One feature I'd like to see is the ability for the player to create their own troop tree. From my thinking this would start out as a base troop, one upgrade, then split off into 2, and each of those splitting off once, with a final upgrade after that. This way the player could create a tree with on foot types on one end, one ranged focused and one melee focused if they wanted, and mounted types, one mounted archery and the other mounted melee. The tree branches would be labeled as such initially, and could be renamed by the player if they wanted, the tree branches not effecting the types of equipment but only stat increases following each upgrade. For instance, player could set a troop up to be on foot and have a Two handed Sabre decked out in Plate Armor as the final upgrade for the Mounted Ranged Troop side of the tree if they really wanted, but statswise the troop would be designed around mounted archery combat and thus would be ill suited for that equipment loadout. This would encourage the player to set up the trees so the progression make sense, but not lock them in either.
As for the customization, I'm thinking that the player could equip any tier with any equipment they wanted. Any faction army and bandit/raider/whatever equipment would be available for this customization, as well as generic versions of same that don't have any faction labels or any other faction unique identifiers on them, and ones that the player can give a number of labels to themselves, the cost is the same regardless. The tiers themselves only effect the stats of the troops and their overall cost, not the types of equipment they can equip.
What would balance this is cost of hiring, upgrading, and upkeep, which increase exponentially based on the equipment the player gives each troop in their tree, including for later tiers. Also the troops stats, which effect how the troop performs in general as well as provides penalties for troops that are equipped with equipment they don't have the stat requirements for that only goes up the greater the difference. Such as a troop with a STR of 6 trying to equip an armor that has a STR requirement of 9, they'd move much slower in combat and the armor wouldn't protect them as much as it would if equipped to a tier that had at least 9 STR.
Thus, the player could in theory create a troop tree that starts with a base troop with the previous example of being decked out in Plate Armor carrying a Two Handed Sabre plus a fully armored warhorse for the entirety of all of the custom troop trees. However, if the player did this even the base troop would cost significantly more to hire, the upkeep costs would be much higher, the upgrade cost to increase to the next tier would be much higher, and the stat penalties and lack of proficiency would mean that the custom base troop would end up not really being all that much better in a fight than the standard faction base troops overall, but it's there if the player really wants it and is flooded with cash.
Similarly, the player could create a troop tree full of nothing but men in their underpants carrying a knife. The troops would cost next to nothing to hire, upgrade, or upkeep, but they're relying entirely upon their stats and numbers to survive and thus would drop like flies even at the final tiers. The truth would likely come to be something in between either of these.
Throw in the ability to choose the gender of the base troop (with the obvious limitation that the troops further up the tree would also have to be the same gender) (go amazon brigade!!!
) and we'd be golden.
As for the customization, I'm thinking that the player could equip any tier with any equipment they wanted. Any faction army and bandit/raider/whatever equipment would be available for this customization, as well as generic versions of same that don't have any faction labels or any other faction unique identifiers on them, and ones that the player can give a number of labels to themselves, the cost is the same regardless. The tiers themselves only effect the stats of the troops and their overall cost, not the types of equipment they can equip.
What would balance this is cost of hiring, upgrading, and upkeep, which increase exponentially based on the equipment the player gives each troop in their tree, including for later tiers. Also the troops stats, which effect how the troop performs in general as well as provides penalties for troops that are equipped with equipment they don't have the stat requirements for that only goes up the greater the difference. Such as a troop with a STR of 6 trying to equip an armor that has a STR requirement of 9, they'd move much slower in combat and the armor wouldn't protect them as much as it would if equipped to a tier that had at least 9 STR.
Thus, the player could in theory create a troop tree that starts with a base troop with the previous example of being decked out in Plate Armor carrying a Two Handed Sabre plus a fully armored warhorse for the entirety of all of the custom troop trees. However, if the player did this even the base troop would cost significantly more to hire, the upkeep costs would be much higher, the upgrade cost to increase to the next tier would be much higher, and the stat penalties and lack of proficiency would mean that the custom base troop would end up not really being all that much better in a fight than the standard faction base troops overall, but it's there if the player really wants it and is flooded with cash.
Similarly, the player could create a troop tree full of nothing but men in their underpants carrying a knife. The troops would cost next to nothing to hire, upgrade, or upkeep, but they're relying entirely upon their stats and numbers to survive and thus would drop like flies even at the final tiers. The truth would likely come to be something in between either of these.
Throw in the ability to choose the gender of the base troop (with the obvious limitation that the troops further up the tree would also have to be the same gender) (go amazon brigade!!!
) and we'd be golden.
