I could recommend the NNY (no name yet) mod:
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,51290.0.html
It's basically native with many small gameplay tweaks, making the game quite fun.
- Talk to the Village Elder/Guild Master with the game menu.
- Create your own party, give them troops and order them around.
They follow, stay or patrol.
Added support for paying them wages and them helping you in battle.
- Bribe bandits into following you (currently they join your party, but perhaps there is potential to keep them as a party)
- Buy ale in a tavern to make your fellows happy.
- Recruit townsmen, refugees and manhunter in the tavern by talking to the tavern keeper. (like in 0.808 and earlier)
- Other things I perhaps forgot