SP - General Proposed Mechanics: Dynamic Companion Introductions and Tasks

[foredeekay]

Hello - love the game and really like the companions also, but I do wish they had a bit more colour to them. I appreciate the time the devs put into writing the various stock back stories, but I think a better way to make them memorable would be to introduce them through random encounters, rather than just hiring them in a tavern. Here are some scenarios in which a player might encounter a randomly generated companion, and be given the chance to hire them. This would really help players form a real connection with each one. Each of these would only fire once in each play through. Along with dynamic introductions, I would like to propose more detailed companion tasks and missions (below)

(Ideally there would be many more intros, but I have tried to suggest one for each skill set)

Note: As they are randomly generated and could be either gender, I will be using they/them for each



None shall pass! (C. with high vigour skills)

Your party is stopped on the campaign map. A single warrior proclaims that any person wishing to pass this point must defeat them in single combat. The player may chose:

• "Enough of this nonsense! Archers!!!"
• Engage the warrior in single combat
  • should you succeed, he will be available to hire, free of charge as they will have finally met a warrior to best them
  • should the player fail, they will still be allowed to recruit them, but for a price, and a promise you will help them find a foe to best them

A man can't take a stroll?! (C. with high intelligence skills)

(Inspired by this scene)

Your party stops to see an unusual sight. A single person strides towards you on the road, wearing only a loincloth. Upon stopping them, they explain they are scholar who has been robbed of every item of clothing they have. They claim that their situation damns all of Calradia, as a person of their intense intelligence and learning has to walk bare arsed through the land while illiterate thugs with cats and dogs on their banners ride along in finery. The player takes offence and in order to prove that they are no "illiterate thug", the player can agrees to a riddle

• If the player is correct, the companion joins for free as the scholar has found a mind to match theirs
• If the player is wrong the scholar will be moved with sympathy to the plight of the less intelligent and will offer to help guide the poor simple player (for a price)

Fancy a flutter? (C. with high social skills)

Upon entering a tavern, the player will be challenged by a smooth talking companion to a board game and a friendly wager. Should the player accept the challenge, they will play whatever game is available at the tavern

• Should the player win, the companion will admit they cannot pay their debt and will offer to join the player's party to repay them
• Should the player lose, the companion will gloat and engage in further conversation. The companion will admit they have earned quite a bad reputation from fleecing people in the town and would like to leave. The player can then offer to take them along for a price.

Break my bonds! (C. with high endurance skills)

Upon entering a village after dark, the player will be stopped by the blacksmith's son/daughter. They will explain that their father the blacksmith has died and left them with significant debt which they cannot repay. The player can then speak to the debtor in order to release the young companion from their bondage (speech check)

• Should the player pass the speech check, the debtor will allow the companion to leave and join the party - on the understanding the companion will earn enough money from their adventures to repay him one day
• Should the player fail, they will have to pay the debt in order to hire them

Won't someone rid me of this troublesome beast! (C. with high control skills)

The player will be approached by a lord who asks a favour. They are burdened with a troublesome young companion who has been drinking and fighting his way across every tavern in Calradia. The lord asks the player to find them in X city as they have not returned from an errand. The player can then go the tavern of city X where they will find the companion engaged in a brutal bar brawl against two opponents. The player will be attacked also upon entering and must save the companion.

• Should the player and companion get knocked out, they will awake in the cells. In deferance to the players rank as a noble, the jailer releases them, but refuses to release the companion unless money is paid
• Should the player win the bar brawl, the companion will declare themselves finished with Lord X and ask to ride with a true friend (the player)

Anyway, I thought I would propose one scenario for each of the skills groups, although there could be many more for each one. I would love to hear your thoughts!


P.s. It’s true that it could get repetitive but I would like to think the following factors might help solve this

*dozens of different scripts for encounters

*always having the option of ignoring each encounter immediately

*each event would only fire once per playthrough

*would only trigger when the player has a spare companion slot AND enough money to pay for them


TASKS


I have divided these up into missions/objectives for companions leading a party, and companions who do not lead a party (as they are in your party, or are staying in a city for example)



Companions without a party

• Deliver message: A companion can be sent to deliver a specific message to any known noble, gang leader or notable. There would be much less options available than if you were to speak directly to the Lord. The companion can also be sent to ask the Lord to head to a certain fief to meet you - the Lord's likelihood of coming to meet you would depend on your influence/power
• Source cheap/expensive good (Trade): Your companion could be sent to find which town in Calradia is selling a certain good at the highest/lowest price. Their trade skills would affect how long this task takes to complete
• Scout fief (Tactics): Your companion could be sent on a solo mission to scout a certain castle/town. Their tactics level would determine the level of detail they provide on the garrison (from number of troops to type of troops). Should it be an enemy city, there is also an X% chance they will be captured depending on their roguery skill
• Incite unrest (Roguery): You companion could be sent to a specific town/castle held by an enemy or rival clan. For a set period of time, they will increase the unhappiness of the villages connected to that town/ castle. This is risky as there is an X% chance they will be captured depending on their roguery skill. Should your companion be captured, relations with the target clan will take a significant hit and you may be punished by your ruler. a successful mission will greatly increase the chance of a peasant rebellion. AI lords may also do this to your fiefs. The skills of your governor will determine the likelihood of the perpetrator being caught and imprisoned
• Rescue mission (Roguery): Your companion can be sent to break an imprisoned noble out of prison. This is also assuming that imprisonment really means something in a future update (min of 2 weeks in prison before even a chance of automatic escape. This would be fairly dangerous and would require a very high roguery skill. In a previous post I outlined how imprisonment and break-outs (MBW style) could be made a lot more fun/interesting
• Attend feast (Charm): In a previous post I proposed how feasts could be set out and Lord's could be specifically invited. Should you not wish to attend your 5th Sturgian Coronation this year, you can send a companion in your place. A companion with high charm may even improve your relation to the lord, but a companion with charm could really make you look bad!
• Legations (Charm / Roguery): As a ruler, you could send companions to foreign courts to act as ambassador. High charm would improve relations, but high roguery would also provide detailed information to your spy master who would then provide an intelligence report every 3-7 days. I described how this could work in more detail here

Companions with a party

• Patrol/Raid X fief: An obvious one. Companion parties should be able to be directed to patrol or raid a certain castle/town and their associated villages. The companion could also be given several targets to cover and take opportunities where they could
• Enforce embargo: In a previous post I proposed that Kingdoms could enforce embargoes on certain goods from other kingdoms. Combined with granting monopolies on certain manufactured goods (wine, leather etc), these could be incredibly profitable. However, in another post I also suggested that criminal gangs could run black market caravans. These would appear like regular caravans on the campaign map but would sell their goods in the black market, ignoring any embargo. Your companion and their party could be sent to a certain city, or the Kingdom at large to stop caravans to see if they are in fact a black market caravan. If they are, they will engage in battle. The seized goods, bar the embargoed items, can be taken and sold
• Hunt party of Lord X: Your companion and their party can be sent out to hunt down and capture a specific lord. They will only engage if they overpower them, otherwise they will stalk them in classic MB style**.** This could be used against enemies, and also outlaw lords (Law and Order mechanic)
• Send gift: Your companion and their party can be sent to escort a substantial gift to another lord. They will have to travel across the campaign map. The party will be marked as being on a diplomatic mission and would be a tempting target for a player or noble who was not worried about the significant hit to relations they would suffer from both the sender and receiver

Anyway, those are some of my ideas, I would love to hear your thoughts. As ever, love the game and I am enjoying seeing it slowly come together.



Thanks,

foredeekay

P.S. Thanks to Stan Games and Tutorials for his video critiquing my proposed siege mechanics here

Here are some of my previous proposed mechanics:

• Dynamic Companion Introductions https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...ed_mechanics_dynamic_companion_introductions/
• Custom settlements https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...oposed_mechanics_build_your_own_great_estate/
• Proposed Merchant Mechanics https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...osed_merchant_mechanics_high_stakes_gambling/
• Proposed Siege Mechanics https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...sed_mechanics_sieges_sallying_out_tunnelling/
• Southern Vlandians https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...posed_faction_southern_vlandians_description/
• Declaring War, Peace Treaties, Diplomacy and "Legates" https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...posed_mechanics_declaring_war_peace_treaties/
• Calradian Navies
• Clan Wars https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hv4s92/proposed_mechanic_clan_wars/
• Peasant rebellions: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hk33t2/peasant_rebellions/
• Castle mechanics: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hsuvbt/proposed_mechanics_castle_activities/
• Feasts and Tournaments https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hulfbq/proposed_mechanics_feasts_and_tournaments/
• Royal Court Mechanic https://www.reddit.com/r/Bannerlord/comments/hdwfdj/royal_court_proposed_mechanic/
• City Mechanics https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hu2kqu/proposed_mechanic_city_activities/
• Prison escapes: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...sed_dungeon_mechanics_escapes_interrogations/
• Law and Order: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hopmnl/proposed_law_and_order_mechanics/
• Slavery: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hpcavs/proposed_slavery_mechanic/
• Ambushes, Fortified Camps, Pas d'Armes: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...posed_mechanics_ambushes_fortified_camps_pas/
• Create your own royal guard: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerl...roposed_mechanic_royal_guard_create_your_own/
• Crimelord: https://www.reddit.com/r/MB2Bannerlord/comments/hnjfuf/crimelord_proposed_mechanics/

 

[Terco_Viejo]

+1
Certainly on a conceptual level, you have a good pool of ideas; in line with what has been discussed here. I guess Reddit's concerns go very much in parallel with the proposals here.

 

[Dhargo]

After having a companion form their own party, we should be able to give them commands. It makes no sense that they do literally whatever they want as if they were no longer our subordinate.

• "Go loot caravans"
• "Patrol around X"
• "Protect settlement X and its surrounding villages"
• "Protect my settlements"
• "Raid the Aserai"
• "Do whatever you see fit"
• "Recruit units"
• "Level up units"
• "Hunt bandits and looters, destroy their hideouts"

During a siege:

• "Supply our army with food - by coin"
• "Supply our army by seizing it from the countryside"

Especially the ones I marked bold are important in my opinion.