops that´s not accessible for the player now.)

By restricting the normal T1 upgradepath to lords in a faction of the faction culture we can easely limit AI towards a certain composition.
 
Yes, with code. Horses and Bandit->noble is just a code-condition(though specified in XML)
I have to look in to this. I like you suggestion that the player might upgrade into the minor factions unit tree based on relations. (could also be a unlock for highest tiers based on a quest)

I hope it is possible to condition upgrade paths to curtain kingdoms(not cultures) for the AI. If so a slightly diverse unit roster between the empire factions is possible.

you said Bandit-> Noble (still wondering who thought this was logical)+ horse conditions are specified in the XML. I hope it is easy to add other conditions to the xml file so it will be easy for everyone to mod.
I find the xml files easy to work with, but the dnspy C# stuff goes mostly over my head.
 
+1 for being able to recruit Merc Clans via the Kingdom UI.

Players have to find the clan leader on the map, while AI factions can recruit them out of thin air which is a massive cheat, and to be frank, poor game design as its a clear oversight. There's absolutely no good reason why the player shouldn't be able to recruit the merc clans via the UI so its on a level playing field with how the AI can do it.

Hell, make a "messenger" type service so it's not instant - calculated by the distance between the player/AI clan leader and the Merc Clan Leader (or something like that) so they might take 1 - 3 days to accept the offer. This should apply to both player AND AI, not just the player.
 
you said Bandit-> Noble (still wondering who thought this was logical)+ horse conditions are specified in the XML. I hope it is easy to add other conditions to the xml file so it will be easy for everyone to mod.
I find the xml files easy to work with, but the dnspy C# stuff goes mostly over my head.
Horse upgrade is specified in XML but there is logic looking for it executing it based on what´s in the XML. Bandit logic is executed on based on the type. If the upgradeable unit is Bandit and the target is not then require the perk.

EDIT: Unfortunatly, only the check for horse requirement is in vanilla. It could easely been to made to look for whatever item-category is required but its very hardcoded for mounts(last I looked atleast).

I hope it is possible to condition upgrade paths to curtain kingdoms(not cultures) for the AI. If so a slightly diverse unit roster between the empire factions is possible.
It should be possible to hardcode to a kingdom or better, hardcode it to a policy that is hardcoded to the different Imperial factions and where a player Empire faction can choose between the three. Policies I think is the key to make kingdoms unique.

I have to look in to this. I like you suggestion that the player might upgrade into the minor factions unit tree based on relations. (could also be a unlock for highest tiers based on a quest)
Would be really cool! I would love it!
 
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Hell, make a "messenger" type service so it's not instant - calculated by the distance between the player/AI clan leader and the Merc Clan Leader (or something like that) so they might take 1 - 3 days to accept the offer. This should apply to both player AND AI, not just the player.

A messenger service would be great. Send a companion with mandate to speak for you. When they meet(consider travel distance etc), give a notification(like for votes) where you have 1 day or whatever to enter the dialogue.

I have discussed a lot about tasks for your companions and parties. Diplomatic Envoys would be such a great thing!!
 
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